Bird Box: free sampler (chapter 1)

By Josh Malerman

Josh Malerman’s debut novel Bird Box is a terrifying, Hitchcockesque psychological horror that is sure to stay with you long after reading.

This is a book extract including chapter 1 of Bird Box.

Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors.

The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows.

They are out there. She might let them in.

The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall.

Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them.

Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Mar 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9780007586332

Josh Malerman

Josh Malerman is the acclaimed author of Bird Box and more than three dozen books, as well as the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band the High Strung. He has been nominated for multiple Bram Stoker Awards and lives in Michigan.

Book preview

Yet to follow

Malorie stands in the kitchen, thinking.

Her hands are damp. She is trembling. She taps her toe nervously on the cracked tile floor. It is early; the sun is probably only peeking above the horizon. She watches its meagre light turn the heavy window drapes a softer shade of black and thinks,

That was a fog.

The children sleep under chicken wire draped in black cloth down the hall. Maybe they heard her moments ago on her knees in the yard. Whatever noise she made must have travelled through the microphones, then the amplifiers that sat beside their beds.

She looks to her hands and detects the subtlest sheen in the candlelight. Yes, they are damp. The morning’s dew is still fresh upon them.

Now, in the kitchen, Malorie breathes deep before blowing the candle out. She looks around the small room, noting the rusted utensils and cracked dishes. The cardboard box used as a garbage can. The chairs, some held together by twine. The walls are dirty. Dirt from the feet and hands of the children. But older stains, too. The bottom of the walls in the hall is discoloured, profound purples that have

Reviews for Bird Box

[jthierer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a short book, but it packs a punch. There were several points where I realized I was physically leaning forward while reading because I was so on edge about what would happen next. Josh Malerman does a great job of conveying the isolation and claustrophobia of a world where simply opening your eyes can lead to madness and suicide, and what that would do to your choices as a person and as a mother. The subtle elements that convey this world is both like ours and not like ours often pay off in unexpected ways (instead of names, Malorie calls her children Boy and Girl). I haven’t yet seen the Netflix movie, but if it does half as good a job of building tension and suspense as the novel does, I’m definitely going to be sleeping with the lights on that night.

[codonnelly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The post-apocalypse genre saturates so much of pop culture these days that I try my best to avoid it whenever I can. Color me surprised when I picked up Josh Malerman’s Bird Box, expecting more of the same, and discovered that post-apocalyptic novels are not quite dead yet. Malerman’s debut tells the story of Malorie, Boy, and Girl, an unconventional family living in a world where using one’s sight has become dangerous, and too often leads to horrific acts of violence, murder, and eventually, suicide. The novel shifts between past and present, providing glimpses into Malorie’s life before and after the world started to unravel.

Malerman provides just the right amount of background information to compel the reader from the very start. He also withholds information brilliantly, as he establishes the haunting atmosphere, pulls you into the mystery behind the sudden acts of violence, and then leaves you wondering who or what could be causing so much chaos and death. The time shifts are also written in such a way that the reader is aware of an absence or is wary of a character, but they don’t yet know why. Putting the pieces together will become a desperate need, but Malerman only gives out information when he feels it is the right time. The anticipation is a killer.

Malorie desperately attempts to bond to her children in the present and her housemates in the past, but struggles immensely, as she has already lost so much and cannot fathom more death and isolation. While her thoughts dominate much of the narrative, important deviations to the minds of the other members of the household emphasize their similarities and differences. Everyone in the house has seen terrible things and they all have a common motivation, but they want to approach the solution in different ways. This tension and distrust causes much of the conflict in the house, and often makes the reader wonder whether living in the house is as safe as everyone seems to think.

What makes Bird Box so unique is that it relies heavily on the reader’s imagination. The people in the house must use blindfolds whenever they venture outdoors to fetch water or to make a supply run. Hearing, touch, and smell become imperative to their survival, and when strange objects, sounds, or odors appear, the mind jumps to the worst conclusions. Large portions of the novel focus on journeys outdoors, and these sections are the most nerve-wracking of all. Nobody knows what lurks around the corner, and most of the time, they will never find out.

Such a fast-paced and unpredictable novel begs for a marathon read. Bird Box by Josh Malerman will make you question your sanity and redefine your sense of humanity. It may also give you nightmares for weeks to come. In other words, it’s the perfect Halloween read.

