Z. Rex

The Hunting #1

by Steve Cole

Adam’s father is developing cutting-edge research on virtual electronic game-playing when suddenly he disappears—and Adam finds himself being hunted by men with guns, and worse—a savage, man-eating dinosaur. Is the dinosaur real, or just part of the game? Where is his father? And what happens when your video game turns into real life?Steve Cole has combined gaming, dinosaurs, and a heart-pounding chase to create a suspenseful thriller that’s impossible to put down.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dinosaurs, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2009

About the author

Also publishes as Stephen Cole.

Steve Cole is the slightly crazy, highly frantic, millions-selling, non-stop author of Astrosaurs, Cows In Action, Astrosaurs Academy, The Slime Squad, Z. Rex and many other books (including several original Doctor Who stories).

He used to edit magazines and books but prefers the job of a writer where you can wear pyjamas and eat chocolate all day.

Steve just can't stop writing - if he does, strange robots appear and jostle him vigorously until he starts again.

In his spare time he loves making music, reading old comics, thinking up ideas for new books and slumping in front of a warm TV.

Reviews

[Kian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a 14 year old boy that meets a evolved T.rex and the Z.rex is made with Adams brain sort of so the Z.rex has all of Adams memories from a video game. This book is a really amazing Steve Cole book and it was a job well done. I thinkI remember waiting home for my father to come back from work everyday because he needs to go offshore and get oil. In this book Adams dad goes to work because he gets called to go away and work on a project because he needs to work on the Z. rex project, and he waits at home for a couple of days same as me. This book reminds me of the movie Godzilla because the Z.rex is a more dangerous and deadly T.rex that can fly.

[Rachel Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to come, i'm too tired right now.

[Mada Basyouni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Z. REX by Steve Cole is a well-written tale, in terms of ideas and events. One of the most eye-catching elements I observed were the dramatic changes that took place all through the narrative. When such events took place, it drove the current events in the story to much bigger and deeper ones. This effect contributed to the theme and outcome of the conflict that took place. Not a fan of the phrasing in some of the expressions; however, loved quite some interesting parts that were included in the writing. One of my favorite phrases was on page 238 when stated "We might never be 'properly safe' in this world, whatever's out there. But if we're together, things are better...right?" The following quoted part has such a deep meaning that even after what they've been through, they're still looking forward to the future. In my opinion, its best-targeted audience will land between 10-13 years old. It included quite an imaginable yet, still believable events that most of the targeted audience think of often!

[Danairin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing was good but other than that... No.

[Long Live Wonderland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange plot concept, but not actually all that bad.

[James Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. One thing about some teen books is they go at a break neck pace with no regard for character development. This book also I think would be better if it was about a dragon, and it really feels like it should be

[Ryan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the main character is very brave considering all the things he faced on his journey for example a dinosaur

[Anne Patkau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adam Adlar 13 tests video game based on his own brain waves for his dad Bill, in Santa Fe desert. Fired employee Sam Samantha, long straightened hair Josephs 30s innocuous appearance, dark skin is a corporate spy, steals regeneration data, kidnaps Dad. A brain-fried zenith (beyond Tyrannosaurus) Rex calls himself Zed, kills thugs attacking Adam with the boy's own video-game kick combo moves. Dad's last phone text warns against police, asks Adam to take files to old friend Jeff Hayden "early fifties .. combed-over hair" p 124 back in Scotland. Security chief Bateman, scarred mercenary with paunch, ugly inside and out, follows. Smart, winged, Z defuses bomb, flies with Adam to Edinburgh.

Hayden is mastermind, gets Adam and Zed into underground bunker lab with Dad. Adam pretends to stick Dad with tranq; couldn't he save for another jab? Dad tried to help Zed with time in game, where Zed picked up Adam's traits "more headstrong, wilfull, even secretive at times. Prone to sudden bad moods .. traits of a teenager" p 184. Massive body count, even Edinburgh Castle falls. Clone Y, for "yes", is embedded with computer chips but control fails and Y goes wild, kills Bateman, loses final battle against Z. Z rejuvenates in tanks, destroys lab, flies free. Dad and Adam will have breakfast then seek Josephs.

[AintGotTimeToRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beware the killer dinosaur from Black Mesa!
It's already eaten Laura, Neil, and Golblum, and now it's coming for you.

Good read for kids, not much here for adults, still better than Jurassic World.

