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breckenridge's review against another edition
2.0
This book made me mad. The Yagga concept was super cool, cool enough to make up for the completely generic rest of the plot. Being based in the Amazon obviously you can only be doing an expedition into the uncharted areas for the magic jungle medicine where a previous expedition was lost and you're accosted by hostile tribes and a competing mercenary team. I could have forgiven all the lack of originality cause it could have been a fun read but it wasn't. Most of the characters are lifeless, so lifeless I can't even remember their names or how many there were and I've finished the book less than 10 minutes ago.
The main female character is generic. Hardworking single mom researcher runs off to the Amazon, trips walking through the jungle and spends the evening pining about how the main man had a firm grip when he caught her then rubs jungle neosporin on her little cut, they talk a little, she gets lost in a dark hallway while being probably held hostage by the tribe the spent the rest of the book trying to kill them and accidently goes into main man's room so obviously they MUST have sex....cause that's realistic.....
Long review short...there was one super cool idea, a very generic plot that could have been fun but wasn't, the characters were either as lively and unique as cardboard or they were stupid and super tropey. Or in the case of the 2nd main female character they were the animalistic, dangerous, eternally naked, has to have some body part described for the millionth time every time she walks across a room, sex object. Seriously. This was just lazy writing. The whole 2 stars are for the Yagga concept alone, the rest of the book doesn't get a single star.
The main female character is generic. Hardworking single mom researcher runs off to the Amazon, trips walking through the jungle and spends the evening pining about how the main man had a firm grip when he caught her then rubs jungle neosporin on her little cut, they talk a little, she gets lost in a dark hallway while being probably held hostage by the tribe the spent the rest of the book trying to kill them and accidently goes into main man's room so obviously they MUST have sex....cause that's realistic.....
Long review short...there was one super cool idea, a very generic plot that could have been fun but wasn't, the characters were either as lively and unique as cardboard or they were stupid and super tropey. Or in the case of the 2nd main female character they were the animalistic, dangerous, eternally naked, has to have some body part described for the millionth time every time she walks across a room, sex object. Seriously. This was just lazy writing. The whole 2 stars are for the Yagga concept alone, the rest of the book doesn't get a single star.
raggedyman1342's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
kiloxxo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
brandonatwood's review against another edition
3.0
There were large sections that were really enjoyable. Reminded me of parts of the Ender’s universe with some biological sci-fi that was pretty interesting. But it’s impossible to overlook the white savior storyline, especially when that white savior destroys everything he was trying to save in the first place. Certain plot points just became too far fetched to give this anything above three stars.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"he Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest — a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing... and came out with both intact.
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father... toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated... an ancient, unspoken terror — a power beyond human imagining — that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of..." (From Amazon)
My first novel by James Rollins and it will definitely not be my last - and it hasn't. This novel has every thing you could want - suspense, thriller, adventure, supernatural and great storytelling. I reread this novel twice more - one was with a group read on Shelfari.
Read in 2003, 2009 and 2013.
"he Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest — a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing... and came out with both intact.
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father... toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated... an ancient, unspoken terror — a power beyond human imagining — that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of..." (From Amazon)
My first novel by James Rollins and it will definitely not be my last - and it hasn't. This novel has every thing you could want - suspense, thriller, adventure, supernatural and great storytelling. I reread this novel twice more - one was with a group read on Shelfari.
Read in 2003, 2009 and 2013.
amberdebo's review against another edition
4.0
How does James Rollins come up with the this stuff? Don't get me wrong, I find his books highly entertaining, and Amazonia was no exception. But the plots of his books are so crazy, HOW does he think them them up?!
firefly99's review against another edition
4.0
The best thing about James Rollins' books is their complete believability. He clearly comes from a scientific background, and so everything makes sense. The biology and ecology and physiology of his books makes sense. This adds a sense of realism to all his books that makes the story so much more enjoyable to read.