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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another outstanding THOUGHTFUL horror from Max Brooks. I love his writing style, how he weaves in fact with narrative to really put you on the edge of your seat bc it just feels so…REAL! It felt like if White Lotus was a sci-fi?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcohol
Minor: Cultural appropriation
This was a ton of fun. Quick audiobook during vacation.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5/5
This book had so much working against it before I started, but my word did it overcome all of that and then some. Bigfoot was never a special interest of mine. I generally don’t like horror. I tolerate books in the form of journal entries. Needless to say, I was quite baffled when this was recommended to me, but my client was spot on. I loved this! Listening to the audiobook was an excellent call. The different voices and effects for the journal portions vs the interview and other information portions helped immerse me. The journal portions were riveting, though it admittedly takes some liberties with how much it feels like a genuine journal in order to keep the story flowing.
The main characters start out a bit annoying, but I quickly became endeared to Mostar, Dan, and Katie. I was really invested in Dan’s mini arc from jobless, listless couch potato, to handyman Dan feeling fulfilled by becoming a provider and protector again. I could relate to feeling in limbo when life isn’t going anywhere, to feeling rejuvenated and motivated when you can do something for more than just yourself again. It’s a rewarding feeling to be able to help your community and make a tangible difference, and I was giddy watching Dan rediscover that. Mostar had more patience and understanding than I could have had for the group she was saddled with, and I loved every moment of her on page. I loved watching Katie’s reluctant, then eager, transformation into a leader. I was fascinated to see all the different ways the villagers reacted to going from the privileged, pampered 1%, to the prey of a cryptid. There was so much denial you could swim in it. I enjoyed how creative they got with their eventual defenses against the sasquatches.
The horror here is threefold: the psychological horror of predator becoming prey; being woefully unprepared to fend for yourself when you’ve lived in a society that’s provided safety, shelter, and sustenance your whole life; and facing the gorey reality of idealized Mother Nature being completely indifferent to your existence or intentions. As for the ending, it’s explosive and somewhat open-ended. From the journal entries with the spliced in interviews, gorilla facts, and history of sasquatch folklore, it felt like it was nodding to internet theorists, which was fun because I felt like I could still interact with the story even though it was over. The book was over, its ideas and the imagination they sparked were not.
I really enjoyed this one, it felt like I was reading a real story. Unlike any other book I've read
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Best book I have read this year - loved it! Once the Bigfoot’s (bigfeet?) showed up, I couldn’t put it down. Ended up finishing it in almost one sitting.
Such enjoyable guilty pleasure reading. Just scary enough.
I enjoyed this, though I probably shouldn't have read it when I did because it set my heartrate off. It wasn't as good as World War Z, but it was better than I expected. Brooks really knows how to write convincing dialogue, it didn't feel forced or hokey at any point, and he accurately captured the misplaced confidence of city dwellers in the face of emergency.