[Kevin Xian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z Rex by Stephen Cole is an adventure book where the dinosaurs are back. The main character is Adam Adler. He is 13 and has made dangerous experiments. Adam’s life changes when his dad, a scientist goes missing after a strange lab accident. Adam finds about a secret project that is bringing dinosaurs to life. The most dangerous dinosaur is the Z Rex that is made for war. Adam joins a group to stop the dinosaurs from being used for bad things. Along the way Adam has to survive against the dinosaurs and the people. He faces hard challenges and learns about courage and bravery along the way.
Z Rex is an exciting book that keeps readers interested from start to finish. What makes the book special is how it mixes action with deeper questions and decisions. While the idea of making dinosaurs come back might sound familiar but Stephen Cole freshens it by focusing the problems with messing with science through nature.
What I liked the most about Z Rex is Adam Adlar, the main character of the book. At first, Adam is just a simple kid, but he becomes a hero in a tight and stressful situation. His journey is relatable even in a fiction book because he is dealing with responsibilities, right and wrong, and how dangerous power can be.
I would recommend Z Rex for anyone who likes action adventures and stories about how human ambition clashes with nature. It's fun to read and leaves you wondering about real life possibilities of pushing science too far.
“It's not a dinosaur, it's a weapon Adam! You don't know what kind of power we are dealing with!” (pg 187)
This part in Z Rex stands out because it shows the main conflict of the story. Using science recklessly to gain power. I like this part because it brings the main message of the book into focus. The line also makes it clear that if humans create something too powerful they can make things they cannot control. This also helps Adam develop and grow as a character, as he decides to stand up against the people behind the Z Rex.
I would give this book 4.5 stars is because it mixes exciting actions with interesting questions. The reason why I didn't give this book a 5 star rating is because some characters could have been more developed.

[Alex_E1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best Sci-Fi and Fantasy book I've read in these years. This book talked about a poor boy getting carried away from homeland to nowhere caused by his dad's job issue. His dad was a successful scientist who deals problem with genes and virtual reality. His dad got kinapped by this secret company, the company revived a T-Rex. When the boy found his dad missing for days, he got kind of scared but was surprised by the T-Rex in a few days. I can connect this emotion to myself. When I get surprised I often would be glad and happy but for the boy, this surprise was a nightmare. By just thinking of being a friend and partner with a dinosaur could make you feel scared and disgusted. But the boy accepted this sneak attack and kept the positive attitude up. If the I were the boy, I might not get along with the dragon and cause myself killed. But the boy had excellent collaborate and cooperate skills which helped him survive.

[Ashley W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I read this one because Boy Child #1 recommended it. It isn't bad for the age it was written for. Still 200+ pages felt like a lot for this story. Details in updates.

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyment ★★★★☆
Concept ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★★☆
Characters ★★★☆☆
Plot ★★★☆
☆
Pacing ★★★★★
World Building ★★★☆☆
Ending ★★★★☆

[Read2review]

** For the full review please check out www.read2review.com **


I was drawn to this book by the cover. The hardback cover I have has a 3D dinosaur on it with the Z-Rex number plate in its mouth. I read the back and knew immediately that I wanted to read the book.

The book started with Adam’s father going away although Adam is unsure why. Until he gets a text saying he is in trouble and Adam must find an old friend of his and get help. Not long after Adam receives the message his house in New Mexico is destroyed sending Adam on a whirlwind adventure.

I grew very fond of Z-Rex, the good monster in the story. He and Adam formed a very strong bond which was really nice to read. The story was very easy to read and I felt myself getting lost in the pages.

There were twists and turns that surprised me throughout the book. The one that made me gasp out loud was a betrayal of Adam and his father but I won’t say who by. You’ll just have to read and find out.

I also like the fact that Steve wrote enough detail into the story that when major events happened, one involving Edinburgh Castle you could really picture it happening.

I am really excited to know there is more in this series and plan to get a copy of Raptor X very soon. I love dinosaur books; I read Jurassic Park over 15 years ago and fell in love with the films. I love adventure and this book has it all.

I give Z-Rex (Z Rex Trilogy) a solid 5/5!

**READ MORE AT: http://read2review.com/our-reviews/s/...

[Marcin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Z.Rex is a story about a 13 year old boy, Adam Adler, and his dad, Bill Adler, who works in the gaming industry trying to perfect the ultra-reality console but is having trouble with financing his dreams. This therefore means that the pair is constantly away from their home in Edinburgh as Bill searches for new companies to finance his research. Since the death of Adams mum, his dad has thrown himself into his work and by doing so neglects his parental duties but the real problem arises when Adams dad goes away for a few days in a black Cadillac and does not come back. Adam is left on his own and after nine days the Cadillac returns but the people aren't so friendly anymore and are Adams eyes playing tricks on him or is there something in the sky?

