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JULY 5, 2021: BLOG #33

Book review: bird box: a novel by josh malerman.

Disclaimer: The information you are about to read is based off of my own opinions. Not intended to be taken as professional advice. Not a sponsored post. Just for fun to read and to maybe open up your mind to something new. Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to read my post!

*Includes graphic scenes

“Did you hear me, Malorie? The story is everywhere. People are starting to say it’s related to seeing something. Isn’t that strange? I just heard CNN say it’s the one constant in all the incidents. That the victims saw something before attacking people and taking their own lives. Can you believe this? Can you?”

Bird Box By Josh Malerman

ISBN: 978-0062259660

Page Count: 272 (average joe but ain’t no joke)

Genre: suspense, horror, (psychological) thriller, mystery, drama, apocalyptic

Book Bites: 3 Sentence Intro About What This Story Is

What is this mysterious, threatening entity that has suddenly arrived on Earth and causes everyone to kill themselves? Malorie, a pregnant woman in her twenties, as well as a few of the remaining survivors in this new uncertain world have to find a way to survive without really knowing who their hunters are. And the one thing they have to rely on to navigate the new world: their blindfolds.

*As usual, to see the official book teaser/summary of this, go to anywhere books are found and read up more about what this book is about.

Now on to My Commentary (**May Contain Spoilers: Read at Your Own Risk)

You thought this was just a movie? Psyche! It’s also a book. And a really entertaining, suspenseful quick read. Okay, “quick” may be relative to who is reading. Though, honestly, Josh Malerman does a wonderful job retaining your attention each chapter and curious for more.

When I found out that the popular Netflix movie Bird Box was originally a book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I don’t know about you, but I really love watching the movie and reading the book versions to compare and contrast the two works.

And let’s be honest, almost every (good) movie nowadays stemmed from a book – yeah, truth shots fired.

I’ll probably be comparing this book to the movie because that’s where my brain goes. Though I will try to focus on the book for those of you only interested in reading it because this is a book review. Either way check out the movie too. It was well made and I think captures the tone of the book well. But I’ll talk about how the book levels up in suspense and graphic images in a way that’s lacking in the movie.

Okay, Now We Actually Get to the Review

I found Josh Malerman to be a talented debut author. He created this interesting, ominous world where all its inhabitants can easily be overrun by this mysterious entity called the “madness”. Bird Box is a page turner! And I guess as I read it, I was mentally comparing the scenes to the movie. The first few chapters almost followed the movie exactly (I love when it does that)!

More Detailed Characters

However, a couple chapters in, we do start seeing some divergence from the movie’s plot. We delve deeper into the backgrounds of the characters in the book. For example, Tom’s character. We get so much more details about Tom through the pages and if you loved him in the movie, his actions, personality, intelligence, and courageousness shine in the book.

We also get a better idea of the day to day lives that Malorie and the others had to adjust to while being stuck in the same house. It could be boring to watch this on screen, but I think getting a peek of the daily routines of the household helps us understand each character’s development. We understand how each individual has been affected by the “madness” pandemic. And we see a clearer dynamic between the relationships of the members in the household, even those who were minor characters in the movie.

And Gary. Well Gary’s still Gary. Which is a good thing. Except like more maniacal. He’s always a joy to read.

The Horrors in the World of Bird Box

Oh and the best part – due to my morbid and twisted interests – the book has some disturbing and graphic scenes. Malerman sprinkles in a few scenes of the gruesome, unfortunate deaths of some victims infected by the madness.

I find this adds the realism to the apocalyptic, unpredictable world of Bird Box . It’s not only horrific because they are literally blind to their attacker, this invisible entity that clearly threatens them. But it’s horrific to see the consequences of their situation during times when they are able to remove their blindfolds. The ghostly streets of their once populated towns. The tragic ways in which people took their own lives. And the fear that continues to elevate in the survivors, knowing they might fall victim next. It’s like Final Destination . You never truly feel a sense of ease even though your mind knows you’re currently safe, that you’ve taken all precautions to ensure your safety, doubts and fears ravage your sanity and well-being.

In this way, I do find Bird Box similar to Stephen King’s style of unnerving, eery, psychological horror versus a more tangible, “monster” style of horror. And personally, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s style because I find what the mind imagines to be far scarier than what exists in the physical world. But again, I don’t know if the “madness” is a real or imagined threat.