[jspringbrinkley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So, quick review: the book was ok. The eponymous bird box was more afterthought excuse for a cool name than a main theme. Very lacking in character development, I didn't know the characters well enough to care about what happened to them. Lack of time flow and world development. Obvious solutions were ignored with no discussion or mention at all, and apparent limitations on the 'bad guys' are never explained. I liked the idea, and I feel like with some more effort spent at building up the world and the people who populated it, it could have been a lot better. It felt like the author was in a rush. SPOILER ALERT for the rest of this review.Most of the story is told in a series of flashbacks, so it jumps back and forth a lot. I am going to review the story chronologically, then give my overall opinion of the book.The Beginning: pre-Event. Starting out there was a decent setup of Malorie's relationship with (the person that would not be in the entire rest of the book) her sister. I felt like there could have been more build up to the Event hitting home. There are news stories and her sister reacting and talk of theories and conspiracy theories that is a nice outline for a buildup, I just really wish it would have been expounded upon. It's really unclear what is going on in their world, it's hard to get into Malorie's shoes and walk around. Following the sisters through their community to the store or to the doctor a couple times would have added a lot of context and reality, and some of Malorie's fretting on her condition could have been expressed on these trips as well without adding too much to the length of the story, if that was the issue. The Event: Again, lack of information. There is no sense of growing chaos. No sense of passage of time. No sense of growing danger. There's talk of people covering their windows (including Malorie's sister) and she thinks this is over reacting, so I felt that people are scared of the reports but nothing much is actually happening in their community. They are watching tv, surfing the web, using their phones, enjoying utilities, etc, but mostly staying inside. Then Malorie finds her sister is a victim of the Event and all of a sudden she is in a post apocalyptic horror world. Most people are dead, utilities are out (save for the fortunate explanation of power at the House), tv stations are out (this is an assumption, it is never really addressed) and the radio waves are all but silent.The House: I won't harp on about the lack of development. You get a hint at who the characters are, but they were still strangers to me by the time they died. Tom goes out on a mission and Malorie is beside herself, but the author doesn't bring the reader along in the tension. There's no buildup of relationship. At this point, I am wondering how the characters are so confident in the apparent limitations of these unknown foes. They walk around freely inside the house as long as the door is locked and they can't see outside, using a flimsy blanket or piece of cardboard to cover windows. No one seems to worry about anything breaking the glass, or seeping through cracks like mist, or digging into the basement, or 1000 other possible points of attack. Tom points out a flaw in the basement for a whole page or more for no apparent reason. He putters around with helmets and armor, but since it is described as cotton balls and pencils I can't take this seriously. Then Gary shows up and all of a sudden moody, withdrawn Don that was against new people does a 180 out of the blue. There is a bit of suspense buildup, but then just as quickly they kick Gary out. They take him to the door, close their eyes, open it up and trust him to walk away. Then they go about their merry way. No one seems to worry about him breaking or sneaking back in, or to even bother checking if he ever left. They were checking inventory constantly, but no one noticed extra food being consumed. No one worried about angry Don having unguarded access to their only food. Malorie and Olympia go into labor at the same time, which is unlikely but not impossible. I can see that happening. But then there is some excuse given about women starting their periods at the same time so that's why, and it just makes it seem ridiculous. Gary isn't gone, (surprising no one reading) apparently no one in the book could see that coming, they all die. Including Tom. If you watched the movie first, that might be a shock. Present day: Wham bam, for years pass and the kids are little listening machines, trained from infants to wake up with their eyes closed and to identify every sound. I don't have a lot to criticize about the river trip. The kids are more delicate instruments to be used and protected, so their personalities don't really need to be explored. The climax is when they are coming up to the point where Malorie has to Look and birds are going crazy and a Thing is pulling on her blindfold. That part just made me wonder, if the Things could interact with the physical world, why didn't they just tear down blankets, open doors, break windows...? Then they get to the safe point, Malorie names the children, signaling that she is confident they will live... the end.Overall, the book wasn't bad. I watched the movie before I knew it was a book, and I had hoped that the book would tell the 'real story' and fill in the glaring gaps in the narrative. Sigh. I was disappointed. You might notice I didn't mention the bird box. It wasn't worth mentioning. I think it was an excuse thrown in to give the book a cool name. I found myself wishing this would have been a third or fifth novel instead of the author's first. I really did like the premise, I thought it was unique and had a lot of potential. I feel like this was a good rough draft, and an editor should have got out the red pen and sent it back to the author to fill in the blanks. Off topic, Douglas from the movie seemed to be loosely based on Don, but I was very disappointed my favorite character didn't really exist!