Z.Rex, by Steve Cole, has a relatively simple story with only a slight turn of events so its main audience is probably under the age of 15. The story line is well held together as Cole keeps it on the main problem but the book does not pull you in enough to want to read another of Adams adventures, such as the follow up of Z.Raptor. Another problem is that the creature in the book is, without giving anything away, quite over the top as if it were over done. Overall, with under 260 pages Z.Rex is a short book making it a one day read but with a simple story line its hard to expect more. To finalize if you are looking for a similar type of genre then I would recommend the Percy Jackson series as it is much more exciting and is bound to hook away teenage readers in.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Z-Raptor" by Steve Cole is a teens SciFi book that is reasonably written but I found uninspiring. I've tried to figure out why. The book is not terrible but it was not great either.

The story: a teenager finds himself confronting a dinosaur that can talk... just barely... and it has all the self-control of a teenager... in fact... one particular teenager. The story then jumps from one situation to another s bad guys seems like good guys and then bad guys. His father seems like a good guy then a bad guy, and then it gets complicated.

Any problems with the book? Nothing too serious. It is a teen book so it is not especially complex. It reads a lot like the "Michael Vey" novels without the moral content. There is some moral content in Z-Rex, but it goes by so fast it's easy to miss. The rest of the book is filled with improbable action. For example, I don't know how a person goes anywhere in the world accompanied by a talking dinosaur and not be spotted... like every ten feet. They have an explanation but it's lame.

So... the writing is fine. I think the plot needs work. I don't recall any cursing in the book but there might have been one mild imprecation. I'm not sure.

I'm not going to read any more from this series. If the author comes up with a different series I might flip through it to see if he's done something I'd be more interested in.

[Erin Forson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z Rex: The Hunting Book One
Stephen Cole
Imagine if your dad worked as a video game designer. That would be awesome right? And what if his latest design was based on your brainwaves so that when you entered the virtual fighting world, whatever thoughts you had translated into your avatar's actions? Think a karate kick, and BAM! your opponent feels the heel of our shoe. A video game without a controller. Every gamer's dream. So imagine Adam's surprise when his dad (who works a lot and sometimes leaves Adam alone) disappears and a giant mutated T-Rex shows up in Dad's place. Not only is the T-Rex able to adapt to the environment (like his skin camoflauges with the background), but he seems to possess Adam's own brainwaves and fighting strategies--and it seems like someone has majorly ticked off this giant. Will Adam be able to find Dad? Will Adam survive after Z-Rex (nickname for the modified T-Rex) destroys his home? Will Adam be able to defend himself against Z-Rex and the guys with guns who seem to be chasing him? The mystery side of the story was a tiny bit easy to figure out, but the action more than makes up for the less-than-boggling who-dunnit. If you liked Killer Pizza, this book is for you! And for series, fans, there will clearly be a book two.

[Che Kabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading that book because at the start it was about this boy (Adam Aldar) having a nightmare by coming across a massive monster called the z-Rex. But it was all a nightmare and he recovered in the end, eventually. His dad works for gaming businesses but then his business gets shutdown and he has to go back to work for a few days so he leaves Adam behind and goes to work and that's when all the action and horror takes place.

Now that his dad's business has shutdown and his dad has left him behind at home, Adam suddenly gets the feeling of the nightmare before in real life and sees the z-Rex as well. He tries to get rid of it but the only thing he ends up doing in the end is running away. All of a sudden, he stumbles across this evil group which either want u and the monster: dead or alive. So Adam has to work with the monster so that he can survive. So the next time he comes across the monster, he decides to get rid of it and he does in the end. Then, his dad comes back home and it felt like everything was back to normal.
I recommend this book for 7+ it is a really good 'n' excellent book.

[Sherrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book I received for a VOYA review. I've read (and loved) three of this author's young adult books written under the name Stephen Cole, "The Wereling" werewolf series. This book (written as Steve Cole)is the first in a new series "The Hunting" written for middle grades and up. Thirteen year old Adam loves playing the Ultra-Reality (UR) video games that his father creates. However, UR gets far too real when rogue scientists use his father's technology to regenerate a super intelligent dinosaur. The dinosaur views Adam as his brother, and together they seek to rescue his father from the scientists who have kidnapped him. I didn't find the brotherly relationship between the boy and the dinosaur to be well developed, and I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the author's earlier "The Wereling" series. However, this book may appeal to fans of books such as Roland Smith's "Cryptid Hunters".

