Status
Available
Series
Collections
Publication
Ecco (2015), Edition: Reprint, 272 pages
Description
Fiction. Horror. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: Now a Netflix film starring Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar and John Malkovich! Written with the narrative tension of The Road and the exquisite terror of classic Stephen King, Bird Box is a propulsive, edge-of-your-seat horror thriller, set in an apocalyptic near-future world�??a masterpiece of suspense from the brilliantly imaginative Josh Malerman. Something is out there . . . Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from. Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat�??blindfolded�??with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster? Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey�??a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside�??and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted? Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman's breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the f… (more)
Media reviews
Malerman overreaches a bit in his debut, which could use as much attention to the cast as to the mood, but the mood is chillingly effective.
Original publication date
2014-05-13
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
. I was so into the unknown aspect. Not knowing what the "creature" was, not knowing where Malorie was headed on her journey down the river. I found that I wanted to keep turning the pages. This is an interesting take on the dystopian novel. I don't normally read or enjoy them, but I found the
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horror aspect of this one intriguing. The fact that no one was able to see was quite scary to me. I was trying to picture going through much of my life blindfolded and not able to go outside without one. The book has a lot of "not knowing" and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I was surprised a lot and that makes for a good story as well. One of the best aspects of the story is the arrival of Gary and his part in the story. Stephen King this is not, but for a first horror novel it was pretty good. Show Less
LibraryThing member gendeg
Is what you can imagine in your mind as a reader more horrifying than anything a writer can show you in a story? That's the narrative trick that cranks the horror in Josh Malerman's Bird Box. But it just didn't work for me. I finished the book, turned off the lights, and went to bed.
The story
The second story, told in flashbacks, tells the origins of how Malorie and her kids end up where they are. We learn how the chaos began, how it unfolded, and how the insanity spread. Malorie was pregnant when things started going south. She found refuge with fellow survivors, though their little post-apocalyptic bastion soon falls apart, succumbing to dwindling resources, desperation, cabin fever, and the creeping fear of what's outside.
Taking away our sense of sight, the author asks us to grope along with the characters. It's amazing how much we rely on what we 'see' in fiction to propel us through a story. By having this constraint as both an element of plot and narrative device, Malerman throws down an ambitious gauntlet.
Usually this kind of restrained, lurking something-in-the-shadows storytelling kicks up my amygdala. I really should have liked this book. But good horror is all about the suspense and the uncanny, when the author can take something familiar and safe (think haunted houses and possessed demon dolls) and reveal its strangeness or otherness. But Bird Box offered none of that for me. I'm amazed at readers who have said this was the most terrifying thing they've read. Really? When it comes to psychological horror, it doesn't come close to [book:The Haunting of Hill House|89717], [book:House of Leaves|24800], [book:The Shining|11588], or anything by [author:Edgar Allan Poe|4624490].
Another reviewer pointed this out already but Bird Box would have worked brilliantly as radio theater or even a stage production. Instead of a novel, it should have been a play. And I'm not talking about an audiobook, where a reader just reads the text out loud. No, this should be re-adapted as a theatrical production, something with an enhanced audio experience, the interplay of light and shadow. I can imagine listening to this story in the dark, hearing what the characters hear as they are making their way blindfolded through the world. Heavy breathing, gutteral sounds, high-pitched minor chords from an eerie orchestral arrangement, all in surround sound.
But this story is told as a novel and it should be judged accordingly. Overall, the Bird Box didn't deliver and devolved quickly into something a tad gimmicky. We're constantly being told that something scary is going jump out and get our characters and after a while the effect wears off. I wasn't creeped out anymore, just tired and wanting some revelation to happen. Alas, the suspense peters out into a very unsatisfying ending for me. "That's it?!" The worst thing a book can do to you is make you feel cheated. And in the end, I guess I do want more interaction with my monsters, whether in corporeal or imagined form. The characters are petrified—Malerman scares them well. He just didn't scare me.
The story
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takes place on two levels. The present-day story follows Malorie, a young mother with two small children, who are hiding in a house in the woods outside Detroit. We learn that the outside world is dangerous. Something happened, something is roaming the streets. It is so terrifying that just one glance at it with your eyes drives you into a murderous rage. Malorie takes defensive measures: blindfolds. She wears them. She makes her kids wear them. Over the last four years Malorie has been getting ready to leave their hideaway house, training her kids to rely on their hearing, teaching them to stay calm when they hear unfamiliar things. A safe haven exists somewhere. To reach it they must travel by boat on the river—and elude whatever it is prowling outside.The second story, told in flashbacks, tells the origins of how Malorie and her kids end up where they are. We learn how the chaos began, how it unfolded, and how the insanity spread. Malorie was pregnant when things started going south. She found refuge with fellow survivors, though their little post-apocalyptic bastion soon falls apart, succumbing to dwindling resources, desperation, cabin fever, and the creeping fear of what's outside.
Taking away our sense of sight, the author asks us to grope along with the characters. It's amazing how much we rely on what we 'see' in fiction to propel us through a story. By having this constraint as both an element of plot and narrative device, Malerman throws down an ambitious gauntlet.
Usually this kind of restrained, lurking something-in-the-shadows storytelling kicks up my amygdala. I really should have liked this book. But good horror is all about the suspense and the uncanny, when the author can take something familiar and safe (think haunted houses and possessed demon dolls) and reveal its strangeness or otherness. But Bird Box offered none of that for me. I'm amazed at readers who have said this was the most terrifying thing they've read. Really? When it comes to psychological horror, it doesn't come close to [book:The Haunting of Hill House|89717], [book:House of Leaves|24800], [book:The Shining|11588], or anything by [author:Edgar Allan Poe|4624490].
Another reviewer pointed this out already but Bird Box would have worked brilliantly as radio theater or even a stage production. Instead of a novel, it should have been a play. And I'm not talking about an audiobook, where a reader just reads the text out loud. No, this should be re-adapted as a theatrical production, something with an enhanced audio experience, the interplay of light and shadow. I can imagine listening to this story in the dark, hearing what the characters hear as they are making their way blindfolded through the world. Heavy breathing, gutteral sounds, high-pitched minor chords from an eerie orchestral arrangement, all in surround sound.
