Bird Box: A Novel

Bird Box by Josh Malerman, is a powerful, elegantly written story that absolutely enthralled me. The genius of this book is the fact that it focuses with sharp laser light on one singular story of survival, perseverance and terror. I loved the singular focus, because it was impossible to take my eyes off the page (this sentence is a reference to something you'll find interesting in a heartbeat here). Imagine that there's something in the world that causes utter insanity and homicidal mania in anyone who sees it. Where this thing came from, or why it exists does not matter. The facts of this story are that it DOES EXIST, and that if you open your eyes around it, you're lost forever. Given that intriguing scenario, there are a really interesting set of writing choices. First of all, the greatest temptation is to EXPLAIN and to explain what the heck is happening and why it is happening and allow the characters to make sense of it all. Wisely, Malerman entirely avoids that deceptively saccharine and simplistic choice. He doesn't explain. This is right in line with what I think about good fantasy and horror -- the best story comes from withholding everything you can. Never explain. Josh Malerman doesn't explain anything at all and his story is the more powerful for it. He just allows his story to unfold, and what a shocking, provocative and mind-rending story it is indeed. The story opens with Malorie and her two young children deciding to escape from the place she has been living for the past five years. Her very young children (who are almost never called anything else than Boy and Girl) have been raised with every precaution of seeing anything that is outside, and with all the rules in place, she decides to leave. It is a very perilous journey, because she won't be able to see anything, and she has no idea what the world outside even looks like anymore! This terrifying journey is intercut with the past story of how the world got to this horrific pass and how she once had friends and that all fell apart. The way Malerman intercuts between the two storylines is masterfully done -- I've almost never seen it done better in any book. It is, in essence, a very simple story: survive. And because it is a story of survival, it is, in the end, what one might call a horror novel. But a profoundly well-written and intriguing horror novel that haunts one for months afterwards. I highly recommend BIRD BOX. It's a beautiful, terrible story.

This was my university book club’s October book. It had been on my TBR for a while, and I had heard great things about it, I looked forward to reading it when it was chosen. I really enjoyed this book. I don’t know if I would have ever picked it up from by TBR on my own since it’s much different than what I normally lean toward but I was pleasently surprised. It was well-written, face-paced, and featured fantastic characters. For the characters being blind-folded for a good portion of this book, there was definitely a well-grounded setting. I felt like I could clearly see the world in which this was taking place, and Malerman did a fantastic job with creating emotion. This was a book that was easy to get immersed in. I doubted reviews that said it was a one-sitting read but after finishing it I know I could have read it in one sitting if I had the time. The story switches between the present and four years prior. At first, I wasn’t a fan of this, as I’m usually not. However, I thought it worked so well with this story. I’ll admit I was usually more interested in the chapters set in the past rather than the present ones but they were both quick-paced and interesting. I can’t recall a single boring moment during this read. It was all very realistic to me as well. I’m very careful with dystopian books because I’ve been disappointed by so many, but this book built a dystopian world that was so believable to me. It was quite a pleasant surprise. I felt that Malerman tied the two timelines together very well, and the adrenaline hit at the same time, causing me to frantically flip pages trying to figure out what was going down. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that had me rushing to the end. I absolutely adored our protagonist Malorie. She is so different in the two timelines, and it was great seeing how she changed and why. Her development was quality, and she definitely drove the story. A question that was frequently raised throughout the story was if Malorie was raising her two children the right way in a world where it was so difficult to be a parent. I felt like this was a driving factor for Malorie and the story, and it said a lot about her character. One of the elements I enjoyed this most about this story was the housemates. Though they play a small role and aren’t all that well-rounded, I still found them interesting and likable, especially Tom and Olympia. The relationships grow in change over the short time span and they play such a vital role in who Malorie is and how she survives. I also loved to hate (or fear) Gary and Don. This was definitely a character-driven story (my favorite kind) and it worked well. Malerman’s writing isn’t poetic or deep, but it works well for the story. He write in quick, short sentences that I personally feel adds to the reading experience. The situation calls for quick and short, so Malerman writes quick and short. The chapters are short and sweet for the most part, and it definitely kept me flipping pages. The descriptions are wonderful as well and, as I said, allow the reader to see a world that the characters barely glimpse themselves.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love mysteries and just the whole, "what's happening, what's causing it?" thing was excellent in this story. I love the way the author leaves much to the reader's imagination, in that way things could be much worse or much better than how you're predicting them, but either way you're left just as blind as the people in this story. I'm generally not one to read apocalypse type books in the traditional sense, (zombies, warfare, etc.) but this really offered a fresh and unique new twist on a topic that's been hashed out again and again. Again, I adored this story, so I gave it 5 stars, but that being said it isn't all perfect. Several other reviews have said it leaves something to be desired and I agree with that. It's obvious that the writer is inexperienced, and there were certain times I found myself wishing a more experienced author was at the helm because I just wanted a little more. I get that it's part of the mystery, but I was hoping for more development on the monsters; just anything to make them feel a little more grounded in reality. There were so many conflicting stories and reports on them that you just don't get a good opportunity to even try to develop what they might be. And unfortunately I think the author wanted it that way, but readers are curious and we just need something. There are a few plot holes that are irksome as well. When all these incidents start happening, it's widely reported that before people go mad they see something. How do people know they see something? It happens to a couple in a vehicle, but only the passenger goes mad, so how does the driver not see it? The two sisters went for a walk and then came back crazy, who knew they saw something? It seems minor but I just really needed that little detail. *Spoiler* another thing that bugged me were the animals. There are wild birds, fish they catch, they make several mentions of wild and domestic animals possibly being outside, so they don't think the animals go crazy. In a world where owners are dying and disappearing you would imagine that there would be a surplus of dogs and cats wandering the streets. After they get the huskies they walk the streets several times. The huskies don't go crazy, there's no crazy dogs or cats or birds attacking them or doing strange things when they go outside for water, even the pack of wolves at the end has somehow survived for 4 years. And yet, we learn that the monsters actually DO make animals go crazy. So how are there still so many wild animals that have survived to the end, and how are there not crazed animals wandering the streets at any given point. Especially when you consider Gary said tons of the monsters apparently walk the street they live on. There were a few other holes, how they could walk places without getting completely lost, how they could drive without running into things even though they mentioned there was a tent in the street and I can only imagine what else. Also, I appreciated that she trained the children hard, but they were just a little TOO super human. Although I have criticisms, mostly just wanting more, I really enjoyed this story and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the author will come out with a second, this time offering the things we were missing.