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is like a Hot Pocket. It will likely be devoured, enjoyed and even craved by middle-grade boys, but should be avoided by adults with other options in the freezer. The cover speaks to the reader, in this case, as the story is a fast-paced action adventure with high performance dinosaurs. The better-than-average writing and vocabulary will make this one easy to recommend for reluctant or impatient readers.

When reading this book, I get the feeling that Mr. Cole didn't write this book for me. He wrote it for the kids, and that a thirty-something lady wasn't quite his intended audience. I'll be meeting the author in a couple weeks, and maybe I'll have some insights afterward which I'll be happy to share with my goodreads compatriots.

Until then . . .

[P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Adlar is 13 years old and living in New Mexico with his father who creates video games. When Dad leaves for a new job, Adam loves the unsupervised life until he gets a mysterious message on his phone from Dad and his apartment is demolished by an invisible monster. On the run from the guys who kidnapped Dad, Adam is picked up literally by a flying z-rex which has been created from fossil remains and biologically enhanced. The z-rex, Zed, can speak and views Adam as his brother. Together, the two fly to Scotland and hatch a plan to stop the bad guys who have also created a y-rex from using their creations for evil. I liked this book as Zed was an appealing character who would draw boys in with all the non-stop action, weaponry, and plots of world domination.

[Rebecca Heywood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mediocre. Around the middle of the book, it started to get interesting, but there were some problems. First, there was no character development. They just dove right into the action and drama, so I felt no connection to any of the characters. Second, there was little to no explanation about anything until near the end of the book. Third, this is supposed to be the first in a series of books, but the cliffhanger was a flop. I felt no desire whatsoever to start on the next one. Fourth, besides the author telling me the main character was Scottish, I kept having to remind myself, because there was no hint of accent in his dialogue. I was not pleased with most of this book. However, the Jurassic Parkness of it was appealing as well as the intelligence of the dinosaur.

[Jack Lackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly a really good book. The reason I say surprisingly is because the beginning was super boring for me. Once you get into the book it becomes one that you will love. You really feel for Adam because he is going through a big struggle because his dad is missing and he has to do everything. Adam has to go on a very challenging journey, and the action in the book made it seem like it could be a movie. The author thoroughly explains things that are happening and that is what really caught my attention and made me want to keep reading the book. I recommend this book to all readers because even though it has a lot of action it has a good story to it also. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Caleb Hrabal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the book is pretty interesting, however what I didn't care for was that there were some parts that were too unrealistic. And, there were some unpredictable surprises throughout the story. Do I recommend you read this book? Well it depends because many may be disappointed with a big part of the story. On the other hand, you may get attached to the character and the dinosaur. I don't want explain why and spoil it. But some people may like what happens with the character and the dinosaur and some people may not. I personally dislike when this happens in creature books and films. However, I think the audience would appreciate this book. Even though I didn’t care for that one part I appreciated the rest.

[Alex Folkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy the first part of the book, but i understand you need to understand some of their life to get into the story. It got better around the 12th chapter, and got very good during the 15th chapter. My favorite part was the last ten chapters of the book.IT would make a good movie though, but was an ok book. The last ten chapters was the most eventful part of the book.

[Robbieb7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book that had a lot of acton beginning and end but was kind of bland in the middle between fights mainly him just thinking or going somewhere. It had things that you wouldn't expect to happen. IT sounded really cool and inspirational and had some goriness but not much and was a overall good book.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: I deeply regret not getting a chance to officially review this book, since it was fantastic, funny, exciting, and somehow managed to make the idea of a talking, flying, invisible, super-intelligent dinosaur work.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awsome

