Dinosaur Dystopia by James Poslusny

After a devastating Third World War, John Ledge’s last army assignment is to take a small group of soldiers to a strategically placed Pacific island and eradicate the dinosaurs that live there. However, once on the island, Corporal Ledge discovers that his superior has been far from honest.

There’s a lot in this novel. World War 3, PTSD, dinosaurs, plague, military corruption, and secret experiments.

The heart of this story is Ledge. His recurrent nightmares illustrate the lasting effects of combat, while his waking moments show how the military continue to lie to and use their soldiers.

The writing of this is spare, with sparse description and terse action. This is most effective in the first half of the novel, but at times reads like notes in the latter half where important plot points are skimmed over.

Unfortunately, the bare bones narrative failed to bring the different threads of the ambitious plot together to my satisfaction.

There is a lot to like about this book despite this. The characters of Ledge and his team were likable and easy to root for, the infection they encounter was suitably horrific, and the dinosaurs! I wish the dinosaurs had taken up more of the novel, with lush descriptions, because they were the standout of the book for me. An interesting range of species with realistic animal behavior and imaginative abilities, I loved every scene they were in.

I award Dinosaur Dystopia…