Book Review- Michael Crichton- Rising Sun

Michael Crichton- Rising Sun (Ballantine Books 1993) 3.75 Stars

When a woman is murdered in the beautiful new Nakamoto Tower in L.A. at its grand opening, an investigation begins. Lieutenant Smith must now work with Captain Connor to dig through the lies and deceit to uncover the truth. Connor teaches him much about Japanese culture and helps him understand their actions. Just when they think that they are close to the truth they discover that once again they must weave through the maze of corruption and cover-ups. Can they solve the case before it ruins the lives of everyone involved?

After reading Rising Sun I have decided that this is my favourite Crichton book. I loved the twists and turns that this book took. Crichton masterfully weaves around the truth, giving you glimpses of what might be reality, only to take a totally different path. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this novel. The characters were interesting as well, although I did not feel a great connection to any of them, but the main character. I enjoyed learning a little about Japanese culture and how much it differs from our own. One thing that I did not like was how there were long sections of information that could easily have been condensed to help the reader keep interest. These sections slowed down the pace and made me wonder why we really needed all the information we were given. I understand the desire to include all the information from your research, but as an author you need to resist this urge.

I recommend Rising Sun to Crichton fans or anyone who loves a good thriller.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Michael Crichton- Airframe

Michael Crichton- Airframe (Ballantine Book 1997) 3.25 Stars

When a jumbo jet careens out of control over the Pacific Ocean it injures 56 and kills 3. The question now is not only why did it happen, but who is responsible; is it the pilot or the airline manufacturer. Casey Singleton has been assigned the job of answering that question and she intends to do it, even if it means losing her job or ending up dead.

Crichton is a very skilled author, but I find it difficult to get into some of his books. Airframe had the plot to be a very good novel, but in some places I found that it was lacking finesse. The characters were kind of weak with the exception of Casey, the main character. The settings were also lacking as they weren’t really described too much, he left most of that to your own mind. I was hoping for a little bit more when I started reading this and ended up disappointed.

I recommend Airframe to Crichton fans only.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Michael Crichton- Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton- Jurassic Park (Ballantine Books 1991) 3.5 Stars

Hammond and his team of scientists have discovered a method of creating dinosaurs, by cloning dino DNA captured from ancient sap that has trapped insects that feasted on dinosaurs. The plan is to make them a zoo display on an secluded island, but something goes wrong and they all find themselves trapped on an island with the most deadly creatures the world has ever known.

I have to say that I actually liked the movies better than the books, and I rarely ever say that. I did not like how it switched perspective constantly and there was no real main character. The plot was a little bit slow at first, although still interesting and it kind of helped the movie make a little more sense. The idea for this book was a great one as there are many dinosaur fanatics out there. The science was interesting to look at considering all the cloning attempts happening now, although so far cloning has not been too successful, which makes this book seem even more far fetched.

I recommend this novel to fans of the Jurassic Park movies, Michael Crichton fans, or lovers of sci-fi books.

For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html