But this story is told as a novel and it should be judged accordingly. Overall, the Bird Box didn't deliver and devolved quickly into something a tad gimmicky. We're constantly being told that something scary is going jump out and get our characters and after a while the effect wears off. I wasn't creeped out anymore, just tired and wanting some revelation to happen. Alas, the suspense peters out into a very unsatisfying ending for me. "That's it?!" The worst thing a book can do to you is make you feel cheated. And in the end, I guess I do want more interaction with my monsters, whether in corporeal or imagined form. The characters are petrified—Malerman scares them well. He just didn't scare me.
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LibraryThing member wifilibrarian
In New Zealand slang, "box of birds" means you are feeling well and happy. It's an expression to answer the question "How are you?". After reading this book, that expression is a bit ruined for me now!
The main character, Malorie, finds herself pregnant just as the world comes to an end. The end
Well written and full of suspense, Box of birds is worth it if you overlook a few flaws.
The main character, Malorie, finds herself pregnant just as the world comes to an end. The end
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starts with mysterious acts of brutality and suicide becoming more and more common over the world. The one thing that links them is that people see something that turns them violently insane. The book covers two time periods, when Melorie enters a safe house set up for survivors, and 4 years later with two children "boy" and "girl", that she is caring for by herself. The premise is terrifying, and had me thinking of The Happening, The Others & the Dr Who episode Blink. Some aspects stretched my suspension of disbelief to breaking point, power is on, with the blasé explanation it's hydro so it works all the time, & telephones still work. Without power, it'd have made the world a lot harder to live in as they could never look outside, and inside had to be completely cut off with blankets on the windows (hello, did they not have curtains? Would blankets be much better then secure curtains?)Well written and full of suspense, Box of birds is worth it if you overlook a few flaws.
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LibraryThing member Unkletom
There is nothing more terrifying than the unknown. That’s why the night has always been an especially fearful time with all sorts of scary monsters lurking just outside of the campfire’s light. But what if you lived in a world where not knowing was the only chance you had of staying
That’s the set-up. Malorie’s world changed forever when the internet blew up with reports of people seeing something and then flying into murderous rages before taking their own lives. It happened so quickly that no one could say what that something was. The only way to be safe was to make sure you didn’t see whatever it is that is out there. Lock your doors. Black out your window. Whatever you do, don’t go outside. What follows is a dystopian tale similar to many we have all read over the years, where most of humanity has perished and the few lucky, or unlucky, souls that remain must endure a constant struggle just to stay alive in an increasingly alien world. This is a scenario not unlike Day of the Triffids but it does have unique elements that ramp up the feelings of dread.
Some people have expressed disappointment with the ending. I’m not sure if they did so because they wanted an explanation for what happened. If that is the case, these people are mistaken. To provide answers in this book would be tantamount to having a magician revealing his tricks. Remember, there is nothing more terrifying than the unknown.
Bottom line: This was a very engaging tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. It doesn't tie things up neatly but it does provide a sufficient degree of resolution. I also really glad that my name is Tom. (This will make sense once you read it.)
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
•5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
•4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
•3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
•2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
•1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
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alive?That’s the set-up. Malorie’s world changed forever when the internet blew up with reports of people seeing something and then flying into murderous rages before taking their own lives. It happened so quickly that no one could say what that something was. The only way to be safe was to make sure you didn’t see whatever it is that is out there. Lock your doors. Black out your window. Whatever you do, don’t go outside. What follows is a dystopian tale similar to many we have all read over the years, where most of humanity has perished and the few lucky, or unlucky, souls that remain must endure a constant struggle just to stay alive in an increasingly alien world. This is a scenario not unlike Day of the Triffids but it does have unique elements that ramp up the feelings of dread.
Some people have expressed disappointment with the ending. I’m not sure if they did so because they wanted an explanation for what happened. If that is the case, these people are mistaken. To provide answers in this book would be tantamount to having a magician revealing his tricks. Remember, there is nothing more terrifying than the unknown.
Bottom line: This was a very engaging tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. It doesn't tie things up neatly but it does provide a sufficient degree of resolution. I also really glad that my name is Tom. (This will make sense once you read it.)
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
•5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
•4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
•3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
•2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
•1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
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LibraryThing member Alirob
The film is so much better!
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
I decided to read the book before watching the new Netflix movie sometime in the next few weeks.
I think this book suffered by jumping back and forth between two tracks. Track A is a post-apocalyptic future where a woman struggles to transport two young children from one refuge to another. Track B
Side note: I found it amusing that I was willing to suspend disbelief about a vaguely described alien invasion, but it constantly threw me out of the story that the woman only refers to the children as Boy and Girl. Very bad choice.
So, slow beginning, decent middle, muddled ending, but still entertaining enough. Now bring on Bullock!
I think this book suffered by jumping back and forth between two tracks. Track A is a post-apocalyptic future where a woman struggles to transport two young children from one refuge to another. Track B
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is set four or five years previous as the apocalypse begins to unfold and the woman seeks refuge with a group of strangers. Everything about Track A basically tells us that Track B is not going to end well, but we spend much of the book waiting to find out how. When it finally comes, it is fairly exciting, if way over the top. Having wrapped up Track B, the rest of the book is spent in Track A and seems anticlimactic if not outright pointless.Side note: I found it amusing that I was willing to suspend disbelief about a vaguely described alien invasion, but it constantly threw me out of the story that the woman only refers to the children as Boy and Girl. Very bad choice.
So, slow beginning, decent middle, muddled ending, but still entertaining enough. Now bring on Bullock!
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LibraryThing member parhamj
We have nothing to fear but … fear itself. Those are the words clanging around my head now that I have finished Malerman’s Bird Box, a post-apocalyptic thriller that chronicles the harrowing journey of one young heroine, Malorie, and her two children struggling to survive.
In this debut
It’s an interesting concept. Take a world essentially experienced in real life by those with vision problems and turn it into an edge-of-your-seat thriller. But it worked. It really worked. Bird Box is intense and chilling; the descriptions of fear are palpable. And the structure of the story only elevates that potent fear. The novel opens five years after the insanity apocalypse. Malorie, living alone in a house with her two 4-year-old children, is getting ready to leave and sail down “the river” to find a new sanctuary. Blindfolded and terrified, the three set out on the journey, but quickly realize that something is following them…
Cut to five years ago, and we watch as the story of the apocalypse unfolds. Malorie finds the home she will live in for the succeeding five years, and she meets and befriends her fellow housemates: Tom, the former teacher who lost his daughter; Olympia, also newly pregnant whose husband was overseas; Cheryl, the bad-ass; and Don, the isolationist. The one who wants only the core group of housemates to survive. Together, they etch out an existence, surviving on canned goods and well water, all while battling the fear of what lives outside the door. Then, one day, a new housemate arrives. One who asks the question: what are we really afraid of? Those creatures? Or ourselves?
