Generations

June 1, 2020
This long-running series began with Jonas Taylor meeting a lone prehistoric shark in the Mariana Trench (Meg, 1997), but its cast of monsters has grown to include more megalodons as well as other sea behemoths. Despite the carnage these creatures cause, they're highly prized by aquarium and theme park operators. Transportation setbacks arise while delivering a giant whale, leading to the escape of the crocodilian Liopleurodon. With Jonas sidelined by a medical emergency, the task of capturing the Lio and twin meg pups falls to others. Thanks to Alten's skilled balance of narrative and action, the first half of the book really moves, though the second half features a sudden flash-forward and a cliff-hanger ending (assuring readers there is more to come). Still, there's plenty of entertainment to be found in Generations. Meg fans will find all the deep-sea mayhem they've come to expect from this series, and new readers needn't be shy about diving in here, as Alten consistently recaps prior plots. A furiously fun and diverting read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)