Reviews with content warning for Death - Prey

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Prey by Michael Crichton

13 reviews

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I was hoping for either more action, or better developed characters, but this was an otherwise solid sci-fi that wrapped up nicely at the end. I prefer a slightly less definitive ending but I know a lot of people like a more resolved feeling.

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wanderingwonderbread's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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abicaro17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a very interesting read! I kinda guessed where we were going from the beginning but it was a fun ride either way. John is an out of work computer programer whos wife Julia works for a tech company working with nanotechnology. When Julia begins to act strange John suspects infidelity or drugs but theres no way to tell what's really coming. This was pretty fast paced and the plot was just interesting enough to reel me in but not enough to spoil anything. I think this books real fault is all the science. I like when a book is rooted in actual science and possibilities but this book takes that to an extreme. Every other paragraph is a tirade of the inner workings of the technology and I just feel like it's not necessary. I found myself skimming over those paragraphs and never felt like I was missing anything.

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omair's review against another edition

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informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Ah yes, another Michael Crichton novel. It has all the signatures. The emphasis on the science part of science fiction, the clear effort to craft a narrative in which you can discover something about your own ethical standing, and the hundreds of paragraphs to make sure you knew that Crichton really does his research.

Don't get me wrong - I actually very much enjoy this book. Over a decade after Jurassic Park, this is, in many ways, a reskin. Cutting edge technology theorized upon by the greatest minds but never thought to be seriously viable. The dilemma that comes with having that technology, the hubris in mishandling it, and the fallout from there. Sprinkle in a father figure with some bratty kids floating around and BAM. If you liked one of Jurassic Park or Lost World, I'm pretty confident you'll like Prey.

The tone Crichton carries in this work is really what sells it to me. It is, by most measures, a very predictable story, with beats that have been done time and again. But even if you know what's coming every step of the way, you don't mind reading on - or at least I didn't.

There is a lot more technical filler than maybe what is necessary, and the chapters with it definitely are bogged down enough to prevent a higher rating. But this may just be a personal thing as I'm now (re-)reading this long after the tech concepts are not exactly groundbreaking and my technical understanding is much greater than first read.

The only other real criticism I have with the book is that our protagonist is... kinda a schmuck haha. But ultimately, he's just a dude trying to make it and do right by his family, and that's quite alright. Just... you know... I hope he works on his flaws.

It's the end of March as I write this, and for anyone that stumbles across this review - if the summer months are coming and you're intrigued by the cover of the book, I'd say give it a read. It really carries the energy of the annual summer blockbuster movie, with similar strengths and pitfalls. It might not be worthy of standing in the spotlight with Jurassic Park, but it certainly lands somewhere on the island.

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mothreadsbookssometimes's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.0

I reread Prey by Michael Crichton. I first read this book when I was 13, and it got me out of a major reading slump. I’ve been meaning to read it again for literal years… and unfortunately it didn’t live up to the nostalgia.
3/5 nanobots

Prey is a thriller about nano-robots and artificial intelligence. And it does that very well. The rest of the story’s plot lines… not so much.
For starters, the narrator is incredibly sexist. The first half of the book is almost entirely him speculating on his wife having an affair and using some really misogynistic language. There’s also some racism in the portrayals of a few side characters, which was very uncomfortable.
In addition, because I’ve read it once before, I knew the twist already. It didn’t affect a lot because it’s been so long that I honestly forgot most of the ending.
The first half is also just a slog. It’s the span of a week, but the narrator doesn’t do anything except get mad at his wife. He also goes on a multi-paragraph tangent about some science concept at least once a chapter, and that slows the pace down and it feels very unnecessary.
Fortunately, the second half of the book had a lot less problematic language and the pacing picked up. Once I got past the 50% mark, I flew through the book and it was far more enjoyable. But that first half dragged the rating down to 3 stars.

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rockyc5's review against another edition

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informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

My first time reading Crichton. Very sciency science fiction, but I feel like I learned something while being kept on the edge of my seat. I could picture the whole book like a great scifi horror action thriller movie!

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swimfast724's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I read this in high school in the summer for AP Biology class and we had to write a few pages about the scientific accuracy of the book. This book focuses on swarming behavior and how animals signal each other, nanotechnology, nanobots, and science gone wrong. I liked it a lot but the characters could have been better. And most of it was scientifically accurate, like 90%. To me, a scientist, that's the best part and most unique thing about Michael Crichton. I like a lot of his books.

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