Still reeling from the loss of their father, sixteen-year-old Darryl and her younger brother, Harry, are left in the care of their new stepmom. But Carol grew up in-city, and she can’t bear to stay at the dinosaur farm without their dad. When she insists upon taking them all on a three hour car ride to town before dark, both Darryl and Harry know how dangerous it will be. Even some herbi’saurs can be deadly. But how can they let Carol go alone? Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old hunter, Josh, is still trying to fulfill his dangerous contracts on his own, despite an injury that is only getting worse. But where the rubber meets the road, they all know the risks of living unSPARKed. 

Fans of survival adventures—and especially dinosaur lovers—will get a thrill from this quick, action-packed read. This third installment of Corinna Turner’s unSPARKed series is chock full of peril, heroics, and ample dinosaur encounters, and features the continuing adventures of the beloved characters from the first two books. 

The series takes place in a future dystopian United States where dinosaurs have long since been brought back through the misguided efforts of scientists. Written before Jurassic World Dominion (if you are familiar with the Jurassic Park franchise), Turner explores the theme of “man versus nature” in unique ways and gigantic proportions. The world is vivid, detailed, and enthralling, and her worldbuilding is as impressive in its scope as it is in its details. 

For example, the main characters belong to different subcultures within the world. Darryl and Harry belong to a farming family who raise dinosaurs for various purposes, the way modern ranchers raise cattle. Everyday life “out-city” has a rhythm that ensures their, and their stock’s, safety from outside predators…. Until something goes wrong. But there are protocols for that. Josh, on the other hand, belongs to a group known as the Hunters who have their own subculture and way of survival, down to their very own patron saint. Each group even has its own slang or dialect, as might arise naturally from the way they live. And of course, there are those who live in-city, who would never dream of trying to live beyond the electric fences that protect their metropolis—a.k.a. live unSPARKed. 

Turner excels at creating capable, believable characters who make it easy to cheer for them. Darryl, Harry, and Josh are all realistic teens who are used to solving problems in adverse conditions. It’s fascinating to watch them face hair-raising challenges head on—from the safety of one’s own home! Turner doesn’t pull punches, and everyone is fair game for danger and disaster. 

Tender-hearted and squeamish teens may find the peril of the adventure difficult to swallow, but there is nothing spectacularly gory—well, except maybe one scene where an infected wound gets cleaned out in realistic detail. But the faint of heart can skim those bits if need be. Fans of movies like Jurassic Park might find this more extensive exploration into survival with dinosaurs particularly exciting. 

Readers of all faith backgrounds can enjoy this book. The main focus is on family and survival, which are universals. There are Catholic nods, such as a priest who is a family friend, and reference to the Eucharist. Readers who are unfamiliar with the Catholic belief in the Real Presence may be slightly confused by the behavior of a certain character at one point, but this is not a large plot point and shouldn’t affect the understanding or enjoyment of the rest of the story. 

PANIC! does contain massive spoilers, so I recommend reading the first two books of the series before this one: Please Don’t Feed the Dinosaurs and A Truly Raptor-ous Welcome. I’d also recommend having book four on hand (Farm Girls Die in Cages), because the end features a twist that will send you clamoring for the next installment. 

To readers young and old who love life-or-death adventures with plenty at stake, and capable characters who are relatable and realistically human, I heartily recommend PANIC!