Malorie: One of the best horror stories published for years' (Express)

by Josh Malerman

THE TERRIFYING, BESTSELLING, NETFLIX RECORD-BREAKING BIRD BOX IS BACK.

'Brilliant, insanely compelling' Daily Mail

'One of the best horror stories published for years.' Express

* * * * *

In the old world there were many rules.
In the new world there is only one that matters: don't open your eyes.

In the seventeen years since the 'creatures' appeared, many people have broken that rule. Many have looked. Many have lost their minds, their lives, their loved ones.

In that time, Malorie has raised her two children - Olympia and Tom - on the run or in hiding. Now nearly teenagers, survival is no longer enough. They want freedom.

When a census-taker stops by their refuge, he is not welcome. But he leaves a list of names - of survivors building a future beyond the darkness - and on that list are two names Malorie knows.

Two names for whom she'll break every rule, and take her children across the wilderness, in the hope of becoming a family again...

* * * * *

'The highly anticipated follow-up to Bird Box and it's even better. A deliciously dark, disturbing yet captivating novel that I read in one sitting.' Express

'Cranks the tension and terror to breaking point and beyond' Daily Mail

• ISBN10: 1409193128
• ISBN13: 9781409193128
• Publish Date: 21 July 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 January 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
• Imprint: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

This may be hard to believe, but that hit, Bird Box, just got a sequel! Malorie, by Josh Malerman, follows the events of Bird Box, where those strange creatures drive people insane.

It's been a few years since Malorie and her children had found a safe haven. What they believed was safe, at any rate. Once again they're about to learn from their mistakes – and the mistakes of the people around them.

It is time for Malorie to learn that her two children have been keeping secrets from her. Secrets, which in the right hands, could save lives. In the wrong hands, could cost just as many. How will this one family continue to survive, despite all this?

“Shaking, she tries to closer her eyes a third time, behind her already closed lids, behind the fold wrapped tight to her head, closing her mind to the idea of what this all must look like.”

I honestly was not entirely sure what to expect from Malorie. I knew that it was a sequel, and obviously I already had an idea of the world itself. But beyond that, I had no idea. Were we going to see the monsters this time? Have some sort of resolution to their threat? What?

On the whole, I really enjoyed what was done here. It didn't try to explain more than it should have, and really just continued on the same path that Bird Box had been on. With a few exceptions, of course.

This novel did a great job of showing that there's no such thing as flipping a switch. Malorie is just as paranoid and harsh as ever. As much as she needed to be, given the world they live in now. She loves her children, but she has trouble showing it.

Getting a chance to know the children as more than just 'the children' was a major highlight in this book. As were several other pieces, which I won't mention here for the sake of spoilers. I will say that those details were pretty fascinating, on the whole. Though sometimes they did raise just as many questions as they answered.

“I was waiting for a literal message, I think. Waiting for a knock at the door, someone to come tell us it was over. It’s the ultimate fantasy for those of us from the old world, isn’t it? Word that the whole nightmare has come to an end?”

One thing I kept finding myself asking is how they were going to adapt this novel into a movie. Malorie includes a lot of close calls with the entities, and I can't imagine those scenes would be easy to portray. A part of me is really curious to see how they're going to handle that.

As for the ending? Well, that's another thing I'm still thinking about. I think the ending itself actually lost the book a star or half a star, in my book. I just didn't love the conclusion. It didn't fit as nicely as the rest of the story itself did. Maybe that's just me.

Regardless of how I felt about the ending, I will say that I overall really enjoyed this book. It was a better sequel than I had dared hope for. It lived up to the expectations set by all of the hype. And I'm admittedly looking forward to whatever adaptation it's going to get (because we all know that's going to happen).

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[kimbacaffeinate]

This tale opens twelve years after they arrived at the school for the blind. Thomas and Olivia are teens (sixteen) when their sanctuary is evaded by the others. The three set out and find a home at an abandoned campground. They are living by the fold when a stranger appears. He is taking a census and has news. The tale was frightening and suspenseful. It highlights the struggle of youth to experience the world on their own terms, addresses our fear of change and awakens hope.

As the story unfolds, we meet fear head-on, and learn of secrets as Malorie and the teens are tested. Phew, this got intense. From not being able to see to the risks and danger they faced. The danger came not only from the creatures but also from fellow humans.

Before listening to this I would have said I was happy with how Bird Box ended, now I am grateful that the author gave us more. It was intense, creepy, and thought provoking. I loved that it tested beliefs and challenged each of us to think. Do we stay safe and live by the fold, or do we test the limits of our restraints? Is safe always better?

Cassandra Campbell was brilliant with the narration. She captured the tone, fear and atmospheric story,. Her voice allowed the listener to experience Malorie’s uncertainty, terror and desperation. I felt she enhanced an already well-written tale and elevated my enjoyment.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Amber]

I read Bird Box before the Netflix movie came out and it succeeded in utterly disturbing me. I had no idea Josh Malerman was going to come out with a follow up, and so when I saw Malorie on NetGalley I just had to get my hands on it to review it!

My main question is, did Bird Box actually need a sequel? You can watch my Booktube review of Malorie in which I try to figure that out, but ultimately I think the answer is no.

Malorie is set several years after Bird Box when Malorie's two children are teenagers. You'd think they would be safe now, but word of Malorie's parents being alive makes the three of them set out across the state to find them.

I'm just going to come out and say it: I don't think Bird Box needed a sequel. At all.

In my opinion, Bird Box ended so well, with the hope that Malorie and her kids actually had a future ahead of them while also keeping the mystery of the creatures in tact.

Malorie felt entirely unnecessary as it seems as though Josh Malerman scrambled to tie up every single loose end, while presumably also trying to profit from the mild success of the Netflix film.

I don't think Josh Malerman had much more of a story to tell, and the rushed plot and hazy character development really cemented that for me.

Despite being the title character, I don't think this book did Malorie justice at all. Instead of deep diving into her character and her possible PTSD and mental health issues due to having to live with these creatures, Josh Malerman portrayed her as a paranoid, overly cautious woman that other characters laughed at and didn't take seriously at all.

This book was nowhere near as creepy and atmospheric as Bird Box because it tried to explain too much. There was barely any tension in this book, apart from in a few scenes. The blind train was the most interesting part of the book and it wasn't even the climax. The true climax of the story felt lacklustre and boring, as everything that the series had presumably been building up to was rushed and fell flat.

I think Bird Box should have been left alone because by trying to explain the creatures, Josh Malerman ended up taking away any mystery of intrigue that surrounded them. And that was my favourite part of the first book! It's the reason it stuck with me.

Did Josh Malerman write Malorie in the hope of it also getting adapted into film? I think so.

I'm really disappointed in this sequel and to be honest I'm going to forget I ever read it because Bird Box is really strongest as a standalone and I don't need any cash cows in my life.