As the two stories unravel, the suspense builds. You, as the reader, know something terrible happened to Malorie’s housemates before the conclusion of the first chapter. And as with any great horror piece, it is that which is not seen that is more terrifying. Malerman uses that concept to excellent effect in this novel. But I think what resonated most with me is this question of what we fear. What should we fear? Is it the creatures in the shadows? The ones we can’t see? Or is it us?
Chilling. Very chilling.
In this debut
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thriller, the world has been beset by unseen and unnamed creatures – creatures that cause anyone who looks upon them to go insane and wreak unspeakable violence before they, in turn, kill themselves in equally gruesome ways. Malorie, discovering she is newly pregnant after a one-night stand, loses her sister and her parents to this horror, and to save herself, sets out to find a house she saw advertised in the papers; a house offering sanctuary to survivors. And a devastating sanctuary it is: windows are covered with blankets and mattresses, trips outside can only be completed with blindfolds, and helmets, and weapons, and any sound can mean a monster is hiding right outside your door. With six fellow survivors in the home, Malorie tries to find a way to exist – and raise two children – in a world where opening your eyes can kill you.It’s an interesting concept. Take a world essentially experienced in real life by those with vision problems and turn it into an edge-of-your-seat thriller. But it worked. It really worked. Bird Box is intense and chilling; the descriptions of fear are palpable. And the structure of the story only elevates that potent fear. The novel opens five years after the insanity apocalypse. Malorie, living alone in a house with her two 4-year-old children, is getting ready to leave and sail down “the river” to find a new sanctuary. Blindfolded and terrified, the three set out on the journey, but quickly realize that something is following them…
Cut to five years ago, and we watch as the story of the apocalypse unfolds. Malorie finds the home she will live in for the succeeding five years, and she meets and befriends her fellow housemates: Tom, the former teacher who lost his daughter; Olympia, also newly pregnant whose husband was overseas; Cheryl, the bad-ass; and Don, the isolationist. The one who wants only the core group of housemates to survive. Together, they etch out an existence, surviving on canned goods and well water, all while battling the fear of what lives outside the door. Then, one day, a new housemate arrives. One who asks the question: what are we really afraid of? Those creatures? Or ourselves?
As the two stories unravel, the suspense builds. You, as the reader, know something terrible happened to Malorie’s housemates before the conclusion of the first chapter. And as with any great horror piece, it is that which is not seen that is more terrifying. Malerman uses that concept to excellent effect in this novel. But I think what resonated most with me is this question of what we fear. What should we fear? Is it the creatures in the shadows? The ones we can’t see? Or is it us?
Chilling. Very chilling.
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LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 4 of 5
Compelling, creepy, and creative. I never thought I would enjoy a book so much when the people in the story were blindfolded for most of it. I was even more impressed when I realized this was a debut novel. Sure, it's not perfect, but what works, works perfectly. The suspense. The
Compelling, creepy, and creative. I never thought I would enjoy a book so much when the people in the story were blindfolded for most of it. I was even more impressed when I realized this was a debut novel. Sure, it's not perfect, but what works, works perfectly. The suspense. The
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creatures. The fear of what we cannot see. The next morning, when I awoke to birds singing outside my window, I admit to being a little scared. Highly recommended to anyone who prefers their horror more on the psychological side. Show Less
LibraryThing member CinderH
This is a great psychological post apocalyptic horror novel. The author is great visually and emotionally in his writing and his creepiness factor is high as well. It is written in the past and present, but is very easy to follow. My only complaint is the lack of explanation, but it is still a very
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entertaining read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
What is more scary than a sighted person going blind? Ask 100 people what their most feared disability would be and I bet this would top paralysis, amputation or even deafness. That’s why I think it’s such irresistible fodder for novelists and almost always, it becomes a dystopian novel by
Something is causing people around the world to become volatile maniacs who commit savage murders and then suicide. Something they see is making them crazy. Because no one who has seen this phenomenon survives, no one knows what it is and the author chooses a first-person perspective to keep you in the dark (ha! see what I did there? Sorry.) Our narrator, Malorie, is determined to take her two four-year-old children down a dangerous river journey for reasons we at first cannot fathom. Alternating with this nightmare quest, Malorie tells us her story and how she came to make this decision to leave the relative safety of her fortified house.
The effect is sufficiently narrow to keep you as a reader off balance. It’s horrifying and soothing by turns. A group of reasonable people have come together as a result of a newspaper ad (before people figured out that seeing something was the problem), and these people bond together in a family of necessity. Despite the harsh conditions, they’re making a go of it and Tom, their leader, is especially sympathetic. As that situation collapses, you feel sorrow and dread, knowing that Malorie becomes desperate enough to take an unsighted journey in a canoe down a river. Just getting to the frigging banks is an ordeal. And there’s a bit about a dog that was, for me, the most gut-wrenching scene in the whole book. It isn’t overly grisly though.
The ending, well, it’s ok, but I felt was a bit to sunshiney for what came before. Sure, there has to be hope, but the setting was a bit utopian and preciously ironic. I won’t give it away, but that’s my opinion. Overall its a decent apocalyptic/dystopian novel in a similar vein to Blindness and The Day of the Triffids where losing our sight is the scariest thing in the world.
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default. Without the ability to see, we instantly become giant bundles of fear and helplessness and you can’t have a functioning society with scared people who can’t see and thus, can’t function. Bird Box takes this concept that, in the end, inverts the adage “in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. Humans don’t lose the ability to see, but the act of doing so is incredibly dangerous and if you want to survive, you live blindfolded.Something is causing people around the world to become volatile maniacs who commit savage murders and then suicide. Something they see is making them crazy. Because no one who has seen this phenomenon survives, no one knows what it is and the author chooses a first-person perspective to keep you in the dark (ha! see what I did there? Sorry.) Our narrator, Malorie, is determined to take her two four-year-old children down a dangerous river journey for reasons we at first cannot fathom. Alternating with this nightmare quest, Malorie tells us her story and how she came to make this decision to leave the relative safety of her fortified house.
