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Ice Station (Scarecrow #1)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 8,161 ratings · 475 reviews

Antarctica is the last unconquered continent, a murderous expanse of howling winds, blinding whiteouts and deadly crevasses. On one edge of Antarctica is Wilkes Station. Beneath Wilkes Station is the gate to hell itself...

A team of U.S. divers, exploring three thousand feet beneath the ice shelf has vanished. Sending out an SOS, Wilkes draws a rapid deployment team of Mari

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Paperback, 513 pages

Published September 15th 2000 by St. Martin's Paperbacks (first published 1998)

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Nov 07, 2011 Chris rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why read a book called Ice Station, are you having flashbacks to the days of Alistair MacLean and those commando ops that thrilled with the killing of lousy Krauts, except this one is by Matthew Reilly some wanking Aussie young'un with Coke-bottle specs, an older and more reedy version of Mr. Peabody's Sherman with a shoeblack pomade, it's a nice sleek white and promises cheap merc entertainment so why not, it's not like you have thousands of award-winning, globally-lauded, literature-defining a...more Why read a book called Ice Station, are you having flashbacks to the days of Alistair MacLean and those commando ops that thrilled with the killing of lousy Krauts, except this one is by Matthew Reilly some wanking Aussie young'un with Coke-bottle specs, an older and more reedy version of Mr. Peabody's Sherman with a shoeblack pomade, it's a nice sleek white and promises cheap merc entertainment so why not, it's not like you have thousands of award-winning, globally-lauded, literature-defining authors on the shelves now, is it, this one should prove a quick one while the brains away, holy fuck this intro is really bad, Reilly sounds like a dingbat, good God, do we really have a squad leader named Scarecrow with knife scars slashed across his beady eyes, fuck right off with this shit Reilly, whoops, here we go, Frog commandos springing a oily trap armed with mega-technological crossbows, that's aces, now Yanks are dropping like flies, take that French-to-Freedom-Fry butt-plugged aresholes, oh, come on, did Reilly just spring some cheesy seal pinging around like a pinniped version of Flipper, now what the hell, mutated walruses and killer whales chowing down on humans like regular bizness, what the fuck are divers and seals doing one mile down in freezing black Antarctic ocean waters, fuck Reilly, your acrobatic seal and SEAL poltroons would implode like my fucking liver did in 2002, why don't you just include a fucking mermaid pleasuring her half-scaly self with a tubular iceberg for Christ's sake, now what, my God a badass Marine she-bitch named Mother who cracks walnuts via clenched butt and clears the shell casings with an impressive rooster-tail, let me guess, she harbors a deep and abiding shemale-manlove for Scarecrow who doesn't know and won't reciprocate and nevertheless secretly dreams of a romantic date with the dude in an Afghan foxhole where they'll dine on grenades and toast each other with gasoline, I can't take this anymore, what, hovercraft colliding and dinging each other with the abandon of the patrons at the Fraser Arms when one o'clock rolls around and only one toilet is functioning while Marines leap back 'n forth killing freckled Tommy SAS chump-change wearing berets and sporting Nietzschean 'staches with a well-placed elbow or frozen penguin carcass, Reilly you blow massive chunks, escapist, brain-dead thrills are one thing but this happy-go-fucky bullshit is an insult to the output of Mack Bolan, I can't take it anymore you cliche-ridden, one-thousand-words-for-machine-pistol-but-only-one-for-a-knife-to-the-throat plagiarizer of Cassell Military Paperbacks OK, Goddammit, I slopped coffee all across this cap-popping deadweight, me and my Maxwell House elbow fucking shaking like a Juan Valdez rummy, damn carpet used to be nice, that does it, this one goes directly into the garbage and NOW finally can we get to something better, well I'll be, here's another on the shelf by Reilly called Hover Car Racer, now that sounds promising...(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Henry Avila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Antarctica,Wilkes Ice Station, two U.S. scientists surface in an ice cave, 3000 feet below sea level,their last moments breathing.Other divers are sent and are never heard from again.The American Marines arrive, amist rumors of an alien spaceship found.Lieutenant Shane Schofield Recon Unit Commander,(nickname Scarecrow)has one great attribute.He never gives up.Schofield will need all that determination to survive.Technological supremecy is the big prize and no one has any friends.With a dozen me...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, action-adventure, mystery-thriller, science-fiction, books-i-own

Killer Whales? Seriously? Even in a society desensitized by the escapades of James Bond, this kind of thing seems rather excessive in an action thriller, although I must say the scenes in question were pretty scary in a “Jaws” kind of way. Oh, and of course, giant seals. Par for the course in this kind of fiction, eh?

