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littlelostlamb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
toriepeters's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tomstbr's review
4.0
Extinction is what I call peripheral science fiction. The futuristic element is there but off stage. Earth is dying, on its last legs, and most of the population is heading off-world. In fact, part of the driving factor in the story is the aspiration to receive a ticket to space. But we never travel to space and instead are firmly grounded in the North American wilderness.
Our MC is a green-type, devoted to the planet and willing to go down with the ship. He is part of a project meant to protect one of the last grizzly bears on the planet. Our story begins when the peace of the forest is disrupted by 'tourists'. Bradley has written a taut and tense action thriller with an eco-conservation message underneath it that propels the reader through the story. There are bullets flying and the body count at the end was higher than I expected. It never gets sidetracked into poetic tracts about nature, but it does paint a background to the plot, and certainly, there is a haunting feeling as we realize just how degraded our planet has become in this possible future.
Our MC is a green-type, devoted to the planet and willing to go down with the ship. He is part of a project meant to protect one of the last grizzly bears on the planet. Our story begins when the peace of the forest is disrupted by 'tourists'. Bradley has written a taut and tense action thriller with an eco-conservation message underneath it that propels the reader through the story. There are bullets flying and the body count at the end was higher than I expected. It never gets sidetracked into poetic tracts about nature, but it does paint a background to the plot, and certainly, there is a haunting feeling as we realize just how degraded our planet has become in this possible future.
farquharsonmcqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood
poweredbyjava's review
1.0
"Extinction" by Bradley Somer was an excruciating read. This book left me utterly bored and frustrated. I couldn't grasp the plot – were they trying to save the Earth, or was there a colony involved? The lack of a clear narrative direction made it a confusing experience. Furthermore, the absence of substantial character development left me apathetic towards Ben, Anna, and the hunters. The only character worth caring about was the old lady in the cabin, and that's because the author failed to establish any meaningful connections or background for the others. Overall, this book was a letdown, and I wouldn't recommend it.
shgadd's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Almost didn't finish this. For a book that spends far too much time painting a picture of the surroundings...it does a poor job of it, and the countless action scenes are jumbled and confusing.
The twist at the end goes some way to explaining the bizarre betrayal, but also negates the whole goddam journey.
Wish I could get back the hours I spent on this. Half a star for bears in general.
Wish I could get back the hours I spent on this. Half a star for bears in general.
cozy_reading_times's review
3.0
Sadly not as gripping or emotional as I had wished when picking it up. The premises itself sounded very intriguing but I never really was able to form a bond to the main character which made the whole story far less interesting.
Amazing cover though.
Amazing cover though.
someonetookit's review
4.0
Set in the future, the world has become overwhelmed and humanity has moved on to greener pastures (or planets to be precise). Left behind are those who can't afford the flight and those interested in conserving the earth until the very end.
In Extinction, a park ranger is out to protect the final brown bear, a creature fondly called The Boss, from poachers who are determined to make a final kill before jetting off into the cosmos. Its definitely a tale of cat and mouse with the protagonist doing his best to divert the invaders attention in order to give The Boss his best chance at life. I went into it expecting a typical SFF novel and instead was given a not too distant future, general fiction - this isn't a bad thing, I just got something unexpected and had to shift my view.
The narrative is constantly fraught with slow burning suspense relating to the plight of everyone involved. The characters, while not particularly deep, performed their assigned roles and pushed the story in the required direction but didn't go very much beyond that.
I will say that the reader can feel the desolation of the entire situation. The world building, while very familiar in its imagery, pushes the envelope to the point of the world feeling alien and depleted.
Overall, while not entirely my cup of tea, this one is a very thought provoking study into where the world is headed if humanity doesn't pull back on its excesses. Well worth a read if you're into end of the world novels with a suburban twist
In Extinction, a park ranger is out to protect the final brown bear, a creature fondly called The Boss, from poachers who are determined to make a final kill before jetting off into the cosmos. Its definitely a tale of cat and mouse with the protagonist doing his best to divert the invaders attention in order to give The Boss his best chance at life. I went into it expecting a typical SFF novel and instead was given a not too distant future, general fiction - this isn't a bad thing, I just got something unexpected and had to shift my view.
The narrative is constantly fraught with slow burning suspense relating to the plight of everyone involved. The characters, while not particularly deep, performed their assigned roles and pushed the story in the required direction but didn't go very much beyond that.
I will say that the reader can feel the desolation of the entire situation. The world building, while very familiar in its imagery, pushes the envelope to the point of the world feeling alien and depleted.
Overall, while not entirely my cup of tea, this one is a very thought provoking study into where the world is headed if humanity doesn't pull back on its excesses. Well worth a read if you're into end of the world novels with a suburban twist
tyranosauruslex's review
2.0
I would have loved this book if I was 12 and had just gotten it out of the riverside public library on my way to catch the bus home