The Great Zoo of China Review

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
Published by Simon and Schuster on January 27, 2015
Genres: Action & Adventure, Thrillers
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads

In the blockbuster and bestselling tradition of Jurassic Park comes the breakneck new adventure from the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Matthew Reilly whose imaginative, cinematic thrillers “make you feel like a kid again; [they’re] a blast” (Booklist).It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years. They have proven the existence of dragons—a landmark discovery no one could ever believe is real, and a scientific revelation that will amaze the world. Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing findings within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see these 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 the dragons are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong. Of course it can’t…

Lynn’s Review:

Have you ever wondered why so many different ancient cultures have myths about dragons? Did you think after reading Jurassic Park that velociraptors that hunt in packs are tame? Do you need a genre break from all the romance books? If you answered yes to any these questions, read The Great Zoo of China.

I’ve been in a serious rut with the romance genre in general, and this was the palate cleanser that I desperately needed. Some kicking butt action. CJ Cameron is a veterinarian and reptile specialist who is contacted by the Chinese government to a sneak preview of a new zoo in China. And also, a woman with some serious survival skills. She and the other guests on the tour are not informed that the zoo is a DRAGON zoo until they arrive. Once the tour of the zoo begins, disaster ensues.

The dragons of The Great Zoo of China are less Toothless 

and more Smaug.

.

The dragons communicate with each other. And are capable of planning and executing their escape from the zoo. Eliminating the human “keepers” is also on the To Do List for the dragons.

This book is one of the “couldn’t put down” variety. But for me, it was more didn’t want to put down. The action is fast-paced. The short chapters move the story forward. I’ve read and enjoyed all of Matthew Reilly’s books for this exact reason. The book reads like an action movie. The kind where no one, the characters nor the reader, has time to stop and catch their breath throughout. I reveled in the fact that the main ACTION character was a woman. I don’t have any of the skills necessary to survive a dragon attack. It was impressive to read about a woman who does have those skills. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from The Great Zoo of China:

“Feels like we’re driving into Mordor,” Hamish muttered. “What’s Mordor?” Syme asked. “Never mind.”

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