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With Dinosaurs
Backpacking With Dinosaurs
This is a story about standing up. Four friends from high school who never made it big reunite for the bravest, most daring excursion in the backpacking Dinosaur Falls National Park. This park, which is strictly off-limits to the public, has been labeled the most dangerous place on earth. The group plans to trek through majestic Triceratops lands and hike among the Hadrosaurs, but they will discover prehistoric terror instead. Unknown to them, they are being tracked by a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a dinosaur with a Great White-like devotion to following blood trails. If these four friends are to outlive the day, they will have to run and they will have to hide, but most importantly they are going to have to rise up. This is a story about standing up.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2019
94 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Doug Goodman
35 books62 followersI live in Houston, but I was raised in Lubbock, Texas. I’m an animal writer. It doesn’t matter if the animals I write about are zombie-hunting dogs, dinosaurs, or giant kaiju monsters, I’m interested in that area where animals and humans intersect. I’m especially curious about the mind meld that happens with working animals. This is my point of view for examining human nature, and why I enjoy writing these books so much.
My site says I’m a writer and an explorer. My wife and I are “often” travelers. Thanks to my work, I sometimes get the opportunity to visit extraordinary people in out-of-the-way places. In recent years I’ve explored parts of the Navajo Nation, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and I did a mesmerizing 20-state roadtrip with my supportive family. I’ve been to all but four states in the United States.
I live with two awesome kids (though one is having her own adventures in college), one amazing wife, and two white German Shepherds. Thank you for stopping by, and please check out one of my books. (They are all available from Amazon as paperbacks and e-books.) Since mid-2019, I’ve been donating twenty percent of my proceeds to charity. If you want to see where I donate, I update my donations via my newsletter.
My site says I’m a writer and an explorer. My wife and I are “often” travelers. Thanks to my work, I sometimes get the opportunity to visit extraordinary people in out-of-the-way places. In recent years I’ve explored parts of the Navajo Nation, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and I did a mesmerizing 20-state roadtrip with my supportive family. I’ve been to all but four states in the United States.
I live with two awesome kids (though one is having her own adventures in college), one amazing wife, and two white German Shepherds. Thank you for stopping by, and please check out one of my books. (They are all available from Amazon as paperbacks and e-books.) Since mid-2019, I’ve been donating twenty percent of my proceeds to charity. If you want to see where I donate, I update my donations via my newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 24, 2019
With dinosaurs in the title, I had to read this book. 4 friends Caleb, Ethan, Julie, and Sadie hiked through the mountains till they reached the electrified fence protecting the predators - the once extinct creatures - the dinosaurs. And you guessed it!! The T-Rex wasn't that happy to see them on her territory. It is a race against her to save their lives.
My first book by Doug Goodman, and at 122 pages, the book was good fun. The four friends bound by a secret had their own reasons to go on this adventure. I initially thought it was a suicide/ adventure mission. Take your pick.
Their race away from the T-Rex was peppered with their memories of their past. Bullying due to a skin condition vitiligo was well weaved in the story. My niggles hit me while reading the past and reasons for the friends to go on this adventure. The reasons for the main characters, the dinosaurs to appear in the present time on these lands wasn't well explained, and the scenes lacked the tension.
Well, dinosaurs = Jurassic Park = Michael Crichton. Nothing can compare to them!!
The book clicked for me because, come on, it is a dinosaur book. There was an adventure with thrilling moments, the backstory and the past of the 4 friends brought out a shiver down my spine. An fast easy read, this book made my Sunday afternoon.
March 31, 2019
Alright, I'm starting this review off by saying Backpacking with Dinosaurs has made it to my top books of 2019!
I loved the back and forth between what happened in our four main character's pasts and what is happening to them currently in Dinosaur Falls National Park. Doug Goodman is really fantastic at giving the reader bits of the past and keeping you guessing the entire time. I was on the edge of my seat because of the action and because I just wanted to know what happened in the past. When the reveal came, I didn't see it coming and I was left breathless.
Backpacking with Dinosaurs definitely has a lot of action and adventure. Of course there will always be comparisons of Jurassic Park with this kind of story, but the plot was very unique and only reminded me of JP because there were dinosaurs.
The main characters had very unique back stories that tied together in a shocking way. They were relatable and intriguing.
I highly recommend checking this book out. I'm excited to read more from Doug Goodman!
*I recieved a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
I loved the back and forth between what happened in our four main character's pasts and what is happening to them currently in Dinosaur Falls National Park. Doug Goodman is really fantastic at giving the reader bits of the past and keeping you guessing the entire time. I was on the edge of my seat because of the action and because I just wanted to know what happened in the past. When the reveal came, I didn't see it coming and I was left breathless.
