Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SKIPPED MY WEEKEND CHORES TO READ THIS DAMN THING!!, June 25, 2006
I had A LOT to do this weekend: cleaning, bill-playing, clothes to the dry cleaner, you know the drill. A friend who never likes anything told me about this, said he couldn't read Natural Selection fast enough, so I picked it up on Friday, planning to read it over the next week ---
Forget it. Despite everything I had to do, I could not put this book down!! I HAD TO FINISH IT! Forget my chores, forget returning phone calls, forget everything! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This book just didn't lose my attention, not for a second! Every step of the way, I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I'm not normally given to hyperbole but this is as close to a flawless book as I've ever read. I LOVED EVERYTHING: the gripping plot, the science; the characters, the vivid scenery, the cool locales ... And, fyi, I don't agree with others who suggest that Ackerman is cliched; he's perfect; I mean, I know this type of guy in real life; I work with someone like this so he was VERY, VERY REAL TO ME and I think comparing him in any way to the JP character is just flat-out wrong!!
The only slight problem I had is that because the book had so many characters -- Jason, Darryl, Monique, Lisa, Craig, Phil, Ack - I got them a little confused in the early going. But even this slight problem went away as the pages continued to rip past: Because all the characters were all so clearly delineated - with very distinct personalities and descriptions - as I continued reading, it became crystal-clear who was who. The chars are fabulous!! Unlike most books, esp thrillers, I can really see them, picture them, taste them ...
But as others have said what really makes this book GO is the plot. Gripping, mesmerizing, riveting --- every superlative applies. I'm not going to spoil anything here, not going to give it away, but, man, does the author take this out-there-concept and make it totally believable!! You really believe this is happening!! In reflection, I'm sort of amazed that no one has written a book like this before: I mean, the evolution of a new predator, it's just so obvious, so COOL!! Whatever, I'm just glad I could read this, it was just SO entertaining, SO MUCH fun. Natural Selection has blockbuster written all over it!!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very fun way to spend a weekend!, July 10, 2006
I should preface this by saying that books like this are not normally my cup of tea. But a friend who is generally "particular" absolutely loved it so I decided to give it a try ...
I could not put this book down. I read it in three sittings and every time I had to get up I did so reluctantly. To my delight (and I must admit, my amazement) I found this novel very intellectually stimulating. It just reminded me of how little I really know about nature and it got me thinking about what other species are out there that we know nothing of: whether in the sea, the rain forests, the deserts ... The author digs deep into complicated subjects I admittedly know nothing about yet he makes them readable and great fun: all about viruses, how they originate and spread, details of how a brain works, the difference between lungs and gills, what deep sea vents are, fascinating details about northern california's redwood trees and what "prescribed fires" are. Yet what's amazing is that the author does this very economically and without slowing down the plot for even a second. The pages absolutely fly!! Truly very difficult to put down!! What a page turner!
One caveat. I generally enjoy more character driven novels than this; to be candid, the characters here were not fantastic and lacked real depth; that said, for a thriller they were much better than normal, far superior to the stick figures of the Da Vinci Code for example. But this was still an enthralling, engrossing book! For reasons I don't normally state, I found it accessible, educational, and completely addictive!! So far, our 14 year old feels the same way; normally he's a video game addict but is already 100-odd pages in; needless to say generally NOT a reader!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Innovative but dubious blologic shocker, November 3, 2006
Dave Freedman's initial literary offering "Natural Selection" is a biologic thriller along the same lines as Crichton's incomparable "Jurassic Park", but not at that level. Freedman's premise is based on the rapid evolution of an ocean inhabiting species of giant ray into a unparalleled predator devoid of natural enemies.
The predator known as the Clarita Demonray was originally a previously unknown deep water denizen of the sea related to the more familiar manta ray. An oceanic virus known as GDV-4 was destroying the vast populations of plankton which was having disasterous effects of those species dependent on it for its food source. This forced the demonray to rise from the depths to seek alternative food supplies.
A research vessels manned by six scientists was combing the waters off the California coast working for a marine park known as Manta World. The park the brain child of dot com multi millionaire Harry Ackerman was an abyssmal failure, unable to sustain the mantas in captivity. The group led by icthyologist Jason Aldridge was seeking answers as to why the manta weren't surviving. They were drawn to Clarita Island based on reports of a sighting of thousands of little rays seen propelling themselves out of the water and attempting to fly! One actually landed on the deck of a nearby boat and shockingly appeared to be breathing.
Soon a carcass of a huge adult demonray was found beached along the coast. An autopsy was performed and the teeth and brains of the ray were accompanied by the research team to various experts in those fields. The astounding analysis revealed a highly intelligent predatory machine with an almost lack of ability to feel pain.
The research team, all but one Phd. icthyologists also included a military based husband and wife team Darryl and Monique Hollis, Lisa Barton, Aldridges love interest and researchers Craig Summers and Phil Martino. Together they followed the group of ray via a trail of kelp they'd been teething on.
Moving forward, the demonrays rapidly became so highly evolved that they were able to fly as well as birds and also respire. The leader of the group and the most accomplished flyer, abandoned it's watery habitant and knowingly set out to establish itself as a terrestrially based species. Using a conduit from the sea it instituted itself in a redwood forest within a desolate California state park slaughtering local prey including a jogger.
With the demonray firmly entrenched the research team felt compelled to root it out of its lair and destroy it before it became a bane to mankind, no easy task considering its high levels of intelligence.
Freedman's imaginative tale fell short in the biologic background he presented. His seques between the interpersonal relationships of the research crew and the scientific aspects of the tale were at times awkward. He also fumbled while detailing the budding relationship between team leader Jason and Lisa Barton. As a first novel however, "Natural Selection" was a solid and creative effort.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
