Reef of Death
Author(s):
Zindel, Paul
Publisher:
Hyperion Paperbacks
Date:
1998
ISBN:
0-7868-1309-1
Cause:
Genetic Mutation/Experimentation
Creatures:
Living Fish
Submitted by:
Mike Riley (12/03/04)
Exerpt:
“EEEEEEE. EEEE.

It hurled itself downward. PC heard the doctor scream. Again. And again. The monster tore Dr. Ecenbarger loose from the cockpit like a bird of prey ripping a rodent from its hole. For a moment, it appeared to play with her. Savor her. It raked its teeth along her body, causing long, scarlet incisions. Finally, it bit her in half - snapping, chewing at her lower torso until it was reduced to a shredding of blood, muscle, and bowels. Finally, it disengaged its lower jaw and swallowed all of her.”

Reviews:
"Set on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, this "thrill-a-chapter adventure .. offers a maximum of gore and gimmicks, .. On a literary-merit scale, this deep-sea escapade falls several leagues below the author's best work, but rises above many other books in the genre." (Publishers Weekly)
"Set along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, this page-turning toothy-monster story is Zindel imitating Stine, a scary development .. Cartoonlike and silly." (School Library Journal)
"Few YA writers can spin a tale of terror with the deftness and macabre humor of Zindel. The two initial monster attacks expertly grab the reader's attention and set the brisk pace of a plot that presses forward to a most satisfying conclusion." (Booklist)
"It is certainly a page-turner, definitely not for the faint of heart. While some plot turns are predictable or far-fetched, this tale of long-lost treasure in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, will have readers glued to the pages. Fans of The Doom Stone and Loch will ravish its contents." (Children's Literature)
"There are plenty of nasty twists and turns to this suspenseful plot .. Sure to both shock and delight readers." (Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy)
2 Scars 2 Scars

My Opinion:
This is another of what I call "teen cuisine" novels (i.e., "gifted" teenagers ("toss in one part Sherlock Holmes, one part Indiana Jones, one part Thomas Edison and stir") saving adults from horrid creatures) by Paul Zindel. In this story, we find a mutant fish of sorts devouring divers off the Australia coast with a pair of determined teenagers in hot pursuit. This is an easy, fast, and occasionally gory read with plenty of "Nature on the Rampage". If you can place your brain on hold and remember this is a kid's book, you'll probably enjoy the story.

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