The effect is sufficiently narrow to keep you as a reader off balance. It’s horrifying and soothing by turns. A group of reasonable people have come together as a result of a newspaper ad (before people figured out that seeing something was the problem), and these people bond together in a family of necessity. Despite the harsh conditions, they’re making a go of it and Tom, their leader, is especially sympathetic. As that situation collapses, you feel sorrow and dread, knowing that Malorie becomes desperate enough to take an unsighted journey in a canoe down a river. Just getting to the frigging banks is an ordeal. And there’s a bit about a dog that was, for me, the most gut-wrenching scene in the whole book. It isn’t overly grisly though.
The ending, well, it’s ok, but I felt was a bit to sunshiney for what came before. Sure, there has to be hope, but the setting was a bit utopian and preciously ironic. I won’t give it away, but that’s my opinion. Overall its a decent apocalyptic/dystopian novel in a similar vein to Blindness and The Day of the Triffids where losing our sight is the scariest thing in the world.
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LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
1.5 stars. Explained below:
Dig if you will ...
... the nothing.
Of you and I engaged ...
... in tedium.
Animals strike curious poses,
They feel the heat, the heat ...
... of repetitive frustration.
That's this book. It's a repeat frustrater (it's a word, shut up!) because the author spoils his own book
I can get with the concept of the big baddie being left to the reader's imagination. But when you don't explain anything throughout the entire book (and this includes simple descriptions of the house we spend the majority of the novel in) I gotta call bullshit. Admit it, Josh Malerman, you copped out because nothing you could think of was cooler than... well, than nothing.
Our main character is your typical every-woman, and the only reason we're given to care about her is her pregnancy. That's cheap Character Development 101. "I got this chick that everyone is suppose to want to follow for 262 pages but there's absolutely nothing interesting about her so... I'LL MAKE HER PREGGERS! w00t! Who has two thumbs and knows how to write? This guy!" Malorie relies on everyone else in the world until they're all gone and then steps up because she has no one else. Tom is the only interesting character and we maybe two (three?) chapters from him.
And finally... (Sorry, everything else from here on in is a...)
I wanted to know more about the four and a half years Malorie spent alone with the kids. THAT would have been more interesting that what I received. Instead, all that interesting stuff was glossed over.
The author hiding the kid's names until the final pages was idiotic. As I was reading the novel, I thought, "Oh, I think I see the point. She never named them so she wouldn't grow too attached to them. That would explain why she's only calling them BOY! and GIRL!" But no. They have names. They have names the whole time. They have names and she's still calling them BOY! and GIRL! ad nauseam... for no f*ck*ng reason... Who does that? Any parents out there? Do you ONLY call your child BOY or GIRL? And yes, I know GIRL! isn't Malorie's kid, but still, BOY! is her kid and she does the same sh*t to him.
The kids being faceless nobodies with no personality made them completely inconsequential. You don't give a sh*t about these kids. Hell, I liked Victor the dog better than either one of those mannequins.
And the ending? The ending raised so many questions, but not in the way I thought it would, or in any good way at all. Can a grown woman really dangle from a window by an umbilical cord? Why didn't Gary just kill Malorie right then and there, or, at the very least, pry her eyes open to make her see? Do women really sync going into birth like they sync periods? When did Don have the time to hide Gary in the basement? It would have made more sense if Don and Gary really had dug a tunnel to each other like Malorie first thought. I just don't see the housemates trusting Gary to walk outside by himself. It went completely against character.
*bashes his head in the cabinet drawer*
In summation: I'm glad this was on sale for $1.99 for several reasons: the length, the content, and the bare-minimum writing skills. If you're stuck in traffic for five hours and this is the only book you have with you, read it. It gets one-star for being error free, and half a star for the scenes from Tom's POV.
Dig if you will ...
... the nothing.
Of you and I engaged ...
... in tedium.
Animals strike curious poses,
They feel the heat, the heat ...
... of repetitive frustration.
That's this book. It's a repeat frustrater (it's a word, shut up!) because the author spoils his own book
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time and time again and then doesn't have the sack to tell you about the sh*t you really want to know about. Here's the dealio, if you can dig it. Let's say I walk in the door with a bag of groceries. You see the groceries, pick through the groceries, and, lookey here! you're even nice enough to help me put them away. How do I repay you? By explaining to you how we both JUST put away the groceries, and oh yeah, these are what groceries I bought. Oh, you want to know how I came about the groceries? WELL, F*CK YOU, YOU NEEDY B*TCH! I can get with the concept of the big baddie being left to the reader's imagination. But when you don't explain anything throughout the entire book (and this includes simple descriptions of the house we spend the majority of the novel in) I gotta call bullshit. Admit it, Josh Malerman, you copped out because nothing you could think of was cooler than... well, than nothing.
Our main character is your typical every-woman, and the only reason we're given to care about her is her pregnancy. That's cheap Character Development 101. "I got this chick that everyone is suppose to want to follow for 262 pages but there's absolutely nothing interesting about her so... I'LL MAKE HER PREGGERS! w00t! Who has two thumbs and knows how to write? This guy!" Malorie relies on everyone else in the world until they're all gone and then steps up because she has no one else. Tom is the only interesting character and we maybe two (three?) chapters from him.
And finally... (Sorry, everything else from here on in is a...)
I wanted to know more about the four and a half years Malorie spent alone with the kids. THAT would have been more interesting that what I received. Instead, all that interesting stuff was glossed over.
The author hiding the kid's names until the final pages was idiotic. As I was reading the novel, I thought, "Oh, I think I see the point. She never named them so she wouldn't grow too attached to them. That would explain why she's only calling them BOY! and GIRL!" But no. They have names. They have names the whole time. They have names and she's still calling them BOY! and GIRL! ad nauseam... for no f*ck*ng reason... Who does that? Any parents out there? Do you ONLY call your child BOY or GIRL? And yes, I know GIRL! isn't Malorie's kid, but still, BOY! is her kid and she does the same sh*t to him.
The kids being faceless nobodies with no personality made them completely inconsequential. You don't give a sh*t about these kids. Hell, I liked Victor the dog better than either one of those mannequins.
And the ending? The ending raised so many questions, but not in the way I thought it would, or in any good way at all. Can a grown woman really dangle from a window by an umbilical cord? Why didn't Gary just kill Malorie right then and there, or, at the very least, pry her eyes open to make her see? Do women really sync going into birth like they sync periods? When did Don have the time to hide Gary in the basement? It would have made more sense if Don and Gary really had dug a tunnel to each other like Malorie first thought. I just don't see the housemates trusting Gary to walk outside by himself. It went completely against character.
