Reviews

Mega by Jake Bible

Only show reviews with written explanations

tunnelrat47's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

4.0

Mega did not grab me. I can't put my finger on exactly why, as it had all the ingredients of a potentially entertaining read. I'd probably give it 2.5 stars, but I may be a bit harsh in my assessment judging from my comments below.

Perhaps it was the rather poor execution of South African sayings and accents that left me feeling let down right from the start. Yes, I listened to the audiobook on Scribd, and while the narration was pretty good overall, the narrator was poor at producing South African accents and expressions. It sounded more Jamaican. Many sayings, such as "bra", for brother are inappropriately used. As a South African, I can confirm that we are are extremely diverse (for example, 11 official languages in our country alone) and the author revealed a very narrow understanding and appreciation for our culture. That aside.

The other irritating factor is the clichés used to the extreme in dialogues. This is especially true for the interaction between the Navy Seals. Me Tarzan, you Jane! This was my biggest gripe with the book.

The storyline was also rather thin, and I had a feeling the author realised it hallway through. The initial story was then subsequently supplemented with additional information. However, it did not feel like a gradual reveal, but rather like a hastily stuck-on band-aid.

In the end the book did not feel like the original Jaws movie. It felt more like Jaws 4. Throw in a few Navy Seals from a B-rated movie and you get the picture. Will I read Mega 2? No, I doubt it. It is not that Mega was that bad, but I fear it will only be more of the same. There are many other books beckoning my attention and I'll rather invest my time in those.