Reviews

Malorie: The Sequel to the Global Sensation Bird Box by Josh Malerman

whatsemmyreading's review against another edition

3.0

Part of what made Bird Box work so well for me was all the mystery - what’s happening, why are they rowing, where are they leaving - and Malorie definitely feels a little lackluster in comparison with some of that mystery missing. It is nice to know what happened to her and the twins, but I feel like it could’ve easily ended at the first book.

amarettto's review against another edition

4.0

Pretty good, but not quite the hit that Bird Box #1 was. The idea behind this novel was sound, and I was captivated by Tom's story arc, the rebel that just wants to see the creatures. I won't give anything away, but I just found some of the concepts wishy-washy. It kind of felt like the author was going against the definitiveness of some facts stated in book 1, and I didn't really buy into it. I can completely see an opened door for the possibilities to be explored in a sequel, though.

Though it didn't provide quite the closure I was looking for, and disappointed me toward the end, the journey up until that point was enjoyable. There were some parts that were dragged on a bit, particularly toward the beginning, but it picked up fairly soon. Josh Malerman knows how to maintain an air of suspense. My interest in the series hasn't waned, and I'm still excited for what might come next.

cormoranlucreade's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

mayonnaise12's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.0

cyris_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ellis_eden's review against another edition

2.0

If I found Malerman’s writing in Bird Box to be a bit undercooked, this current effort is also disappointing. It has, like Bird Box, some interesting concepts. However, the attempts at character development read mostly flat and I found it tedious to read most of each character’s inner monologues. Much of the story was too predictable. This needed another few passes of rewriting and a tougher edit. Because it really IS an interesting world, and deserved better prose.

readinginmaine's review against another edition

4.0

Birdbox was an amazing read for me: intense, page turner, and a horror read perfect for someone who is too sensitive for horror. Birdbox didn’t need a sequel. However, I enjoyed this book and found it easy to read. It isn’t a book I’ll remember or press into someone’s hands, but I was happy to read it.

issysarchives's review against another edition

3.0

I wasn't expecting this to be as good as Bird Box, and it wasn't- very little of the original tension purely because its a sequel was the main culprit for that. Some little mysteries and solid writing keep this at a 3.5

afterglobe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

2.5

holliemae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5