Subterranean

Subterranean is a solid adventure novel mixed with an archaeological mystery, somewhat similar to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Thunderhead. Parts of it are a little trite (a team member exploring the story's deep caverns has claustrophobia, of course, leading to manufactured moments of suspense that you see coming a mile away), but it's a fun read if you're willing to just go with it. Ultimately, I think the job could have been done in fewer pages; by the last 100, I was skimming here and there just to move forward. The word on the street seems to be that Rollins gets better after this first novel, and I'm looking forward to reading more. ( )

Started off exciting, but took a turn for the worse. Struggled to finish the book. Had all the makings for a blockbuster action-packed thriller, but turned out to be hokey. The erect alligators, telepathic communication, naked half breed cave dwelling marsupials with Indonesian names, stereotypical characters, and contrived plot simply ruined the story. Rollins could have done so much better than this. But, as with all Rollins books it is always hit or miss. And, this one was definitely a miss. ( )

I really love James Rollin's books. I love how he takes a historical tidbit of information and connects it to a slice of science, mixes it all together with a lot of adventure and a dash of romance and voilà!; I'm ready for an enjoyable read~

I also love how he points out the facts and the fiction at the end of his stories; more than once I have gotten lost on the internet satisfying my curiosity regarding the history/science he calls to attention there.

I think he does a great job with his protagonists, I find most to be really interesting and fleshed out. Sigma Force is a recurring theme in many of his stories and it adds another layer of interest for me, taking the adventure to the next level.

Rollin's novels are every bit as enjoyable to me as a big screen summer blockbuster; think I'll go get some popcorn~ ( )

The first Rollins book I ever read, which hooked me onto everything else he would write later on.... Was sad that I couldn't use it with students, but early on in the first chapter, there was a reference to how dark something was, and it was just too inappropriate for students for me to use the book in a middle school library. Too bad cause the rest of the book was great! ( )

James Rollins debut novel is a fast-paced, imaginative, action/adventure in which a group of experts is sent to a remote caving system in Antarctica to discover what happened to the team who went before them. What they find is a Journey to the Center of the Earth type hidden world with dinosaurs, never before seen creatures, and an underground city. When the team loses their way they must preserve their lights while trying to find a way out and trying to survive this strange and dangerous new world. Okay, so this book is a little fantastical but it is a wonderful reimagining of an old classic and I loved a every page of it. ( )