*bashes his head in the cabinet drawer*
In summation: I'm glad this was on sale for $1.99 for several reasons: the length, the content, and the bare-minimum writing skills. If you're stuck in traffic for five hours and this is the only book you have with you, read it. It gets one-star for being error free, and half a star for the scenes from Tom's POV.
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LibraryThing member purple_pisces22
Wow. Craziness. And there is already a 2nd part?! I almost gave this a pass, as I just haven’t really been feeling the dystopian/sci-fi type novels. But I’m glad I ended up going for it. This was partly due to the reviews I’d read, along with how long the wait list was going to be if I had
The story flows nicely, flipping back-and-forth between the character’s present day and 4 years previous. There is definitely some money so that our crazy and scary if they were real, but I don’t think the story ever went too over the top. As a mother, I found Malorie’s actions real and justifiable. What a horrible situation to find yourself in, especially with 2 young children. I love how she taught the kids things that she felt they would need to know in the future, not what kids use to learn. I’m looking forward to the next book.
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passed on it now. The story flows nicely, flipping back-and-forth between the character’s present day and 4 years previous. There is definitely some money so that our crazy and scary if they were real, but I don’t think the story ever went too over the top. As a mother, I found Malorie’s actions real and justifiable. What a horrible situation to find yourself in, especially with 2 young children. I love how she taught the kids things that she felt they would need to know in the future, not what kids use to learn. I’m looking forward to the next book.
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LibraryThing member BeckyJG
Bad enough that the world as we know it has come to an end, a gruesome end fraught with frightening and very personal violence. Bad enough that the survivors are holed up in houses, living off rapidly dwindling supplies of canned goods and afraid to step outside their doors. Take that horrifying
Such is the world in which we encounter Malorie, a young mother of two who is, at novel’s start, trying to get up the nerve to leave her darkened house. The scene is set: heavy drapes on the windows, children sleeping in cages of chicken wire draped in black cloth, blindfolds when venturing outside, blood stains throughout the house.
This can’t be good.
We learn, in alternating chapters, about the world as it is now: Malorie and her children huddled in fear in a forever darkened house, venturing outside only to draw water from the well or to empty the slop buckets and only when blindfolded, never seeing daylight, not knowing if they’re the last three people in the world. And the world as it ended: First, isolated incidents of extreme violence around the world. The growing realization that those committing these acts all did so after seeing something, and the understanding that the only safe way to live is to do so in a space which is carefully, thoroughly shielded from the outside. Then the world as it might be…but that would be telling.
Bird Box, a debut novel by Josh Malerman, powerfully invokes a deep, dark, primal dread. Fear of the dark? Check. Fear of the unknown? You got it. Fear of the loss of control? Yup. The monster on the other side of the door. Autoenucleation, Never knowing who to trust, if trust is possible. Bird Box is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read, and is highly recommended for readers of horror, and EOTWAWKI fiction in particular.
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scenario and add to it an adversary which is unknown and unknowable because to see it is to become overcome with a homicidal/suicidal rage.Such is the world in which we encounter Malorie, a young mother of two who is, at novel’s start, trying to get up the nerve to leave her darkened house. The scene is set: heavy drapes on the windows, children sleeping in cages of chicken wire draped in black cloth, blindfolds when venturing outside, blood stains throughout the house.
This can’t be good.
We learn, in alternating chapters, about the world as it is now: Malorie and her children huddled in fear in a forever darkened house, venturing outside only to draw water from the well or to empty the slop buckets and only when blindfolded, never seeing daylight, not knowing if they’re the last three people in the world. And the world as it ended: First, isolated incidents of extreme violence around the world. The growing realization that those committing these acts all did so after seeing something, and the understanding that the only safe way to live is to do so in a space which is carefully, thoroughly shielded from the outside. Then the world as it might be…but that would be telling.
Bird Box, a debut novel by Josh Malerman, powerfully invokes a deep, dark, primal dread. Fear of the dark? Check. Fear of the unknown? You got it. Fear of the loss of control? Yup. The monster on the other side of the door. Autoenucleation, Never knowing who to trust, if trust is possible. Bird Box is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read, and is highly recommended for readers of horror, and EOTWAWKI fiction in particular.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
With all of the hype of the Netflix movie, and knowing that my fellow readers consider it to be one of the scarier books they have read, I wanted to experience Bird Box before I did anything else. Unfortunately, I was unable to avoid all of the spoilers out there while I was reading it, so I know
First, the dislikes. I am not a fan of the ending. I feel like it is anti-climatic. We spend all this time following Malorie in the past as she adapts to this new world of darkness and enclosure that we are genuinely vested in her present trip to safety. We want her to succeed and find that freedom she wants for her children. However, I don’t feel she finds it. Sure, there are signs she feels comfortable in her new surroundings to relax the rules, but I feel like the ending is a bit of a copout. I don’t expect closure, but I do think Mr. Malerman could give us a bit more than he did.
I also struggle with what message Mr. Malerman is trying to share. Because he makes Malorie so capable, is he trying to show that being blind is not a handicap? Or is the fact that people fear not being able to see almost as much as they fear the creatures a dig at those who are blind? Then there is Gary and his crazy person theory. Doesn’t it stigmatize those with mental health issues? I cannot discuss this in greater detail without giving away a key plot point, but I am not certain Gary’s theory is a good thing. I almost feel as if Gary’s argument damns those with mental health issues more than the creatures ever could.
Now, the likes. I do think Mr. Malerman did an awful lot with his sparse prose. We may not know what the creatures look like but damn if they are not some of the most terrifying beings to grace the written page. There may not be much in character development, but we still know each person’s inherent faults and strengths. We may not know exactly what hell Malorie is going through trying to navigate her way down a river while blindfolded, but we can certainly close our eyes and try to do something as simple as walking around our house without hurting ourselves to understand the gargantuan amounts of inner strength it takes to undertake such a journey. There is not much in exposition, but we know each and every change in the area because of the creatures. We understand the breakdown of society and just how miraculous the idea of a small group of people living together in relative harmony truly is. Mr. Malerman establishes this knowledge with few words and fewer descriptions, spending most of his time on actions and thoughts. It is an impressive bit of storytelling.
Is it scary? I have heard the movie is not scary. I do think the book is terrifying in that way that only the unknown can be. To the sighted, living in a world without sight is one of the scariest things that can happen, and Mr. Malerman plays on that fear of the unknown something that lies in the dark. That being said, the story did not keep me up at night, nor did it cause nightmares. I stayed up past my bedtime solely because I wanted to know what happens and not because I was terrified to close my eyes. I can also say that I doubt I have the mental strength to remain hidden behind boarded-up windows and doors. My curiosity to know who or what is out there would get the better of me, and I most definitely do not have it in me to train my children as Malorie did. Recognizing this in myself makes me appreciate Malorie’s journey that much more.
