Book Review: Prey by Michael Crichton

I am not big fan of books written in first person, there is just too much rambling and I find it, to be honest, annoying as hell. I was happily surprised by this book! Even though it is written in first person the rambling is not that bad.

Michael Crichton is probably best known for writing Jurassic Park, which was the reason for Mr. Handsome to bring this book home.

Prey isn't about dinosaurs but about about micro-robots. The main character is a software programmer that is a stay at home dad named Jack Forman. He is married to Julia and they have three children (Nicole, Eric and Amanda)

The book covers seven days of their lives. It is in two parts called HOME and DESERT. The home part is more mental thriller, since Jack doesn't know what is happening whilst in the latter part it is all pure physical thriller.

The main problem for Jack in the first part of the book is the fact he believes that Julia is cheating on him, she stays at work all the time and he believes she is acting differently. 

In the second part Jack is working in Julia's company and is staying at the laboratory in the middle of the desert. He finds a swarm of micro-robots that he needs to destroy and find out the mysteries of the laboratory. 

I turned to see two additional swarms coming around the shed. They immediately swirled over our car, front and back. I felt like we were in a dust storm. I looked at Mae. She was sitting very still, stony-faced, just watching. (Page 318)

There is this one thing I didn't like about the novel. It might be because Michael is a man or it might be just how he writes or it even might be just this book since it is the first one I have read from him. But the problem I am having is how he projects the female characters of this story, they are nagging, bitchy, cheating, weak, easily manipulated and a tad stupid. On the other hand they are pretty, gorgeous and otherwise objectified. I am not sure if he uses such a stereotypical prejudice in ever book that he writes but I don't think I will read another one to find out. 

The baby cried louder, tried to turn away. One of the adhesive tabs pulled off. The diaper slid down. Amanda was now rolling toward the edge of the dresser. Julia pulled her back roughly. Amanda never stopped kicking. 'God damn it, I said stop!' Julia said, and smacked the baby on the leg. The baby just cried harder, kicked harder. 'Amanda! Stop it! Stop it!' She slapped her again. 'Stop it! Stop it!' (Page 21)

Even early in the book when everything is supposedly fine he shows Julia in a bad light. Just because she is a working mother makes her a bad parent? Smacking her 18 month old baby on the thigh. If you have read the book you might think it has something to do with the ending. I don't think so. There is nothing about the ending that would explain that kind of behavior. 

Prey can be bought from amazon for $9.99 

P.S. I just joined this Kindle Book Club, check it out if you have a Kindle :)