Godzilla Returns

Godzilla #1

by Marc Cerasini

As Godzilla rises from the Pacific Ocean to again wreak havoc on the modern world, young Japanese-American reporter Brian Shimura is assigned to cover the story. Brian soon becomes obsessed with discovering the truth of the Godzilla legend. From the gripping opening, when Godzilla destroys a Russian Typhoon-class submarine, to the action-packed final confrontation with a full fleet of Japanese Defense Force fighter aircraft, this action adventure-sci-fi thriller will keep old and new fans of the Big G glued to the page!  

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

233 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 29, 1996

About the author

Best-selling author, Marc Cerasini has spent time on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller's lists. His writing spans from children's picture books and young adult novels to adult mystery and military nonfiction. Along the way, he's managed to ghostwrite for Tom Clancy.

Reviews

[Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the Godzilla movies, seeing 28 out of the 29 films and loving or likeing most of them (but that American Godzilla movie...yeah that one sucks.). However, when I first heard that there was a series of books about the King of the Monsters, I was a bit skeptical of it at first. I wasn't exactly into reading when I first read the series, in fact (with the exception to the Bible and Harry Potter) I use to hate reading and figured that not even Godzilla could make a book interesting (this was about 8 years ago in high school, before I found reading to be entertaining and a good distraction to my brain). But I was wrong, big time! Not only was this book entertaining, to this day I think the three books I read were better than most of the movies!

"Godzilla Returns" is the first book in the series of four and tells the tale of a news reporter getting a job in Japan and sees first-hand Godzilla's second attack on Tokyo. Now, I know, it seems like the typical, generic storyline in many of the movies, however the way the author tells the story is so unique that the end result is a very original and imaginative tale that will make you wish the story never ended. One thing I really like was how the book revealed how Godzilla seemed nearly invincible: it was the first time that was ever explained and was used a few years later in one of the movies! There were no other monsters in the book, and at first I thought it was going to dull the story and Godzilla's personality like it did the other two sequel movies that was just him vs. the army ("Godzilla 1985" and the 1998 American movie "GODZILLA"). Again, I was wrong: the book was still very exciting and showed of the King of the Monster's sympathetic, but very antagonist side very well. While Godzilla is best shown as an anti-hero instead of a villian, Marc Cerasini was writing the book in the view of the humans, whom a majority sees the beast as a souless monster void of any morality and relies only on his animalistic instincts. In later books, you find that like the movies this view isn't true, but that's for another time. In any case, Cerasini did an excellent job of making Godzilla seem like a true threat to the world.

The book is also easy for anyone to pick up and read, even if you're not a fan of Godzilla. Just like the beginning of the 90's series of movies as well as almost all of the 2000's movies, "Godzilla Returns" ignores all the movies ever made with the exception of the first film, making it a stand-alone direct sequel. The writer makes it so you don't have to have seen any of the movies to understand what's going on in the book and it worked to perfection. In fact, the book did it better than most of those stand-alone movies, as well!

All in all, "Godzilla Returns" is a great book for anyone to read, whether you're a fan of the King of the Monsters or not.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straightforward Godzilla attacks story that reminds you that Godzilla is freaking huge and a scary force of nature.
Does a nice job of scraping away the cheesy fun of the old movies and showing us the awe and anxiety caused by having Godzilla stomping around the city.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of four Godzilla prose novels by Cerasini set around the turn of the century (this one starts in 1996) that serve as something of a sequel to the first movie without incorporating much of the infrastructure of the intervening films. The human protagonist, fittingly, is a young journalist, and a good job is done in portraying Big G as an awesome force of nature rather than a generic monster. The writing isn't always as polished as one might wish, but it's a very good and captivating story. One thing that's always comforting about Godzilla movies is that no matter what problems are plaguing the real world at least you don't have to worry about being trampled by a rampaging kaiju like those poor people in Tokyo, a comfort just as true today as it was in 1954. (Except, of course, for residents of Tokyo.) I've been a big fan of the Big G for well over fifty years, and I enjoyed this quartet of novels featuring him. In the immortal words of Buck Dharma: Go, go, Godzilla!

[Mong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is special to me... It was one of the first few books I picked up myself at a school bookfair (the rest being Goosebumps – thanks R.L.Stine)...

Anyway, Marc Cerasini is a genius writer. As a 10-year-old, I could imagine myself being in the submarine that Godzilla shred into pieces... in a tank, helicopter... it's like you were IN there. Marc just has that ability to bring you into the thick of the action. He also captures Godzilla's moodiness perfectly. He's like a brooding teenager that has been mistaken by the world.

As the bookfair was an annual affair, I picked up every Godzilla novel with Marc's name on it.