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my feelings about the story are not what they could be had I been able to finish it without knowing anything.First, the dislikes. I am not a fan of the ending. I feel like it is anti-climatic. We spend all this time following Malorie in the past as she adapts to this new world of darkness and enclosure that we are genuinely vested in her present trip to safety. We want her to succeed and find that freedom she wants for her children. However, I don’t feel she finds it. Sure, there are signs she feels comfortable in her new surroundings to relax the rules, but I feel like the ending is a bit of a copout. I don’t expect closure, but I do think Mr. Malerman could give us a bit more than he did.
I also struggle with what message Mr. Malerman is trying to share. Because he makes Malorie so capable, is he trying to show that being blind is not a handicap? Or is the fact that people fear not being able to see almost as much as they fear the creatures a dig at those who are blind? Then there is Gary and his crazy person theory. Doesn’t it stigmatize those with mental health issues? I cannot discuss this in greater detail without giving away a key plot point, but I am not certain Gary’s theory is a good thing. I almost feel as if Gary’s argument damns those with mental health issues more than the creatures ever could.
Now, the likes. I do think Mr. Malerman did an awful lot with his sparse prose. We may not know what the creatures look like but damn if they are not some of the most terrifying beings to grace the written page. There may not be much in character development, but we still know each person’s inherent faults and strengths. We may not know exactly what hell Malorie is going through trying to navigate her way down a river while blindfolded, but we can certainly close our eyes and try to do something as simple as walking around our house without hurting ourselves to understand the gargantuan amounts of inner strength it takes to undertake such a journey. There is not much in exposition, but we know each and every change in the area because of the creatures. We understand the breakdown of society and just how miraculous the idea of a small group of people living together in relative harmony truly is. Mr. Malerman establishes this knowledge with few words and fewer descriptions, spending most of his time on actions and thoughts. It is an impressive bit of storytelling.
Is it scary? I have heard the movie is not scary. I do think the book is terrifying in that way that only the unknown can be. To the sighted, living in a world without sight is one of the scariest things that can happen, and Mr. Malerman plays on that fear of the unknown something that lies in the dark. That being said, the story did not keep me up at night, nor did it cause nightmares. I stayed up past my bedtime solely because I wanted to know what happens and not because I was terrified to close my eyes. I can also say that I doubt I have the mental strength to remain hidden behind boarded-up windows and doors. My curiosity to know who or what is out there would get the better of me, and I most definitely do not have it in me to train my children as Malorie did. Recognizing this in myself makes me appreciate Malorie’s journey that much more.
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LibraryThing member Jillian_Kay
I read this book in a shabby, not well secured beach cottage, and I barely slept at night. I loved every minute of it. Don't ask too many questions and just enjoy the ride.
LibraryThing member Twink
I love audio books. Listening to a book is somehow more intimate making you feel closer to the author's words and the experience of the book is different than reading it. Josh Malerman's debut novel Bird Box is one I am so very glad I listened to. My husband can't stand the light on at night, so I
Here's the premise of Bird Box. In the near future, something or someone has arrived on Earth. One glance at whatever it is will drive you mad and a horrible death immediately ensues. There are a handful of survivors who have figured out how to stay alive. One group in a house by the river includes a young woman named Malorie.
Malerman flips the narrative back and forth as we learn how the situation in the house deteriorated and what led to Malorie and two four year olds named Boy and Girl sitting in a boat blindfolded, trying to row their way to what may or may not be a safe haven. Each narrative is just as gripping, switching at just the right moment, leaving the listener wanting more. (And leaving me mighty tired in the morning)
Malerman ramps up the scary factor by tenfold (or more!) Actions that we would take for granted are suddenly terrifying. Going outside is frightening beyond belief - is something watching you? Stalking you? What just touched your arm? Was it a branch...or something else? Was that a footstep or just a branch dropping? You can't know - because you can't open your eyes. You do, you die. But what if? What if you did look? What if you looked through a camera? What if...?
This is one of the best audio books I've listened to in a long, long time. Remember, I'm in the dark listening. It only intensified the story as I imagined what the characters in Bird Box were going through. I truly had goosebumps. There are no overt gory scenes in the book - rather it is the slow building tension that is the most horrifying. Cassandra Campbell was the reader and she did an excellent job. Her voice is easy to listen to and has a lovely resonant tone to it. Her interpretation of the book did it great justice. I felt I was in the story with Malorie as she recounted her tale - an even, resigned tone to the known and ramping up as the danger of the unknown increases.
I'll be waiting to see what Malerman comes up with for his next book. Universal Pictures has also optioned Bird Box. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road would love this book.
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usually listen to an audio book before falling asleep.Here's the premise of Bird Box. In the near future, something or someone has arrived on Earth. One glance at whatever it is will drive you mad and a horrible death immediately ensues. There are a handful of survivors who have figured out how to stay alive. One group in a house by the river includes a young woman named Malorie.
Malerman flips the narrative back and forth as we learn how the situation in the house deteriorated and what led to Malorie and two four year olds named Boy and Girl sitting in a boat blindfolded, trying to row their way to what may or may not be a safe haven. Each narrative is just as gripping, switching at just the right moment, leaving the listener wanting more. (And leaving me mighty tired in the morning)
Malerman ramps up the scary factor by tenfold (or more!) Actions that we would take for granted are suddenly terrifying. Going outside is frightening beyond belief - is something watching you? Stalking you? What just touched your arm? Was it a branch...or something else? Was that a footstep or just a branch dropping? You can't know - because you can't open your eyes. You do, you die. But what if? What if you did look? What if you looked through a camera? What if...?
This is one of the best audio books I've listened to in a long, long time. Remember, I'm in the dark listening. It only intensified the story as I imagined what the characters in Bird Box were going through. I truly had goosebumps. There are no overt gory scenes in the book - rather it is the slow building tension that is the most horrifying. Cassandra Campbell was the reader and she did an excellent job. Her voice is easy to listen to and has a lovely resonant tone to it. Her interpretation of the book did it great justice. I felt I was in the story with Malorie as she recounted her tale - an even, resigned tone to the known and ramping up as the danger of the unknown increases.