[trayceetee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I haven't flown through a book this quickly in a long time. I picked this up about three, maybe four days ago, and I just finished tonight. (For me, that's pretty fast.) I'd seen a few things about the movie, but as it was on Netflix, I wasn't able to watch it. I'm so glad I read the book. This is an edge-of-your-seat, who-can-you-trust kind of book!!! I LOVE that the protagonist is a woman and a mother! This book had me mildly frightened most of the time, and at times I was exclaiming out loud in fear! Loved it!!!!!

[unclebob53703 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Spoilers: A horror/post-apocalypse hybrid and the author's first novel, intensely creepy and an absolute page-turner in the best sense of the word. The underlying phenomenon is never explained as it would be if it were Science Fiction, but it's grounded by a hugely sympathetic progagonist. It alternates between real time and flashbacks, and during the parts of the book that take place outside with the characters blindfolded, it becomes almost hallucinatory, with the author having to describe things without visual imagery. There's only one really hardcore shock, but it's as doozy. Doesn't read like somebody's first book, it's very sure-handed, fully realized and well written. The Special Edition includes a short story set in the same world, turning the concept inside out by getting into the head of an actual victim. A great read, whichever genre you're a fan of.

[edwina_callan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author is a master at tension building, which made this a very hard to put down book.I read it in two sittings and never got bored with it once.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As it says on the cover, "Don't Open Your Eyes"! And you damn well better listen!I really liked the movie, and this book, as per usual, is better! It's much more realistic, and gets in to more survival details and makes the whole story a little more believable. Malorie is awesome, and Boy and Girl are pretty kickin' too! If you like the movie, you'll like this read. And if you haven't seen the movie, read this first!

[jothebookgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From goodreads
Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn't look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything.

[gaillamontagne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very suspenseful, scary, and chilling post apocalyptic story of people surviving in a terrifying world that has been invaded with extra terrestrials that drive humans insane if they are looked upon. Survivors must wear blindfolds when outsideand have all windows covered to the point of "blackout" so no beings could possibly look in any window. Many friends and relatives of the survivors have already gone insane and killed themselves or killed others. To begin the story, the main character, Mallory, and her sister who live together listen to the news about the strange suicide deaths all over the world until the stations quit broadcasting and Mallory finds her sister has committed suicide. Mallory has just discovered that she is pregnant. However, she comes across an add in the news paper offering a safe house that is opening it's doors to people before it is too late. Mallory sets off with a blindfold to find the house. When she does, the people there take her in. She finds some refuge until suspicions take hold of her by the throat. One more person, a man, comes knocking on the door and needs sanctuary just like she did............ A truly frightening book that makes you realize just how dark the world could get as described in the Book of Revelation. Mallory has been influenced by the hope and determination of some of her roommates which drives the story to it's conclusion. The book has been made into a movie on Netflix and stars Sandra Bullock .

[devnd-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quick, decent read.

In terms of "not seeing" novels, I prefer Blindness for Saramago's prose.

[alirob_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The film is so much better!

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I decided to read the book before watching the new Netflix movie sometime in the next few weeks.I think this book suffered by jumping back and forth between two tracks. Track A is a post-apocalyptic future where a woman struggles to transport two young children from one refuge to another. Track B is set four or five years previous as the apocalypse begins to unfold and the woman seeks refuge with a group of strangers. Everything about Track A basically tells us that Track B is not going to end well, but we spend much of the book waiting to find out how. When it finally comes, it is fairly exciting, if way over the top. Having wrapped up Track B, the rest of the book is spent in Track A and seems anticlimactic if not outright pointless.Side note: I found it amusing that I was willing to suspend disbelief about a vaguely described alien invasion, but it constantly threw me out of the story that the woman only refers to the children as Boy and Girl. Very bad choice.So, slow beginning, decent middle, muddled ending, but still entertaining enough. Now bring on Bullock!

