Bird Box: The Inspiration for the Film, a Gripping Post-Apocalyptic Thriller with a Heart-Pounding Twist

You saw the movie and thought it was alright? Cool now ignore that and read this book. It's 12 times better. I wasn't a big fan of the movie, like I enjoyed it but I'm not like a huge fan yah know. I read a lot of books and I can't lie, this just stuck with me. It's one of my favorites. The movie does no justice to how good this book is. If you liked the concept of the movie, read this book. The plot given to you in words strikes so much hotter on the pan then the movie did. The nuiances in words and detail do more justice here in the book. Pull that trigger if your interested. Let it happen. It hits on some key points I look for in a story that fits my needs. It's got suspense, survival horror, tactical thoughts to resolve issues. I love stories where the characters in that universe react like intelligent normal humans. Thinking logically to what context they are dealing with. The story is told in an interesting past and present method that is easy to digest. You will predictably grasp it. Read this if your barely interested it's worth it.

Bird Box by John Malerman is absolutely one of the most tensely claustrophobic horror novels I've ever read. Some horror is based on fear of things you see. And some horror is based on fear of things you don't see. Bird Box has a different kind of horror going on - a fear of things that you must not see. Malorie lives in rural Michigan, in a run-down house with two small children. The three of them have not seen or spoken to another human being in four years. All of the windows and doors have been carefully covered over with blankets, tape, paper, tarps, anything to prevent any possibility of ever glimpsing anything outside the house, even by accident. When Malorie has to go outside, she wears a blindfold tied tightly in place. The children sleep with blindfolds in carefully covered pens. Because there are _things_ out there, and to see them, even for a second, means madness and painful torturous death. But the day has come when Malorie and the two children must leave the house, feel their way to a boat on the river, and then blindly make their way down the river, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a place of safety that still exists in the world. The chapters alternate, sometimes in the present, more often in the past as we learn about the events of the preceding five years that led to Malorie's current situation. A lot of what makes Bird Box work is the atmosphere Malerman creates for the reader where he immerses you into a world where there's something out there, something that if seen, even by accident, even for a second, results in murderous insanity and death. Something that no one knows what it looks like because no one who sees it, even indirectly, survives intact to describe it. And you can feel Malorie's mounting apprehension early on in flashbacks as the outside world grows more and more ominous: "It is six months before the children are born. Malorie is showing. Blankets cover every window in the house. The front door is never left unlocked and never left open. Reports of unexplainable events have been surfacing with an alarming frequency. What was once breaking news twice a week now develops every day. Government officials are interviewed on television. Stories from as far east as Maine, as far south as Florida, have both sisters now taking precautions. Shannon, who visits dozens of blogs daily, fears a mishmash of ideas, a little bit of everything she reads. Malorie doesn't know what to believe. New stories appear hourly online. It's the only thing anybody talks about on social media and it's the only topic on the news pages. New websites are devoted entirely to the evolution of information on the subject. One site features only a global map, with small red faces placed upon the cities in which something occurred. Last time Malorie checked, there were more than three hundred faces. Online, they are calling it 'the Problem.' There exists the widespread communal belief that whatever 'the Problem' is, it definitely begins when a person _sees_ something. -- Malorie resisted believing it as long as she could. The sisters argued constantly, Malorie citing the pages the derided mass hysteria, Shannon citing everything else. But soon Malorie had to relent, when the pages she frequented began to run stories about their own loved ones, and the authors of these pages stepped forward to admit some concern. -- Cracks, Malorie thought then. Showing even in the skeptics. -- Days passed in which Malorie experienced a sort of double life. Neither sister left the house anymore. Both made sure the windows were covered. They watched CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News until they physically couldn't watch the same stories repeating themselves. And while Shannon grew more serious, and even grave, Malorie held on toe a pinch of hope that this would all simply go away. -- But it didn't. And it got worse. -- Three months into living like shut-ins, Malorie and Shannon's worse fears came true when their parents stopped answering their phone. They didn't answer e-mails either. -- Malorie wanted to drive north to the Upper Peninsula. But Shannon refused. -- "We're just going to have to hope they're being safe, Malorie. We're going to have to hope their phone was shut off. Driving anywhere right now would be dumb. Even to the store, and driving nine hours would be suicide." -- 'The Problem' always resulted in suicide. Fox News had reported the word so often that they were now using synonyms. 'Self-destruction.' 'Self-immolation.' 'Hari-Kari.' One anchorman described it as 'personal erasing,' a phrase that did not catch on. Instructions from the government were reprinted on the screen. A national curfew was mandated. People were advised to lock their doors, cover their windows, and, above all, not to look outside. On the radio, music was replaced entirely with discussions. -- A blackout, Malorie thinks. The world, the outdoors, is being shut down." What's even more remarkable about Bird Box is that it's Malerman's first novel. It was nominated this year for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, a nomination that was well deserved. Highly, highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a novel that will literally make you afraid to look up or turn around.

This novel is hard to put down. The characters are fully formed, and the reader becomes part of a new, horrifying world. Equal parts frightening and awe-inspiring as Malorie and her housemates struggle to find safety in a world gone crazy.

For someone’s first attempt at writing a dystopian novel, Josh Malerman has done an excellent job. I’ve had a bad streak with reading books that have disappointing endings, and some of the already existing reviews on this book seemed to take issue with the ending, and it made me hesitate on reading the book. I’m really glad that I decided to go for it, because contrary to what many other reviewers feel, I really enjoyed the ending. It felt more true to the main character and to the genre than if it had been a full-circle ending. The world, as we know it, has ended. It is impossible to look out the window or go outside without a blindfold because if you see…something…it causes you to rage and kill those around you, including yourself. We are introduced to Malorie and her two children who are living alone in a house, about to make a journey to hopefully find more people to survive with, relying only on their ability to hear and feel the world around them. The chapters alternate the time period. The first chapter is done in present time, as Malorie is preparing for the journey. The second chapter goes back to when the world was ceasing to be the comfortable world that we know and through those chapters, we come to find how Malorie came to be in that house alone with two small children. The big question here, is what is that “something”? Is it a creature? An alien? Something so complicated that we can’t understand it? There are many possibilities. It’s part of the hook and remains on the readers mind throughout the entire book as they follow Malorie on her journey to supposed safety, and as they read the events that got her to this point. What I really appreciated from this book is that you ONLY read from Malorie’s point of view. The writer would be doing the story an incredible injustice if this girl was suddenly omniscient and had all of the information that we desperately crave by the end. We know what she knows, and even though it isn’t the answer to all of the questions we may have about the novel, it felt true to the character and to the type of story. Dystopian literature often contains many unanswered questions, because there is often no way the character could possibly know the answers. Theories, sure. Hard fact answers, not often. I was left wanting to know more about this world. What would happen to humanity having to function in the dark or artificial light all the time? What’s outside that’s causing this? Is it really what they suspect it to be? Where did Gary go? I really enjoyed reading this. The author writes well and is easy to read, it only took a couple days to get through this book. Dystopian literature is by far my favorite kind of literature to read and Malerman did not disappoint with his view on an ended world.

This book is beyond well written. It is a work of true literary art. The author conveys true suspense and the feelings of dread and a dash of Hope. One reads it and feels as though they are there. I am a very avid reader, so very few authors can impress me with how they really touch a readers heart and mind. Josh Malerman has created a book that deserves the praise it has received. It is truly original, it is truly horrific, it explores the boundaries of The human experience and does an excellent job of creating a world that is both frightening and very believable. The depth that he plums is extraordinary, and his characters, in particular Mallorie, are excellently conceived. The myriad of ideas that he placed into his book are that of a person who is extremely intelligent and perceptive. His imagination gives this book a very good view of the world he created. He is an excellent author. This book is definitely what I consider to be a must-read, even though I am not particularly a fan of post-apocalyptic novels. This is likely because it is so much more than that. It is a very thoughtful and human look and experience. I felt like I was right next to Mallorie the entire time. It explores so many aspects of what it means to be human and how far out instinct for survival will go. It is an extraordinary good novel and one that I fully recommend. And I wait with bated breath for the next novel by Josh Malerman. On a very personal note, having been born in the upper peninsula of Michigan, (hence my usage of the word "Yooper") I have often thought that if there were ever an apocalyptic situation it would be someone from the U.P. who would be one of the survivors. Why, you might ask? Because the Upper Peninsula is nothing like the lower portion. This magnificent homeland of mine is a harsh and beautifully brutal place. This is an untamed place where nature is still in charge. It is a place like no other I have seen, and I miss it mightily living in Suburban Detroit. I fell in love with a Troll (unflattering nickname for those who live south of the Mackinaw Bridge😉) and our marriage of twenty years separates me from my beloved homeland. It's 450 miles and a long 8 hour journey away, sadly. You will find that Yoopers are kind, but children are not coddled and they are taught from a young age how to navigate in such a place. It is beyond beautiful, yet the winters are heavy, long and unforgiving. The weather is capricious in any season and one must be prepared at all times. It is sparsely populated, and Marquette is the largest city with less than 40,000 residents. I grew up right near Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. It is a place of raw and magnificent power, and the lake is a place we are taught to love and respect. As I wrote earlier, if you ever have the chance to go there, I strongly suggest that you do. I realize that I have reviewed the U.P. as much as I have the novel. I apologise if that's an annoyance. It's just that for a book to be so wonderful featuring a protagonist from my homeland is overwhelmingly touching. So few people know about the U.P. and I want people to know what they are missing. So, with that, I couldn't be more impressed by the way Josh Malerman wrote this brilliant novel. It has so much to offer and it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to enjoy the experience of reading Bird Box. It's too good to miss. As Always, I wish Happy Reads to All from the Unapologetic Book Junkie😉!

*This review contains minor spoilers.* I just finished Bird Box and I'm quite torn about it. The novel is fast-paced and a real page turner. I devoured it in just a couple days and couldn't wait to see how it ended. But now that it's all said and done, I'm left with a tinge of disappointment. I feel like the ending left something to be desired. The good: - The author wastes no time getting the action going. From the first chapter, I was invested and needed to know what would happen. There was no long hike to get to the good stuff; it was already there. - The plot is quite fast-paced, alternating between flashbacks and present-day events. You find yourself torn between needing to advance the story, and know where Malorie is headed with her children, but also desperately wanting to know the backstory here and how this dystopian future came to be. The author provides both, satiating you nicely. - The feelings of desperation, fear, anxiety, and helplessness that Malorie feels are palpable to you as the reader. I felt legitimate sorrow and fear for her. I felt quite invested in her well-being, especially after learning her backstory. She is a respectable, strong, and likable character. The not-so-good: - The "creatures" really could have used greater development. Their behavior is inconsistent and erratic, making it feel almost as if the author doesn't have a clue about them either and is just as much in the dark (no pun intended) as the characters. - In a similar vein, I found it very strange that everyone seems to know that, before the madness sets in, people see something. How would anyone know? Those who see it immediately kill others and/or themselves. Who is offering this news? How is this confirmed? Did someone see one, start to go mad, call the local news, explain what he/she saw, and then go on a killing spree? This plot hole felt a bit lazy. - Malorie's children are the strongest, most intelligent four-year-olds on the planet. I would have found them more believable had they been six or seven, not four. Also, they are not superheroes. Explaining that the boy has the ability to closely identify the page number of a book his mother is on after hearing her flip through it is ludicrous. - Finally, just how unbelievable the survival of some of these characters would be. Imagining wandering a neighborhood or driving a car without sight, and always managing to come back with great new supplies, was just a little too much for me. Swinging a broomstick around as you walk and hammering a small stake into the ground to note your residence...I had a very hard time believing these activities would be as simple and effective as the characters would have you believe. So, overall, give it a read if you're up for something spooky and thrilling. The book is quite unsettling and eerie and the author sets that tone very well. I just feel that more detail could have been used to really propel the story to the next level. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love mysteries and just the whole, "what's happening, what's causing it?" thing was excellent in this story. I love the way the author leaves much to the reader's imagination, in that way things could be much worse or much better than how you're predicting them, but either way you're left just as blind as the people in this story. I'm generally not one to read apocalypse type books in the traditional sense, (zombies, warfare, etc.) but this really offered a fresh and unique new twist on a topic that's been hashed out again and again. Again, I adored this story, so I gave it 5 stars, but that being said it isn't all perfect. Several other reviews have said it leaves something to be desired and I agree with that. It's obvious that the writer is inexperienced, and there were certain times I found myself wishing a more experienced author was at the helm because I just wanted a little more. I get that it's part of the mystery, but I was hoping for more development on the monsters; just anything to make them feel a little more grounded in reality. There were so many conflicting stories and reports on them that you just don't get a good opportunity to even try to develop what they might be. And unfortunately I think the author wanted it that way, but readers are curious and we just need something. There are a few plot holes that are irksome as well. When all these incidents start happening, it's widely reported that before people go mad they see something. How do people know they see something? It happens to a couple in a vehicle, but only the passenger goes mad, so how does the driver not see it? The two sisters went for a walk and then came back crazy, who knew they saw something? It seems minor but I just really needed that little detail. *Spoiler* another thing that bugged me were the animals. There are wild birds, fish they catch, they make several mentions of wild and domestic animals possibly being outside, so they don't think the animals go crazy. In a world where owners are dying and disappearing you would imagine that there would be a surplus of dogs and cats wandering the streets. After they get the huskies they walk the streets several times. The huskies don't go crazy, there's no crazy dogs or cats or birds attacking them or doing strange things when they go outside for water, even the pack of wolves at the end has somehow survived for 4 years. And yet, we learn that the monsters actually DO make animals go crazy. So how are there still so many wild animals that have survived to the end, and how are there not crazed animals wandering the streets at any given point. Especially when you consider Gary said tons of the monsters apparently walk the street they live on. There were a few other holes, how they could walk places without getting completely lost, how they could drive without running into things even though they mentioned there was a tent in the street and I can only imagine what else. Also, I appreciated that she trained the children hard, but they were just a little TOO super human. Although I have criticisms, mostly just wanting more, I really enjoyed this story and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the author will come out with a second, this time offering the things we were missing.

