Reviews with content warning for Grief - Bird Box

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

mackenzie_thacker's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The first book in a while to genuinely scare me

Content Warnings

nickoliver's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am actually pleasantly surprised by this? I read it for the first time in 2018 and found it a bit underwhelming and not scary at all, which I wouldn't agree with anymore. I don't know if it's because I last read it while I still lived at home, so there was always someone home, while this time, I read it alone in my own apartment? Or maybe I'd stressed through the book last time, since I seemed to have read the majority of it in one day.
Who's to say. Though I do think that reading this book post-2020 gave it a certain realism that reading it pre-2020 wouldn't have done.
In any way, I found a lot of the scenes quite intense, and still remembering the majority of it (or at least a mix of the book and the movie) didn't change that at all.
The only thing I'd still criticise is how unexplained a lot of it was. It didn't bother me too much that the creatures themselves weren't explained, I felt that made sense. But there were other things that confused me - like the animals, for example, who all seemed to go crazy only when it was plot-relevant but could otherwise spend hours outside with no problem. Or

Gary's ability to see when no one else could.

That also could've been explored a bit better. While again, it technically made sense to not have an answer to those things, since the whole world was confused as to what was going on and had differing opinions, it did hinder my enjoyment at a certain point.

Content Warnings

sinsandscares's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Some books leave a mark so deep, you can’t imagine life without having read them. For me, Bird Box is one of those books. It’s a terrifying, masterfully written story that has quickly secured a spot among my all-time favorites. I can’t believe it took me this long to pick it up—but maybe, just maybe, it arrived in my life at the perfect moment.

From the very first page, Bird Box grips you with its unsettling atmosphere and doesn’t let go. The alternating timelines were a stroke of genius. Even though you know from the beginning that Malorie ends up alone with her two children, I found myself desperately hoping for a different outcome for the earlier timeline. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well.

What makes this book so terrifying isn’t any single “scary moment.” Instead, it’s the not knowing. Malerman taps into the most primal of fears—the fear of the unseen, the unknown. Every noise, every shadow becomes a threat. Is it a creature that can drive you mad with a single glance? Or is it just a harmless leaf brushing against the window? You never know—and that’s where the true horror lies.

This ambiguity is also what seems to divide readers. The fact that the creatures are never revealed, never described, leaves much to the imagination. For some, this might be frustrating. For me, it was perfect. No author could craft something scarier than what my own mind conjured up while reading. It’s this brilliant use of the reader’s imagination that makes Bird Box such a standout piece of horror.

The open-ended conclusion may also polarize readers, but I found it fitting. This isn’t a story that wraps everything up neatly with a bow—it’s raw, unsettling, and reflective of the chaotic world Malerman has created.

Malorie, the protagonist, is another highlight. She’s cold, determined, and impossibly strong. Her love and dedication as a mother navigating an apocalyptic world with two small children were both heartbreaking and inspiring. Despite everything she endures, she still finds room for love and hope.

If you’re a fan of psychological horror, post-apocalyptic stories, or books that leave you questioning everything, Bird Box is a must-read. Josh Malerman has crafted a chilling masterpiece that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

Content Warnings