This book is beyond well written. It is a work of true literary art. The author conveys true suspense and the feelings of dread and a dash of Hope. One reads it and feels as though they are there. I am a very avid reader, so very few authors can impress me with how they really touch a readers heart and mind. Josh Malerman has created a book that deserves the praise it has received. It is truly original, it is truly horrific, it explores the boundaries of The human experience and does an excellent job of creating a world that is both frightening and very believable. The depth that he plums is extraordinary, and his characters, in particular Mallorie, are excellently conceived. The myriad of ideas that he placed into his book are that of a person who is extremely intelligent and perceptive. His imagination gives this book a very good view of the world he created. He is an excellent author. This book is definitely what I consider to be a must-read, even though I am not particularly a fan of post-apocalyptic novels. This is likely because it is so much more than that. It is a very thoughtful and human look and experience. I felt like I was right next to Mallorie the entire time. It explores so many aspects of what it means to be human and how far out instinct for survival will go. It is an extraordinary good novel and one that I fully recommend. And I wait with bated breath for the next novel by Josh Malerman. On a very personal note, having been born in the upper peninsula of Michigan, (hence my usage of the word "Yooper") I have often thought that if there were ever an apocalyptic situation it would be someone from the U.P. who would be one of the survivors. Why, you might ask? Because the Upper Peninsula is nothing like the lower portion. This magnificent homeland of mine is a harsh and beautifully brutal place. This is an untamed place where nature is still in charge. It is a place like no other I have seen, and I miss it mightily living in Suburban Detroit. I fell in love with a Troll (unflattering nickname for those who live south of the Mackinaw Bridge😉) and our marriage of twenty years separates me from my beloved homeland. It's 450 miles and a long 8 hour journey away, sadly. You will find that Yoopers are kind, but children are not coddled and they are taught from a young age how to navigate in such a place. It is beyond beautiful, yet the winters are heavy, long and unforgiving. The weather is capricious in any season and one must be prepared at all times. It is sparsely populated, and Marquette is the largest city with less than 40,000 residents. I grew up right near Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. It is a place of raw and magnificent power, and the lake is a place we are taught to love and respect. As I wrote earlier, if you ever have the chance to go there, I strongly suggest that you do. I realize that I have reviewed the U.P. as much as I have the novel. I apologise if that's an annoyance. It's just that for a book to be so wonderful featuring a protagonist from my homeland is overwhelmingly touching. So few people know about the U.P. and I want people to know what they are missing. So, with that, I couldn't be more impressed by the way Josh Malerman wrote this brilliant novel. It has so much to offer and it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to enjoy the experience of reading Bird Box. It's too good to miss. As Always, I wish Happy Reads to All from the Unapologetic Book Junkie😉!

