- Hardcover: 450 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow (July 23 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060188863
- ISBN-13: 978-0060188863
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.5 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 635 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,044,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
It is the year 2007, earthquakes rattle the globe, the ozone layer is shot and evolution kicks into overdrive in this gripping action-movie-in-waiting. Hurwitz has engineered a deft recombinant blend of a thriller, tossing in lots of scientific speculation … la Crichton in Jurassic Park mode, a ragtag Navy SEAL crew reminiscent of the Aliens heroes, some Predator and a dash of Rambo. In his jam-packed tale, a rogue virus appears on one of the Gal pagos islands, and soon the remote archipelago is populated by nine-foot-tall man-eating monsters. Unaware of the infestation, scientists are sent from the U.S. to set up seismic sensors, and a team of seven Navy SEALs are assigned to escort them. Team members include husband-and-wife Justin and Cameron, who is not quite showing her pregnancy; squad leader Derek, having problems with concentration, much less command; and the gigantic Tank, among others. Most enjoyable is the 50ish knife-wielding Nam vet, Savage, who practically steals the book. Stranded on the island without guns after a series of screwups, the team is sucked into a nightmarish chase, turned from hunters to hunted and back again. Hurwitz's first novel, The Tower, was labeled a satire of serial killer novels by some reviewers. This page-turner keeps a satiric edge, too, while Hurwitz proves he is perfectly at home with toothy creatures on the rampage and a thrilling array of other soon-to-be FX. Author appearances in Los Angeles.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Most of the time, Hurwitz's environmental catastrophe thriller resembles those '50s horror movies in which someone intones, "This must be the result of atomic radiation." Of course, now environmental pollution by a mutation-inducing virus is the culprit. Yet the yarn follows the classic pattern. Heck, it even has a lurking menace in the form of--you guessed it--a giant praying mantis. The manifold hero of the piece is a Dirty Dozen-style team of SEALs; the resident scientists range from eccentric to mad (one is gay); the secondary characters are expendable; and the mutated menace develops new improbable survival traits as the plot requires. Consider yourselves warned, but consider, too, that some characterizations are defter than expected, the Galapagos Island setting is vividly rendered, and the effort Hurwitz expends to strand his characters in an alligator-infested swamp after first physically and mentally disarming them is almost admirable. Few will turn these pages twice, but many thriller fans will thoroughly enjoy turning them once. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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First Sentence
Cameron leaned forward, resting her elbows on the steering wheel of her Cherokee. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Cameron leaned forward, resting her elbows on the steering wheel of her Cherokee. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
minutes to burn,
By
This review is from: Minutes To Burn (Mass Market Paperback)
The premise of this book was interesting, and some of the action was hot and heavy, but a lot of books by people who do not have a military background fall into some similar problems, and this one is no exception. The major problems are chain of command (the SEALS in this book don't seem to report to anyone in the Navy) and an understanding that the services are different. Hurwitz calls the SEALS soldiers throughout the book, but SEALS are sailors, not soldiers, and would not refer to themselves as soldiers. SEALS are the hot heroes of the moment, and that is fine, but if you are writing about a service, refer to them by their proper mode of address (I have read other writers who refer to Marines as soldiers, but as a former Marine, I can tell you it matters what they are called). Overall, the book was OK, and in places a page turner. I agree with others that some of the technical ecoscience jargon got to be a bit much. But Hurwitz did play fair and kill off characters I thought would pull through.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well, it was OK,
By A Customer
This review is from: Minutes To Burn (Mass Market Paperback)
This book had its good points, but wasn't the environmental/evolution disaster novel I quite expected. I don't think I'll ruin anything by saying that the book is basically about a huge bug picking off Navy SEALs one by one. Yep, a big bug. Lots of bug descriptions if your into that sort of thing.Cool thing about this book is that ANYBODY CAN DIE AT ANYTIME! Very few books do that. You get attached to these people and then chomp, chomp, chomp. It's great. Overall, a pretty good book to turn your brain off and enjoy, but not a real edge of your seat kind of thriller.
4.0 out of 5 stars
If you liked Jurasik Park you will like this,
By
This review is from: Minutes To Burn (Mass Market Paperback)
Good book, I've read many of the end of the world type books. The best I've read is still Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall. This book kept my attention and I finished the book in only 4 days. It held my attention throughout. If you like Michael Criton, not sure if I spelled his name correct, lol, you will like this book. It reminds me a little of Jurasik Park so if you like that book you should like this book.
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