Backpacking with Dinosaurs definitely has a lot of action and adventure. Of course there will always be comparisons of Jurassic Park with this kind of story, but the plot was very unique and only reminded me of JP because there were dinosaurs.
The main characters had very unique back stories that tied together in a shocking way. They were relatable and intriguing.
I highly recommend checking this book out. I'm excited to read more from Doug Goodman!
*I recieved a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
February 16, 2019
Well written with just a few grammatical errors revoloving around the gender of the T-rex. Still, it was an enjoyable read.
March 19, 2019
I was drawn to this book because I liked the premise and it was obvious from the start that it was well-written. The author’s knowledge and depiction of the terrain, nature and the flora and fauna of the mountains and forests was evident in the writing, and I especially enjoyed this aspect of the book.
This is essentially YA fiction, and it certainly covers a broad range of issues that affect that age group in particular, though not exclusively. The main characters make up a group of four friends, two boys and two girls. They first came together as a group in high school, although actually when we meet them, at the start of the action, high school was ten years ago and they are now young adults, dealing with the past as well as facing the challenges of the adult world. They each struggle with their own demons, including bullying, racism, first love, sex and relationships, strained friendships, loneliness and finding their own place in the world. There is also another, more brutal element which brings the group of four ‘loners’ closer than ever, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers here…
They are an outdoorsy group, two of them experts in survival and hiking. They are adventurers who are not afraid to break the law in pursuit of an adrenalin rush, including breaking into a complex harbouring dinosaurs brought back to life.
At this point just about everyone will bring to mind Jurassic Park, I should think. I was afraid the story was going to rehash that plotline, but apart from the inevitable clashes and encounters with dinosaurs, it manages to remain fresh peppered with allegories to their shared and personal pasts as they face the dangers ahead. Again, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I will say no more than that. I did feel I wanted to ‘see’ more kinds of dinosaurs, but perhaps that is just the seven year old kid in me! For the most part, their greatest adversary is a T-Rex, which dominates the story more or less as soon as it is introduced.
The final chapters (again no spoilers) was more akin to a scene in a horror story, the brutality quite a contrast even against the viciousness of the dinosaurs. It came as something of a surprise. I did feel the ending came upon me very suddenly. I hadn’t expected quite an abrupt end and felt I wanted to read a little more. That said, I enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting. I liked the main characters, although there is a twist at the end that makes you possibly rethink that…
The various complex issues were well-handled and I am sure lots of YA readers, and possibly others, will be able to relate to them and identify with them. Want to know what happens to the bullies? Read the book!
This is essentially YA fiction, and it certainly covers a broad range of issues that affect that age group in particular, though not exclusively. The main characters make up a group of four friends, two boys and two girls. They first came together as a group in high school, although actually when we meet them, at the start of the action, high school was ten years ago and they are now young adults, dealing with the past as well as facing the challenges of the adult world. They each struggle with their own demons, including bullying, racism, first love, sex and relationships, strained friendships, loneliness and finding their own place in the world. There is also another, more brutal element which brings the group of four ‘loners’ closer than ever, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers here…
They are an outdoorsy group, two of them experts in survival and hiking. They are adventurers who are not afraid to break the law in pursuit of an adrenalin rush, including breaking into a complex harbouring dinosaurs brought back to life.
At this point just about everyone will bring to mind Jurassic Park, I should think. I was afraid the story was going to rehash that plotline, but apart from the inevitable clashes and encounters with dinosaurs, it manages to remain fresh peppered with allegories to their shared and personal pasts as they face the dangers ahead. Again, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I will say no more than that. I did feel I wanted to ‘see’ more kinds of dinosaurs, but perhaps that is just the seven year old kid in me! For the most part, their greatest adversary is a T-Rex, which dominates the story more or less as soon as it is introduced.
The final chapters (again no spoilers) was more akin to a scene in a horror story, the brutality quite a contrast even against the viciousness of the dinosaurs. It came as something of a surprise. I did feel the ending came upon me very suddenly. I hadn’t expected quite an abrupt end and felt I wanted to read a little more. That said, I enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting. I liked the main characters, although there is a twist at the end that makes you possibly rethink that…
The various complex issues were well-handled and I am sure lots of YA readers, and possibly others, will be able to relate to them and identify with them. Want to know what happens to the bullies? Read the book!
November 7, 2024
This was a fun little novella. The main characters don't really make a whole lot of sense (that they thought this was a good idea, but ok). IF you just go with the flow, you get to go on a wild adventure.
