Sharkman

Sharkman is a science fiction novel by author Steve Alten. It revolves around a young man named Kwan Wilson. Kwan was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident that took the life of his mother. Kwan was driving. After being basically disowned by his verbally abusive military father, Kwan moves in with his grandmother in Florida. After getting an opportunity to work afterschool in a lab doing genetic research with Shark DNA, Kwan does something rash. Fed up with life as a cripple, Kwan injects himself with the experimental shark DNA hoping that the injection will either heal him, or kill him. Much to Kwan’s delight (at first) the injection does indeed give him back the use of his legs. It also greatly enhances his muscles and athletic ability. And while Kwan takes immediate opportunity of his newfound gift, his quickly discovers that there are side effects to this miracle. Not only that, but this research lab may not be as far under the radar as Kwan thought. The military is involved, and before everything is said and done, Kwan must face the one man he hoped to never see again. His father.Sharkman is the tenth Steve Alten book I’ve read. I really enjoyed the Meg books, along with Goliath, Domain, and the Loch. Other books by him (Phobos, Resurrection, Grim Reaper) I thought were absolutely awful. You see, there are two sides of Steve Alten. On the one side, you have a talented author with a great imagination and a knack for science fiction. On the other side, you have a very passionate left wing, political conspiracy, Kabballah follower. When Alten sticks to science fiction I enjoy him as an author. The issue in the past for me has been that Alten is so passionate about his conspiracy theories, politics, and religion that he can’t leave them out of his books. The books by him that I enjoyed were mostly void of those elements. His books that I didn’t like were largely used as a platform for Alten to stand on his soapbox and preach his message. I’m not a fan of the “bait and switch”.Sharkman has been fairly well reviewed and while it’s been quite some time since I’ve read an Alten book (for the reasons mentioned above) I was hopeful this one would be a return to form for him. After all, if there’s one thing Alten has proven, it’s that he can write about sharks. After reading it, I think this book falls somewhere in between the extremes of his previous writings. There is both good and bad. The experiences between Kwan and his high school friends are believable and serve to develop the characters (Kwan in particular) well. For the most part the pacing of the story is good and the book holds interest through the end. There are several problems for me as well though. Kwan, although well developed, is not likeable. He’s actually a jerk. And that’s an issue since he’s the protagonist of the story. And while Alten does a good job developing Kwan, Anya, his grandmother, most of the other characters might as well be cardboard cutouts. There are a couple of places where Alten starts down his road of government cover-ups, conspiracy theories, etc. which was annoying as well. The biggest issue I have with the book is in the way that Alten chose to frame out his antagonist – Kwan’s father, the general. Alten paints this man as a monster who verbally abused Kwan as a child, never loved his wife, and is behind a lot of other things that I won’t go into here because I don’t want to spoil any parts of the story. Alten makes sure to show us the dark, evil nature of the general – then makes sure to point out that he identifies himself as a Christian; multiple times speaking of the Lord and Savior. I understand that there are plenty of bad people in the world who call themselves Christians, but the way that Alten painted the general as the ultimate monster and then made sure to point out his Christianity on multiple occasions felt like it was Alten’s attempt at taking a shot a Christianity. And that’s always going to ruffle my feathers.I didn’t love the book. It’s littered with stuff that makes me mad, the plot (while understandably science fiction) is very borderline on believability, there are equal parts character development and lack thereof, and while the pacing of the book was pretty good most of the way, the last couple chapters are extremely rushed. And that was totally unnecessary because the book was so short, Alten could have easily expanded it an additional twenty or thirty pages and given himself time to let the ending breathe a little bit. There are a couple of characters and situations that needed to be resolved better. You can’t spend such a large portion of the book trying to create interest in these characters, and then with a few pages left in the book say “oh by the way, this person was spotted a week later and is still out there somewhere, and this other person moved out of the country”.All in all, I wouldn’t recommend the book. There are better options out there in this genre. This is most likely my last Alten novel.

