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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
1.5 I guess?
I loved World War Z so was very excited for this book. Unfortunately it felt like Brooks had the wrong idea about what made WWZ work, and it wasn't the "monsters in the real world!" set up, it was the story structure. Confining the story to 90% diary just didn't work, it dragged, and the "diary" writing didn't even feel believable as a diary to me.
I loved World War Z so was very excited for this book. Unfortunately it felt like Brooks had the wrong idea about what made WWZ work, and it wasn't the "monsters in the real world!" set up, it was the story structure. Confining the story to 90% diary just didn't work, it dragged, and the "diary" writing didn't even feel believable as a diary to me.
The explosion of Mt. Rainer cuts off Greenloop, a small eco-friendly community, from the world and and leads to an invasion of Sasquatches. Kate Holland’s journal about the events and a mix of real and imagined sources unfold the story.
“Adversity introduces us to ourselves.”
While Devolution had potential as a suspenseful thriller, I found the execution to be disappointing. Having not read World War Z, I came to this book with fresh eyes- but its various issues left me feeling disengaged and, ultimately, underwhelmed.
First, the found diary format was problematic. While such an approach can lend authenticity and tension to a story, here it detracted from the immediacy of the plot. The protagonist, Kate, recounts the horrific events after they occur, removing any real sense of urgency. The format also creates a strange tonal dissonance, as Kate’s diary entries attempt to combine day-to-day observations with life-or-death moments. This structure makes it clear that as long as she’s still writing, nothing catastrophic has happened, which robs the story of suspense. I found it difficult to become emotionally invested, knowing that Kate’s fate would always be delayed until the next entry.
Characterization, too, fell flat. The small community of Greenloop is populated by clichés, none of which felt fleshed out or dynamic. It was hard to care about any of their fates because the people were simply not interesting. Kate herself was particularly unconvincing, making an unrealistic shift from a passive, unremarkable woman to a fierce survivalist over the course of the novel. The change happened too quickly to feel believable, and her progression as a character was both jarring and poorly paced. The supporting cast did little to alleviate this issue, and they felt more like placeholders than real people. Mostar, one of the more intriguing characters, was tragically underdeveloped.
The pacing of the novel also suffered due to excessive exposition. For a book that promised the terror of a Sasquatch invasion following a volcanic eruption, there was far too much focus on mundane details. Entire pages are devoted to describing how characters craft weapons or set up defenses, often at the expense of developing the tension. This level of detail slowed the narrative to a crawl and detracted from the potential horror of the situation. By the time the action finally picked up, the impact was muted, and the payoff felt lackluster.
Additionally, the story struggled with its tone. The mix of serious survival horror and somewhat campy, over-the-top scenes made it hard to determine whether I was supposed to be genuinely scared or just bemused. The Sasquatches themselves veered between terrifying predators and almost cartoonish antagonists, which made it difficult to take them seriously as a legitimate threat. This inconsistency undermined the horror element that the book was trying to build.
To Brooks' credit, he paints a vivid picture of the natural setting. The wilderness around Mount Rainier is atmospheric, and the idea of a remote eco-community facing a catastrophe has plenty of potential. Unfortunately, this potential is squandered. While the novel offers moments of intrigue, they are few and far between, and I was left wanting more from both the characters and the overall plot. Ultimately, Devolution left me feeling disengaged rather than on the edge of my seat.
While Devolution had potential as a suspenseful thriller, I found the execution to be disappointing. Having not read World War Z, I came to this book with fresh eyes- but its various issues left me feeling disengaged and, ultimately, underwhelmed.
First, the found diary format was problematic. While such an approach can lend authenticity and tension to a story, here it detracted from the immediacy of the plot. The protagonist, Kate, recounts the horrific events after they occur, removing any real sense of urgency. The format also creates a strange tonal dissonance, as Kate’s diary entries attempt to combine day-to-day observations with life-or-death moments. This structure makes it clear that as long as she’s still writing, nothing catastrophic has happened, which robs the story of suspense. I found it difficult to become emotionally invested, knowing that Kate’s fate would always be delayed until the next entry.
Characterization, too, fell flat. The small community of Greenloop is populated by clichés, none of which felt fleshed out or dynamic. It was hard to care about any of their fates because the people were simply not interesting. Kate herself was particularly unconvincing, making an unrealistic shift from a passive, unremarkable woman to a fierce survivalist over the course of the novel. The change happened too quickly to feel believable, and her progression as a character was both jarring and poorly paced. The supporting cast did little to alleviate this issue, and they felt more like placeholders than real people. Mostar, one of the more intriguing characters, was tragically underdeveloped.
The pacing of the novel also suffered due to excessive exposition. For a book that promised the terror of a Sasquatch invasion following a volcanic eruption, there was far too much focus on mundane details. Entire pages are devoted to describing how characters craft weapons or set up defenses, often at the expense of developing the tension. This level of detail slowed the narrative to a crawl and detracted from the potential horror of the situation. By the time the action finally picked up, the impact was muted, and the payoff felt lackluster.
Additionally, the story struggled with its tone. The mix of serious survival horror and somewhat campy, over-the-top scenes made it hard to determine whether I was supposed to be genuinely scared or just bemused. The Sasquatches themselves veered between terrifying predators and almost cartoonish antagonists, which made it difficult to take them seriously as a legitimate threat. This inconsistency undermined the horror element that the book was trying to build.
To Brooks' credit, he paints a vivid picture of the natural setting. The wilderness around Mount Rainier is atmospheric, and the idea of a remote eco-community facing a catastrophe has plenty of potential. Unfortunately, this potential is squandered. While the novel offers moments of intrigue, they are few and far between, and I was left wanting more from both the characters and the overall plot. Ultimately, Devolution left me feeling disengaged rather than on the edge of my seat.
Holy cow. All-star cast for the audiobook. This was completely not the type of book I'd usually pick up, but I have to say I really got into it. The ending got a bit gruesome, as one would expect. Perfect book to read to spook yourself out during quarantine.
Judy Greer is an excellent narrator, I found her characterization of Katie subtle and engaging; it made me want to find more that she’s narrated. This is in world War Z but it was enjoyable and emotional.
Woowwwwww. So. Good.
The suspense. The creepiness. The "it can take you at any moment!" effect.
I was on the edge of my seat this whole book; I couldn't tear myself away. Loved the transformation of people, loved Mostar, Dan, and Katie. Just overall super impressed and delighted to have read it. I'm going to be recommending this all over the place.
The suspense. The creepiness. The "it can take you at any moment!" effect.
I was on the edge of my seat this whole book; I couldn't tear myself away. Loved the transformation of people, loved Mostar, Dan, and Katie. Just overall super impressed and delighted to have read it. I'm going to be recommending this all over the place.
the audiobook is the way to go - an incredible story to listen to. loved every second and couldn't stop!
For the first quarter of this book I wanted nothing more than for the entire cast to be eaten as quickly as possible. Once the apes show up it got good.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Not really my kind of book is what I find when I originally saw this come out. I was very wrong. This book was entertaining from start to finish. I highly recommend it. I didn’t see it as a horror book. Sure there is death and gore but that’s wasn’t the central story. Maybe like The Martian but with enemies. I don’t know but it was good.