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unSPARKed #1.0a
Drive!: unSPARKed 1
Carol's scream assaults my ears, even as I'm bringing the gun round... I fire, hitting the raptor in the tail as it darts away... No time to check on Carol, I turn again... the pack matriarch is busy ripping the grille back from Harry's window...
One gun's enough, is it, Dad? Really? We have so had it...
IN DARRYL'S WORLD, THE WILDLIFE IS RATHER...
...WILD!
When Darryl's Dad suddenly remarries, she and her brother Harry are taken completely by surprise. Their new step-mom is a glamorous fashion designer who's never been outside the city fence in her life.
How will she cope with a life of dinosaur farming?
Still, they try to make up their minds to be welcoming.
But first, Darryl's Dad needs to get his new bride safely to the farm.
And things don't go quite to plan...
One gun's enough, is it, Dad? Really? We have so had it...
IN DARRYL'S WORLD, THE WILDLIFE IS RATHER...
...WILD!
When Darryl's Dad suddenly remarries, she and her brother Harry are taken completely by surprise. Their new step-mom is a glamorous fashion designer who's never been outside the city fence in her life.
How will she cope with a life of dinosaur farming?
Still, they try to make up their minds to be welcoming.
But first, Darryl's Dad needs to get his new bride safely to the farm.
And things don't go quite to plan...
71 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2019
10 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 13, 2019
Wow! What an exciting story! Wish this had been around when I was younger, but I've never outgrown my interest in dinosaurs, so it was worth waiting for! Widower with two teens remarries and they travel together to bring home the new wife and stepmother. Simple plot, you think? Not when the family lives on a farm surrounded by electric fences to keep out the new top of the food chain predators in this amazingly detailed future United States. This is short and a quick read (and so suspenseful you won't be able to put it down) and thankfully, it's not the end, though this story can stand alone. I can't wait for the next installment in the unSPARKED series (the electric fences surrounding cities and farms are so important to keeping out the vicious predators, they are capitalized as SPARKED). Recommended for anyone who loves dinosaurs and adventure/survival stories!
November 21, 2021
ENGLISH: A scary short story in the Lost World style. The first time I read it in a single stretch. The second I read it slowly. I think Carol was too brave. Imagine any of us in her plight!
ESPAÑOL: Una historia corta terrorífica al estilo de El Mundo Perdido. La primera vez la leí de un tirón. La segunda, más despacio. Creo que Carol fue demasiado valiente. ¡Imagínese a usted o a mí en esa situación tan difícil!
ESPAÑOL: Una historia corta terrorífica al estilo de El Mundo Perdido. La primera vez la leí de un tirón. La segunda, más despacio. Creo que Carol fue demasiado valiente. ¡Imagínese a usted o a mí en esa situación tan difícil!
February 3, 2021
And now for something completely different or at least that was my first thought as I started reading this book. This truly is a completely different type of story for Corinna. It sort of feels like a cross between Jurassic World and Mad Max! The story is set in a future when scientists have created dinosaurs and humans are no longer top of the food chain. Most humans live inside walled cities, the walls being layers of electrified fences.
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
November 11, 2018
And now for something completely different or at least that was my first thought as I started reading this book. This truly is a completely different type of story for Corinna. It sort of feels like a cross between Jurassic World and Mad Max! The story is set in a future when scientists have created dinosaurs and humans are no longer top of the food chain. Most humans live inside walled cities, the walls being layers of electrified fences.
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
Note: I have now read this a third time with my 11 year old son. He loved it!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Corinna Turner. As well as an author profile and interview with Corinna.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
Note: I have now read this a third time with my 11 year old son. He loved it!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Corinna Turner. As well as an author profile and interview with Corinna.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
Read
March 8, 2022Ms. Turner has created a believable modern world in which humans and dinosaurs coexist!
November 23, 2017
And now for something completely different or at least that was my first thought as I started reading this book. This truly is a completely different type of story for Corinna. It sort of feels like a cross between Jurassic World and Mad Max! The story is set in a future when scientists have created dinosaurs and humans are no longer top of the food chain. Most humans live inside walled cities, the walls being layers of electrified fences.