I've read most of Alten's novels, and this is the best, even better than The Loch. The story is a throwback to the old films where someone tries an unproven remedy and regrets it, only Kwan Wilson doesn't regret it - at least not at first. Putting together some shark research and some scary results on rats, paraplegic Kwan risks his life but gets back his legs, his health, and better basketball skills than he's ever had. Naturally this phenomenon doesn't go unnoticed, by the media or the military. The scenes with the media are fun: one thing Alten's always had is a great feeling for pop culture and how it would affect people (and creatures) that stand out in a world hungry for anything new and novel. I won't critique the science here, since it's a field I know little about. What I do know is that Alten, whose early characters were colorful but not particularly deep, has mastered the art of characterization in ways many thriller writers (I'm looking at you, Clive Cussler) have never really tried to do. Kwan is instantly sympathetic, and Alten keeps the plot rolling for several chapters just with his characters before the sci-fi component comes in. Alten has arrived as a writer who not only offers good plots, pacing, and action, but can create people you want to go on the journey with. If anyone took the trouble to read my reviews of Alten, they'd see the score started low but has gone up with every book. With Sharkman, Alten's established himself as a leading contender for the throne vacated by the late Michael Crichton, a writer I admired and read with devotion. Alten might still be a notch below Crichton in convincing you the science is real, but it's plenty good enough, and Crichton never produced a character as interesting as Kwan (sorry, Ian Malcom: you owed more to the movies than the books). Jump into the water with Sharkman: you'll enjoy the swim.Matt Bille, author, Shadows of Existence: Discoveries and Speculations in Zoology (Hancock, 2006)www.mattwriter.com

Just finished this book and even though it is a young adult book, if you like Steve Alten you will enjoy this book. The story starts out in Florida where a young half Korean boy is living with his grandmother after being released from the hospital from the accident which killed his mother and paralyzed him. His father is a general who has little contact with him. When he starts school in Florida, he is asked by the principal to join an intern program doing research on shark DNA in Miami. He agrees and makes friends with Anya. At the research center he finds out what they are doing with the DNA cells and the potential it could have to help people like him regain use of his limbs. He decides to self inject himself with shark DNA and human growth hormone and is able to walk again plus. Unbeknown to him, his father and Anya's father are trying to get someone with his new extra skills to dive to recover the parts of a special suitcase nuclear bomb that sank in the Puerto Rican Trench. He gets dragged back to lab and forced to fully develop his shark skill set and told what they want him to get using his friends lives as the reason to achieve the goal.He gets the bomb and then finds out he was always rejected by his father who only married his mother because of pressure by the ranking CO. Plus his father and Anya's father are trying to fake a terrorist attack using the nuclear bomb he rescued. Like the saying about payback, he gives them both just endings. Meanwhile we are left with the stories of the mysterious sightings of mermaid like shark near the Keys