Bird Box, how do I describe thee? Part Horror, part psychological thriller this book takes the term Mind #$%^ to the extreme. No lie, I read Bird Box well over a month ago and to this day I'm still not even sure how to process what happened over the course of the story. That being said, Bird Box was beautifully twisted and complex. The characters, the scenery, the (at times) erratic writing style of the Author, all combined to create this wonderfully demented world trapped by fear. One of the best parts about Bird Box were the characters. For me, Malorie was an extremely unlikable character at first but by the stories end I came to realize what a strong, brave and caring woman she truly was. Also I loved the children. Despite their less than ideal upbringing you'd think the kids would be full on crazy as well but somehow they seemed to be the most sane and rational of the bunch. Maybe because the children perceived things differently than Malorie or the other adults in the story or maybe it is because they had someone else to rely on to keep them grounded. Either way I really liked them. Another thing I really liked about Bird Box was how the story was more show than tell. Usually I like to see everything, I want to know who the Villain is, be it monster or human and if someone dies it better be shown but because Bird Box was more Psychological thriller than Horror the lack of descriptions work. Were kept guessing right up until the end who or what is really causing this plague of crazy. Now although I really liked Bird Box, the story did have a few minor annoyances that kept me from rating it higher. One of the things that really bugged me was how the demonic force causing the insanity plague behaved. Sometimes people would go crazy because they were in close proximity to others, sometimes they'd be by themselves, other times animals were affected and then boom, three chapters later they'd be fine. Sometimes a person would open their eyes and be fine and other times even with eyes tightly shut they'd die. I get this erratic pattern was supposed to add another level of insanity to he story but for me it didn't work. Another thing I absolutely hated was how Malorie refused to name the children. Calling them "boy" and "girl" served no purpose except to shock the reader into thinking of them as less than the 4 year old children they actually were. I believe by calling them "boy" and "girl" instead of by a Human name it was a way for us to visualize them as just glorified tracker dogs for Malorie (hence all the talk of training them) instead of two helpless little children lacking love and guidance However, maybe it's the mother in me but knowing how poorly they'd been treated made me want to love them even more so maybe that was the Author's intent after all. Final Thoughts While I did certainly enjoy Birdbox and the terrifying world Josh Malerman created, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the stories end. After so much darkness, the dawn of a new day for the precious few who survived just felt a bit cliche. Would the ending stop me from recommending the story to others? Absolutely not, it was still good. I just personally expected something bleaker with the way the story was heading. With that being said, I'll be rating Bird Box by Josh Malerman ★★★★. Recommended For Fans Of: The Road, The Waking Dark, American Psycho. *Copy reviewed purchased. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.

*This review contains minor spoilers.* I just finished Bird Box and I'm quite torn about it. The novel is fast-paced and a real page turner. I devoured it in just a couple days and couldn't wait to see how it ended. But now that it's all said and done, I'm left with a tinge of disappointment. I feel like the ending left something to be desired. The good: - The author wastes no time getting the action going. From the first chapter, I was invested and needed to know what would happen. There was no long hike to get to the good stuff; it was already there. - The plot is quite fast-paced, alternating between flashbacks and present-day events. You find yourself torn between needing to advance the story, and know where Malorie is headed with her children, but also desperately wanting to know the backstory here and how this dystopian future came to be. The author provides both, satiating you nicely. - The feelings of desperation, fear, anxiety, and helplessness that Malorie feels are palpable to you as the reader. I felt legitimate sorrow and fear for her. I felt quite invested in her well-being, especially after learning her backstory. She is a respectable, strong, and likable character. The not-so-good: - The "creatures" really could have used greater development. Their behavior is inconsistent and erratic, making it feel almost as if the author doesn't have a clue about them either and is just as much in the dark (no pun intended) as the characters. - In a similar vein, I found it very strange that everyone seems to know that, before the madness sets in, people see something. How would anyone know? Those who see it immediately kill others and/or themselves. Who is offering this news? How is this confirmed? Did someone see one, start to go mad, call the local news, explain what he/she saw, and then go on a killing spree? This plot hole felt a bit lazy. - Malorie's children are the strongest, most intelligent four-year-olds on the planet. I would have found them more believable had they been six or seven, not four. Also, they are not superheroes. Explaining that the boy has the ability to closely identify the page number of a book his mother is on after hearing her flip through it is ludicrous. - Finally, just how unbelievable the survival of some of these characters would be. Imagining wandering a neighborhood or driving a car without sight, and always managing to come back with great new supplies, was just a little too much for me. Swinging a broomstick around as you walk and hammering a small stake into the ground to note your residence...I had a very hard time believing these activities would be as simple and effective as the characters would have you believe. So, overall, give it a read if you're up for something spooky and thrilling. The book is quite unsettling and eerie and the author sets that tone very well. I just feel that more detail could have been used to really propel the story to the next level. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

