The Lost World by Michael Crichton

This book is about an island inhabited by dinosaurs. In the previous book in this series, an island is made into a zoo full of dinosaurs. In this book, the island is the one where all the dinosaurs come from- a breeding ground so that the zoo is always stocked. Now, however, the island is a failure and the breeding ground has been deserted. However, no one ever killed the dinosaurs.

This book is set on an island in the Caribbean. It is mostly jungle, with a small village and a river running through it. It is a breeding ground, so naturally there are nests of dinosaurs.

The main character in this book is Ian Malcolm, a professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He is asked by Richard Levine to go to this island and help find out if there are dinosaurs there. Ian was one of the people who were saved from Jurassic Park before it was destroyed.

Some other important characters in this book are Sarah Harding, Richard Levine, and Kelly Curtis. Sarah Harding is a field researcher who studies hyenas and lions. Richard Levine is a rich scientist who funds a trip to the island. Kelly Curtis is a seventh-grader who wants to be just like Sarah Harding, and stows away in the trailers with her best friend Arby.

The biggest problem in this book is that Richard is eager to get to the island, and goes without anybody. He then has to be saved before the dinosaurs kill him. Also, a man named Dodgeson wants to steal dinosaur eggs to make his own Jurassic Park, and must also be stopped.

One important event in this book is when they arrive at the island. They are immediately attacked on all sides by dinosaurs and must find a safe way to get Levine and evacuate. Then, after finding him, they discover he is fine, and proceed to watch the more peaceful dinosaurs for the rest of the day. At night, they are beset by velociraptors and some chameleon-like predators. Then, they miss their ride back and need to find some kind of other transport off the island.

At the end of this book the characters realize why there are no adult dinosaurs, and finally escape back to civilization.

I thought that this book, being a classic Crichton novel, ought to have special notice for its wonderful and involving storyline. Crichton has a way of making you experience the character's terror, share their relief, then feel the terror again as the story takes rollercoaster-like twists and turns. A wonderful book, all in all.