The book’s pacing is frenetic, which helps, since all the “not so good” bits flash by so fast that you almost don’t realise they’re even present. Just how over the top is this book...more

10 likes · like · see review

Nov 26, 2007 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is perhaps the single most ridiculously over-the-top book I've ever read. This is a story in which the author has modern special forces armed with magneto-grappling-hooks and crossbows. Crossbows! Seriously?

The cool thing about (early) Tom Clancy was that it was so plausible. The earnest, macho tone of Clancy's stories fit the grim Cold War setting really well. Now you have a generation of writers writing in that same earnest, macho tone about people having high-speed hovercraft battles, s...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Cora rated it 5 of 5 stars

Atención James Bonds, Ethan Hunts, Chuck Norrises, Rambos y MacGyvers ha llegado el nuevo héroe: Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield!!! sois todos unas abuelitas a su lado, ja!
Qué bien lo he pasado leyendo este libro, adrenalina a tope, acción en cada párrafo, apenas he tenido tiempo para respirar. Que la acción es rocambolesca, descabellada, increíble, imposible y poco realista?? pues tal vez sí, pero está tan bien contado y explicado que yo no he parado un segundo en pensar si los hechos se sostenían...more

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May 08, 2008 Brian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 26, 2011 Jason Sta. Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great debut for Shane Schofield. It was an amazing read! Shane Schofield's character was unique and full of luck, hehe! He should say "Give me a break Matt Reilly!" I really agree that those secret military organizations do exist. But I was so confused about the behavior of those Antarctic Killer Whales! This is the very second time that I've heard/read about Killer Whales attack (after watching Orca The Killer Whale), kill and eat Humans, its kinda weird! Now I want to read the Manga version...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Rory Eggleston rated it 1 of 5 stars

Okay, first things first: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. Not that there's much plot to give away.

Well, I saw this book on the library shelf the other day and picked it up. I'd been feeling like some brainless action for a few days, and this seemed to fit the bill, so I happily sat down and started reading. And, at first, it was great stuff. Not in any cerebral sense, of course, but entertaining enough. I mean, come on: Antarctic research stations, mysterious metal things buried in 400 million year...more Okay, first things first: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. Not that there's much plot to give away.

Well, I saw this book on the library shelf the other day and picked it up. I'd been feeling like some brainless action for a few days, and this seemed to fit the bill, so I happily sat down and started reading. And, at first, it was great stuff. Not in any cerebral sense, of course, but entertaining enough. I mean, come on: Antarctic research stations, mysterious metal things buried in 400 million year old ice...it was addictive!

But then, about two hundred pages in, I began to have misgivings. I guess, in retrospect, I should have seen it from the very beginning, when characters are worried because of a nearby pod of orcas (in the book, only referred to as killer whales) might attack some divers. And then said pod of whales sinisterly appears and start attacking and devouring humans. That's when suspension of disbelief broke down. Because here's the thing: in all of recorded human history, orcas have only attacked humans on five or six occasions, none of which resulted in death. There have been captive attacks, but that's not the point. THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN, which Mr. Reilly would know if he'd bothered doing even a little bit of research.

And the list goes on: French special ops attacking everyone with...crossbows? American special ops retaliating with...grappling hooks? A massive flurocarbon leak which makes the air extremely flammable, but also doesn't suffocate anyone. A kid who's been at the ice station for all of a week and already has a pet seal? People without pressure suits surviving below 1000 feet in Antarctic waters? And, of course, super massive, radiation-mutated elephant seals, which, for some reason, live in the center of an ice shelf. I could go on, but there wouldn't be a point.

