I read this novella after Into the Drowning Deep, which is technically its sequel, despite knowing that this one came first in publishing order. That's a new one for me, as someone who prefers following publishing order, and I'm not sure of that decision, but it is the one I made and so that is how the cards were laid out.

I wasn't sure of how to rate this one, because it was so similar to its sequel except bite-sized. I ended up rating it exactly the same--because the short length simultaneously removes a certain something and adds a certain something in comparison to Into the Drowning Deep.

Like its successor, it wasn't particularly gripping, but I enjoyed the pacing of this one far more. A lot of the characters felt essentially the same as the novel, just placed in different roles, and I think that would have been more irritating had I read this one first.

In general, I feel like the execution of this series' delicious concept could have been so much better, and that's disappointing. Just like its big sibling, however, this isn't a novella I see myself dwelling on, and therefore that disappointment my brain shall leave as soon as I click submit on this review. Time to delve into other universes!

the first problem i had with this book was the near-obsession everyone had with marriage. it was entirely too much for me to be able to suspend my disbelief, and i live in a country where the government is legitimately considering sponsoring first date meals for citizens so that more people get married and have kids. you see the problem now.

the second problem i had with this book was the staggering number of hr violations that take place in rapid succession and keep escalating through the story. i'm sorry, but it's insane to me that a boss would be able to continually push her husband's relationship counselling services onto her employees and get away with it. not only that, the two of them also strongly encourage said employees go to an eight-day summer camp for couples to work out their problems together, all for the teensy tiny price of fifteen thousand.

every single one of the counsellors and therapists in this book is similarly unethical. it's explained why that's the case for sanders, at least, but the fact that two siblings both have the same therapist is somehow completely glossed over? a therapist should not be taking on two people who know each other, especially not two people who are as close as siblings, and definitely not when one of them outright recommends the other to the therapist. holy shit.

other than that, i did somewhat enjoy certain parts of this book, namely wilders and scottie's absolutely ridiculous bickering. the scenarios they were able to come up with on the spot were mortifyingly hysterical, and i commend the author for being able to even think of that in the first place. the progression of their relationship also grew on me a little towards the end, but i spent the entire first half of the novel being supremely unimpressed at how they were acting towards each other, so it didn't help much.

similarly, perhaps it's due to culture shock, but i was simply unable to get past the horrifying prospect of going to a marriage summer camp with your coworkers and being made to put on public displays of affection like heavy makeout sessions and fondling in front of not only said coworkers, but also every single counsellor at this camp. i think my soul nearly left my body when i read that. the sex cabin was also entirely absurd, and i need my brain to be bleached of that description immediately.

As a lifelong fan of the Jurassic Park movies, it is baffling that I have never actually read the books. After rewatching the first movie last week, I knew I wanted to remedy that as soon as possible so here I am. It was quite fun spotting all the differences between the novel and the movie.

To start off, the novel was so much more detailed than the movie which isn’t surprising. The novel goes into a lot of depth into John Hammond, for example, the psychology of who he is as a person and all of his business ventures. The characters have so much more life and depth to them in the novel than they do in the movie. That being said, Ian Malcolm continues being my favorite.

The novel also has a very different tone than the movie does. From the beginning, readers are drawn in by an intense atmosphere bordering on horror. The prologue is punchy and the unsettling atmosphere continues throughout the novel. While the movie frequently relies on humor to assuage the tension, this is not the case for the novel— therefore, the stakes feel higher in the novel.

While the movie and novel share a message, ultimately the novel explored the message in more detail than the movie. I love the frequent conversations that occur in the book about the arrogance of human nature and how scientific advancements occur at the expense of nature.

It seems to me that while the central theme of this novel can be applied to many technologies, it is certainly very reminiscent of the current rise of AI. Particularly this quote:

”The late twentieth century has witnessed a scientific gold rush of astonishing proportions: the headlong and furious haste to commercialize genetic engineering. This enterprise has proceeded so rapidly— with so little outside commentary— that its dimensions and implications are hardly understood at all.”

This was particularly difficult to read while seeing how quickly artificial intelligence has moved in the past few years and how policy simply cannot keep up with the advancement of new technologies. Additionally, it is hard seeing AI advance knowing how much nature is being destroyed and how many resources are being stolen so that more data centers can be built.

Ultimately, I think the novel and movie are both good for different reasons. While the movie is fast paced and keeps you at the edge of your seat, the novel goes deeper into character motivations and the overall message.