March 24, 2020
Goog action
Well written and good editing. When 4 friends from high school get together after 10 years and illegally enter a dinosaur preserve in the mountains. What follows is being hunted by t-rex . There are some very surprising twists to the story as you gradually learn about the past of the four friends. Very compelling to keep reading.
Well written and good editing. When 4 friends from high school get together after 10 years and illegally enter a dinosaur preserve in the mountains. What follows is being hunted by t-rex . There are some very surprising twists to the story as you gradually learn about the past of the four friends. Very compelling to keep reading.
April 28, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Obviously I immediately compared this book to Jurassic Park (the book and the film/s). Backpacking with Dinosaurs also has man-made dinosaurs displayed for the public entertainment, and of course some stray ‘innocents’ who shouldn’t be there stumble right into the thick of raptors and ‘rexes.
But this is like Jurassic Park would be if you cut all of the dull parts and just kept the exciting bits!
The four idiots/brave young people who gatecrash the dinosaur reserve (and I am baffled as to how they managed it so easily!) are plunged straight into adrenaline-spiking danger which continues right up to the final chomp. Interspersed with the terror we get short flashbacks into the earlier days of their friendship – a kind of cross between The Breakfast Club and Carrie – but these are hardly calm interludes, as each member of the ‘Granola’ gang are bullied and ostracised from school society.
Poor Sadie has it worst. She suffers from vitiligo, which bleaches the pigment from her skin in patches, and sees her vilified from all sides for being neither black nor white; for being different. The other Granolas (Julie, Ethan and Caleb) stand by her as the persecution slowly escalates to unbearable levels, and we clearly see why the group are so close, but not why their lives have drifted so badly since high school…
I found the Granolas fascinating and did not want to lose a single one of them, but this is not a love story: be warned that there is both ‘vore’ and gore… what do you expect when you pit two species of apex predator against each other?!
I was absolutely blown away by the ending. Literally just sat there mouthing expletives to myself as I digested the aftermath (sorry!) of the story. Aspects of the setup and plot may have reminded me of other stories early on, but this book took its own unique path through the dino-infested woods, and I’m not sure that all of me came out the other side with it.
Recommended to fans of quick-paced, hard-hitting creature-feature horror and people interested in the impact of abuse on those who survive it and those who perpetuate it. Plenty to get your teeth into here…! 😉
“Dinosaur Falls National Park,” Julie read from her cellphone, “was created by an act of Congress in 2020 to house formerly extinct dinosaur species created by several genetics companies. The location was determined by its remote area and varied habitats. Lands were purchased in the summer of 2020, and the dinosaurs were re-located there six weeks later. Dinosaur Falls National Park houses over 200 species of dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. It is strictly off limits to anyone, but the dinosaurs can be viewed through online cameras and private lodges built around the exterior, blah, blah, blah.”
– Doug Goodman, Backpacking with Dinosaurs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Obviously I immediately compared this book to Jurassic Park (the book and the film/s). Backpacking with Dinosaurs also has man-made dinosaurs displayed for the public entertainment, and of course some stray ‘innocents’ who shouldn’t be there stumble right into the thick of raptors and ‘rexes.
But this is like Jurassic Park would be if you cut all of the dull parts and just kept the exciting bits!
The four idiots/brave young people who gatecrash the dinosaur reserve (and I am baffled as to how they managed it so easily!) are plunged straight into adrenaline-spiking danger which continues right up to the final chomp. Interspersed with the terror we get short flashbacks into the earlier days of their friendship – a kind of cross between The Breakfast Club and Carrie – but these are hardly calm interludes, as each member of the ‘Granola’ gang are bullied and ostracised from school society.
Poor Sadie has it worst. She suffers from vitiligo, which bleaches the pigment from her skin in patches, and sees her vilified from all sides for being neither black nor white; for being different. The other Granolas (Julie, Ethan and Caleb) stand by her as the persecution slowly escalates to unbearable levels, and we clearly see why the group are so close, but not why their lives have drifted so badly since high school…
I found the Granolas fascinating and did not want to lose a single one of them, but this is not a love story: be warned that there is both ‘vore’ and gore… what do you expect when you pit two species of apex predator against each other?!
I was absolutely blown away by the ending. Literally just sat there mouthing expletives to myself as I digested the aftermath (sorry!) of the story. Aspects of the setup and plot may have reminded me of other stories early on, but this book took its own unique path through the dino-infested woods, and I’m not sure that all of me came out the other side with it.