Now, I realize that this book was in no way intended to be great literature, but merely a fun action romp, but there is suspension of disbelief, and then there is suspension of disbelief which requires a full lobotomy for one to enjoy the effects. Reality seems to have completely flown the coop in this one, and it is difficult to stick with it because of this. I guess I'd suggest it for a long airplane trip, when you have nothing better to do. (less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set mainly in the remote continent of Antarctica, Ice Station, by Matthew Reilly,chronicles 24 hours in the life of Shane Schofield, callsign “Scarecrow”, a lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. Originally sent to Wilkes Ice Station to answer a distress call, Schofield soon finds himself battling his way through multiple strike teams to save his own life and those of his team. Plenty of battles and explosions and detailed descriptions of death and destruction should keep any action fan well and tru...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Conor Lyons rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was the type where you can honest not put it down, i found my self on numerous occasions racing this book for hours on end. Written by a former student of St Aloysius, this book was very exciting and always a had a sudden twist around the corner. For the first 100 pages there was action, but as i continued into the later stages of the book it was non stop action, which for many people might be a bit overwhelming but personally i loved it. The characters such as Scofield was excellent h...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Pooja Jeevagan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one book way out of my genre...and from the list of books I have read, the closest to match would be The Apocalypse Watch by Robert Ludlum...but then again, that book wasn't as action packed or set up in the background of Antarctica with ice and water around...

In all honesty, action n thriller aren't my genre, so yeah I did skip a few pages in the beginning when there was senseless killing and chasing...and again in all honesty, even after completing the novel, I still do wonder what was...more

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May 09, 2012 Jill Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ice Station is a fast, often breath taking and action filled story. Just when I found myself believing I could tell where the tale would lead, another dramatic twist would leap out and grab me by the throat. It is a very hard book to put down.

The characters are layers and their loyalties and allegiances demonstrate the nature of the military beast. The masculine undertones of the good guys fighting the bad guys, Cowboy and Indian style is muddled when some of the good guys show their hands as me...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Donovan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

Ice Station reminds me a bit of Ian Flemming's Bear Island. It's a bit over the top and that can sometimes draw you out of the story. Otherwise the writing is pretty good for someone who (at the time) was pretty new on the scene. Despite being an Aussie (Australian) Reilly does well to ensure that the writing is universal and not full of colloquialisms that can cause confusion. This is the first in the Shane Schofield (Scarecrow) series. The series comprises:
Ice Station
Area 7
Scarecrow ***I have...more Ice Station reminds me a bit of Ian Flemming's Bear Island. It's a bit over the top and that can sometimes draw you out of the story. Otherwise the writing is pretty good for someone who (at the time) was pretty new on the scene. Despite being an Aussie (Australian) Reilly does well to ensure that the writing is universal and not full of colloquialisms that can cause confusion. This is the first in the Shane Schofield (Scarecrow) series. The series comprises:
Ice Station
Area 7
Scarecrow ***I have not read this***
Hell Island ***I have not read this***
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves ***I have not read this***

Plot ***Spoilers***
Ice Station's plot follows the events that occur in the wake of the disappearance of a diving team (they are attacked by elephant seals) at the remote Wilkes Antarctic research station. A team of Force Reconnaissance Marines led by Lieutenant Shane Schofield, nicknamed "Scarecrow" because of eye injuries he sustained in Bosnia, is dispatched to secure the station, where they learn the scientists at the base had discovered something made of metal buried within layers of ice hundreds of millions of years old. As Schofield's Marines set about securing the station, they must deal with French paratroopers posing as researchers, traitors within the unit looking to make sure only certain people know of the discovery, a team of British SAS operatives sent to the station, and Sarah Hensleigh, a member of ICG resident within the research team who has already killed one of her co-workers.