This was a book of several parts, and I changed my rating of it many times while I was reading it: as far up as 4 stars, down to 1, then eventually settling on 3. It was also not at all what I expected. I love stories about teenagers who suddenly develop superhuman powers. I love cheesy B-movies, and most of all I love the Sharknado films – so when I read a review of this book, I knew it was for me. However, it did not start out that way.Seventeen-year-old Kwan is a paraplegic having snapped his spinal cord in a car accident that killed his mother. Prior to this, he had been highly independent, an A-grade student, a very good basketball player – and quite probably, an insufferable (but very popular) jock. Now, he was in a wheelchair, all his dreams shattered along with his independence and spine – and what was even worse – he was responsible for the state in which he found himself, and the death of his mother.I loved the beginning. I am also confined to a wheelchair, and could empathise with his difficulties – getting dressed, heavy doors on springs, counters set too high, having to rely on other people for transport – for basically just about everything. However, there the similarity ends. I had years to get used to being disabled – having gradually deteriorated over 26 years, and had a full life before ending up in a wheelchair. I cannot imagine the extreme shock of being a fit teenager, with your life ahead of you, one day – and waking the next as a paraplegic. Everything you formerly took for granted, snatched away from you. Being disabled creates a myriad of tiny (but not insignificant) difficulties that you (when a fit person) would never imagine. I found it very understandable, that Kwan would risk his life to inject himself with shark stem cell – on the off-chance that he could walk again, and get his old life back.But, once he started to change – to become super-able-bodied – I lost all sympathy for him. He became a real dick – though to be fair, he was aware of that: “I was back in training, lost in the world of reps and sets . . . in essence, I was me again! The fact that I had brought myself to this place by facing my fears stoked my ego even more.”“And so it went—my body growing stronger every day, my ego keeping pace.”“I no longer thought about Anya, or anyone else for that matter. From the darkest depths, I had fought my way to the summit, transforming myself from the most exiled bag of flesh in high school to the most desired, and I was enjoying every intoxicating minute of my blossoming celebrity. And why not? God had blessed me with this miracle; to not partake of his bounty would be like spitting in his eye.”My rating dropped to 2- stars.Thankfully, there was a lot more to the story. Some interesting bits of science relating to sharks and the sea – parcelled out as Kwan tested his amazing new abilities. And then the conspiracy theories, CIA special ops, Iranian and Syrian connections, danger and excitement.Of course, none of it particularly believable – but you don’t read a book like this for facts and reality. By the end, I was back on team-Kwan, and the rating shot back up to 4 stars. “For the record, I don’t consider myself redeemed. You don’t cleanse a tarnished soul by killing others, even if you feel they deserved it. I guess in many ways, I’m still evolving.”The book was written in the first person with Kwan as narrator – even when there was no way he could have known what was occurring – which I found a bit weird. I also found the character of Sabeen completely superfluous. As with many of the other female characters, she seemed to really only be there as eye candy (albeit deadly), and an opportunity for the author to indulge in some slavering over the female form. Kwan’s friend – Jesse and Anya – together with his grandmother and the school counsellor, did make up for the sexism, brutality and amorality, by being all-round wonderful human beings.So, in the end, I settled on 3 stars. I did generally enjoy the book, and am glad I read it – but probably would not bother to read it again. It could make a decent (B-grade) movie - with some editing. There is potential for a sequel ….

In my mind, there is only one person who can write about a boy altering his genes by experimenting with shark stem cells, and that is Mr. Steve Alten. He is the connoisseur of shark fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed his latest venture.Sharkman is a great read, and takes nice sidesteps from Meg, and the terrors of a monster shark.Kwan Wilson is a wheelchair bound teenager who wants more out of life and boy does he get it. One minute he can barely control his bladder, the next he is slam dunking basketballs.During the story Kwan crosses paths with Black Ops, a secret society, a hot cheerleader, an even hotter science geek and Admiral Wilson, his father and the bane of his existence. The story twists and turns nicely, until the plot takes you to the very depths of the ocean and the inevitable outcome.As usual, Alten’s story manages to comprise an abundance of scientific material that takes the reader into the unusual setting of genetics. And I pictured every second of Kwan’s descent into the abyss, from his transformation from human to shark.I’m a shark fanatic so of course I loved this story, and it would make a hell of a movie. 5/5.

I had been itching to read this and I was not disappointed! Only Steve Alten could come up with this ingenious novel! Using shark stem cells and the effects of mutation on the body. Very cleverly conceived and not that impossible. Here you have young Kwan Wilson in a wheelchair and no use of his legs until he decides to inject himself with a certain concoction. The description of the changes he went through were so well written and descriptive it was quite something to read. Along with a very scrupulous father in the Navy and his shady intentions made for an amazing read. If you have read Meg, you will enjoy this but on a different level altogether!

I have followed Steve's writing since I first read Meg and, whilst I have loved all his books, it's those pesky but lovable sharks that really speak to me!I am pleased to say that, whilst not a Megalodon novel, Sharkman captured my imagination in the exact same way! The story moved along at a cracking pace, mixing science, black ops, teenage love, global world order conspiracy theories together into one brilliant novel!I finished the book in one sitting and, whilst it's not Steve's longest book, this was due to the story being so good and I would've done the same thing had it been a Goliath sized book!!!If you have yet to dive into the watery world of Steve's imagination look at Sharkman as a very, very satisfying first catch before you then immerse yourself in the phenomenal experience that is the Meg series!

I have read all steve alten Meg books and really enjoyed this book. Still encompassing a shark theme but a whole lot more! I liked Kwan, the main character and hope there will be a follow-up, but not sure if this is a stand alone story. Well worth a read.