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Gabriella Ramirez

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Gabriella’s marine-biology shelf

The Year of the Whale by Victor B. Scheffer

Endless Novelties of Extraordinary Interest by Doug Macdougall

Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson

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Gabriella is Currently Reading

Gabriella Ramirez is currently reading

The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 27, 2024 01:41PM

Gabriella Ramirez is currently reading

The Trench (Meg, #2)

by Steve Alten

bookshelves: no-pictures-allowed, meg-by-steve-alten, shark-fiction, deep-sea-thrillers, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in August 2020

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Gabriella Ramirez said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" Well…

3.5 - 4 stars

This book isn’t great literature. Not even CLOSE. But it accomplishes what it tries to do, at least to an extant, and that’s good enough. There are lots of great moments and tense scenes in this book, and it’s like you can tell Ste Well…

3.5 - 4 stars

This book isn’t great literature. Not even CLOSE. But it accomplishes what it tries to do, at least to an extant, and that’s good enough. There are lots of great moments and tense scenes in this book, and it’s like you can tell Steve is improving on his storytelling. There are way more edge of your seat scenes here than in a Novel of Deep Terror such as the opening one, the Tanaka institute being broken through by Angel, Jonas getting bit by a great white WHILE trying to secure the hinges of the big gate, etc. Steve succeeds in making the big sea animals scary, and he succeeds in showing their prowess by writing scenes that show off how much damage they could really do to man made submersibles.

One of my biggest criticisms of book 1 is the poor character work and lack of proper character development. Literally the only depth we get from any character really is Jonas and Maggie…not even Terry gets much development. In this book, she STILL feels like a blank slate, like just a name and not a character. And that really, really bothers me. Steve CANNOT for the life of him write female characters. However, he somehow created one in this book that actually has depth and personality: Celeste Singer. I still can’t believe Celeste and Jonas have a better developed relationship and chemistry than he did with Terry. Honestly? That’s just terrible writing. If you want the protagonists to end up together, actually make it worth it. I don’t understand why Steve spent the entire story developing a relationship between Celeste and Jonas just to toss it aside and make her a boring sociopathic villain who didn’t *really* care about Jonas, or at least that’s what the book tells us. I know this is a book about sharks, and I’m clinging way too much onto the characters, but characters are my absolute favorite when it comes to any story, so I’m 100% going to analyze and critique them to death when reading.

I love Mac and Jonas’s friendship, and I’m glad to see some development here too. Steve also knows how to write a good character who makes constant snarky jokes. It’s not too much to the point where it takes away the tone of the story.

Michael Maren is also another great character. For book 1 and half of The Trench we are shown that Jonas is typically listened to and respected by everyone and his peers. Everyone takes his word for it when it comes to megalodons, so when someone else comes and challenges him, it’s FUN. It’s EXCITING. I loved the tension between Jonas and Michael.

Benedict Singer is annoying. But he’s the good kind of annoying. He constantly talks in foreign languages and spouts pretentious lines but it’s quite entertaining. Maybe because in my head he’s the charismatic Donald Sutherland as President Snow from The Hunger Games - I don’t know.

I really wish we got to see more of the megalodon eating show. It’s such an awesome concept. However what we got (the teenagers breaking in and making her break through the glass) was an amazing scene.

Now….

The plot. The Benedict CIA crap was ridiculous and I couldn’t care less. Nor could I care less about Osama Bin Laden making a sort-of cameo.

Why did Steve have to write that cringey “twist” of Celeste being Benedict’s daughter? The first time I read it it was a shock but during my re-read I kind of laughed and rolled my eyes, because if you really think about it…I there’s no point?

Terry being threatened with rape is just another symptom of Steve’s inability to write women. You know what I noticed? So far in these two books he’s been unable to write a female character who isn’t portrayed in a misogynistic light, and when they aren’t, they’re flat and poorly written (Terry.) Just…stick to male characters Steve. I am loathing re-reading Primal Waters because I know Steve’s tone deafness gets worse.

This is a fun thriller and action book, and although cliche and cringe, you can’t help but like the cliche and cringe parts. It’s like fast food. ...more "

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(page 12 of 497)
— Oct 14, 2024 04:45PM

Oct 14, 2024 04:41PM · see review

Gabriella Ramirez is currently reading

Daily Life of the Aztecs (Native American)

by Jacques Soustelle

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— Aug 20, 2024 05:13PM

Aug 15, 2024 05:05PM

Gabriella’s Notes & Highlights

1984 by George Orwell

1 note & 37 highlights

Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week.

The Swarm: A Novel

by Frank Schätzing

4 notes & 48 highlights

Gabriella’s Quotes

“I myself am a savage, owning no allegiance but to the King of the Cannibals; and ready at any moment to rebel against him.”
― Herman Melville, Moby-Dick or, The Whale

4 likes

“Was Tara still standing? Or was Tara also gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia?”
― Margaret Mitchell

6 likes

“It’s important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse.”
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

89 likes

“They were all beautiful with the blinding beauty that transfigures even the plainest woman when she is utterly protected and utterly loved and is giving back that love a thousandfold.”
― Margaret Mitchell

2 likes

“Jeems was their body servant and, like the dogs, accompanied them everywhere. He had been their childhood playmate and had been given to the twins for their own on their tenth birthday.”
― Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

tags: slavery, slavery-in-the-united-states

2 likes

More of Gabriella’s quotes…