Who Are the Real Monsters?

Which brings me to my next point. (The only reason why I was so eager to read the book was because there was something missing in the movie that I wanted to find. I thought this book might include this detail. I guess it kind of did.) And that was for a thorough explanation of the entity that’s making everyone go “mad”.

This really begs the question: was there truly a supernatural force harming humans? Or were humans just voluntarily harming themselves because of the hysteria and paranoia around them?

My verdict. It’s a bit of both.

As a whole, I admired that Bird Box really brought up the impact of the human mind. Just how potent our imagination can be. In some scenes, the characters truly believed they were about to be attacked or die only to find they were only hypersensitive to the environment around them. But they always had to be on guard as they never knew if the entity was present or not.

And it was cool to have a survival book where the characters had to adapt to giving up their most depended on sense (sight) and learn to live through their other senses.

I sympathized with how much of a struggle it was for the once-seeing characters to have to move through life blind. I don’t know about you, but I am wholly dependent on my sense of sight. And another question that Malorie and I had: if it affects you through sight, who’s to say it can’t affect you through your other senses? What then? How will you survive?

How very relevant I found it to imagine Malorie’s world while reading this book during COVID quarantine. Except for COVID, we knew what we were fighting up against. But it parallels the cautious behavior we’ve adapted and our dependence on a different kind of mask to protect us from a threat we can’t see with our normal eyes.

Personally for me, as a writer, I liked learning how to create suspense by meticulously analyzing and observing Malerman’s writing style. This is something I struggle with – being long-winded (as you can tell). So for me, it was like a mini writing class. Plus, I liked reading the book with my mental audiobook narrated by Sandra Bullock’s voice and portrayal of Malorie.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for story that takes your mind off of COVID quarantine by learning what a crappier world Malorie and the survivors have to live in, read this. You’ll definitely relate to Malorie and the others as they try to survive in a world now run by a madness-causing creature because 1) you’re basically locked indoors for your protection and 2) you gotta wear a mask – over your nose and mouth not your eyes but still, you get the idea.

Lovers of Stephen King and similar psychological thriller/horror suspense authors – *raises my hand* – will enjoy this book.

Check out this book if it piques your interest. Hope you enjoy it as your next read or a re-read!

And remember, “Every story is worth the read. Someone (some poor, overworked, ink-stains-on-the-clothes lovely soul) took the time to write it.”

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Bird box: 5 things they changed from the books, and 5 things they kept.

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One Impossible Star Wars Legend Reveals A Jedi Master & A Sith Lord Were Once Friends

Star wars' new trilogy news means i'm finally giving up on rian johnson's trilogy, james cameron-produced $405m action movie lands on netflix's global chart 5 years later.

Unless you've been living with a blindfold over your eyes, you've seen a lot of talk about Bird Box . Netflix 's newest horror title has taken the internet by storm. No one can stop talking about it. Many fans don't know that the films were based on the debut novel of Josh Malerman. The book was met with critical acclaim and has won several awards. If you haven't read it, you may be wondering how similar the two versions are. We've put together a side by side comparison of the novel and the film. Check out where the two diverge and where they're the same.

RELATED: Over 45 Million People Watched Bird Box in First Week, Says Netflix

10. Setting

One place where the novel and the film differ is in the setting. Malerman's 2014 thriller is set in Detroit. The urban backdrop would have been a stark contrast to the locations used in the film, as Netflix chose to set their version in Northern California. The sprawling natural landscapes give the film a signature feel. The stillness and quiet that builds tension in some scenes would be impossible in a city setting. The mood of the film depends on the perfect silence and solitude of the forest.

9. The Birds

In the book, the birds are kept as a very literal canary in the coal mine. They warn when the creatures are near. Malorie takes them with her on her epic journey with the kids. They serve as the perfect alarm and signal the creature's presence as she and the children travel. The film differs. Malorie finds the birds alive and thriving in a supermarket. They give her hope, which is what they symbolize. At the end of the movie, she and the kids are safe in the sanctuary and she releases the birds to enjoy the same freedom.

John Malkovich delivers a convincing performance as an awful narcissist as Douglas. He’s spent the entire apocalypse drinking and being a selfish jerk. Douglas is loud, obnoxious and only out for himself. He’s also a level head at times and provides a strong voice of reason in the safe house. If you’re wondering how Malkovich's portrayal stacks up to the book, you’re in for a surprise. There is no Douglas in the novel. The character adds some needed tension to the film which has very different pacing than the book. This is at least one way in which the book is better than the film, you don’t have to listen to his drunken rambling.

7. Malorie’s Journey

In the film Tom and Malorie are hunkered down, raising the children in a safe house. They have no plans to travel. One night they receive a radio transmission from Rick urging them to come to the sanctuary. The book tells a very different tale. After Tom dies Malorie gets a call from Rick. He tells her about the sanctuary. She begins to train for the long trip to the sanctuary. She spends four years preparing herself and the children for the perils ahead. This major difference creates much more tension and urgency than in the book. Undertaking the trip with no preparation ups the terror.

6. A Darker End

The end of the film is surprisingly positive . After all, a story about the end of the world is inherently bleak. At the end of the film, Malorie and her children make it to a safe haven. They find a lush, green paradise filled with children, birds, and other survivors. The haven is a home for the blind, which is why so many had survived. They were immune to the creatures. In the novel, Malorie and the kids still reach their safe haven, but the circumstances are darker. Many of the survivors in their happy ending had intentionally blinded themselves. They made an incredibly dark choice to survive.

Related: Bird Box Director Defends Changing Book's Ending

5. The End Of The World

Both the book and the film are focused on the same catastrophic event. In both versions of the story, society begins to crumble as the earth is invaded by unseen creatures . These mysterious monsters take on the form of the observer's deepest fear or most painful loss. Anyone unfortunate enough to look at the invaders is instantly driven to violent insanity. Each meets the same fate - they take their own lives. After the initial panic dies down, lingering dread sets in. The world becomes a quieter, emptier place. The characters in both the book and the movie have to learn to survive without the convenience of society.

Sandra Bullock has been praised for her performance in the Netflix film. Even critics who tore the rest of the movie apart found her to be the one bright spot in the movie. She represents the biggest similarity between the book and the film. Both feature this resilient mother who refuses to give up. She’s a relentless fighter who pushes her children further and further. At its core, it's a story about the indomitable power of a mother’s love. The story gives us hope in the face of insurmountable odds. In the end, we celebrate beside Malorie and her kids when they finally make it to a safe haven.

Horror films often use campy moments and cheesy humor to lull their audiences into a false sense of security. They hit us with another gruesome scene the moment we relax into a smile or laugh. The contrast makes the fear and pain all the more vibrant. Malerman uses none of that lighthearted play to plunge his readers further into the terror. The film carries that same tone. It avoids any kind of hokey gimmicks or easy humor. It carries the same dark seriousness as the novel from beginning to end. That commitment to the original darkness of the film creates a perfect marriage between movie and book.

2. Ebb And Flow

The film has critics split, right down the middle. Some have praised the film while others have called it a bad B-movie. One thing most of them seem to agree on is that the pacing has peaks and valleys. A wide criticism is that Bird Box is a riveting film, sometimes . The book has a similar pace. There are scenes that have readers on the edge of their seats and then pages and pages of plodding story. It’s unclear if this was a deliberate editorial choice or if it’s just a consequence of the nature of the story.

The most important tool used to create the feeling of helplessness in Bird Box is the characters’ inability to rely on their sight. It’s our most precious source of input as human beings. Without that element, the story wouldn’t carry the same weight. It's blindness that lets us see the characters at their most vulnerable. Many have made a comparison between Bird Box and A Quiet Place . There is a parallel there but it’s incomplete. There are many ways to communicate without our voices, but our sight is a primal tool. Without it, most of us feel like we’re dead in the water.

RELATED: How Netflix's Bird Box Sets Up A Sequel

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Book Review: Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Author: Josh Mallerman

Genre: Horror, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Harper Voyager (UK) / Ecco (US) Publication Date: March 2014 (UK) Hardcover: 304 Pages

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.

Stand alone or series: Standalone novel

How did I get this book: Bought (UK edition)

Format (e- or p-): Hardcover

Why did I read this book: I love horror novels and vow to read and review more of them in 2014. When I was recently in the UK and saw the gorgeous hardcover copy of Bird Box , I purchased it immediately.

Malorie lives in a world of darkness.

