A B-Tech Jurasic Park: The Extinction Trials

Name: The Extinction Trials

Author: S M Wilson

Published: 2017

Everyone knows dinosaurs were wiped out millions of years ago. But what if they weren’t?

In a near future reality, dinosaurs are no longer things of myth and legend. They are real. And for humans on Earthasia, food is limited and space is close to none. The only way to win healthcare and provisions for you and your family is to risk everything: to enter the Extinction Trials. 

Every year, the finalists of the trials are sent to Piloria, the continent of dinosaurs, to try and obtain information about the creatures – or just try and survive. So when Stormchaser and Lincoln are sent there with 10 other finalists, each with their own secrets and agendas, to compete in a brutal game of life and death. They will betray. They will sacrifice. But will they survive?

This really is the Hunger Games crossed with Jurrasic Park, but honestly in themes only. If you are going to compare it to such a great series as them, it gives you high expectations and it really didn’t meet them. And I think it’s a good idea… but it has been done a lot. Like ‘amount of times politician go on about brexit’ a lot. The world created by S.M Wilson is just your typical apocalyptic ruined world; I just felt like it didn’t really offer much more than that. Also there wasn’t any like massive plot twists, it was all pretty predictable.

So I liked the beginning, building some interesting character backstories and quite a bit of chemistry between Storm and Lincoln (that really isn’t a spoiler! I mean there’s two male and female main characters – what can you expect?) However, once they actually reach Piloria I thought that the storyline just sort of dipped. It went pretty slowly and there was no crazily unexpected plot twists. Oh no! There’s a dinosaur! Like what are you expecting? It’s literally called the Continent of Dinosaurs.

And don’t get me started on the other books. I’ve read the entire series now (Do not recommend. Don’t know how, but they get worse.) Spoiler Alert – but I don’t recommend you read it so it doesn’t matter – the romance between Storm and Lincoln really only gets started in the last book. On legit the last page. I’ve waited for THREE BOOKS for some action and on page 399 Storm is like “I think I’m going to kiss you.’ And that’s it. Its a young adult book and you’ve literally been hinting about this relationship from page one – can I have some more?! Yes, I appreciate that there obviously doesn’t have to be romance in every book, if it’s about dinosaurs that’s fine, but there either is or there isn’t. PICK ONE!

Another problem is just the names of the books. It may not be the most pressing issue but it’s important! If you call a series ‘The Extinction Trials’ it has to actually be about the trials throughout the series, not just in the first one. At least in the Hunger Games they have to retake the trials, the second book of this is basically just a repeat of the first one but with some different dinosaurs. So, you know, it’s totally different. And the third one is called ‘Rebel’ – like what are they rebelling against?! The massive lizards?

So yeah, in short I didn’t really like it! I just thought the plot line was pretty predictable, it didn’t really hold anything new and not everything was explained. Why are the humans and dinosaurs on different continents in the first place? What happened to make Earth so corrupt? When on earth are Storm and Lincoln going to get together? If dinosaurs are your thing, by all means go for it, but I do warn you. It’s pretty raw-ful (like that joke ha)

      Have you read this book? Did you also hate it SO much? Or do you have a book recommendation? (songs also excitedly accepted) Please like and let me know in the comments!