What is believed to have been an alien space craft is revealed to have been a prototype of the B-7A Silhouette, a stealth bomber constructed by Entertech, the losing tenderer in the bid to construct the original stealth project. Using a plutonium core, the plane is able to render itself invisible to the natural eye at a distance by artificially bending light around itself i.e. a cloaking device. Schofield and the survivors use the aircraft to make their escape to the USS Wasp. The plane is destroyed by Schofield himself after a British nuclear missile launched by a Eurofighter Typhoon removes any trace of the ice station and the events that unfolded there, while evidence comes to light of a conspiracy within the United States government known as the Intelligence Convergence Group, a clandestine US body involving the Joint Chiefs and the National Reconnaissance Office which seeks to preserve US military and technological dominance.(less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Mary Graves rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mary by: assigned book

Definitely fast-paced, a techno-thriller. The beginning was great -- caught my interest. Maps, details on scientific ice stations in Antarctica and a thriller. Good! Scientists in a station in Antarctica are doing ice core research going back thousands of years -- hit metal and discover a ship they think may be from an aliens. Those that discovered it were mysteriously killed -- and were cut off from radio contact with their fellow employees. The remaining crew attempt to send out an SOS during...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No One

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Shelves: contemporary, crime, fiction, novels, popular-fiction, science-fiction, suspense, ultimate-reading-list

I think to enjoy this I would have needed to unhook my higher brain functions first. Of course, that might have made reading impossible. If you look at the reviews for the book, the word used the most, even in the positive reviews, is "over the top." It's as if Reilly took every single cliche to ever grace a Steven Segal film then shook it up and poured.

This is primarily set in and around an American Ice Station in Antarctica. One of the harshest, most fascinating settings on earth, and Reilly,...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Riju Ganguly rated it 5 of 5 stars

People talking fondly about the writers of the golden era Science Fiction (1940-s & 1950-s) often state that their single biggest skill was to make people willfully suspend disbelief. If you are looking for something in the similar vein, this is THE book for you. It has everything: alien artifact being "discovered" buried under the ice in Antarctica, mysterious & shockingly violent death of the discoverers with very little to know about what is/are killing them, an overt mission to retri...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Ethan rated it 1 of 5 stars

I started reading this book! And then...

I put it down!

And then -

- I. Picked. It. Back. Up.

Again.

Just to see how it ended!

!!!

I couldn't actually finish the book. Gave up on page 500. The beginning was great, but things rapidly dissolved into stupidity. This calls for more than suspension of disbelief. Maybe a pre-frontal lobotomy. Or maybe a time machine. I could travel back in time and give this book to my 14-year-old self, who would probably enjoy it. Though a pre-frontal lobotomy might still b...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Jennie Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, as books of this type go, it wasn't too bad. The action virtually never stops. Prospective readers should be warned, however, that if they are looking for anything approaching realism, this is not the book for them. Shane Schofield is apparently indestructible and has a pain tolerance that is off the charts. He spends a good portion of the book fighting with a broken rib that apparently doesn't slow him down in the least. And Antarctic temperatures don't seem to impact him, or anyone else,...more

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May 10, 2010 Carolb rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was another action-packed testosterone-laden, non-stop adventure tale. And I mean 'non-stop'. There is no time to even breathe properly what with one thing after another happening. Unbelievable!

This story is about a group of U.S. scientists who discover what they believe is a spaceship 3000 ft under the Antarctic ice. All hell breaks loose as the 1st team is killed by a giant breed of elephant seals. The team on the surface sends out an SOS, stupidly mentioning the spaceship discovery and b...more

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May 26, 2009 Patrick Gibson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: testosterone, snorgasm

I hesitate to put this on the library shelf after struggling to finish another one of the author’s witless action yarns ‘Seven Deadly Wonders.’ But my favorite flea market bookshop had a shitload of Reilly’s books and while admiring the artistic style with which they were stacked like iambic columns (I know, there is no such thing—but if there is Doric then why not Iambic? In my world there would certainly be a few) I had a wild hair thought, ‘maybe they all aren’t as bad as I think.’ And damn,...more I hesitate to put this on the library shelf after struggling to finish another one of the author’s witless action yarns ‘Seven Deadly Wonders.’ But my favorite flea market bookshop had a shitload of Reilly’s books and while admiring the artistic style with which they were stacked like iambic columns (I know, there is no such thing—but if there is Doric then why not Iambic? In my world there would certainly be a few) I had a wild hair thought, ‘maybe they all aren’t as bad as I think.’ And damn, if I didn’t just fritter away another dollar to the Scottish shop owner who has an accent thicker than binding glue. She often makes book recommendations to me. I stare at her with my mouth open and then just nod my head, like I understand.

