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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Even though this monster story was filled with all sorts of clichés (e.g. the multiple disasters, the community that is too smart for its own good, the somewhat unreliable narrator) it was a hell of a lot of fun.
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Talk about character evolution! Or is it DeVoLuTiOn? (See what I did there???)
The type of horror in the beginning is this completely character driven creeping anxiety. And by the end, it's something different all together. Its a survival thriller with some mild yet well executed (no pun intended) body horror.
As I'm writing this I'm not sure what's holding it back from 5 stars, other than it's not one I'm likely to revisit. (Maybe that's a lie, I've thought about rereeading world war Z now that I've had a decade to forget it).
The "well researched" first person accounts are such a win for me. No one does it better.
The type of horror in the beginning is this completely character driven creeping anxiety. And by the end, it's something different all together. Its a survival thriller with some mild yet well executed (no pun intended) body horror.
As I'm writing this I'm not sure what's holding it back from 5 stars, other than it's not one I'm likely to revisit. (Maybe that's a lie, I've thought about rereeading world war Z now that I've had a decade to forget it).
The "well researched" first person accounts are such a win for me. No one does it better.
Wow! Que buen libro!
De verdad hubo momentos en los que no podía creer todo el horror que sufrieron estas personas.
Me llegué a encariñar con varios personajes que aunque sabia que su destino estaba escrito quería que no fuera así.
Al principio el libro fue un poco lento pero lo compensa todo lo que sucede después.
También, la forma en la que está escrito te hace sentirte más inmerso en la historia.
Definitivamente inicié muy bien mi año con este libro.
De verdad hubo momentos en los que no podía creer todo el horror que sufrieron estas personas.
Me llegué a encariñar con varios personajes que aunque sabia que su destino estaba escrito quería que no fuera así.
Al principio el libro fue un poco lento pero lo compensa todo lo que sucede después.
También, la forma en la que está escrito te hace sentirte más inmerso en la historia.
Definitivamente inicié muy bien mi año con este libro.
(Note:I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
In Devolution, Max Brooks performs several major inversions of the format of his bestselling work, World War Z. Once again the fragile high-tech modern day has been suddenly upset by what were supposed to be only mere myths. In the aftermath of the horror, the author-reporter uses first-hand resources to try and get a picture of the horror that's occurred. However, instead of a global terror that took humanity to the brink of extinction, this time it’s a far more local affair with an eruption at Mount Rainier that left isolated residents of a nearby planned eco-community perfect prey for a pack of hulking, large-footed and very hungry menaces.
I definitely applaud Brooks’ for stepping away from zombies and trying something new, especially after the immense success that they have given him. Not only does he attempt to craft a realistic horror scenario through a completely different creature, but he tries to accomplish this in a vastly different setting scaled back from worldwide pandemic to just one single community.
Unfortunately, I think that this more intimate setting ultimately ended up being too constraining. The story, mainly told through the journal of a member of the Bigfoot-besieged community, wasn’t able to become much more beyond a fairly standard survival-horror tale of a community under strain from an outside threat, complete with several common tropes and easily identifiable twists in the plot.
Brooks does an admirable job of transforming the Sasquatch. Out of all the cryptids and nonexistent creatures out there, I think this is one that I have always taken the least serious of all (the fact that it is commonly called "Bigfoot" plays a very heavy role in there). However, through the various interviews and readings that make up this book, the existence of wild ape-people is definitely made more realistically plausible than I have seen anywhere else. And not only are these the most feasible Sasquatches, but they are also more genuinely threatening and anxiety-inducing than I have encountered in any other book, TV show or film.
Devolution is not the second World War Z that I confess I hoped it would be. But for its limits and cliches, I still overall enjoyed Books’ latest tale.
In Devolution, Max Brooks performs several major inversions of the format of his bestselling work, World War Z. Once again the fragile high-tech modern day has been suddenly upset by what were supposed to be only mere myths. In the aftermath of the horror, the author-reporter uses first-hand resources to try and get a picture of the horror that's occurred. However, instead of a global terror that took humanity to the brink of extinction, this time it’s a far more local affair with an eruption at Mount Rainier that left isolated residents of a nearby planned eco-community perfect prey for a pack of hulking, large-footed and very hungry menaces.
I definitely applaud Brooks’ for stepping away from zombies and trying something new, especially after the immense success that they have given him. Not only does he attempt to craft a realistic horror scenario through a completely different creature, but he tries to accomplish this in a vastly different setting scaled back from worldwide pandemic to just one single community.
Unfortunately, I think that this more intimate setting ultimately ended up being too constraining. The story, mainly told through the journal of a member of the Bigfoot-besieged community, wasn’t able to become much more beyond a fairly standard survival-horror tale of a community under strain from an outside threat, complete with several common tropes and easily identifiable twists in the plot.
Brooks does an admirable job of transforming the Sasquatch. Out of all the cryptids and nonexistent creatures out there, I think this is one that I have always taken the least serious of all (the fact that it is commonly called "Bigfoot" plays a very heavy role in there). However, through the various interviews and readings that make up this book, the existence of wild ape-people is definitely made more realistically plausible than I have seen anywhere else. And not only are these the most feasible Sasquatches, but they are also more genuinely threatening and anxiety-inducing than I have encountered in any other book, TV show or film.
Devolution is not the second World War Z that I confess I hoped it would be. But for its limits and cliches, I still overall enjoyed Books’ latest tale.
Max Brooks does it again. Just as World War Z wasn't just another zombie book, Devolution is not just about a terrifying encounter with cryptids. Themes run from family and friendship to our relationship (and lack thereof) with nature. Really unsettling - especially the ending.
I love love loved World War Z, and have always had tons of interest in Bigfoot, so I had really high hopes for this one.
While I did like it, it really didn’t live up to the expectations I had, so I will have to revisit.
While I did like it, it really didn’t live up to the expectations I had, so I will have to revisit.
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes