Sea Change

by James Powlik

Book Overview

With breakneck pacing and frighteningly authentic detail, this bio-technothriller by a real-life oceanographer explores a horrifyingly possible what if scenario of a deadly marine organism heading... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440235081
• ISBN13: 9780440235088
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Island Books
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Sea Change Works!

This book kept me riveted from beginning to end. The characters are believable and the science is just edgy enough to scare you into thinking a menace of this kind could really materialize. Yes, there is a lot of back and forth explanatory dialogue among the characters, but the issues are complex and the author doesn't dumb down the plot just to work in an explosion on every page (there is plenty of that anyway). I think the settings and pace of the story work well to give the reader the feeling of being on the inside of the action. I not only know what is happening, but I know why. The suspense builds nicely AND you end up caring about what happens to the characters at the end. I am looking forward to reading James Powlik's next one.

Pfiesteria Mystery Satisfies

This book blends real-life science and a compelling mystery that makes for terrific beach reading! The author, James Powlik, takes a true-to-life menace from today's headlines and spins an exciting tale of suspense. In the tranquil waters of the Pacific Northwest, an invisible, indiscriminate killer is loose. As the body count begins to escalate, a group of intrepid scientists is left to make sense of the mystery and find out what has gone wrong. The storyline is quite clever and all the more intriguing because of the possibility that this type of disaster could really happen. I recommend this book to mystery lovers, action-adventure aficionados, and anyone concerned about real-life ecological issues.

It gives you goose pimples!

This book caught my attention as I was walking in a book store, and I just knew I had to buy it. I went with my gut instinct, and I'm glad I did! This story is amazing, and what's more amazing is that it could become a reality! The author knows a thing or two about such scientific matters, and I'm sure that he didn't just write this story to scare us, but because we should always be careful about our environment. We never really know what's out there. That's what makes it great. I would recommend it to anyone with strong guts, and a mind for science and mysteries. I sure enjoyed it, and I'm sure that a lot of people will agree with me. Read it, and you will not be dissapointed!

I'm Afraid to Go Near the Water!

This novel could have the same effect on beach-going as "Jaws" did years ago! Reading the preceding reviews, I am amazed that SEA CHANGE is Powlick's debut; rarely have I seen a first novel that was so concise and well-developed from a literary perspective and so suspenseful and challenging as entertainment. Powlick made difficult oceanographic and biological concepts easy to digest and enjoyable to ponder, in terms of their dangerous implications. The romance was anticipated but not unwelcome, as I cared about the characters, and those I didn't care for (the media-hound) got just deserves. Don't be afraid of this thriller!

This one has it all

Oceanographer James Powlik strikes an excellent balance of science, action, and humanity (yes, that is still possible in a technothriller -- take note Crichton and Clancy). The menace du jour in protagonist Brock Garner's life is a toxic algae bloom that reads as believably as the latest headlines in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. Surrounding a core of credible science is a cast of believable, well-developed characters that lure the reader compulsively into page after page as the action mounts and the danger reaches strangulation levels. As Powlik himself asserts, we are not the commanders of Mother Nature as much as we'd like to think.