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Book Review

Publisher's Note:

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 pa…

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Bird Box: A Novel

by Josh Malerman

Reviewer: Lydia
Genre: Horror
Recommended Age: 21+

Overall Book Review:

I must say that I have never read a book quite like this one. It has been compared to The Road and Stephen King, but it almost seems to be in a category all its own. I can think of a few young adult series that are similar, but this book has a more mature feel to it, and I would personally only recommend it to an adult reader, or a very mature young adult.

People wandering around blindfolded, stockpiling canned goods, being terrified to step foot outdoors…these are all things that stand out in this book. Obviously the people are living in a world that is dangerous and frightening, but what makes them so scared? The reader isn’t told this little tidbit, perhaps because the characters themselves don’t really know. I was left wondering if this thing they are so scared of really existed, or if it was all in their minds. This book isn’t really science fiction, and it isn’t a mystery either. I’d say it is more of a dystopian fiction with a little bit of thriller/mystery thrown in. If you are looking for something new and different, try this book out.


Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  5 religious exclamations; 2 mild obscenities; 3 scatological words; 12 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  Blood and gore is mentioned several times; death is mentioned multiple times; several characters are mentioned to have committed suicide; several frightening scenes are described in detail; dead bodies are described with some detail; birthing described in some detail with blood mentioned.

Sex/Nudity:  Non-sexual depiction of nudity; two women are mentioned to be unwed and pregnant.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, family/personal crises.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink; adults smoke.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
10
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
5
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
2
10

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About the Reviewer

Lydia
Books and reading have always been an important part of my life. When I was very young, my grandma was the library director at our local public library. Years later, after she had retired, I became a librarian at the same library and worked there for several years before taking a part-time job at a local coffee shop, which gives me more time to do what I love, to read and to review books! A few of my favorite authors are Aimee Bender, Diane Chamberlain, and Curtis Sittenfeld however, I will read almost any book I come across! In my spare time you can find me reading (of course), volunteering at a wildlife animal rehab, or hanging out with my three house rabbits.

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