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. So well-written, riveting, and completely terrifying. I still have questions and would love a sequel.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m still reeling from this one. The suspense is so intense. I will say that reading this while pregnant added an extra layer of stress! It’s well written and there were so many white-knuckle moments. It’s terrifying without being too graphic, which is good.

[underthebookpile · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was super grim. I read it right before watching the movie. While I do think it is better than the film version (Netflix), I found the primary motivation for taking the journey to be stronger in the film than the book.That “journey” is a majority of the plot - it bounces back and forth between present-day, with a blindfolded journey down a river, and five years past, when we learn WHY everyone is blindfolded in this book. It was dark and ominous. This book didn’t make me afraid, per se, but I did lay awake for some time after I finished it just feeling the intense after-effects of the book.

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You can't look outside, you have to keep the blindfolds over your eyes. If you don't you will go mad and die. This is the life Malorie knows now, follow these rules and she and her children will be safe. I sometime struggle with books set in times after a disaster of some sort whether it's the bomb, plague, or the unkown. This book intrigued me after seeing the trailer for the film version. I have to say that I quite enjoyed it.The story follows Malorie before the problem, during the early part and four years later. I found the story very easy to read and fled through it. For me there was plenty of tension building and a lot of a claustrophobic feeling due to the circumstances.My only niggle is that I didn't get to really understand what the thing was that created the 'problem' and as a reader didn't get to know what the creatures were. However for me it was the characters that mattered and how they bonded and coped with the new world they were facing.I wouldn't say that this story was a horror and it wasn't scary but it was more about the unknown and what was going to happen next and to who. I quite enjoyed this book for what it was and maybe it's a good starting point for somebody to delve into dystopian fiction.

[wellreadcatlady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you lay eyes on the creature it makes the viewer go insane and kill themselves. This is the world Malorie lives in now, the story is told in two time periods, when this first outbreaks and she is pregnant living in a house with survivors and 4 years later when all who is left are her two kids trying to find a safe place with other people. In both time periods, they must avoid looking outside or else risk seeing a creature, this means windows are covered and if they go outside they are blindfolded. Not knowing what the creatures are and the characters having to navigate around blindly, not knowing what is near them, watching them, creates a creepy mood to the book that makes it enjoyable and wanting to know what happens next kept me hooked. The writing isn't the best and there are a lot of loose ends, which was expected.

[caropi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book. It put you in the verge and it makes you imagine something different each time. I really like the ending, was quite unexpected. Is a perfect reading for october... Rainy day when you are not sure what is out....

[jaredorlando-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bird Box is good. Bird Box is excellent. Bird Box is a wonderful thriller that I recommend to horror and suspense readers alike. There is a plethora of adjectives I could put here in this (bird) box, but the book is short enough for you to create your own.

[sharn_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say about this book? It was a different genre for me and it held my attention, I needed to know what was out there.I can't imagine having to live like these people, can't imagine doing what they had to do - I honestly don't think I could've done it.This book is pure suspense. I love suspense. I did have questions at the end of the book but I believe they are all natural questions evolving from the unnatural way of life that I can't comprehend.

[jess_reads_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Five years ago something started happening. People were seeing things. Things that caused them to go mad. Things that drove them to violence and suicide. No one knows what this thing is. No one has lived to tell the tale of what it looks like. No one knows where it came from.Malorie and her two young children are amongst the survivors scattered across the world. They’re living in an abandoned house that holds many memories for Malorie. Memories of time spent with other survivors. Memories that have taught her how to stay alive. Now that the children are four, they need to move on. They can’t stay in this house. Malorie has a destination, but it’s going to require unbelievable feats to make it there. Malorie and her young children must make it to the river behind their home and travel twenty miles downriver in a row boat completely blindfolded. The children have never seen the world and Malorie has trained them to have exemplary hearing abilities, but will this be enough to get them safely to the destination?BIRD BOX is an epic, terrifying, and suspense-filled horror thriller. Malerman expertly intertwines chapters of Malorie’s present day and the look back on her journey to get here. The pace of these chapters is quick and each one seems to end at the height of suspense, which naturally means you have to keep reading! The character of Malorie is at the center of this story and she is easily one of the most relatable characters I’ve recently read about. The dystopian, post-apocalyptic setting Malerman has created is one that I struggled so hard to envision myself as a part of, but with the help of Malorie, who is an ordinary woman, I was able to relate to the decisions she made, the fears she had, and the actions she ultimately ended up taking. I loved everything about this novel! At the end of the day, my only complaint is that I didn’t want this book to end. I’m thrilled that BIRD BOX is being adapted into a movie and while I wait I’ll be recommending this book to everyone!

[veeshee-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The scariest part of this novel is the fact that you never find out what exactly it is that people see that causes them to become suicidal. The author leaves the "creature" to the reader's imagination, so we can each create our own perfectly scary horror monster. The story goes between different periods of time, and I really felt that the author did a great job with that. There is a part in the story when it becomes unclear what is the present and what is the past, and it was such a cool effect that it made me like this novel even more (that's all the details you get!). The concept for this novel was really good and it was executed well, so I was very pleased with this story. A word of warning: this is a very open-ended story; the author doesn't give too much and a lot of the descriptions are things your imagination has to put in. While I enjoyed that aspect, I know there may be readers who would prefer more details. Overall, a great horror story that really did justice to the genre!

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! What a story! I listened to the audiobook of this and it was an awesome listen. In this book the world has changed. It's no longer safe to open your eyes and there are monsters out and about. The story of Mallory trying to survive in this new world is eerie and provoking. This book is one of the creepiest books I've read in a while. Loved it!

[agrimscythe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you're looking for something that is fast-paced and just might give you an anxiety attack, Josh Malerman's debut novel Bird Box may be exactly what you need. Set in the very near future, Bird Box is a book that simultaneously takes place during and after the apocalypse. Human beings find their minds under assault by an unseen force, one that drives them toward homicidal and suicidal tendencies. The only way to remain safe is to never, ever open your eyes.

Imagine with me what living in a world, robbed suddenly of sight, might be like. We rely heavily on our senses and, as an avid reader, I highly value my ability to be able to see the written word. I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to find myself forced into an eternally dark void, and never have I thought of a scenario in which I would choose to be blind.

In Bird Box, Malorie and her children aren't given that option. Stranded in a home that is not her own, and faced with dwindling supplies and a lack of social interaction with anyone but her two children, Malorie must embark on a dangerous mission to find a new, safer haven for her small family: only their destination isn't very close to them, and they are not alone. There's a fourth party traveling with them and they are helpless to identify the newcomer.

The entire story does not follow that journey alone, though. In fact, it simultaneously takes place prior to Malorie's endeavor, introducing us to an entire cast of characters ranging from lovable to untrustworthy; from the purely innocent to those whose madness goes beyond all help. Though I'm not a huge fan of the constant back and forth chronology (in fact, I find it to be extremely distracting), the manner in which Malerman reveals bits and pieces of his story is crucial to progression: it gives readers the opportunity to develop their own feelings for Malorie and how she handles her problems. I also found that the odd way in which he split the story kept me reading, if only because more often that not, I found myself wondering how or why something was the way it was presently if, at the beginning of the end, everything seemed to be headed in a totally different direction.

Like most stories that take place after the world as we know it has met its doom, whether by nuclear fallout, bio-warfare, or the collapse of government, Bird Box brings out the best, and more readily, the worst in people. They become desperate or panicked, sometimes to the point that their actions defy all logic: such as the voluntary or involuntary blinding of oneself to avoid madness. Perhaps I so easily love post-apocalyptic books for that reason alone. They have a habit of reminding us exactly how pathetic and disgusting our own race can be; how often we are willing to put ourselves first, despite the suffering of others, should the situation call for it.

