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A review by brennanlafaro
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
5.0
I'm a little embarrassed to be jotting down my thoughts on this book when the rest of the horror world likely read it and loved it years ago. Nonetheless, call me a hold out. I didn't know the book existed when the movie came out, and it was okay but didn't impress me to the point where I had to rush out and grab the book immediately.
Instead I was turned on to Malerman's other work, and upon realizing this guy could write a damn book, I picked up Bird Box. I immediately loved how different the book was from the movie. Sure, the main problem is the same, and it ultimately ends up going to the same place, but some of the ways we get there and the people we meet along the way, give us a very different look at the story.
I'll always be a little disappointed that I didn't get to take this story on with fresh eyes (no pun intended?) and without knowing what would happen before hand. That being said, there are scenes throughout that deliver so much tension, and even knowing the outcomes that would happen to certain characters, I was still on the edge of my seat. Any time the characters are exploring the world or houses outside, the scenes are written perfectly. I repeat, perfectly.
Malerman does a masterful job of putting us on the exact same level as the characters. We don't get to see anything they don't see, which of course, is quite a lot. We are left to wonder, speculate, and stew with them in an environment of constant fear.
That we get to the end without a big reveal or explanation for the creatures serves the story perfectly. Truly, it kind of feels like a description of the creatures or a synopsis of how they came to be here would end up being a letdown to the atmosphere that Malerman spends almost 400 pages building. Instead our protagonists have hope, but the world isn't getting any better.
If you have read Bird Box, refresh your memory before Malorie comes out in December, and we get to see this what happens next in this world. It's not a super-short book, but it moves very quickly and you'll find that holy shit, 50 pages have gone by and I just sat down. If you have not read it, do it. Unlike me, pretend you read it years ago, that you liked it before Netflix made it hot.
Instead I was turned on to Malerman's other work, and upon realizing this guy could write a damn book, I picked up Bird Box. I immediately loved how different the book was from the movie. Sure, the main problem is the same, and it ultimately ends up going to the same place, but some of the ways we get there and the people we meet along the way, give us a very different look at the story.
I'll always be a little disappointed that I didn't get to take this story on with fresh eyes (no pun intended?) and without knowing what would happen before hand. That being said, there are scenes throughout that deliver so much tension, and even knowing the outcomes that would happen to certain characters, I was still on the edge of my seat. Any time the characters are exploring the world or houses outside, the scenes are written perfectly. I repeat, perfectly.
Malerman does a masterful job of putting us on the exact same level as the characters. We don't get to see anything they don't see, which of course, is quite a lot. We are left to wonder, speculate, and stew with them in an environment of constant fear.
That we get to the end without a big reveal or explanation for the creatures serves the story perfectly. Truly, it kind of feels like a description of the creatures or a synopsis of how they came to be here would end up being a letdown to the atmosphere that Malerman spends almost 400 pages building. Instead our protagonists have hope, but the world isn't getting any better.
If you have read Bird Box, refresh your memory before Malorie comes out in December, and we get to see this what happens next in this world. It's not a super-short book, but it moves very quickly and you'll find that holy shit, 50 pages have gone by and I just sat down. If you have not read it, do it. Unlike me, pretend you read it years ago, that you liked it before Netflix made it hot.