Malorie and her children are leaving their house and sanctuary for the first time since she was pregnant. Almost 5 years after an event that changed the course of humanity as she knew it, she had to raise her children in this new post cataclysmic world where your eyes could be your undoing. There is something out there that is causing people to go crazy and commit suicide the second they lay their eyes on it. This narrative goes between present time and the time before, while she was pregnant, and just learning about the events as they slowly take over the whole world. I read this book in a day. That's how good it was. I normally don't have time to read but I put everything aside to finish this one. The story was gripping. I was compelled to read it after I was told by quite a few people how weird and interesting it was. I couldn't put it down. There were no lulls in the book and the author gave hints at the characters back stories, developing them in a way that made me care about their safety and what happens to them. The only thing I didn't like is that I felt there were a few discrepancies within the story and I don't feel like there was a complete explanation or resolution to what was going on. Many theories were given but none were fully satisfactory to me and they never once said that any of the theories were what was happening. I loved this book. I will give it a solid 5 out of 5. It's rare for a book to capture me so much where I can't stop reading it. There is some parts of fairly graphic gore so it may not be for you if you are squeamish. But for someone who is into post apocalyptic survival type books, it is fully engrossing, and will knock your socks off!

When I first watched this movie on Netflix, it terrified me. Years later and the book, despite my prior knowledge, having already seen the movie, had that same effect on me. Bird Box is my third Malerman novel and the best I've read so far. It's an intriguing and creepy read that disturbed me to my core. I loved the writing style and the way the story was told. It made me feel uneasy and, at times, claustrophobic. I also appreciated my sight a lot more when I was reading. It was tense, suspenseful, thrilling, and gory at times. What more can you ask for. We are so used to demons, vengeful ghosts, creatures, zombies, and all the typical horror movie monsters. However, this book really highlights the biggest monster of all... man. "We are the creatures we should fear." I couldn't have said it better myself. Such a unique and terrifying storyline.

Bird Box is a great book and that’s all you really need to know. I bought this for my Kindle a while back but my review queue prevented me from reading it. I’ve been disappointed by a few recently hyped books, so naturally, I approached this one with caution. Any lingering thoughts that Bird Box would be a disappointment were soon to flee the nest. The opening chapter sucked me right in with its desperately grim and dark outlook. The world is seemingly in chaos, something outside is causing people to go crazy, making them attack each other and behave like savages. Friends become enemies, families tear each other apart, even the animals are going insane, It’s scary stuff. The book opens in fantastic style raising many questions. Why can’t Malorie open her eyes? What is outside? Why are the children also blindfolded? Many, many more questions, dear reader, most of which are answered. Whilst the book has an apocalyptic tone, the setting is quite small. There are two timelines presented and both are equally as engaging. One timeline follows Malorie and her trip down the river with her blindfolded children, the other is a look at the past and her time spent with a small group of survivors. The pacing of this novel is excellent, and though some of the characters aren’t perhaps the most fully realised, there is so much going on, it actually didn’t hinder my enjoyment, and there are certainly times when you will question who the real monsters are. I believe the best horror stories leave much to the imagination and contain a certain ambiguity. Bird Box‘s strength lies in the fact that you are never quite sure what exactly is out there and for me, the greatest fear of all is the fear of the unknown. Malerman knows this and he uses it expertly to propel Bird Box into terrifying waters, delivering scenes of unbelievable tension and horror as Malorie and friends stumble around struggling to make sense of what is happening whilst still trying to carry out the simplest of tasks in order to survive. Nothing is ever simple or straightforward when one cannot see, even a trip outside to a well to retrieve water is a harrowing, daunting experience, especially when you can only rely upon your ears to inform you of what is going on. Throughout the book, there are numerous chapters where the tension is almost unbearable for the reader. Bird Box is a masterclass in building suspense, it’s a book dripping with paranoia and not a chapter goes by without something happening. Final thoughts: Bird Box is a wonderful book. I’m kind of gutted I left it this long before I read it. If you haven’t read it, don’t make the same mistake I did, go get a copy NOW! 5/5 dirty blindfolds from the Grim Reader