Remember when M. Night Shyamalan made good movies? (I know it may be a little difficult) Well, Bird Box is reminiscent of those good old days. When I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but wonder when the man himself will make a cameo since the book would be something I can picture him making. Josh Malerman did a great job of creating a suspenseful and eerie story that had me engrossed from the beginning. From the very start, Malerman established a sense of danger and fear that resonated throughout the book until the end. Malerman managed to tap into a fear that perhaps the majority of us don’t think about: the loss of vision. It’s a part of our lives that we aren’t actively aware of and for the most part take for granted, so to write a story in which that most cherished sense is taken away, gives the story another level of terror. It really plays upon the common saying of “fearing the unknown”. You are never sure about the exact nature of the book’s danger, but the knowledge that there is something outside that is a major threat is enough. Malerman writes his scenes in which this idea is never far from your mind and thus, tension is prevalent in almost every scene. Being able to maintain and build upon it is one of the things that made this book an engrossing read. These elements I have spoken of wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t for his characters. The way his cast (Malorie, Tom, Olympia, Felix, Jules, Cheryl, Don and Gary) reacted and adapted to the phenomenon is what makes the story go. If you didn’t buy into their fears and doubts, how can the reader be expected to do the same? The thing about his characters (like in other horror stories whether it be in literature or film) is that they are really just average citizens who are trying to survive in a scary new world. The intrigue lay in how they all adapt physically and psychologically and taking on roles that are forced upon them that they wouldn’t necessarily take in their previous lives. It was especially interesting to read Malorie’s journey from the beginning and seeing her progression to a survivalist. It’s through her that we see the effects of what the new world brings upon a person and how one’s mentality must change if one is to survive. It brings the moral/ethical question of the length a person will go through to survive. I may not be a big fan of the horror genre, but I like to think that I can recognize a good horror story/movie when I come across one and Bird Box was a good one. It was a good combination of gore and psychological thriller. The book kept me on edge with Malerman’s tension-filled scenes that forced me to keep reading so I wouldn’t be left in suspense for long.

Bird Box is a great book and that’s all you really need to know. I bought this for my Kindle a while back but my review queue prevented me from reading it. I’ve been disappointed by a few recently hyped books, so naturally, I approached this one with caution. Any lingering thoughts that Bird Box would be a disappointment were soon to flee the nest. The opening chapter sucked me right in with its desperately grim and dark outlook. The world is seemingly in chaos, something outside is causing people to go crazy, making them attack each other and behave like savages. Friends become enemies, families tear each other apart, even the animals are going insane, It’s scary stuff. The book opens in fantastic style raising many questions. Why can’t Malorie open her eyes? What is outside? Why are the children also blindfolded? Many, many more questions, dear reader, most of which are answered. Whilst the book has an apocalyptic tone, the setting is quite small. There are two timelines presented and both are equally as engaging. One timeline follows Malorie and her trip down the river with her blindfolded children, the other is a look at the past and her time spent with a small group of survivors. The pacing of this novel is excellent, and though some of the characters aren’t perhaps the most fully realised, there is so much going on, it actually didn’t hinder my enjoyment, and there are certainly times when you will question who the real monsters are. I believe the best horror stories leave much to the imagination and contain a certain ambiguity. Bird Box‘s strength lies in the fact that you are never quite sure what exactly is out there and for me, the greatest fear of all is the fear of the unknown. Malerman knows this and he uses it expertly to propel Bird Box into terrifying waters, delivering scenes of unbelievable tension and horror as Malorie and friends stumble around struggling to make sense of what is happening whilst still trying to carry out the simplest of tasks in order to survive. Nothing is ever simple or straightforward when one cannot see, even a trip outside to a well to retrieve water is a harrowing, daunting experience, especially when you can only rely upon your ears to inform you of what is going on. Throughout the book, there are numerous chapters where the tension is almost unbearable for the reader. Bird Box is a masterclass in building suspense, it’s a book dripping with paranoia and not a chapter goes by without something happening. Final thoughts: Bird Box is a wonderful book. I’m kind of gutted I left it this long before I read it. If you haven’t read it, don’t make the same mistake I did, go get a copy NOW! 5/5 dirty blindfolds from the Grim Reader

The book was delivered fast and in great quality. My friend encouraged me to read it, saying it was better then the movie. I hope so.

The most claustrophobic and suspensful novel I've read in a long, long time. It will tear your heart out and leave you breathless with its profound humanity and relentless pace. Not only a real page-turner but a passionate and compassionate tale. A tremendous achievement.

'Bird Box' is the story of Malorie and her two four years old unnamed children who have survived through a horror that they cannot look at because it will kill them. 'Bird Box' begins with Malorie living in a house with her two children as she prepares to leave the house they have lived in for the past four years, heading towards the river, blindfolded, to make their escape in the safety of the fog from the unseen monsters outside. As they begin their journey Malorie reminisces about her past. Before everything changed, Malorie and her sister Shannon had just moved in together in Detroit when Malorie discovered she was pregnant and the world was changing with reports coming from different places in Russia of horrific attacks and suicides, then incidents in Alaska and Canada. Malorie concerned about her unplanned pregnancy is not as worried as Shannon is but as the days go on, changes appear, blankets over windows, people covering their faces whilst driving. Malorie reads the morning paper where she sees an ad in the classifieds, a home in Riverbridge, a sanctuary which finally makes Malorie realise how dire the situation is. Three months past as Malorie and Shannon hide in their locked home, six months before Malorie's baby is due and their fears are confirmed when they do not hear from their parents as more and more incidents occur, now called 'The Problem' on the news and internet. Malorie reads as much news as she can until there is a media blackout and a mandated national curfew, both sisters live in fear, then Shannon commits suicide after looking out the window which Malorie cannot understand. Malorie, alone, grief stricken and terrified drives to the safe house where she meets other survivors, Tom, Jules, Victor (Jules's dog), Don, Felix, Cheryl and later Olympia (who is also pregnant) and Gary. Malorie now lives in a world with strangers and whatever waits outside for them. I have always been more of a fan of subtle horror as opposed to in your face horror, I enjoy the idea of something or someone that you cannot see and that is what exactly you get with 'Black Box', the idea of the monsters watching Malorie and her children as they try to make their escape. There is so much that makes 'Black Box' memorable, the characters are well written, you care about each of them as they try to survive, all of them are realistic. Tom, the leader of the group is so determined to keep the group together and to find someone else in the world who is managing to survive. Tom is full of ideas but after his first journey outside, he changes, despite wearing a blindfold, he feels the desolation of what is left of the world but he is still willing to try, to find a way to live outside. From one of Tom's journeys outside he brings back a box of birds that have been left in a garage with plenty of feed, which they use as a alarm, anyone or anything comes close, the birds make noise which helps the members of the group when collecting water from outside. Malorie changes throughout the book, at the start of the story, she has just found out she is pregnant, then trying to survive, trusting her instincts when it comes to Gary, who is hiding something, the horror of giving birth while death occurs around her, to raising two children, her own son and Olympia's daughter, teaching them to use their other senses, not to depends on their eyes as they have to wear blindfolds whilst outside. What is the most heartbreaking about Malorie is how guilty she feels about how she has raised her children, they have not had a normal childhood, what shines through is how strong she has made the children, how strong she has had to be. As you read the story, you find yourself consumed with emotions, at one point, I was thinking as Malorie had to face the world, 'just take the blindfold off' because like Malorie I wanted to know what was there despite the fear of the outcome. The feeling of being watched is very strong in the story, when anyone is outside and they hear a noise, is it their time? 'Bird Bird' is an amazing story of survival and what you are willing to do to protect what you love. I enjoyed it from start to finish, bleak, terrifying, ultimately a great read. I look forward to more stories by Josh Malerman.

Super thrilling and well written.