The Great Zoo of China

by Matthew Reilly

Attending the opening of a magnificent zoo in China where a newly discovered animal species is being housed, National Geographic expert Dr. CJ Cameron confronts unexpected dangers posed by the mysterious creatures.

"The all-new thriller from #1 internationally bestselling author Matthew Reilly! It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world. Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr. Cassandra Jane "CJ" Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles. The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong. Of course it can't... GET READY FOR ACTION ON A GIGANTIC SCALE"--

• ISBN10: 1476749574
• ISBN13: 9781476749570
• Publish Date: 25 August 2015 (first published 27 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Pocket Books
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

The Great Zoo of China I am honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It is very reminiscent of Jurassic Park, just on a larger scale with much more intrigue and, if it is possible, more action. The premise is fascinating, the lengths to which China would go in order to become a cultural superpower. The prologue of the book is fascinating, and truly set the context for the rest of the novel. While the novel is sci-fi/fantasy, the prologue's tinge of reality created the framework, and believability, of the story.
 
The story is set in a zoo in southern China, a zoo like no other on earth. Several VIPs from the fields of politics, science, and journalism have been invited to a special tour of the facility, a move to create global buzz in advance of its opening. And, as one would expect, chaos ensues.
 
I love the premise of the book. It is unique, despite its similarity to Jurassic Park, and the implications of it are astounding and rather horrifying. To say that the novel is action-packed would be an understatement. It was definitely on the gory side, which isn't something I necessarily mind. But there were times that the action was so intense that it was as if the human characters got a little lost. We just didn't get to know the individual characters very well and, although there was a large cast, very few were really developed. And that made it a little hard to connect sometimes.
 
I think it was the lack of a lot of characterization that bothered me, but there is no denying that the premise is fantastic. There are so many interesting elements to the story that make you think about what superpower status should really be worth. It also makes you take a look at humanity and really wonder about it.
 
My Recommendation
 
If you love thrillers with non-stop action and a good story line, this is a good read!

[kimbacaffeinate]

Similar to Jurassic park and set within the valleys of China, The Great Zoo of China was a non-stop, action packed ride that I consumed in a single day despite coming in at just over five hundred pages. Reilly opens with an intense and horrifying scene that sets the tone for the entire book. This is not for the faint of heart. It is at times incredibly gory and the author does a spectacular job of making you squirm. Surprisingly the gore was perhaps the most realistic aspect of the tale.

Dr. Cassandra Jane “CJ” Cameron is a leading reptile authority and she and her brother, a photographer, have been invited by China for an in-depth behind the scenes tour of a secret forty years in the making. China has built the worlds’ Greatest Zoo devoted entirely to a species that was believed to be only myth. Similar to Dan Brown, Reilly uses history to breathe life into this discovery allowing the reader to leap at the idea of their existence. CJ is badass, smart, observant and the perfect action heroine. She will remind you of MacGyver, Indiana Jones, Robert Langdon and Benjamin Gates. Let us throw a little Sherlock in there too as her power of observation proved to be handy. She and her brother are clever and for the most part are the focal characters. All the characters were unique and the villains were ruthless.

The tale is over the top with imagery that was breathtaking and creative. While the similarities to Jurassic Park cannot be ignored, I loved the attention to detail and all of the science fiction gobblely-gook. The author tossed in a little about China and world economies that all proved interesting. The creatures were terrifying, intelligent and downright awesome. Reilly shows us their beauty and man’s interference keeping me highly entertained. It was fast paced and I did not want to set it down.

If high-body count and intense action scenes entertain you, then the Great Zoo of China is not to be missed. You will notice I did not mention what the creatures are…I think the cover reveals a lot and it was worth it just for that experience alone.

copy received from publisher This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer