A friend recommended the book Bird Box. I had never heard of the author before – Josh Malerman – but the story sounded interesting. I just finished reading this book, and I thought it was okay. Before I give my impression, here’s the text on the back cover:
“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, Malorie has long dreamed of fleeing to a place where her family might be safe. But the journey ahead will be terrifying; twenty miles downriver in a rowboat – blindfolded. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it a 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. Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman’s breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.”
Sounds like it would be pretty good, huh?
I like apocalyptic kinds of stories – they make you think. And make you realize how lucky we are to have the lives we have right now. While this story isn’t bad, I give it just a “meh”.
The problem is, the story is exactly like the text on the back cover. Just longer. With a little bit more details. But that’s about it.
You have no idea what “it” is, or where it came from. And the story doesn’t even make you wonder about what “it” is.
The characters in the story are just sort of “there”, with no real character development or background. They are only mildly interesting.
The story moves slowly with little to no excitement.
The story does keep you reading, but mainly because you keep hoping for more.
Then, after reading 260 pages, you reach the ending, and… that’s it.
No climatic ending.
No more information about “it”.
I didn’t even feel I was left “wondering”. Well, okay, I WAS wondering… how on Earth is this story going to be an original Netflix movie?!
Yes. That’s right. Netflix has made this book into a movie that will be released in December 2018. It even has a pretty good looking cast: Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, John Malkovich, Trevante Rhodes, Jacki Weaver, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Rel Howery, David Dastmalchian, Amy Gumenick, and Julian Edwards.
I’m used to reading books by Dean Koontz, Stephen King, John Saul, John Sandford, Dan Brown, and Patricia Cornwell. Now those authors write stories that keep you on the edge of your seat and make you feel completely immersed in the story. They leave you thinking and wondering, and caring about the characters. Maybe these authors have spoiled it for me to appreciate stories from new authors, but for me – Bird Box gets 2 out of 5 stars.
I hope the movie ends up to be more exciting than the book!
Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Share your opinion in a comment below and let’s talk.
