Eruption is a thriller that takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. The main character, John MacGregor, heads the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring the volcano Mauna Loa. Mac and his team predict an imminent eruption of the giant volcano that could destroy vast areas of the island.
Oh, by the way, Mac is let in on the fact the army has stored secret containers of highly radiative herbicides in a lava tube within Mauna Loa. For the reasoning the army chose this site, the reader must suspend disbelief. Accepting it means these stored toxins could spread over the world if the volcano blows, bringing death and destruction to the entire world.
So… the stakes are high.
The book has much scientific description that sometimes bog down the narrative. When the action begins, this reader had a hard time visualizing in the stage direction what was north, south, east, and west when the lava flowed. I found it best not to try and let the fast-paced action envelop me.
Michael Crichton began working on “Eruption” before his relatively early death in 2008 at age 66. Best remembered for “The Andromeda Strain” in 1969 and “Jurassic Park” in 1990, Crichton was working on “Eruption” as a passion project for years before his death. His wife, Sherri, discovered boxes and boxes of research, along with a partial manuscript. She eventually chose James Patterson to finish the novel. The research was so scientifically dense that Patterson hired a researcher in Alaska to help weed through it.
The book shows the aforementioned scientific description that bogs down the narrative. However, James Patterson adds his magic to make it an enjoyable read.
Recommended
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