I'll be waiting to see what Malerman comes up with for his next book. Universal Pictures has also optioned Bird Box. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road would love this book.
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LibraryThing member ptom3
A book club a friend of mine started selected BIRD BOX for the first read, based off Amazon reviews. I read the back cover synopsis and ordered a copy of the book. Loved the idea that it was a debut novel from a writer I'd never heard of, and became more anxious for the arrival of my paperback.
If
Malorie is a single mother. She has a boy and a girl. They are on their own.
That's it. That's where normal ends when it comes to synopsis. Everything else Malerman does is unique, twisted, and compellingly original.
Malorie is a single mother. She has a boy and a girl. They are on their own. Holed up in a house, all of the windows are covered. The place is rigged with speakers to amplify whenever something is outside. It's been four and a half years since Malorie has seen another person. The kids are four and a half years old. It has been almost five years since Malorie has opened her eyes outside.
No one opens their eyes anymore. Not outside. They don't look through windows. They can't. It's too dangerous. Malorie raised her kids to adept to darkness. They're blindfolded most of the time, just like she is. She wants them to know how to identify sounds. All kinds of sounds.
She has a plan. It is reckless. It could get her killed. It might get her kids killed. However, the time has come, and supplies are running out. It is as good a time as any, and she knows it might have been fear more than anything that has kept her in one place anyway.
She wakes the kids and tells them that today is the day. Blindfolded, they leave the house and make their way to the river. Once on the boat, they have to navigate the water. Malorie is depending on the training the kids received. She wants their ears to be her eyes. Otherwise, the three of them are dead...
Something caused the crazy apocalypse. The news reports that came in suggested people "saw" something, went crazy, and either killed others and then themselves, or just killed themselves. Everyone started wearing blindfolds. Covering windows. No one still alive knows for sure what caused the insanity. No one still alive knows when it will be okay to remove the blindfolds. Maybe never.
Josh Malerman's novel, BIRD BOX, is non stop intensity. It is told in present tense, third person -- which worked wonderfully. Through gripping flashbacks we get the backstory, as well as the journey Malorie, the boy, and the girl, take down the river toward some unknown destination.
It comes together at the end. Questions get answered (not all!). And you realize that for the last one hundred pages you sat forward reading the book, not breathing. I kept holding my breath, and gasping. The climax is explosive, and chilling. The end is satisfyingly depressing, with a splash of hope. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time. I already want to read it again.
Phillip Tomasso,
Author of Damn the Dead and Blood Rive
If
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I'd had the time, I would have/could have read the taut 260 page novel in one sitting. You hear all the time about the "book I couldn't put down." I've had a few in my day. A few. BIRD BOX has been added to list. I didn't want to put this book down.Malorie is a single mother. She has a boy and a girl. They are on their own.
That's it. That's where normal ends when it comes to synopsis. Everything else Malerman does is unique, twisted, and compellingly original.
Malorie is a single mother. She has a boy and a girl. They are on their own. Holed up in a house, all of the windows are covered. The place is rigged with speakers to amplify whenever something is outside. It's been four and a half years since Malorie has seen another person. The kids are four and a half years old. It has been almost five years since Malorie has opened her eyes outside.
No one opens their eyes anymore. Not outside. They don't look through windows. They can't. It's too dangerous. Malorie raised her kids to adept to darkness. They're blindfolded most of the time, just like she is. She wants them to know how to identify sounds. All kinds of sounds.
She has a plan. It is reckless. It could get her killed. It might get her kids killed. However, the time has come, and supplies are running out. It is as good a time as any, and she knows it might have been fear more than anything that has kept her in one place anyway.
She wakes the kids and tells them that today is the day. Blindfolded, they leave the house and make their way to the river. Once on the boat, they have to navigate the water. Malorie is depending on the training the kids received. She wants their ears to be her eyes. Otherwise, the three of them are dead...
Something caused the crazy apocalypse. The news reports that came in suggested people "saw" something, went crazy, and either killed others and then themselves, or just killed themselves. Everyone started wearing blindfolds. Covering windows. No one still alive knows for sure what caused the insanity. No one still alive knows when it will be okay to remove the blindfolds. Maybe never.
Josh Malerman's novel, BIRD BOX, is non stop intensity. It is told in present tense, third person -- which worked wonderfully. Through gripping flashbacks we get the backstory, as well as the journey Malorie, the boy, and the girl, take down the river toward some unknown destination.
It comes together at the end. Questions get answered (not all!). And you realize that for the last one hundred pages you sat forward reading the book, not breathing. I kept holding my breath, and gasping. The climax is explosive, and chilling. The end is satisfyingly depressing, with a splash of hope. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time. I already want to read it again.
Phillip Tomasso,
Author of Damn the Dead and Blood Rive
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LibraryThing member trayceetee
Wow! I haven't flown through a book this quickly in a long time. I picked this up about three, maybe four days ago, and I just finished tonight. (For me, that's pretty fast.) I'd seen a few things about the movie, but as it was on Netflix, I wasn't able to watch it. I'm so glad I read the book.
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This is an edge-of-your-seat, who-can-you-trust kind of book!!! I LOVE that the protagonist is a woman and a mother! This book had me mildly frightened most of the time, and at times I was exclaiming out loud in fear! Loved it!!!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
A world in which you have to not look at the bad things or you'll become a bad thing yourself, violent and murderous and self-destroying. But what are the bad things you shouldn't see? If you don't know, it makes it a little hard to avoid.
Interesting characters acting on desperate theories made the
The ending did feel a little weak to me. Not everything was tied up in a pretty package, and I'm okay with that, but there was no “Wow, I didn't see that one coming” feeling.
This is a good, solid escapist book if your idea of escape is to the dark, violent, and desperate. I'm undecided between giving it three or four stars, so I'll compromise on 3.5.
I was given a copy of this book for review.
Interesting characters acting on desperate theories made the
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story engaging for me. The chapters switch between an early and a later situation for protagonist Malorie, and made me wonder how she came from the earlier part to the latter, what was behind the children she called Boy and Girl. It was all eventually explained, including why the children were called that. There was some behavior that would be considered child abuse if it weren't done for a reason Malorie so strongly believed. There were some pretty gruesome descriptions, but it wasn't unrelenting. There was a good story behind the gore.The ending did feel a little weak to me. Not everything was tied up in a pretty package, and I'm okay with that, but there was no “Wow, I didn't see that one coming” feeling.
This is a good, solid escapist book if your idea of escape is to the dark, violent, and desperate. I'm undecided between giving it three or four stars, so I'll compromise on 3.5.