Not everything I hated about ‘Seven Deadly Wonders’ reared its ugly presence in ‘Ice Station.’ Oh, wait a minute. Yes, it did.

Although ‘Ice Station’ actually has an idea at its core, which the author abandons for hundreds of pages at a time, he never seems to want to develop it. What starts out as an intriguing, sort of, mystery, quickly digresses into one preposterous action sequence after another. Damn, I want my dollar back. Reading this endless stream of high speed progressions is like playing a 33 1/3 album on 78. What is supposed to be a breathless page turner, in fact, is laughable for its pure superciliousness. Geez, I like that word.

I’m guessing Matt Reilly got a C minus in Clive Cussler 101 because he forgot that a story can be as exciting as a barreling hundred-car freight train full chaotic fight scenes and ludicrous cliff hangers resolved with preposterous conclusions.

I like Souza marches. But I can’t listen to three hours of them at a time. That’s what I felt like was happening while reading ‘Ice Station.’ Why did I finish? Why do we keep watching Shark Week every summer when we have seen all the episodes before? Right. We keep hoping for a miraculous change and that it will actually get better. Never happens does it?

When I finally learn Scottish I will inform Book Stall Lady to never sell another Matt Reilly book to me ever again. Unless it’s marked down to 75 cents.
(less)

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Feb 15, 2013 Charlie Head rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All I can say is... damn... that was some action-packed book!! Literally!!!! Bring out the guns and explosives and clever tactics and blow this joint up!!! Let's add in a little girl and a cute seal too just to make this interesting.

Killer whales, spaceships, massive radiation-mutated man-eating elephant seals, submarines, turncoat traitors and every other awesome element that you could possibly DREAM of is most likely stuffed into this package.

Just... damn... the first hundred pages were just B...more All I can say is... damn... that was some action-packed book!! Literally!!!! Bring out the guns and explosives and clever tactics and blow this joint up!!! Let's add in a little girl and a cute seal too just to make this interesting.

Killer whales, spaceships, massive radiation-mutated man-eating elephant seals, submarines, turncoat traitors and every other awesome element that you could possibly DREAM of is most likely stuffed into this package.

Just... damn... the first hundred pages were just BAM BAM BAM but it was GOOD action, not those rubbish short punch-duck-roll-AHA-gun type action scenes. These were solidly researched, well planned, clever scenes that had me going OH MY GODDDD the WHOLE way. I just couldn't WAIT to see how Schofield would get out of his next fix. Like, honestly, Matthew Reilly throws everything at the poor guy. Schofield is either the unluckiest or the most luckiest character I have ever had the pleasure of encountering.

The plot line isn't a brainless action-packed plot either. Everything has a reason, and it's a massive adrenaline-jolting thrill as you slowly start to piece everything together and go "OH S***!!!!!"

It's quite gruesome though, not for younglings or the faint of heart. I probably wouldn't go see the movie myself, because people get blow up, obliterated, ripped to shreds and occasionally crushed and let's not forget the classic headshots. Schofield probably kills, what, 20? 30? soldiers (ahem, ENEMY soldiers... stupid french) in this, but I still really liked him as a character. He's bad-ass, yes, but he also has his idols and he falls for women and he's not afraid of giving a scared little girl a hug. I would be the first to claim I have the absolute MINIMAL knowledge about the military (zilch, nada, nothing) but if there are really men like that out in the world... Let's just say I have hope for the human race.

I've muddled on a bit too long here, so just quickly: Excellent action book with riveting characters and one of the most unique storylines I have ever read. A bit bloody though, so watch out. The whales were also a little blood-thirsty, but I'm not a whale expert so I'm trusting Reilly did his homework on that one...