Edit: I read Nicholas Driscoll's review, and he captures what I want to say perfectly: "When Cerasini describes the vehicles and weapons used against Godzilla, he doesn't just write that a helicopter flew through the air and shot rockets at Godzilla. Rather, Cerasini will note what kind of helicopter it is, usually with some description of the craft's specific physical details and the workings of its armaments, and almost every military vehicle that appears in the story receives such attention, without becoming overbearing." – https://www.tohokingdom.com/books/god...

[Michael Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not easy to write a story about a monster such as Godzilla, and it needs to be about the people in it as much about the monster, which of course cannot be killed. After his first appearance in the fifties, Godzilla has been resting deep underwater for over 40 years, and he is awakened by deep underwater nuclear tests, gaining strength from them and looking for new sources of radioactive "food".
Trying to stop him, scientists realise that Godzilla is in no way natural and not only does he almost instantly heal from body damage meaning military attacks are useless, but the only thing that might kill him, a direct nuclear explosion, might actually make him stronger.
An idea from the Godzilla 1985 film sends him back to sleep again, after he again destroys Tokyo.

[uzhuj · Rating 3 out of 5]

It turns out I started these in the wrong order and read book 3 before this, which is the starter. Godzilla returns, messes up some infrastructure then lured back to the sea with some experimental tech. Pretty basic story, but the Nick & Brian characters are likeable and the moodsetting in the first half of the book is superb. Second half is a bit sloppier.
Also: Japan government should just stop fighting Godzilla. Just let him rubble some areas and nuclear plant, but honestly the army is responsible for at least tripling the infrastructure damage.

[Ross Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Godzilla is back and out to cause destruction and disaster.
I could go into depth about the symbolism of Godzilla and the post-nuclear age, or about the early days of the 24 hour news cycle, or the 'what disaster strikes, nations rally"...

But come on.


IT'S GODZILLA TAKING DOWN TOKYO. AGAIN. SMASH. CRASH. BOOM. ROAR AND ATOMIC FIRE BREATH!!!!
If that doesnt get you, then you are NOT a Godzilla fan...

[Will Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marc Cerasini writes Godzilla better than anyone and always seems to bring something new and exciting to the table even wile still using classic plot troops. Thay unfortunately is not the case with this one. This story I think has to be his weakest I have read so far it is dull and unfortunately very forgettable.

[Zachary Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan, READ THESE BOOKS

This one in particular has appeal - it's a very close re-telling of 1984, sort of. All about the human reaction to big G.
It's thorough, and very well written, with plausible pseudo-science

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Reptar to King Kong and back to Godzilla, I'm a big fan of giant lizards destroying cities but this story missed the mark for me. The plot was good but slow. It moved along at a snails pace and I found myself skipping ahead.

[Everett · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the old Godzilla movies then you will enjoy this. It starts as a direct sequel to the original film with several callbacks to the 1956 American version. Felt like I was watching a movie while I was reading. Fun read.

[City Mist · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no denying Marc Cerasini's talent when it comes to penning scenes of combat, but the story is practically ripped wholesale from 1984's The Return of Godzilla, the characters are uninteresting, and the ending is abrupt.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an interesting novel, classified as YA and while the actual prose Cerasini employs reflect that, it has a considerable amount of graphic violence, and more than a few mentions of the shortness of various character's skirts. Definitely in the territory of angst. Has a strange moment where they mention that several Muslim countries have announced that Godzilla is the "Sword of Allah". Pretty good though, I like the idea of making the story surround journalists, something several Godzilla films have done as it gives the characters a built in excuse to be in the heart of the action. Pretty solid all told, probably really only worth 3 stars but I love Godzilla enough to give it 4. Can't wait to read the sequels.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Godzilla Returns
By Marc Cerasini
This story is about a young Japanese-American traveling to Tokyo, Japan to work as a news reporter. While he is there, there is a rumor that the Giant monster that has wrecked Tokyo back in 1954 has returned. He is skeptical about this rumor but is thrown into an adventure with his friends and his uncle that he started to believe that the rumor is true when they are chasing and studying Godzilla itself. This book is a great read to pass time and learn more about Godzilla. I recommend this book to everyone that likes Giant monsters/Kaiju or likes to pass time reading.

[Kevin Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was, and have been, so jealous of Marc Cerasini at being privileged to pen a number of Godzilla novels. I've always wanted to do that, dang it! Nevertheless, while I hate him for getting to do what I have not, he is a very talented writer and successful author deserving of high praise and distinction. In GODZILLA RETURNS he does Godzilla proud, I'm sure, retaining the mythology majesty of the "King of the Monsters."

[Wayne Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, the definitive depiction of Gojira. All the carnage and unimaginable destructive power are here in full force, and yet Cerasini manages to tell the compelling story of the many human characters caught in Godzilla's wake.

Also places Godzilla firmly in its original seat of nuclear dread, something sorely lacking in the latest hollywood Godzilla reboot

[Chris Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to what will become a series of 4 books.

[Anthony Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my review of this nifty little tale about a great big monster here:

http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...