"Makes the shark from "Jaws" look like a pet goldfish . . ." USA Weekend Straight from the cutting edge of science and the logs of ancient mariners comes an immense horror -- a creature that rises up from the well of an ocean gone mad with an insatiable hunger and an endless lust to kill. One man leads a harrowing struggle to defeat the beast amid a threatened Bermuda paradise. His name is Whip Darling, a down-and-out sea dog who doesn't know where he'll get his next meal -- or whether it will get him first.
From Publishers Weekly
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, along comes Architeuthis , a giant squid, the eponymous beast of Benchley's latest tale. At an estimated length of anywhere from 30 to 90 feet and armed with two predatory tentacles, a huge, snapping beak and eight writhing arms, each lined with razor-sharp hooks; the giant squid has been wreaking havoc off the coast of Bermuda. By the time the protagonists--Bermuda native Whip Darling and Navy helicopter pilot Marcus Sharp--figure out what sort of beast they're dealing with, Architeuthis has killed five people. As they ponder this carnage, both men remember another scary fish story, Jaws --Marcus recalls "parents refusing to let their children get their feet wet," while Whip proclaims, "Whenever I hear talk about monsters, I think about 'Jaws.' " This monster, unfortunately, is not nearly as scary as the one they remember so vividly, because the reader comes to know it too intimately. Each time the squid prepares to attack its next unwitting victim, we are given an in-depth, close-up view of the beast, usually in a separate chapter. This technique, used sparingly (as it was in Jaws ), can be a heart-stopper, but overindulged, as here, it robs the narrative of dramatic tension. Worse, the author's own references to his more memorable work only serve to emphasize the weaknesses of his newest. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- Small boats are ripped apart, their passengers vanish, divers disappear, and partially eaten body parts are found. Because Bermuda's waters are depleted, Architeuthis Dux (giant squid) turns to the residents and tourists as its primary food source. Whip Darling, local marine expert with a boat for hire; Lt. Marcus Sharp, Navy pilot and amateur oceanographer; Dr. Herbert Talley, foremost authority on the giant squid; and media magnate Osborn Manning, whose two offspring fell victim to the squid, form an alliance to track down and destroy it. Beast is set in an ocean community filled with bumbling officials and red tape. The monster terrorizes the island, gobbling up its citizens and forcing a group of experts to join forces to combat it. Benchley has combined interesting, colorful characters with a surefire plot, producing another of the well-written, well-researched sea adventures at which he excels. However, its similarity to Jaws (Doubleday, 1974; o.p.) lessens its impact. --John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Description:
"Makes the shark from "Jaws" look like a pet goldfish . . ." USA Weekend
Straight from the cutting edge of science and the logs of ancient mariners comes an immense horror -- a creature that rises up from the well of an ocean gone mad with an insatiable hunger and an endless lust to kill. One man leads a harrowing struggle to defeat the beast amid a threatened Bermuda paradise. His name is Whip Darling, a down-and-out sea dog who doesn't know where he'll get his next meal -- or whether it will get him first.
From Publishers Weekly
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, along comes Architeuthis , a giant squid, the eponymous beast of Benchley's latest tale. At an estimated length of anywhere from 30 to 90 feet and armed with two predatory tentacles, a huge, snapping beak and eight writhing arms, each lined with razor-sharp hooks; the giant squid has been wreaking havoc off the coast of Bermuda. By the time the protagonists--Bermuda native Whip Darling and Navy helicopter pilot Marcus Sharp--figure out what sort of beast they're dealing with, Architeuthis has killed five people. As they ponder this carnage, both men remember another scary fish story, Jaws --Marcus recalls "parents refusing to let their children get their feet wet," while Whip proclaims, "Whenever I hear talk about monsters, I think about 'Jaws.' " This monster, unfortunately, is not nearly as scary as the one they remember so vividly, because the reader comes to know it too intimately. Each time the squid prepares to attack its next unwitting victim, we are given an in-depth, close-up view of the beast, usually in a separate chapter. This technique, used sparingly (as it was in Jaws ), can be a heart-stopper, but overindulged, as here, it robs the narrative of dramatic tension. Worse, the author's own references to his more memorable work only serve to emphasize the weaknesses of his newest.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- Small boats are ripped apart, their passengers vanish, divers disappear, and partially eaten body parts are found. Because Bermuda's waters are depleted, Architeuthis Dux (giant squid) turns to the residents and tourists as its primary food source. Whip Darling, local marine expert with a boat for hire; Lt. Marcus Sharp, Navy pilot and amateur oceanographer; Dr. Herbert Talley, foremost authority on the giant squid; and media magnate Osborn Manning, whose two offspring fell victim to the squid, form an alliance to track down and destroy it. Beast is set in an ocean community filled with bumbling officials and red tape. The monster terrorizes the island, gobbling up its citizens and forcing a group of experts to join forces to combat it. Benchley has combined interesting, colorful characters with a surefire plot, producing another of the well-written, well-researched sea adventures at which he excels. However, its similarity to Jaws (Doubleday, 1974; o.p.) lessens its impact. --John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.