Read on, Reader(less)

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Jan 09, 2009 Kati rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, thriller, in-czech, het, look-for-more

Non-stop action thriller with some sci-fi elements. Definitely a page turner. On the other hand, the action is so fast that you basically have no time to properly delve into the characters. And some of the stunts that Schofield pulls are humanly impossible. But it really is suspense pure, from fist-fights to nuclear bombs - you name it, the book definitely has got it. Also, I got some Stargate Atlantis flashbacks: Schofield and Renshaw kind of remind me of Sheppard and McKay.

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Nov 09, 2011 Andill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, fiction, thriller

This is a fast paced book that is easy to read, however you have to suspend all belief in reality to do so. It started reasonably well but as the story progressed Shane "Scarecrow" Scofield got himself into ever increasingly impossible situations from which to extract himself. In the end the scenarios became ludicrous.

This has been the second Matthew Reilly book I have read, the other being Contest. I read Contest because it was his first book, written when he was only 19, and originally self-pu...more

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May 03, 2013 Level4outbreak rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me first state that this is not a book that one would consider "traditionally good." What I mean by this is that there are a few things that are generally agreed upon which makes a book "good": Interesting characters, plots that are believable, the author's ability to get the reader to suspend disbelief, etc. Ice Station has none of that. The characters are ridiculously flat and the plot is so ridiculous that the suspension of disbelief never had a chance. I mean, really: Mutated Elephant Se...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, thriller

"This book is a fast-paced thrill ride from the opening chapter. The protagonist, Shane Schofield, USMC, blends the personalities and skills of Indiana Jones, James Bond, and John McClane from "Die Hard" into one appealing character whose implausible escapes from death make up the bulk of the story's plot. He and his team have been ordered to secure an Antarctic research station, unaware that a global conspiracy is underway to prevent their success.

The book doesn't pretend to be a guide to the...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Huda Sarkowi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, military

Goodreads actually recommended me this books.

What I can concludes after taking a few days to finish this book is that it was one of the over-the-top, almost ridiculous (think mutated elephant seals, crossbows, nuclear bomb) military adventure book I've ever ventured to. Heavily accentuated with testosterone that I found myself cringed that the females counterparts in this book are almost unsaid for. The pace of the book is bewilderingly fast, not so much for interludes and this book almost make...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Taylor Preston rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ice Station makes no illusions about being anything other than pure, adrenaline charged entertainment and in that respect it succeeds...sort of. Reilly has a clean, concise style that works well for the thriller genre. His action scenes are well thought out and executed and his characters are relatively well rounded. The biggest issue for me is the author's reliance on info dumps to explain information that's not wholly relevant to the plot. It's not necessary to write a full technical briefing,...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Jack Kirby and the X-man rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teenage Boys who aren't keen on reading

Shelves: author-australia, fiction, military, action, setting-antarctica, 2009, 1990s

An action-packed rollercoaster ride. You'll certainly need to turn off your sense of disbelief to enjoy this one.

I felt that Matthew Reilly as an Australian author is continuing the grand Australian tradition of cultural cringe. I'm happy for him to make the US the hero and the French and Brits the enemy. But constant little reminders of Australia through the book made me feel the author would dearly have loved to be able to make the Australians the stars of the show. I suppose the main practic...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Lee Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Strap yourselves in 'cause the ride gets bumpy right away...and just grows progressively more bumpy as you race through the pages. This is probably the most thrilling action adventure debut I'd read in many a year when it debuted. I gave it a chance because it sounded a little like Alistair MacLean's Ice Station Zebra (don't read the abso suckfest of a movie, read the book!)mixed with military thriller by way of a creature feature. And even if the action wasn't non-stop and thrill-filled, the he...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Aneesha rated it 5 of 5 stars

My friend lent the book to me. It took me awhile to get around reading it - honestly I didn't expect much. But I finally opened the book, turned the pages, and couldn't put the book down till I finished it!

It was such an adrenaline rush, and as a roller coaster junkie, this was the closest I got to the feeling WHILE SITTING DOWN.

Poor Scarecrow never got a break - from French recon troops, Mutant Seals, to Orcas, to missiles - it is unbelievable he survived through it, and with such flair.

The po...more

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