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Corinna Turner. As well as an author profile and interview with Corinna.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
This book was a lot of fun to read. In fact I read it three times over 2 days. Or I should say I read it twice and listened to it once. This is the story of a family that is in transition. Darryl, her brother Harry and their dad are farmers, they raise dinosaur meat. That means they live outside the safe cities. They live on a fenced farm. The farm is surrounded by a double electric fence. But their life has changed drastically. The last time their dad came home from the city he announced he was married. And this book is the story of their trip to the city to get Carol, a fashion designer, and bring her home to the farm. But things do not go as planned.
The family’s worst ever encounter with predators happens on Carol’s trip to the farm, and it just so happens to be her first trip on a highway outside the city. She encounters a stampeding group of longnecks. Sees a T.Rex take one down and block the highway right in front of them. And then Raptors attack. And these smart beasts are intent on getting in the truck. Not the quiet ride home for the new bride, to the new frontier. Not at all.
I loved the brief story about St Desmond:
“Who… who’s this guy?” she quavers as Dad pulls away, indicating St Des.
“That’s St Desmond,” says Harry eagerly, finding his voice. “Patron saint of people who live out-City. He was one crazy dude. But a really holy crazy dude!”
Carol looks perplexed. “Why was he crazy?”
“Because he lived unSPARKed in a cave, in raptor country.”
Carol looks like she might faint. “He what?”
“Yeah, he was a hermit,” says Dad. “Lived like that for twenty years, then just dropped dead one day from an undiagnosed illness. In all that time the raptors never ate him. Which is generally considered to be a miracle.”
This was a fantastic read. I am looking forward to sharing it with my son. It was fun, fast paced. And sets up an incredible new world. My understanding is that this is the first in a series of short novellas set in the world of unSPARKed, and if the rest are as entertaining as this one, than we are in for some great reads. And I hope at some point we get a story dedicated to Saint Desmond. A great little read, it is FANtastic!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Corinna Turner. As well as an author profile and interview with Corinna.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
November 24, 2017
Premise: Jurassic Park sparked a dystopia. Very short, but extremely exciting. The writing is a bit clunky, especially the initial exposition, and there's no real explanation of *why* humans made dinosaurs or why the dinosaurs roam wild, but that doesn't really matter once the action starts. The action is brutal, but it drags you in and doesn't let you go until you hit the last page. Also, St. Desmond is awesome.
November 29, 2018
A fun read! Great tension while the characters are beyond the bounds of the safety fences and vulnerable to attack.
Although a couple of words left me puzzled, I actually love the British usages and can understand everything in context. They give the story a little extra charm - at least to this American.
Jurassic Park fans will love this short!
Although a couple of words left me puzzled, I actually love the British usages and can understand everything in context. They give the story a little extra charm - at least to this American.
Jurassic Park fans will love this short!
October 23, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. What a terrifying futuristic world Turner has created! I am a huge fan of this author and am always impressed with how different all her stories are. Look forward to the next one in this series!
December 17, 2017
A scary short story in the Lost World style. I had to read it in a single stretch. I think Carol was too brave. Imagine any of us in her plight!
October 26, 2020
So gripping that I've finished 4 books in 24 hours. The world-building is creative and fun, but the author sells a character set full of integrity. I wpuld recommend this to all.
Having just read Benton's "Vertebrate Palaeontology", I'm impressed that the illustrations seem to exhibit pretty legit feathering.
Having just read Benton's "Vertebrate Palaeontology", I'm impressed that the illustrations seem to exhibit pretty legit feathering.
December 21, 2017
I Like
I liked this book. Action and adventure and clean language. Yeah, three rifles better than one. I like Dino books and I will be looking forward to next book.
I liked this book. Action and adventure and clean language. Yeah, three rifles better than one. I like Dino books and I will be looking forward to next book.
November 5, 2021
A short story with lots of action. I think my grade 6-8 students will love it.
January 3, 2023
A MUST read for anyone who ever loved dinosaur or Jurassic Park.
Adventure Catholic/Christian
Adventure Catholic/Christian
December 28, 2019
Jurassic Park meets Mad Max, as another reviewer (Steven R.) observed.
Fun and entertaining. I like this new world that Corinna has imagined, and I am hoping for full length novels at some point. But this was a great teaser!!
Fun and entertaining. I like this new world that Corinna has imagined, and I am hoping for full length novels at some point. But this was a great teaser!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews