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Edge of Extinction #1
The Ark Plan
Jurassic World meets Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in this epic new middle grade series full of heart-pounding action and breathtaking chills! "Amazing adventures!" raves Brightly.com as they recommend Edge of Extinction as a 2016 Holiday Gift for Tween Readers.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the first dinosaurs were cloned. Soon after, they replaced humans at the top of the food chain. The only way to survive was to move into underground compounds. . . .
Five years ago, Sky Mundy’s father vanished from North Compound without a trace. Now she has just stumbled on a clue that not only suggests his disappearance is just the tip of an even larger mystery, but also points directly to the surface. To find her dad—and possibly even save the world—Sky and her best friend, Shawn, must break out of their underground home and venture topside to a land reclaimed by nature and ruled by dinosaurs.
Perfect for fans of Brandon Mull, Lisa McMann, and Rick Riordan, this exhilarating debut novel follows two courageous friends who must survive in a lost world that’s as dangerous as they’ve always feared but also unlike anything they could ever have imagined.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the first dinosaurs were cloned. Soon after, they replaced humans at the top of the food chain. The only way to survive was to move into underground compounds. . . .
Five years ago, Sky Mundy’s father vanished from North Compound without a trace. Now she has just stumbled on a clue that not only suggests his disappearance is just the tip of an even larger mystery, but also points directly to the surface. To find her dad—and possibly even save the world—Sky and her best friend, Shawn, must break out of their underground home and venture topside to a land reclaimed by nature and ruled by dinosaurs.
Perfect for fans of Brandon Mull, Lisa McMann, and Rick Riordan, this exhilarating debut novel follows two courageous friends who must survive in a lost world that’s as dangerous as they’ve always feared but also unlike anything they could ever have imagined.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2016
About the author
Laura Martin
11 books371 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
May 22, 2019
A tough book to review without spoilers, but I'll try.
It's an adventures-with/against-dinosaurs tale, no doubt about it. The kids get chased by a variety of incredibly large dinosaurs -- larger even than you might think (apparently, thanks to GMOs and other side-effects of the 21st Century, the dinos that were brought back from extinction are actually BIGGER than their original kin. Yes, the book has interesting little details like that) and we have a few saved-from-the-jaws-of-death (literally) moments. Mostly it's just exciting enough without being too scary (I'm pretty squeamish and easily alarmed) though there were a few other incidents that were surprisingly violent. The book is much more than just a B action movie, though.
Like "Jurassic Park" (the comparison is inevitable and, fortunately, the author addresses the elephant in the room fairly early in the book) the book features an exploration of man vs. nature and the dangers of overextending science and playing God. It has a deeper layer regarding government and political power, as well. When is the person in power a leader making unilateral choices for the good of the people, and when is he a corrupt dictator who can no longer listen to any other opinions? I was pleasantly surprised by the multi-layers and depth that a middle grade story about dinosaurs achieved.
As for the writing style, I found it engaging and entertaining. The story moved at a good pace and I found myself eager to continue reading chapter after chapter. While I'm not sure our protagonist will ever be a "kindred spirit" and I found it rather hard to warm up to her, I did appreciate her by the end of the story and I really liked her best friend. The world building was mostly solid and yet a few points really did not make much sense and I hope will be addressed in the sequel. The plot twists were mostly surprising yet suitable for the story, and yet...
The book has a major lack of conclusion much to my annoyance. While perhaps one major plot thread may have maybe-possibly have been wrapped up it was not satisfying and two other major plot threads were not resolved at all. I realize that publishers like every book to have a sequel (or more) and perhaps the author had intended this as one continuous story. But, the ending was just so completely without resolution that it was quite irritating. That said, I did enjoy the book on the whole and will continue with the sequel since it is available at my library.
It's an adventures-with/against-dinosaurs tale, no doubt about it. The kids get chased by a variety of incredibly large dinosaurs -- larger even than you might think (apparently, thanks to GMOs and other side-effects of the 21st Century, the dinos that were brought back from extinction are actually BIGGER than their original kin. Yes, the book has interesting little details like that) and we have a few saved-from-the-jaws-of-death (literally) moments. Mostly it's just exciting enough without being too scary (I'm pretty squeamish and easily alarmed) though there were a few other incidents that were surprisingly violent. The book is much more than just a B action movie, though.
Like "Jurassic Park" (the comparison is inevitable and, fortunately, the author addresses the elephant in the room fairly early in the book) the book features an exploration of man vs. nature and the dangers of overextending science and playing God. It has a deeper layer regarding government and political power, as well. When is the person in power a leader making unilateral choices for the good of the people, and when is he a corrupt dictator who can no longer listen to any other opinions? I was pleasantly surprised by the multi-layers and depth that a middle grade story about dinosaurs achieved.
As for the writing style, I found it engaging and entertaining. The story moved at a good pace and I found myself eager to continue reading chapter after chapter. While I'm not sure our protagonist will ever be a "kindred spirit" and I found it rather hard to warm up to her, I did appreciate her by the end of the story and I really liked her best friend. The world building was mostly solid and yet a few points really did not make much sense and I hope will be addressed in the sequel. The plot twists were mostly surprising yet suitable for the story, and yet...
The book has a major lack of conclusion much to my annoyance. While perhaps one major plot thread may have maybe-possibly have been wrapped up it was not satisfying and two other major plot threads were not resolved at all. I realize that publishers like every book to have a sequel (or more) and perhaps the author had intended this as one continuous story. But, the ending was just so completely without resolution that it was quite irritating. That said, I did enjoy the book on the whole and will continue with the sequel since it is available at my library.
April 23, 2017
My 10 year old son's rating: 4.5 stars
My 16 year old son's rating: 3.5 stars
My rating: 3 stars
Not bad for a middle grade dinosaur book. I felt like it dragged on a bit, and I didn't think many of the characters behaved according to how one would have to behave, living with dinosaurs. (But it's a middle grade read, so...)
There will be another book, and I know my 10 year old is keen to listen to it on our daily commute, but I may stick headphones on to listen to something else.
The narrator's accent was hard on my ears, and I do wonder if that affected my rating. She couldn't even say dinosaur properly!... well, properly in a normal accent. (This is my review, so I'm allowed to complain in my own way.) I actually had to look up excerpts to see if they called the dinosaurs something else; the narrator pronounced it: dī-nuh-sah. Think Bostonian accent. (Not Australian accent, because I love the Australian accent.) My grandma was from Massachusetts, and I loved her accent. This lady's was more like The Nanny.
My 16 year old son's rating: 3.5 stars
My rating: 3 stars
Not bad for a middle grade dinosaur book. I felt like it dragged on a bit, and I didn't think many of the characters behaved according to how one would have to behave, living with dinosaurs. (But it's a middle grade read, so...)
There will be another book, and I know my 10 year old is keen to listen to it on our daily commute, but I may stick headphones on to listen to something else.
The narrator's accent was hard on my ears, and I do wonder if that affected my rating. She couldn't even say dinosaur properly!... well, properly in a normal accent. (This is my review, so I'm allowed to complain in my own way.) I actually had to look up excerpts to see if they called the dinosaurs something else; the narrator pronounced it: dī-nuh-sah. Think Bostonian accent. (Not Australian accent, because I love the Australian accent.) My grandma was from Massachusetts, and I loved her accent. This lady's was more like The Nanny.
June 13, 2016
When dinosaurs were cloned a pandemic destroyed most of the human population. Those that survived went underground to live. Sky, a young girl living in the North Compound, discovers a note and a plug from her father who has been missing for several years. The note asks her to leave the underground compound and deliver the plug topside, a place so dangerous to humans, that Sky has only been there for a few minutes during her entire life.
I can't wait for the second in this series.
I can't wait for the second in this series.
January 4, 2020
This is a great book about dinosaurs and some foolish kids.
June 15, 2016
Great book by a first time author! Loved the premise of the book and the fact that the main character was a female. This book will appeal to boys and girls alike. It is an exciting page-turner that leaves you wanting more.
June 29, 2016
If you like the movie Jurassic Park you will love this book.
August 2, 2017
My 10 year old loved it! We enjoyed the book through audible and it made the driving to and from activities around town something to look forward to.
March 17, 2017
This book was so much fun, I need the next one...like now! The world this book was set in was so scary and beautiful. Sky Mundy has lived in the compound underground all her life. Why? Because 150 years ago scientist brought back Dinosaurs and they now roam the earth. Sure it sounds like a good idea but we all saw Jurassic Park we know how that would end. It wasn't really the Dinosaurs that were the problem with was the bacteria and disease they brought with them. Now the survivors live underground but something isn't right, when Sky's dad goes missing, Sky finds clues and is determined to find out what happened. Now Sky needs to leaves the compound with her only friend Shawn to explore a world filled with Dinosaurs and other dangers to find her father and uncover a bunch of secrets that the compound leader will stop at nothing to keep hidden.
I found the world build to be vivid, I could actually picture it all in my head. How awesome would it be to live in a world with Dinosaurs? I would probably die but it would be interesting to see for a few minutes. ;) I loved the story and the mystery and the world. I found the characters fun and realistic. The world was brutal and even for a younger aged book, nothing was held back and it let the reader feel more of the dangers of this world. I thought it was done so well. I would have liked the story to have progressed a little more, it wasn't slow at all, I also think it progressed at that pace was to give you that feel of the world.
I highly recommend to middle grade, teens, adults, grandmas...whoever. This was such a fun book and I honestly can't wait to be in the world again...not in real life...just the book. ;)
I found the world build to be vivid, I could actually picture it all in my head. How awesome would it be to live in a world with Dinosaurs? I would probably die but it would be interesting to see for a few minutes. ;) I loved the story and the mystery and the world. I found the characters fun and realistic. The world was brutal and even for a younger aged book, nothing was held back and it let the reader feel more of the dangers of this world. I thought it was done so well. I would have liked the story to have progressed a little more, it wasn't slow at all, I also think it progressed at that pace was to give you that feel of the world.
I highly recommend to middle grade, teens, adults, grandmas...whoever. This was such a fun book and I honestly can't wait to be in the world again...not in real life...just the book. ;)
Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.
Have a great day and Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life
February 18, 2025
Third read: Such a fabulous middle grade book. So much like the movie Jurassic Park but in print and featuring kids as protagonists. Loved it as much as my previous reads. This remains one of the favorites from my kids’ book clubs. We’ve had a blast reading this and talking about it. Thank you, Laura Martin, for creating such a great story and such great characters. Of course I love Sky, but her grandfather Ivan is my favorite this time around. Exciting and well written 🦖🦕
August 20, 2018
Cheesy. Made me cringe. Uninteresting world. Predictable plot. Rubbish characters.
It was just one of those books where the writer tries to hard to write a moving book with a great world and cool characters but fails miserably. Preeeeeeeetty trash.
It was just one of those books where the writer tries to hard to write a moving book with a great world and cool characters but fails miserably. Preeeeeeeetty trash.
July 12, 2022
The boys and I loved this book, I wouldn't let them listen without me. On to the second one!
October 10, 2024
Again, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book for middle-readers! The concept is interesting and the adventure/action kept me turning the pages. I only took a star off because sometimes the banter between characters got a bit old. Would highly recommend!
November 6, 2018
Loved! Loved! This book. A cross between Hungar Games and Jurrasic Park. This is a part of the Sunshine States Young Readers a statewide reading motivational program for students in grades 3 through 8, in a collaborative effort between the Florida Association of Media in Education (FAME) and the Florida Department of Education (DOE). The purpose of the SSYRA Program is to encourage students to read independently for pleasure and to read books that are on, above, and below their reading level in order to improve their reading fluency. Sunshine State books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. The SSYRA committee is comprised of 20 qualified school librarians located throughout the state of Florida, subdivided into two committees- grades 3-5 and grades 6-8. I am earning my brag tags for reading all the books to encourage the students in the schools I substitute in to read them too.
June 17, 2018
I needed two minutes.
- first sentence
Imagine a world where dinosaurs freely roam the surface and people are forced to live underground. This is Jurassic Park gone wild - dinosaurs were cloned 150 years ago and kept in zoos and on farms. Needless to say, things got out of hand. Sky Mundy lived underground her entire life and now that she found a clue to her father's disappearance, she must venture to the topside world to find answers.
The story follows Sky's journey and is filled with thrilling action, life-threatening situations, and heroic characters. The plot moves quickly with twists and a cliff-hanger ending. Make sure you have the second book ready for your young reader.
The narrator did an excellent job - I highly recommend the audio version. I borrowed it using the Hoopla app through my public library.
Recommended to: Grades 4 and up - fans of sci-fi, adventure, strong female characters, and of course, dinosaurs.