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that I’m reading now is Z-rex. The author of this book is Steve Cole.The genres of this book is fantasy and mystery. The setting of this book is in a small country.
The main character is Adam. Adam is a 13 year old boy and he likes action stuff (action genre, fighting). Adam is very nice to innocent people and is very aware to villains. He is trying to find/get his dad back.
The minor character of this book is Z-Rex(Zed). Zed is a robotic dinosaur that is created by Adam’s dad designed to protect Adam or his dad. Zed never let Adam go anywhere out of his site because there are a lot of people who are trying to capture Adam.
This all began when Adam was at his home. His dad was at work. While a few minutes later, Adam was at his house, and tumbling sounds happened and Adam was terrified. He went down stairs and saw a bus. In there, he saw a bus driver. The sound effects were getting closer and closer. Adam quickly ran in the bus and told the bus driver to drive as fast as he could. The creature’s shadow showed up in Adam’s eyes but, he safely got away from it. The bus driver can’t take Adam anywhere else so he dropped him with a bike and drove away. Then, he arrived at a small town and he used a computer to search what was the creature chasing in the library. A moment later, Adam searched his dad’s account and saw the creature. It was a Z-Rex(Zeninthosaurus rex).
So, he went to Gray Rock and he saw two men, Bateman and Jonno. They captured Adam in the woods and then the stopping sound came again. The two men thought that was a gunshot. They were terrified so they try to scare it back but, it didn’t work. Adam escaped from that. After the capture, he saw a secret lab and in that lab, there was a man called, Mike Sedona. He was a zoologist. When they were talking, the Z-Rex showed up and he roared to them. But, he talked. Adam was confused, how would a dinosaur talk? The creature told him to read all the files on the table but, Adam didn’t understand it because he didn’t say in complete sentences.
For a moment later, Bateman was back and he brought a few men to capture the Z-Rex. It was a battle and Bateman retreated because the place was collapsing. When they left, everything was fine except one, Z-Rex was holding a bomb. Adam tried to warn him but he didn’t listen. When the bomb was nearly exploded, it threw it to the roof and made a hole up top. Adam thought they were trapped but, the Z-Rex can fly. They flew up and away. The next morning, they arrived at a city. Adam knew that this place was where his dad’s job was. They stopped at where Adam’s dad got fired. In there, there was a man named, Hayden. He talked with Adam for some moment then, Adam left. The next morning, Adam went back but then, he saw Bateman. He was doing something. Adam left quickly then, they saw him. At the middle of the city. Z-Rex was guarding Adam but, it failed. Adam was captured. Next morning,Adam saw the boss of Bateman, it was Hayden. And Sam showed up. Sam was a girl that was one of Adam dad’s partner. For a few chatting. Adam saw his dad captured and Zed too. But, there was a thing that Hayden created. It was Y-Rex, Z-Rex’s clone. Then, Hayden let Y-Rex take on Z-Rex. When the battle was ended, Zed took down his clone and scared Hayden and the others off. So, Z-Rex rescued Adam and his dad and went back home.
It was a good book and I enjoyed it a lot. Sure, it was a lot of pages but, it was a interesting book. I highly recommend this book to people who like to read mystery books.This book is the best for those people.And, I learned that if you or your partner/family made a thing together(partner), it’s kind of like your friend.

[Drake Griese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Z-REX
Pages: 245
Author: Stephen Cole
Copyright date: 2009
Publisher: by the penguin group
Genre: science fiction
ISBN: 978-0-399-25253-2
Price: 16.99$

This book Is about a 13-year-old boy whose dad went to work and did not come back for a couple days. He worked at a secret lab And when he was at his house His dad's friend Brought over some stuff for him To eat and to play video games. 2 days later the friend came back with more people to bring him stuff. There was something outside and it was really big and the people started shooting at it and then it destroyed their house. And he rode his bike out into the country on a gravel road and then it followed him and then it stopped him in his tracks. So then he rode his bike into town and got picked up by Somebody random in a truck. He took the kid to the next town over and the boy went to a library and looked up what the thing was that was chasing him and it was a z-rex. And he went to a doctor to help fix his wounds when he fell off his bike. On the news, he was there and he was wanted for Government information. so he ran out of the doctor's office and ran to the woods. For A while Tell came across two state troopers and they caught him but then he got away. and then he found a cave and tried to hide in it but then the Z-rex came and found him. Read the story to find out what happened after that.

I enjoyed the book because I like dinosaurs. I like a good book and Z-rex is just a great book. To read.

The reason I rated this book a four star is because it was a good book, it told a good story and it had an interesting problem.

I would recommend this book to people who like dinosaurs because it tells a story about a dinosaur and a boy.

one. The cat wad series because it is a funny series and they do a lot of random things but it is funny.
two. Smile because it talks about a girl that has to get braces and it tells a good story.
three. Slacker is one more book that I read and liked. It was about A beaver who liked to play video games and was a slacker.