Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

 I still have all of Michael Crichton's previous books on my bookshelf, so I was excited when I saw a new book coming out based on an unpublished manuscript. I'm thankful I checked this book out of my library instead of purchasing it. Although promising, it doesn't measure up to his other books.

It's April 2025, and Dr. John "Mac" MacGregor, chief vulcanologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and his team are preparing for a massive Mauna Loa eruption. The one bright spot is that the lava flow isn't projected to endanger any towns; only an Army facility is in its path. When Mac finds out that the facility contains hazardous materials so deadly it could kill off all humankind, plans suddenly shift. Less than a week before the eruption, Mac, his team, and other interested parties are in a race to devise a plan to divert the lava flow, which has been unsuccessfully tried before. Can Mac be the first to succeed? With the existence of humankind at stake, failure is not an option.

I could see Crichton's hand in this book, but its touch was too light. I respect the effort to complete the manuscript with noted author James Patterson, but Patterson didn't pull it off. Some characters are stereotypes, and their fate is a foregone conclusion. Note to self: if I am ever around an active volcano, do not be the photographer; it never ends well. 

2.5/5 stars.

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