- first sentence
Imagine a world where dinosaurs freely roam the surface and people are forced to live underground. This is Jurassic Park gone wild - dinosaurs were cloned 150 years ago and kept in zoos and on farms. Needless to say, things got out of hand. Sky Mundy lived underground her entire life and now that she found a clue to her father's disappearance, she must venture to the topside world to find answers.
The story follows Sky's journey and is filled with thrilling action, life-threatening situations, and heroic characters. The plot moves quickly with twists and a cliff-hanger ending. Make sure you have the second book ready for your young reader.
The narrator did an excellent job - I highly recommend the audio version. I borrowed it using the Hoopla app through my public library.
Recommended to: Grades 4 and up - fans of sci-fi, adventure, strong female characters, and of course, dinosaurs.
January 24, 2018
Fun, quick read
January 9, 2024
If this isn’t a movie yet, it should be. I am not typically into sci-fi or dinosaurs, but I read this as a book club pick with my 10 year old son. And I couldn’t put it down! It had me intrigued from the beginning and I can’t wait to read the sequel! I love that there is a female protagonist, which can make it appealing to boys and girls alike. Boys will be into the dinosaur and adventure aspect while girls can be drawn to the characters and how they handle the adversities they encounter. I’m excited to talk with my son about the ideas of being kept safe versus having freedom in life, which is a huge theme of the book. Highly recommend for adolescents and adults who are into adventure stories!
June 17, 2019
I loved this book!! This is full of nonstop action, suspense and excitement. Along with some really great, likable characters, this is sure to be a hit with the survival fans at my school. Fans of Gary Paulsen and Roland Smith would really enjoy this. Can't wait to introduce students to this series. Now, to start book 2...
July 15, 2026
Surprisingly violent for a middle grade novel... Why make the main characters 11 if the violence level is more PG-13? Not sure if I will let my fourth grader read or not.
No other major objections - decently well written and likeable characters with a good mystery. Just the human-on-human violence in particular that I found surprisingly intense.
No other major objections - decently well written and likeable characters with a good mystery. Just the human-on-human violence in particular that I found surprisingly intense.
October 19, 2019
Listened to this audio book with my 8 year old son. We both enjoyed the storyline, the dinosaurs and all the action. “Giant dinosaurs, kids above ground with dinosaurs, what else could a kid love?!” Says my son.
April 7, 2017
Liked it alot but i felt like there was to much running around instead of finding things out
December 12, 2018
This high action adventure, scifi dystopian is obviously going to be a series since this first book leaves you hanging in the middle of the quest.
May 25, 2019
An intriguing world and lots of dinosaurs! There was more to this book than I expected going in, and I'm looking forward to book 2.
November 1, 2025
A solid effort, although there aren't as many dinosaurs here as there were in Crichton's books. Since this is only half of the story, I may adjust my star rating after finishing the sequel.
April 3, 2026
The absolute worst book to ever exist. Main character is the mary sue-est Mary sue I've ever seen, all the characters are insufferable.
February 9, 2020
Sofia: 5 stars It was a really exciting book and it had lots of action and suspense
Emerson: 4.75 stars. I didn’t do five stars because it was a little gross but I liked it yeah
Emerson: 4.75 stars. I didn’t do five stars because it was a little gross but I liked it yeah
February 24, 2018
This was a read aloud to my boys (10 and 17). It was pretty exciting. Some of the scenes were a little intense for my 10 year old, but both boys rated it a 4. One bummer is that we didn't feel that the story was complete. I understand it's a series, but it should have gone further in the story than it did. However, we are looking forward to reading the second book.
March 31, 2026
Very good, better then I remember it being
September 20, 2016
I liked this far more than I expected. It was a cross between Jurassic Park and The Hunger Games. It was quite interesting, and pretty clever. "The Noah" brought dinosaurs back to life and then because dinosaurs were taking over the world they hid in an underground compound. Sky and Shawn have never known anything else, until they're sent on mission by Sky's long-lost dad into the "topside" which is the earth, where dinos rule and humans get eaten. Little do they know that humans don't always get eaten and maybe it is time for them to come out of the compound. It leaves a cliffhanger and the author doesn't tell the reader everything. It's very mysterious but a very fun read. I would recommend it for Grades 4 and up.
August 22, 2018
Extremely fun read-aloud! Highly recommended!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews