Boxing Clever

Last month, the lovely people at Waterstones made a bit of a boo-boo and sent me two books through their Read and Review system just a couple of days apart.  One was 'The Devil in the Marshalsea', the other 'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman.  On the one hand, I was delighted to have two new interesting books to read.  On the other, I knew that I'd never get through both of them in the requested time frame.  So, with humble apologies, here are my thoughts on 'Bird Box'.  Sorry they're late.

'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman
(HarperVoyager 2013)

Malorie hasn't looked outside in over four years.  Human society has disintegrated as an unnamed and unknown horror has swept across the globe, bringing instant madness to anyone who sees it.  Before long, even the most ardent sceptics have boarded up their windows and locked themselves away.  Now, years later, Malorie is trapped in a house with two small children, Girl and Boy, remembering the past and nervously waiting for the right moment to escape.  But escape into what?

This is a fantastic book.  I really wish I could say something cleverer or more entertaining about it, but this really sums it up.  'Bird Box' is the first book I've read in a long time that I've found impossible to put down - a definite case of 'just one more page before bed'.  From the beginning, I was gripped by the story, intrigued and unnerved by the frightening reality our world had warped into.  The build to the terrifying climax is expertly paced, but the journey is not one for the faint hearted.

Although I thought this was a great read, it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.  It's very dark and violent, claustrophobic and horrifying, with key themes of madness, suicide and being trapped by circumstances beyond the characters' control.  In a way, it's very, very stressful, but it's also got a number of glimmers of hope.  Readers are kept guessing right to the very end, however, and it's not until then we know for sure whether this is a tale of survival or disaster.  Even then, after everything that's gone before, it's hard to believe that everything will be entirely OK.

Overall, if you enjoy science fiction/horror along the lines of 'I Am Legend' or 'The Year of the Flood', you will probably enjoy (if that's the right word!) this book too.  I look forward to seeing more from this author.