It has been nearly five years since the world ended. At first, there were just rumors and scattered reports about people doing unimaginable things to themselves. Soon, the scattered reports became more frequent, and hysteria spreads throughout Malorie’s hometown. People don’t know what exactly causes people to snap and kill themselves in such horrific ways…just that it is something they see . To protect themselves, people start putting blankets and coverings over their windows, boarding themselves indoors, and wear thick glasses, helmets and blindfolds when they dare venture outside.

For the newly (and accidentally) pregnant Malorie, the mounting fear and death take their toll on her family, leaving her utterly alone. With nowhere else to turn, Malorie takes a chance on an ad she saw in the paper and drives out to a house offering sanctuary to anyone who needs it.

Here, she will find friendship and hope, but also great sorrow and despair as the world goes mad.

Bird Box is a horror novel that is equal parts psychological and supernatural (although we never actually get to see the unfathomable thing that tears one’s mind apart). The debut novel from musician and author Josh Malerman, Bird Box is a competent, engaging book about the nature of fear, especially fear of the unseen thing that lurks at the corner of one’s vision. It’s this core idea – the unfathomable, psyche-shattering creature – that is so compelling, so frightening, and what makes Bird Box work. I’ve always been a fan of the “fear itself” horror trope, and am a firm believer in the value of terror in what is left unsaid and unseen (as opposed to copious amounts of cheap thrills and shock scares). Plus, this cruel and simple premise – DON’T LOOK! Or else! – is so effective because it’s nearly impossible to obey; human instinct to look, even if you know what you will see will destroy you. Malerman understands this instinct very well, and he delivers on this score. Big time.

Also on the positive side, I love the narrative technique of the book and the way Malorie’s story unfolds. The book begins, you see, in the ruined world – Malorie guides her two four-year-old children, whom she refers to simply as Boy and Girl, on a last desperate stand as they leave the safety of their home blindfolded and take to the river. As Malorie guides her family on this harrowing journey into the unknown, the narrative flashes back in time five years, as she recounts the events leading up to her present desperate situation. In these dual storylines, past and present, we witness the hysteria that takes over the world, and the fate of Malorie’s companions; from the onset of the book, and their absence in the “present” storyline, you know that everyone in Malorie’s past is basically doomed. This combination of sad inevitability for Malorie’s past, but hope for Malorie’s future is a well-balanced blend, and Malerman manages to pull it off beautifully, without causing any foreshadowing hokinesss or flashback frustration.

A large part of the narrative success also rests with the characterization of Bird Box ‘s protagonist, Malorie herself. As much as I am loathe to use the reductive adjective, Malorie is an exemplary pillar of strength . The world is ending and she discovers that she is pregnant (the product of an unapologetic one night stand, thank you very much) – but Malorie does not despair, or blame herself, or her children. She accepts the situation and does everything in her power to provide her children with the best possible chance of survival – even if the lessons she must give her children are incredibly hard and their “present” storyline is rather grim. Malorie’s past storyline is also one intimately acquainted with loss and pain: she is the last survivor of her sister, her parents, her new housemates and friends. Knowing that inevitable outcome, knowing just how deadly and hopeless the situation is with these unseen creatures that inspire absolute death, Malorie’s decision to leave the relative safety of her home and look for a better life is incredibly brave and admirable.

On the negative side, however, there’s only so much room for depth in Bird Box – while I enjoyed the central premise of the book, it’s also basically the exact plot of that terrible M. Night Shyamalan movie The Happening . Minus the red tide/environmental explanation (this involves something more insidious and based purely on vision). Similarly, there’s a really easy answer to surviving this particular horror, which is eventually addressed very late in the book – if you cannot see the creatures, you live. There is no other condition. This means that the visually impaired population should be completely safe, beyond the harm of these creatures. It also means that there’s a relatively simple solution to the death posed by the creatures – I wish that there was a little more time spent on the reaction and evaluation of this solution. And I can’t help but think: how much more interesting and meaningful would this story have been if narrated through the perspective of someone blind? The problems that so many of the characters struggle with in Bird Box are rooted in the assumption that everyone can see, and the lack of sight would be a completely debilitating loss; that it would be impossible for anyone to navigate their hometowns or leave their houses without the power of sight. It’s a hugely ableist assumption, isn’t it?

Also on the negative side, there’s a missing sense of climax and payoff for the book as it reaches its dramatic conclusion; the fact that we never get to know what the creatures are or what they look like feels like a bit of a cop out. (Describing the unfathomable is no easy feat, but if you’re writing a monster story, one has to eventually observe the monster – those are the rules.) Similarly, there’s something eerie and too good to be true about the rushed ending of Bird Box (Terminus from The Walking Dead , anyone?)… that said, I do like the occasional horror novel that ends with hope instead of gleeful despair.

