Survival Op: The Fear in the Wilderness: Book One in the Survival Op Series

By Scott Allen

One horrible night, Marcus, a runaway teenager, is suddenly seized by men in black masks. They throw him into a van and administer a sleeping serum. When Marcus wakes up, he's surprised to discover a tattoo on his arm that reads, "Marcus1125." He soon learns that he is part of a radical group's cruel experiment called Survival Op, a test that gauges the neurological, physical, and emotional endurance levels of individuals who must survive in extreme situations. With this information, the group will be able to better assist their soldiers in the field.

Taken to an isolated island in the Bermuda Triangle by the Survival Op personnel, Marcus's objective is simple: to survive no matter what happens. Marcus tries to adjust to his new environment behind the electric fence. When "Lynn312", another runaway teenager, is thrown into his life, the two put their wits together to increase their chances of survival.

Battling overwhelming hunger, harsh weather conditions, and ferociously thick vegetation, Marcus and Lynn struggle constantly to stay alive. But none of their obstacles compare to the fear of being hunted by the Survival Op assassins. Worse, a vicious creature lurks in the wilderness, waiting to catch them. Can Marcus and Lynn find a way to survive, or is their fate already sealed?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595420621
• ISBN13: 9780595420629
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A thrilling adventure.

Author Scott Allen brings us the story of Marcus; an orphaned, homeless pre-teen who is abducted off the streets and taken to a mysterious island in the enigmatic Bermuda Triangle, and subjected to an existence of harsh survival for the experimentation of a covert government agency. Marcus is joined by Lynn, a young girl who is also orphaned, and the two young people struggle together to find the basic necessities that will keep them alive in a bizarre jungle wilderness replete with creeping, shadowy, carnivorous beasts and government hunters who are hell-bent on destroying them. The reader will follow these two characters as they struggle to find the things they need to subsist in this harsh wilderness, and as they fight to stay alive. The characters use their smarts and their wits, developing creative weaponry with found and salvaged items; obtaining food, finding and furnishing a hidden shelter; and offer an array of crucial skills anyone could benefit from knowing. These characters must accomplish all these things while simultaneously dealing with the constant threat of being murdered by the assassins dispatched to hunt them down, not to mention the mysterious monster that gobbles up the aftermath of each bloody battle with these child-hunters. There are some scenes of significant violence and gore depicted in this novel, and perceived by an adult, it might take away from the concept and message. There is also the question of the dialogue, which sounds a little stiff and un-teen-like. The author could benefit from consulting with members of this age group in order to make the dialogue more real. Those issues aside, this is undeniably an exciting, suspenseful read, with lots of action and mystery to compel the reader to keep reading. Survival Op: The Fear in the Wilderness is a commendable endeavor by the author for his debut book in this genre and age-group, and doubtless, as Scott Allen adds more volumes to this series, they will only get better.

A great storyline

Reviewed by Anthony Pettrone (age 14) for Reader Views (7/07) First off I want to say that I like this kind of book. Books in a series always interest me because they have so much promise of books to come. This book had a neat storyline and it hooked me from the beginning, with the idea of two kids being abducted simply to test some new survival op experiment. I mean, who wouldn't want to read more about two kids being tested on surviving in the wilderness? I did. And at first, I really liked the book. But then it hit me there was something bothering me about the book. The language didn't seem right for a couple of teenagers. At times it was too stiff and formal. There were very few contractions in the book, and to be really honest, that bothered me. No one I know talks that stiff and proper. The lack of teenage slang really slowed down the pace of the book. But putting that aside, the book was actually really good. I liked the storyline, and really got into the characters. I could believe how a guy like Marcus could find himself freaked out when he saw all the snakes, and a girl like Lynn was just tough enough when they "took over" the cave to make her believable. Later on I saw how the fear they first felt when they found themselves alone and hunted had turned into courage and the hunted became the hunters. I especially like the fight scenes and how the characters' descriptions and their emotions were so real and easy to relate to. I could see how they were caught up in the moment and how their will to survive finally took over and helped them to be strong. Though the ending wasn't what I expected, it does make sense. This is one book of several in a series and to expect the story to be tied up in a neat bow isn't realistic and would really leave little room for the books to follow. With the exception of the language being so awkward, this is a great book. I'd buy the rest of the books in the series as well. I'd suggest "Survival Op" for early to mid-teen readers, and the characters would appeal to both guys and girls alike. I think, in fact, it would make a great book to use in an English class. I can see it being used and the class trying to decide if different choices would have been better for Lynn and Marcus.

AWESOME BOOK!!!!!

Incredible book! This will definately keep your attention and your heart pounding. You find yourself caught up in the action, trying to help them survive. I highly recommend this book! Can't wait until the next book in this series is published. B. Carter

Wow! Couldn't put it down!

I am not much of a reader, but I had heard about this book. It is awesome. It was like I was right there in the midst of it all. I seriously could not put the book down. Everyone should read it!

Loved it!

If you like the television shows Survivor and Lost, you will love this book!!