Creature feature

This book was very entertaining, and hard to put down. Loved how the story progressed and ended in a “creature feature” kind of way. I think the only thing I would have to say bad about it is the author does repeat some details that I think are unnecessary. It didn’t turn me off from the story but if I’m reading it in one night I don’t need to be reminded of where the characters are at. ( )

Plenty of children's and YA novels can still be enjoyed by adults. The current state of the YA market is a perfect example of that. Sadly, this is not one of those books. While I probably would have loved it when I was 10, it certainly feels flat and overly simplistic as an adult.

It's about a young boy who has to move to a new place (the Florida Everglades) because his dad works for Fish and Wildlife Service and there are reports of strange happenings in the area. He has to deal with the woes of being the new kid in a place that is worlds apart from the mountains in Montana where he comes from. ...and then there are the genetically engineered mutant alligators concocted in a mysterious lab by an evil scientist. There's that too.

Despite the fact that the text and spacing are enormous, it took me awhile to get through this. I can acknowledge that it's a children's book intended for middle-grade students, so I don't expect it to offer literary depth, but there isn't much about this book I could really get into. I even disliked the main character, who is your stereotypical simple-minded little twit who thinks science is lame and confusing. Why do authors of these types of books always feel it is necessary to discourage children from intellectual pursuits? Why is ignorance and stupidity such an admirable quality among so many authors?

I'm over-analyzing. At the end of the day, Menace of the Deep is a perfectly okay middle-grade book. I doubt I'll be continuing with the series, though. ( )