And ultimately, I enjoyed Bird Box very much, even with these shortcomings in mind. This is a sharp, entertaining novel about the nature of fear, and I’ll be on the lookout for more from Josh Malerman in the future.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

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 meager 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 traveled 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 discolored, profound purples that have dulled to brown over time. These are blood. The carpet in the living room is discolored, too, no matter how hard Malorie scrubs. There are no chemicals in the house to help clean it. Long ago, Malorie filled the buckets with water from the well and, using a suit coat, worked on removing the stains from all over the house. But they refused to go away. Even those that proved less persistent remained, a shadow perhaps of their original size, but still horribly visible. A box of candles hides a blotch in the foyer. The couch in the living room sits at an awkward angle, moved there to shield two blemishes that look like wolf heads to Malorie. On the second floor, by the attic stairs, a pile of musty coats conceals purple scratches, embedded deep into the foot of the wall. Ten feet away is the blackest stain in the house. She does not use the far end of the home’s second floor because she cannot bring herself to cross it. This was once a nice house in a nice suburb of Detroit. Once, it was family-ready and safe. Only half a decade ago, a real-estate agent would have proudly showed it off. But this morning, the windows are covered with cardboard and wood. There is no running water. A big wooden bucket sits upon the kitchen counter. It smells stale. There are no conventional toys for the children. Pieces of a wooden chair have been whittled to play the part of little people. Small faces have been painted upon them. The cupboards are bare. There are no paintings on the walls. Wires run from under the back door into the first-floor bedrooms, where amplifiers alert Malorie and the children to any sounds coming from outside the house. The three of them live this way. They do not go outside for long periods of time. When they do, they are blindfolded. The children have never seen the world outside their home. Not even through the windows. And Malorie hasn’t looked in more than four years. Four years.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE .

Rating: 7 – Very Good

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Thea James is one half of the maniacal duo behind The Book Smugglers. She is Filipina-American, but grew up in Hawaii, Indonesia, and Japan. A full-time book nerd who works in publishing for her day job, Thea currently resides in Astoria, Queens with her partner and rambunctious cat. COOKING FOR WIZARDS, WARRIORS & DRAGONS (available August 31, 2021) is her first cookbook.

Librarian Lavender

I love creepy books and this sounds like one! Great review!

I adore a good horror novel and there aren’t nearly enough truly horrific ones out there. This sounds right up my alley. I like my horror truly Palahniuk-ingly sick–not with gore, but with the horrors of the human mind. So I’m excited that you described this one as “fear of fear,” because I find those types to be the most truly horrifying. The ableist concept is unfortunate. It would almost be better if this was explored, if people became devastatingly aware that a once-disability is now a survival advantage. If desperate people were poking out their own eyes to avoid the horrors. But I’ll settle for a good story and a bit of hysteria.

Anni Rhubarb

I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s first novel. Whilst I do not usually read this genre, somehow I was drawn to the cover and the promise of a story that reaches deeply into a mother’s instinct to survive and protect her child/ren at all costs. I too, felt a little cheated that the nature of the ‘creatures’ was never revealed, but despite the hurried ending, this book was engaging throughout, with just the right balance of psychological thriller versus the unseen horror lurking outside. Even if horror is not your thing, try this and maybe, like me, you’ll discover your new favourite author. I can’t wait to read the next Josh Malerman.

Geraint Iwan

Just finished the book! And absolutely loved it!! Went straight online to see what others think about it and saw this review. The three points you make that could bee deemed negative ones about the book, that we never get to see the creatures, that the blind arent thought of untill the end and that the ending itself seems rushed are all very fair points, but I honestly didnt think of that when I was reading! I was so caught up in the thought of how scared I’d be that I honestly just kept thinking how “I” would struggle and how “my” world would change. I’m quite happy that we never got to see the creatures though, because as scary as they probablly are, I believe that the book constantly repeated itself in saying that the creatures werent actually the evil in the story, the people were. Which brings me to the ending, like you yourself said, “Terminus” jumped straight into my mind. But thats the beauty of the book, like in The Walking Dead, the truth is no matter how amazing something sounds in this new world they’ve created, you will never trust anyone or anything again. Fantastic writing. I loved it.

