Bird Box

I wanted to love this book. It definitely left a sense of impending doom, and creeping dread, on my psyche. But I wish that the cause of the strange occurances would have been explained more...surely it's not all just “insanity fuss”. And I don't care if that puts the reader in the same place as the characters, not knowing. I want to know. Final verdict: bejabber-making, but flawed.

thoroughly enjoyed this

This was compelling, but overall I felt it tried unsuccessfully to lift itself out of the depressive, hopeless morass it so convincingly set up. The world Malerman presents really struggles to maintain suspense, because the only realistic expectation is that the ending will be “And they all died. The end.”

That, together with some really harrowing themes of child abuse, kept me from rating this four stars. I did like it, and while the premise seems to inevitably doom our characters unless there's colossal amounts of dumb luck on their side, it did serve to frame some spine-tingling set pieces that will be hard to forget!

The idea, the universe of this book is amazing. I love horror stories and I love ones like this, where said horror is unseen, without a name or a face. The pacing and the structure of the book doesn't let you get bored at all, always wanting to know what happens next or what happened before. That said, I didn't totally enjoy this book. Lot of things where unsatisfying, and some where too fictional. I know this is fiction, but in a story where things are supposed to happen in our real world and present time, I need some logic. Plus I felt the ending was lacking, but then again, I suppose it couldn't end any other way.

Still, entertaining and easy to read. All in all, quite good.

Another book I didn't want to put down until I finished. It was very gripping and not like anything I had read before. While it has some flaws (what book doesn't) I absolutely loved it.

I agree with some of the reviews below about Don, Gary, and Rick not really being well developed enough and thrown in there merely to propel the story along. I would have liked to care more about them; I think you have to remember that it was also told from Malorie's POV and so we learn all that Malorie herself would know about them. Also, the ending - while I don't feel it was a cop-out or too sudden - didn't quite have the impact that it should have. I didn't feel what Malorie should have been feeling at finally getting to the compound and more social safety. I felt that this would also mean a whole different bunch of problems for her and her children that only a sequel (not that I want or need one) could explain. I did like how the entire book was told back and forth between flashbacks and present. It made the climax seem more dramatic.

Overall, a real thriller that I will recommend to fans of dystopian literature and/or Joe Hill, as I feel they have similar styles and tones.

I really liked this book. The premise is one that could have become silly but Malerman creates a very authentic world and a very real sense of the fear and helplessness of living in such a world.

It's similar in some ways to another of my all time faves, The Road, although possibly not as bleak.

Can't recommend this highly enough.

Something is out there. Something that on seeing drives you into a screaming, murderous, hysteric breakdown. Whatever it is out there it bears no obvious malice. They don't attack and simply kill by being observed.

Malorie and her two kids survive by holing up indoors with the windows covered and doors bolted. They only venture outside with blindfolds. Searching for the promise of a better life and other survivors they must navigate the outside world and travel the river completely blind.

Ironically it's the scenes where Malorie is completely in the dark that are so compelling. Horrifying and descriptive based solely on smell and sound there are several scenes that are incredibly vivid. Those scenes alone would push it to a 4.5 but sadly when the blindfolds are removed and Malorie is inside the narrative pales to dull greys. The characters aren't clearly defined and the story lags. Still a fun, quick read.

I just read a sample of this and instead of waiting patiently on the hold list at my local library I'm going to buy it. GASP! Judging by the sample I'm already EXTREMLY interested and think this is a book I'm going to like it A LOT!

Actual review of finished book later (oh please don't disappoint me).