I was given a copy of this book for review.
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LibraryThing member mirshad
I had to look at cute pictures of baby animals in order to recover after reading this.
LibraryThing member sturlington
Suddenly, people who see mysterious creatures turn violent and attack one another or themselves, so everyone who survives must barricade themselves indoors and not open their eyes outside.
First of all, the premise for this book is ridiculous. Malerman handles this by not making the story at all
First of all, the premise for this book is ridiculous. Malerman handles this by not making the story at all
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about the "creatures" but instead about the effects of having to avoid seeing them. Also, this is a horror story, not a survival story, so Malerman glosses over the niceties of staying alive in such an environment. As a result, he keeps the tension high and the pace quick, with several genuinely creepy moments, and the story works on that level as long as the reader doesn't get overly concerned about the details. Not deep, but a nice, creepy little read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Devlindusty
Blah this book was all about the hype surrounding it. The plot is interesting but the character development was not that great. Someone else could have done this story better.
LibraryThing member authorjanebnight
Synopsis Malorie is living in a dangerous world where seeing the lurking monsters will cause madness and death. Malorie decides she "boy" and "girl" need to attempt to flee their current location for somewhere (potentially) safer though doing so is fraught with danger.
My rating:
4/5
Malorie was such
As a mom if twins I know what a Herculean task it is to travel with two small children. I can't even imagine if those children were blindfolded and have never left the place you have been staying. I felt for Malorie and the tough choices she had to make every step of the way.
This book focuses on the characters and humanity in general and for me that made it far more terrifying and chilling than the monsters themselves ever were.
I enjoyed the complexities of this world, felt the plot was sensible as well as solid, and thought the ending was well done. Endings in horror can be hit or miss for me.
I just learned there is a sequel coming out so I am wondering if reading that will change my feelings on the ending. It was a fine ending and, though it didn't answer every question I might have had, I felt satisfied.
I do hope that the next book spends some time exploring the monsters because, while there is speculation about what they are and how they work, there is nothing concrete in this book about the monsters. We only know what Malorie knows and all she knows is what people around her have said and heard on the news (while there still was news to be had).
One small complaint I will voice is the writing style. This book is written in present tense and I don't personally enjoy that stylistic choice so it took me a bit of time to get into the book for that reason.
This was a great book I feel comfortable recommending. If you like scary books (and particularly if you are a parent) I think you will enjoy this book too.
My rating:
4/5
Malorie was such
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an interesting character. Especially in the first few pages of the book she has some amazingly impactful quotes about why she doesn't want the children to keep living the way they are. She has realized that the half life they are living isn't a life worth living and fleeing with the possibility of dying is preferable to a life where they are. As a mom if twins I know what a Herculean task it is to travel with two small children. I can't even imagine if those children were blindfolded and have never left the place you have been staying. I felt for Malorie and the tough choices she had to make every step of the way.
This book focuses on the characters and humanity in general and for me that made it far more terrifying and chilling than the monsters themselves ever were.
I enjoyed the complexities of this world, felt the plot was sensible as well as solid, and thought the ending was well done. Endings in horror can be hit or miss for me.
I just learned there is a sequel coming out so I am wondering if reading that will change my feelings on the ending. It was a fine ending and, though it didn't answer every question I might have had, I felt satisfied.
I do hope that the next book spends some time exploring the monsters because, while there is speculation about what they are and how they work, there is nothing concrete in this book about the monsters. We only know what Malorie knows and all she knows is what people around her have said and heard on the news (while there still was news to be had).
One small complaint I will voice is the writing style. This book is written in present tense and I don't personally enjoy that stylistic choice so it took me a bit of time to get into the book for that reason.
This was a great book I feel comfortable recommending. If you like scary books (and particularly if you are a parent) I think you will enjoy this book too.
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LibraryThing member cherybear
Obviously you have to suspend belief, but there are some plot holes that seemed unsatisfying and had me scratching my head--but why didn't they do this? Or that? How did they know. . . ? Probably the main reason I stuck with it was that I knew it had gotten a lot of hype and been made into a movie
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(and I saw the trailer several times.) I also read this during the COVID 19 crisis, so I actually found parallels between that situation and the book. I don't want to live in through the Apocalypse. Show Less
LibraryThing member gecizzle
This book seems like the author just got f*ck*ng lazy. He wanted to write a post-apocalyptic story, where the world has been overrun by terrifying monsters. What kind of monsters are they? Nobody can say. Because this author is too f*ck*ng lazy to create an actual monster.
This book is about an
I say, bullshit. It's not scary at all, it's just f*ck*ng stupid. There are no reports of actual monsters mauling anyone. As far as I can tell, the only monsters are just crazy humans.
So the whole world has decided that the only solution to this problem is to lock themselves in their house, cover the windows, and never, EVER look outside, whatever you do. If they do go outside, people put on blindfolds, or something, to cover their eyes, so they don't see what horror lies in the shadows.
The only reason I kept reading this book was to finally find some answers. I really just wanted to know what the f*ck was actually happening. Were there really monsters? Had the earth been invaded by terrifying aliens? Or, are people just plain stupid?
Nobody knows. The questions were never answered. So I'm left thinking, I should have never read this stupid goddamn book. Because, it's not really a story. It's missing that crucial element of fear. Something to actually be afraid of.
This book is about an
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invisible threat. Monsters, or aliens, or some guy with a shotgun, who the f*ck knows. It's just a threat that drives people completely f*ck*ng insane if they happen to catch a glimpse of it. There are reports of people who ventured outside, saw the unseeable, and ended up butchering anyone they came in contact with. Because this threat is just soooo scary.I say, bullshit. It's not scary at all, it's just f*ck*ng stupid. There are no reports of actual monsters mauling anyone. As far as I can tell, the only monsters are just crazy humans.
So the whole world has decided that the only solution to this problem is to lock themselves in their house, cover the windows, and never, EVER look outside, whatever you do. If they do go outside, people put on blindfolds, or something, to cover their eyes, so they don't see what horror lies in the shadows.
The only reason I kept reading this book was to finally find some answers. I really just wanted to know what the f*ck was actually happening. Were there really monsters? Had the earth been invaded by terrifying aliens? Or, are people just plain stupid?
Nobody knows. The questions were never answered. So I'm left thinking, I should have never read this stupid goddamn book. Because, it's not really a story. It's missing that crucial element of fear. Something to actually be afraid of.
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Pages
272