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Diana Smith

Thanks to you for sharing us wonderful review.

Best, Diana

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Bird Box book review

Posted January 15, 2020 by Jordann @thebookbloglife in 5 star , book reviews / 4 Comments

Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, 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 remains, 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's 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. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster? Interweaving past and present, Bird Box is a snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.

I have to be honest, the only reason I ended up reading Bird Box was because of the Netflix movie. I was so creeped out and in awe of Sandra Bullock’s performance that I wanted to see whether the book had the same effect, and I have to say at no point did this book disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through and although I knew what the ending was, I loved the way that the story worked out and the way it all worked out. I think I would have loved for there to have been more to the story and I did think there was space for a little bit more to happen. I actually think the way the movie dealt with the survivors and their lives.

Considering how there aren’t all that many characters in Bird Box really do keep pushing the story forward, I loved each and every one of them and I rooted for them as much as humanly possible. I wanted each of them to live and I think that was a really important part for me because although some of the people in the house do some really questionable things I feel as though it was understandable given the circumstance. This book really challenges your love for the character, especially Malorie, the main character, especially when you hear about what she has to do to the babies in order to ensure survival. I really struggled with the cruelty of it all, but part of me really knew that it was a necessity.

I think the concept of Bird Box is my favourite and the best bit, I loved the idea that there was something about the fact that there was something out there that was creating this horrendous thing to happen. The book definitely handled the lead up to the survivors a lot better, I think it showed how everything managed to end up the way it did, whereas the film was a little more accidental. I loved the way that there was more about the upbringing of each of the children, I think the fact that I knew what was going on made me more aware of the changes that they had to have made and how they made sure none of the outside world affected them.

I think the worst bits of Bird Box for me would be how quickly everything went to pot, I thought there could have been more of a build-up to everything and I would have liked to have learned more about the other characters and their background before all this happened. One thing I will say that made me a little angry was the use and the death of the dogs in this book, I don’t think they needed to happen and I don’t think they added anything to the story. I just thought it was unnecessary and it kinda ruined the vibe of the story for me.

I would definitely recommend Bird Box, it was one of my favourite reads from last year. It really held my attention and I loved the way the characters all adapted to the situation in completely different ways. I loved the additions to the story and also some of the changes, and both the film and the book deserve all the attention they got!

Have you watched or read Bird Box? What was your favourite bit? Anything jump out as interesting for you? Let me know in the comments.

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4 responses to “ bird box book review ”.

I have watched this and own the book, just not read it yet. I have a bit of a mental block reading a book when I’ve seen the adaptation – but maybe I’ll get to it one day. Lynn 😀

I actually enjoyed them both as separate entities which is something completely different to me! Would definitely recommend it though!

I do get annoyed (and upset) when they put animals in a book just to be a plot point that dies!

I think as a dog owner it felt a little too close from home and I don’t think it actually added anything to the storyline!

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BIRD BOX: Book Review

The story is told through two different timelines, the first being over four years after the outbreak, Malorie and her two children haven’t seen outside, when they go out, they wear blindfolds, their windows are blackened and she teaches her children to rely on their hearing and their instincts. She knows of a way to reach help and she’s waited, preparing, nurturing her two four year old kids for the most dangerous and harrowing journey they’ll ever make but is she saving them for a life not worth living.

The second timeline is the initial outbreak and repercussions via news reports as the deaths start to get closer to home, Malorie and her sister don’t leave their house, nobody has answers, people are seeing something that drives them to hurt others, to hurt themselves and just at the wrong time Malorie discovers she is pregnant. As events unfold Malorie makes it to a house full of other people, careful people and we see how this group survive and the intriguing tension as the house goes from fully occupied to just containing Malorie and her children.

The title Bird Box comes from the alarm system the house sets up to warn of approach, the story is driven by the changes in its protagonist as Malorie, a normal young woman adjusts to the terror present in her new life, driven by the need to survive, she calls her children simply ‘boy’ & ‘girl’ and subjects them to a harsh regime, with eyes on only one goal. The story for me lacked closure and the threat they faced was never expanded on, I don’t know if there is an intended follow on, it certainly feels like there should be. The author relies on the unsaid, the interpretation of the reader and understatement to create tension, which was ok but it felt unfinished and didn’t live up to the hype or my expectations.