[shelby_kuzma · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bird Box tells the story Mallorie, a young mother who has not looked outside of her home in more than four years due to her fear of the unknown creatures that make anyone who sees them go insane. Flashing between the time when Mallorie first discovers she is pregnant while the epidemic seems far away and Mallorie is living with a group of people who share a common goal, and over four years later while Mallorie and her children attempt to escape their home in hopes of finding somewhere safer, Bird Box builds its tension slowly and lets you simmer in your questions; what is making these people go insane, and why are Mallorie and her children now completely alone? The story itself is beautifully told, and builds incredible imagery throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks between the two points in time. Knowing that Mallorie ends up alone leads to incredible suspense each time a new character is introduced or whenever the group attempts a riskier maneuver, leaving you wondering, is this it? Is this how they die? Josh Malerman also did a great job of showing the trajectory of the epidemic, starting from the beginning when reports of people going insane and killing themselves are countries away, up until people that Mallorie herself knows and cares for begin to suffer from the affliction themselves. Because of the nature of the story, I think that Bird Box benefits from its audio form. The novel contains detailed descriptions of how the world outside feels and sounds, as whenever the characters go outside they are blindfolded. Hearing the words spoken aloud provides an interesting perspective- rather than seeing these descriptions for yourself, you are hearing them described to you. And because this book is so descriptive, being able to close your eyes and visualize the story unfolding adds an extra layer onto the story (and gives you a small idea of what it may be like to be a character in this world).This book is dark; many of the characters have suffered from extreme tragedies prior to the part of their story told in Bird Box, and most suffer more while we are with them. However, if you are in the mood for another great apocalyptic thriller, I encourage you to give this one a try!My rating: 4/5 stars. This book reminded me a lot of The Fireman by Joe Hill, so if you are looking for a read-a-like this one may be for you!

[nwhyte-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Samarago's Blindness meets Day of the Triffids with a dash of The last Man - not to imply that it's derivative, I agree that it is very good and engaging. But it's pretty firmly in the horror category for me - there no sfnal explanation is even proposed, let alone resolved, for what has been going on, and the mechanisms used by the evil forces to wreak evil seem a bit magical to me.

[grlintrrptdrdng · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you lay eyes on the creature it makes the viewer go insane and kill themselves. This is the world Malorie lives in now, the story is told in two time periods, when this first outbreaks and she is pregnant living in a house with survivors and 4 years later when all who is left are her two kids trying to find a safe place with other people. In both time periods, they must avoid looking outside or else risk seeing a creature, this means windows are covered and if they go outside they are blindfolded. Not knowing what the creatures are and the characters having to navigate around blindly, not knowing what is near them, watching them, creates a creepy mood to the book that makes it enjoyable and wanting to know what happens next kept me hooked. The writing isn't the best and there are a lot of loose ends, which was expected.

[gilroy_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The description seemed so promising when I first read it. Then I started reading the book and everything fell apart. It started in the first few paragraphs. I had trouble classifying this book (which is a mixed positive for me.) It starts sounding like it's a literary fiction type book, then offers a thriller/suspense/mystery type, then suggests it's a science fiction type thing. It's all very confusing. The whole thing with not looking is not well done, as the author doesn't do as well just describing sounds. He has to describe as if seen. It's also made worse when the writer proves he's never actually been IN a rowboat. She places the girl in back. The boy sits up front. Yet when she stops rowing, she leans forward to touch the boy then backward to touch the girl. Which would be wrong. And what's with calling the kids Girl and Boy? Too lazy to give them names throughout the book?I don't mind frame stories, but this jumping back and forth between memories and present day is just annoying to me. It breaks up the time line too much. And once the characters are on the river, there's a monotony to the whole story that just kills any suspense or momentum the writer might have built. There's no forward motion. The characters are stuck in a time loop. I feel proud to have made it more than half way through the book. I think I'm going to give up and label it a dud.

[dougcornelius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a book for reading alone in the dark. Something is infecting the world and you get infected by seeing it, turning you homicidal and suicidal. To survive, you must close your eyes an keep them closed. Maybe, in a small space that you have cleared, you can dare to open your eyes in a small space.Mallory faces this new reality. It's scary not knowing what is out there or around you when you can't see.The narration of the audiobook is very good.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Suddenly, people who see mysterious creatures turn violent and attack one another or themselves, so everyone who survives must barricade themselves indoors and not open their eyes outside.First of all, the premise for this book is ridiculous. Malerman handles this by not making the story at all about the "creatures" but instead about the effects of having to avoid seeing them. Also, this is a horror story, not a survival story, so Malerman glosses over the niceties of staying alive in such an environment. As a result, he keeps the tension high and the pace quick, with several genuinely creepy moments, and the story works on that level as long as the reader doesn't get overly concerned about the details. Not deep, but a nice, creepy little read.