Book Bites: 3 Sentence Intro About What This Story Is

The new world makes everyone question if the creatures only drive them mad through sight…or if people can be driven mad through contact with their other senses. When Malorie and her two teenage children, Tom and Olympia, find out that Malorie’s parents might have survived all these years since the creatures’ invasion, they make the dangerous and risky trek to go to them. Along the way, the three must face their own demons to persevere on the journey, and the mysterious creatures aren’t the only evil things around.

*Content includes some strong language and graphic/gory scenes

*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.

2021’s Supernatural Spectacular Celebration Continues with Malorie: A Bird Box Novel

Check out 2021’s Supernatural Spectacular Celebration book selections to cozy up to under the full moon!

1. Son of Beauty, God of Death by Sera Trevor
2. Time of the Hunter’s Moon by Victoria Holt
3. Malorie: A Bird Box Novel by Josh Malerman
4. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

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

The much anticipated sequel to the bestseller Bird Box (read my review here for Bird Box)! This one will surely chill your spine and heightened your anxiety.

Yeah I know. You’re welcome. Happy Halloween season!

So seventeen years have passed since the creatures first invaded the world, erasing the old world ways of living to the new where “living by the blindfold” is what’ll keep you alive. At the end of the previous book, the trio made it safely to the School for the Blind. Unfortunately, even the School for the Blind is not immune to the effects of these mysterious creatures.

When their sanctuary goes mad, Malorie and her two teens end up living in an abandoned campground, Camp Yadin, for several years in (seeming) peace. Until one day a census man shows up and they get news of Malorie’s parents potentially still alive. Not only this, they also hear of a community where people with controversial ideas are creating inventions that will suit the new world and give the survivors a chance to live normally side by side with the monsters. This drives the three to leave their latest safe haven and take a dangerous and risky trip in hopes of finding Malorie’s parents and the rumored progressive community.

Will it be worth the risk to leave a place they’ve grown familiar with, a place where they can at least feel some sort of security, to go venture into the dark unknown?

Is it right to live cautiously? Is that the only way to survive? Or should they be more trusting of others so they can band together against the threat?

I mean overall it’s what you would expect as the sequel to the first book – consistently captivating story! An intriguing suspense story – I wouldn’t say it’s really supernatural or horror – with the same thrill as Bird Box that keeps you turning the pages. It’s a quick read. Especially if you’re a speed reader, you can probably get through this book in a day.

Malorie takes parenthood to a whole new level. Not only does she have to raise her children but to do so in an environment where they must wear blindfolds constantly and also have their whole bodies covered in fear that the creatures will drive them mad through touch, it’s a wonder how the kids feel.

Since Olympia and Tom were children in Bird Box, we didn’t get too much of their unique perspective and opinions about their situation. Malorie includes the perspectives of Malorie, Olympia and Tom – the audience gets to empathize how different people view life in the “new world”.

You have Malorie whose life in the old world was taken from her (lost her family, friends, home) and has developed this iron will to survive in the cruel new world and to protect her children from all danger.

You have Olympia, the dutiful daughter who is curious about the old world through the books she loves reading and the mediator between her brother and mother. She’s also been keeping a lot of secrets.

And you have Tom. The brilliant and creative son who desperately wants to explore the new world and break free from living under his mother’s paranoid rules. His inventive mind believes he can create a device that would help people live normally again alongside the creatures.

I loved that Malerman explored the different perspectives of the three main characters in this book rather than just Malorie’s – though the story does lean more towards Malorie’s journey. And the relationship between the trio is very beautiful. Malorie, Olympia and Tom are forced to face their own demons. Particularly Malorie who has to confront her fears and traumas in order to maintain her sanity. I thought the characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Malorie, Olympia and Tom more.

Ohhhhh and a familiar antagonist makes a comeback!! You’ll have to read it to find out.

The storyline was well written. Malorie concluded the trio’s journey fittingly which I’m glad about since I feel some sequels don’t wrap things up to my satisfaction. Malorie does! And thank you to Josh Malerman for doing so!

The only critique I would say is that I would have liked more backstory and explanation on these invasive, threatening creatures. Malerman does explain it more in this book, but I still felt as confused as I ever was about them. There could have been more details on these fabulously threatening creatures that he set up so well to bring horror and fear into the world. These creatures that enthralled me! I want to get to know them too! Maybe it’s just me. In this sense, it’s kind of like Stephen King books where some monsters aren’t deeply explored but the audience accepts those “monsters” are villainous.

An eerie spine-chiller that you should definitely read alone, at night. Ha ha! Get your heart pumping.

Final Thoughts

This book continues to stress the question presented in the first book, is madness a product of our own minds or does someone or something else drive us mad?

And after reading this book, you tell me, how do you feel about your own sanity? How would you feel about it if you were in the situation Malorie, Tom and Olympia were in? Would you go mad too…even without the creatures ever coming near you?

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.”