The book was delivered fast and in great quality. My friend encouraged me to read it, saying it was better then the movie. I hope so.

The most claustrophobic and suspensful novel I've read in a long, long time. It will tear your heart out and leave you breathless with its profound humanity and relentless pace. Not only a real page-turner but a passionate and compassionate tale. A tremendous achievement.

'Bird Box' is the story of Malorie and her two four years old unnamed children who have survived through a horror that they cannot look at because it will kill them. 'Bird Box' begins with Malorie living in a house with her two children as she prepares to leave the house they have lived in for the past four years, heading towards the river, blindfolded, to make their escape in the safety of the fog from the unseen monsters outside. As they begin their journey Malorie reminisces about her past. Before everything changed, Malorie and her sister Shannon had just moved in together in Detroit when Malorie discovered she was pregnant and the world was changing with reports coming from different places in Russia of horrific attacks and suicides, then incidents in Alaska and Canada. Malorie concerned about her unplanned pregnancy is not as worried as Shannon is but as the days go on, changes appear, blankets over windows, people covering their faces whilst driving. Malorie reads the morning paper where she sees an ad in the classifieds, a home in Riverbridge, a sanctuary which finally makes Malorie realise how dire the situation is. Three months past as Malorie and Shannon hide in their locked home, six months before Malorie's baby is due and their fears are confirmed when they do not hear from their parents as more and more incidents occur, now called 'The Problem' on the news and internet. Malorie reads as much news as she can until there is a media blackout and a mandated national curfew, both sisters live in fear, then Shannon commits suicide after looking out the window which Malorie cannot understand. Malorie, alone, grief stricken and terrified drives to the safe house where she meets other survivors, Tom, Jules, Victor (Jules's dog), Don, Felix, Cheryl and later Olympia (who is also pregnant) and Gary. Malorie now lives in a world with strangers and whatever waits outside for them. I have always been more of a fan of subtle horror as opposed to in your face horror, I enjoy the idea of something or someone that you cannot see and that is what exactly you get with 'Black Box', the idea of the monsters watching Malorie and her children as they try to make their escape. There is so much that makes 'Black Box' memorable, the characters are well written, you care about each of them as they try to survive, all of them are realistic. Tom, the leader of the group is so determined to keep the group together and to find someone else in the world who is managing to survive. Tom is full of ideas but after his first journey outside, he changes, despite wearing a blindfold, he feels the desolation of what is left of the world but he is still willing to try, to find a way to live outside. From one of Tom's journeys outside he brings back a box of birds that have been left in a garage with plenty of feed, which they use as a alarm, anyone or anything comes close, the birds make noise which helps the members of the group when collecting water from outside. Malorie changes throughout the book, at the start of the story, she has just found out she is pregnant, then trying to survive, trusting her instincts when it comes to Gary, who is hiding something, the horror of giving birth while death occurs around her, to raising two children, her own son and Olympia's daughter, teaching them to use their other senses, not to depends on their eyes as they have to wear blindfolds whilst outside. What is the most heartbreaking about Malorie is how guilty she feels about how she has raised her children, they have not had a normal childhood, what shines through is how strong she has made the children, how strong she has had to be. As you read the story, you find yourself consumed with emotions, at one point, I was thinking as Malorie had to face the world, 'just take the blindfold off' because like Malorie I wanted to know what was there despite the fear of the outcome. The feeling of being watched is very strong in the story, when anyone is outside and they hear a noise, is it their time? 'Bird Bird' is an amazing story of survival and what you are willing to do to protect what you love. I enjoyed it from start to finish, bleak, terrifying, ultimately a great read. I look forward to more stories by Josh Malerman.

Hay algo allá afuera; si lo ves, mueres. Ya no puedes usar la vista! ya eso es suficiente terror si eres de los que hasta lavarte la cara te da miedo por los segundos en que no puedes abrir los ojos.