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abicaro17's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, Gore, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Bullying, Confinement, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Body horror
mothreadsbookssometimes's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Animal death
swimfast724's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
saj04's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
oktuber's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the slow development and careful revealing of clues throughout the book. I don't read many thrillers, but Crichton was able to sustain and increase the tension throughout the novel. The sort-of reveal at the end was predictable, but I still enjoyed it. The only negative part of the book was the intermittent diatribes of technical explanations. I read pretty fast, but I think someone with a slower reading speed might have a bit more difficulty. Definitely would recommend for anyone interested in coding, technology, nanotechnology, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, and Torture
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
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