“Jurassic Park? Anas, are you reviewing a movie?” Yes, I’m reviewing a movie in a section titled, “Book Reviews.”

But in all seriousness, yes, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a book, and a good one at that.

I knew there was something special about the book from the beginning. And when I finished, I was right. This book has really got it all. From thrill, suspense, and adventure to scientific and historic accuracy, Jurassic Park is definitely near the top of my list.

Even those who haven’t read the book or seen the movie (I still haven’t seen either Jurassic Park movie), most can recall a basic plot line because of it’s extreme popularity. Some dinosaur island that leads to chaos, right? Well, yes…but there’s more to it. John Hammond, a bored billionaire with a little side cash, has found a way to clone dinosaurs, and he wants to put the discovery to use. In the form of a theme park that hasn’t opened yet. Hammond sets to work (well, he doesn’t work, he just hires) and is sure to keep everything a secret. And when the island is basically done, one could say that it’s nearly perfect, with only a few problems. Just a few.

And with “just a few” problems, we have an amazing plot. If you have only seen the movie and loved it, I highly recommend the book. Not only will you get everything the movie provided, but you’ll be getting a couple hundred more pages of action not even mentioned in the film (I mean c’mon, they’ve only got an hour or so to act out the plot). And reading this book isn’t going to take just an hour- which means you’re getting days of the same (better, actually) wonderful thrill.

Plot twists have always been a love of mine and there’s just something about one that you can’t really capture in film- only in text. Not to mention historic and scientific accuracy. If you have read a previous book review of mine, specifically on Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, you know how much I love actual facts in a work of fiction. It adds a certain sincerity. Any random fiction book can be great and entertaining, but when it adds in actual accuracy, the pleasure somehow becomes a little more legitimate.

I’ve got to admit, I have an unbiased view of anything original. I knew there was a very popular film titled Jurassic Park, but I admittedly didn’t know there was a book. And so, just like many popular movies I find myself getting interested in, I look to find if there’s a book that the film is based on. Just so I can say that I read the book before watching the film. And then I silently congratulate myself and make it a big deal (in my head). And with that, I ended up caught up in a novel that was more than amazing.

And when there’s an amazing follow up to an already amazing book, that just makes things even better. What I’m referencing to is The Lost World, the sequel to Jurassic Park. That what really seals the deal. But that’s for another review…

If you plan on reading Jurassic Park which I highly recommend you do, do it because you’d find it interesting, not just for random AR points. Regardless, that is the reward. The novel is at a book level of 7.3 and is worth 20 points.