Inspection: A Novel

by Josh Malerman

Boys are being trained at one school for geniuses, girls at another. Neither knows the other exists—until now. The New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box invites you into a world of secrets and chills in a coming-of-age story like no other.

NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD • “Josh Malerman is a master at unsettling you—and keeping you off-balance until the last page is turned.”—Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of Blackbirds

J is a student at a school deep in a forest far away from the rest of the world.

J is one of only twenty-six students, all of whom think of the school’s enigmatic founder as their father. J’s peers are the only family he has ever had. The students are being trained to be prodigies of art, science, and athletics, and their life at the school is all they know—and all they are allowed to know.

But J suspects that there is something out there, beyond the pines, that the founder does not want him to see, and he’s beginning to ask questions. What is the real purpose of this place? Why can the students never leave? And what secrets is their father hiding from them?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, in a school very much like J’s, a girl named K is asking the same questions. J has never seen a girl, and K has never seen a boy. As K and J work to investigate the secrets of their two strange schools, they come to discover something even more mysterious: each other.

Praise for Inspection

“Creepy. . . a novel whose premise is also claustrophobic and unsettling, but more ambitious than that of Bird Box . . . Inspection is rich with dread and builds to a dramatic climax.”—The Washington Post

“This unlikely cross between 1984 and Lord of the Flies tantalizes.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Malerman builds a striking world. . . . As he did in Bird Box, Malerman’s crafted an irresistible scenario that’s rich in possibility and thematic fruit. . . . Where [Bird Box] confined us behind a blindfold, Inspection rips it off.”  —The A. V. Club

“A must read . . . It’s a wonderful thing, digging into a new Josh Malerman novel—no idea what to expect, no clue where his twisted mind is going to take you.”—Cemetery Dance

• ISBN10: 1524797014
• ISBN13: 9781524797010
• Publish Date: 17 September 2019 (first published 19 March 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Del Rey Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781524797010

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

From the author of the highly successful book-to-movie Bird Box, Inspection, too, is deeply disturbing in the best kind of way. I’ve seen the movie, but this was my first, but not last, book by the author.

The writing style, at least in the beginning, was almost whimsical at times, which was fitting as the narrator was a young boy. It created an air of innocence that was very much in juxtaposition with story as seen from the perspective of an adult. It gave it an air of insidiousness that added so much to the depth of the story.

The concept that Malerman has built his story around is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. At first, it seems almost benign, if only looking at the surface of the Alphabet Boys’ lives. But then as the reader learns more, the depth of the horror is truly revealed. I enjoyed that the essential truths were given in tidbits, allowing the reader to really wonder how this world came to be.

Interesting, too, is the way the “horror” aspect is played out through the novel. Easily the first 95% is purely psychological horror. But then, in that last 5%, the traditional horror begins, creating that moment when the reader rears back and questions what just happened. It is a delicious moment that I greatly appreciated.

One thing to note, however, was that the time devoted to the Letter Girls was significantly less than that given to the Alphabet Boys. The first half was the boy’s story, maybe half that for the girls, and the last quarter brought them together. As much as I loved the book, I would have liked a little more of the girls’ story.

The last part of the book got my blood stirring. I saw a rebel in J, and I loved that. He was such an enlightened kid. But when he acted in a way I did not expect, I was horrified. I really didn’t like it. I had the same experience with K. I had a view of her, and when that tipped on edge, it threw me. I honestly didn’t know how to feel about it. But now, having finished the book and ruminated about it, I really enjoy those aspects of the characters. For J, it really underscores the way he’d been raised. To believe, to trust, to accept the man in authority. And for K, it showed the anger and rage these kids had to feel for what had been done to them.

There is so much to love in this book. The world building and character development is outstanding. And the themes are deep and intensely thought-provoking. The concepts of love and loss, of fear and bravery in the face of it, of hope, of oppression, of rebellion, and the strength of the human spirit, even of redemption. It is a strangely beautiful yet disturbing read.

my recommendation: If you like psychological thrillers, one that is both disturbing and thought-provoking, then this is a book I highly recommend.

[chymerra]

I was super excited to read Inspection. I had read the blurb and thought to myself “This seems like it is going to be a good book.” Then I started reading it. All I can say is that the book was a huge disappointment.

The plot of Inspection was interesting at first. I thought that the whole premise of the book was interesting. Then it became stale. It faltered about halfway through the book, when K’s storyline was introduced. K’s storyline was the same as J’s. The only difference was the timeline. K’s storyline started off earlier than J’s. Which meant she knew things before J. It was meh to me. Not bad, not good. Just meh.

I did like the kids. J’s confusion over what he read in the book was realistic. As was his anger and disappointment when he realized that D.A.D. wasn’t who he thought he was. K’s determination to find the other tower was great to read also. What she did once she was there set the stage for the rest of the book. The other kids (the rest of the Alphabet Boys and Letter Girls) were well written also.

D.A.D. was an egotistical maniac. His mood swings dominated J’s storyline. The deeper into the book I got, the more the experiment unravel, the more unhinged he became. I didn’t like it. It didn’t sit well with. As for M.O.M., I wasn’t impressed with her either. The main reason was her before scenes. When she met D.A.D. and hatched the plan for the school. She was condescending and it drove me nuts. The other adults made me angry. They saw what was going on. They knew what being sent to the Corner meant. And they still did nothing. Oh, they were sad. There were several passages where people looked at the kids with sadness in their eyes. But they didn’t act. Drove me nuts reading that.

I didn’t get the need for the inspections at first. I couldn’t understand why the boys and girls had to be inspected every morning. But, as the book went on, I started to understand. I won’t say why because it would be a major spoiler.

I thought that the way kept the kids in line was awful. They told the kids that the outside world had diseases. Made up diseases. Diseases that sounded like Harry Potter spells. They also threatened to put them in the Corner. The kids were terrified of the Corner. Why? Because the 2 boys and 1 girl put in the Corner never came back. And they were reminded of that daily.

The end of Inspection underwhelmed me. What ended up happening, I expected. I was interested in the letter that was at the very end of the book. But other than that, I was meh about it. There were certain things that were left up in the air. Things that should have been explained.

I would give Inspection an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is swearing. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Inspection. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Inspection.

All opinions stated in this review of Inspection are mine.

Have you read Inspection?

What were your thoughts on it?

Social experiments? What are your thoughts?

Let me know!!