Author: Steve Alten
I am not a biologist or any sort of shark expert. Other than avidly watching documentaries -- and Shark Week, of course -- I know very little about the ocean and its inhabitants. But I do know that I LOVE monster movies with one of two things: crazy angry carnivores or unknown humongous cryptids. This book delivers both. I wanted to go see the movie this summer, but when I found out that it was based on a book....I had to follow My Rule -- ALWAYS read the book first. So I opted to wait until the movie released on DVD to watch it. Netflix has the DVD available now....so I bumped the book to the top of my list and grabbed the audio book from my local library.
On the one hand, I do have to say that this story has been done before....many times. Rogue scientist touts unpopular belief...gets mocked, "ruins'' career, gets shunned by academia....UNTIL....
....that UNTIL is the most important part......
UNTIL (suspense building music stab inserted here)......the cryptid beast, pending doom, crazy idea he was warning everyone about shows up and starts killing/attacking, etc.
Then....academia and a whole host of other people come rushing back begging him to help them take care of the situation. Godzilla. Volcanoes. Earthquakes. Global warming. Whales. Giant Octopus/squid. Asteroids. Aliens. Dinosaurs. And....sharks.
It's been done. Many times.
But I love it! And this time...it's a GIANT shark. Move over Jaws.....The Meg eats Great Whites for a snack.....and whales, giant squid, submersibles, boats, divers....hell anything that will fit in its mouth.
SO....old plot. Bigger, badder monster. Bigger. Angrier. Hungrier. Did I say BIGGER??
BIGGER!!!!!
Loved this book! I don't care if it's impossible, faux science, old hat.....it makes me happy. This sort of book is my favorite brain candy.
I love the premise. I like the characters. And I even like the shark. It's only doing what it was made to do.....and very well for that matter. I like Steve Alten's writing....he mixes a scientific feel with an action/monster plot very well.
About the only complaint I have is a bit of an issue with the audio book narration. Sean Runnette reads at a nice pace and his acting is good for the most part. My issue is with his voice. He seems to have a problem pronouncing some consonants, especially S. It sounds like the actor might have poorly fitting dentures or some other speech problem? Or maybe it's just poor quality sound, equipment or editing? Not sure what the exact problem is, but I have partial hearing loss so crisp, quality sound on audio books is essential for me. I had a bit of trouble understanding Runnette's narration.
The audio book I listened to from Tantor Audio is 10.5 hours long and includes both The Meg and Origins (a prequel for The Meg). I was surprised to find out that The Meg is actually a series of 5 books! More large shark mayhem! Yay! I will definitely be listening/reading the rest of the series. And now that I've read the book....I can see the movie! Got it at the top of my Netflix list!
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