Genre: Adult Thriller/ Horror
Page Count: 262
Publication Date: 2014
Rating: 3.5/5
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Something outside is making those who see it lose their minds. It starts with a few alarmingly violent cases throughout the world and then quickly spreads. Don't open your eyes because what you see will drive you crazy. Bird Box follows a house of strangers trying to survive this new world with their eyes shut.
I have seen some buzz about this book lately, and although it's not my usual type of read, the concept sounded so interesting to me that I couldn't resist picking it up. I had no idea of what to expect from the plot or the reading experience, and that made the book even more fun to read. I couldn't put this book down. From page one, Malerman sucks you into a world of suspense and uncertainty and you need to find out what happens next.
I thought the writing style fit with the plot and genre perfectly. You really don't get to know any of the characters all that well, but you don't need to. The plot is constantly moving towards something unknown and that drives the narrative. I also really loved that the book wasn't told in a linear fashion as both the past and present were so interesting that I was equally invested in what was happening in both times, which is not always the case with books that switch back and forth between times. The novel has the perfect amount of "shocks" and suspense, but still keeps an interesting plot and substance. Once you pick this book up, you won't put it down until it's finished.
A lot of the negative reviews on Goodreads are the result of readers being unhappy with the ending of the novel. While this book does leave a lot of questions unanswered, I prefer it that way. I think that's what makes good science fiction or horror so good. The unknown is what scares us as humans, we need to sort and classify everything we see in a logical fashion, and when we can't, that's when we are threatened. Unanswered questions in the real world, and fiction such as this, is what makes horror scary. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or the ending, but I respected the ending and enjoyed it. It does what the end of a good horror plot should do: make you think about it even after you have finished it. And I agree that some details of the novel are unrealistic, but it's a novel with a supernatural plot; I'm willing to suspend belief for the smaller details as well as the larger ones in an entertaining novel such as this one.
If you're not usually a reader of this genre, I really recommend this one. I raced through it and really enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next. I'm interested to explore the thriller/horror genre more in the near future, so leave me your favorites!
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