Recommended to fans of quick-paced, hard-hitting creature-feature horror and people interested in the impact of abuse on those who survive it and those who perpetuate it. Plenty to get your teeth into here…! 😉
“Dinosaur Falls National Park,” Julie read from her cellphone, “was created by an act of Congress in 2020 to house formerly extinct dinosaur species created by several genetics companies. The location was determined by its remote area and varied habitats. Lands were purchased in the summer of 2020, and the dinosaurs were re-located there six weeks later. Dinosaur Falls National Park houses over 200 species of dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. It is strictly off limits to anyone, but the dinosaurs can be viewed through online cameras and private lodges built around the exterior, blah, blah, blah.”
– Doug Goodman, Backpacking with Dinosaurs
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
June 7, 2019
Backpacking with Dinosaurs is a quick read that will have you on the edge of your seat, keep you guessing & then shock you at the end!!!
I love how the author intertwines the action & adventure in the dinosaur park with the history of the four friends. Hints of a dark time in their lives leaves you guessing what happened to divide this group & bring them back together again years later for such a dangerous trek. What these four friends experienced together in their past will leave you nearly speechless!
Side note, I also really love the way this author compares the dinosaur sounds!
This is not your everyday Dino book! What are you waiting for? Starting reading Backpacking with Dinosaurs!
I love how the author intertwines the action & adventure in the dinosaur park with the history of the four friends. Hints of a dark time in their lives leaves you guessing what happened to divide this group & bring them back together again years later for such a dangerous trek. What these four friends experienced together in their past will leave you nearly speechless!
Side note, I also really love the way this author compares the dinosaur sounds!
This is not your everyday Dino book! What are you waiting for? Starting reading Backpacking with Dinosaurs!
July 28, 2020
Fricking awesome!
Short book with a ton packed into it, no pun intended. Four old high school friends break into a national reserve with living dinosaurs, intending to hike through and end up fighting for their lives. The background of these folks is every bit as interesting and violent as the predator/prey life and death situation they find themselves in now. A "dinosaurs living in modern times" story that is actually believable.
Short book with a ton packed into it, no pun intended. Four old high school friends break into a national reserve with living dinosaurs, intending to hike through and end up fighting for their lives. The background of these folks is every bit as interesting and violent as the predator/prey life and death situation they find themselves in now. A "dinosaurs living in modern times" story that is actually believable.
August 7, 2021
Four classmates reunite for a hike that will change their lives. Just remember, there are never any happy endings when a visit to this off limits park occurs. But the story, it's non-stop action, original, absorbing, and edge of your seat. My only issue was the proof reading, it could have been better. For example T-Rex, was it a he or a she, it's referred to as both in the same paragraph.
February 14, 2020
Wow
A park for prehistoric creatures. A group of thrill seekers, you end up with lots of excitement.
There was a surprises popping up throughout the book concerning the group of friends. Lots of secrets.
A park for prehistoric creatures. A group of thrill seekers, you end up with lots of excitement.
There was a surprises popping up throughout the book concerning the group of friends. Lots of secrets.
July 25, 2020
Just a mess
This would have been a good story in theory, but the reality is that the author tried to cram too many topics in one short story. There are dinosaurs, and then there is race issues and bullying and abuse and gore and...a mess.
This would have been a good story in theory, but the reality is that the author tried to cram too many topics in one short story. There are dinosaurs, and then there is race issues and bullying and abuse and gore and...a mess.
October 15, 2020
Wow
This book is very scary. A group of friends goes hiking in an off-limits Park. Pretty soon they find themselves being hunted. But it's not the first time and they will fight back.
This book is very scary. A group of friends goes hiking in an off-limits Park. Pretty soon they find themselves being hunted. But it's not the first time and they will fight back.
June 12, 2022
This book was promising... but there was something about the ending that, while it was supposed to be cathartic, rubbed me the wrong way.
It kinda stops at the end which is... kinda disappointing.
It kinda stops at the end which is... kinda disappointing.
September 3, 2025
Not sure what to think or say about this book.
I've been reading Mr. Goodman's Zombie Dog series and am taking a break. I like a more linear story. Jumping back and forth for no apparent reason makes me tired.
It does become clear, but, in my opinion, should have been better organized.
I am drawn to dinosaur stories, whether as a rampaging monster or as a misunderstood beast.
The moral at the end does reflect Mr. Goodman's stories - man's inhumanity to man or any living creature continues to hurt the world.
I've been reading Mr. Goodman's Zombie Dog series and am taking a break. I like a more linear story. Jumping back and forth for no apparent reason makes me tired.
It does become clear, but, in my opinion, should have been better organized.
I am drawn to dinosaur stories, whether as a rampaging monster or as a misunderstood beast.
The moral at the end does reflect Mr. Goodman's stories - man's inhumanity to man or any living creature continues to hurt the world.
March 27, 2020
Doug Goodman writes animals so well.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews