Congo

by Michael Crichton

$1.99

Price checked Oct 28. Prices change often, so confirm on Amazon before you buy.

After a field team is wiped out near a lost city deep in the Congo rainforest, a new expedition goes in to find out what killed them. Classic Crichton jungle thriller.

Our take

Lost city, killer apes, and a gorilla who signs

A tech company's expedition goes dark in the Congo rainforest, and the rescue team brings along Amy, a gorilla who talks in sign language, in hopes she can explain what's waiting at a lost city. Readers agree Amy steals the book: funny, moody and far more vivid than the humans around her. Kirkus called Crichton one of the great explainers, and the science and jungle lore are why fans love it. We picked this one as a cheap way into Crichton's pure-adventure mode, the stuff that led to Jurassic Park. It's much better than the 1995 movie.

Who it's for: Readers who like old-school expedition adventure with lots of real science mixed in.

If you liked: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Heads-up: Slow first hundred pages, dated 1980 tech and thin characters; the ending is abrupt.

Lost worlds Thrillers

4.3 out of 5 from 4,520 Amazon ratings

Get it on Amazon

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Congo

Our take

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