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A review by andykarnik
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy **** this book! I've had other 5 star reads this year, and I've had other books with an adrenaline rush. But this was absolutely. Spectacular.
Basic (spoiler-free) summary: Mount Rainier erupts without warning, much like Mount Saint Helens did in the 80's. There's lots of chaos in the aftermath. The framing device is a journalist researching what happened to a tiny town that was outside the path of destruction, but nevertheless hasn't been heard from since the eruption. There are recorded sound clips from some of the residents before the eruption, interviews with loved ones, an interview with a Park Ranger who investigated, and most significantly - a woman's journal that was recovered by the Ranger. 90% of the story is that journal.
I was scared that this story wouldn't have a satisfying ending because it's a journal that was recovered from the town, and the writer was not. Would it just ... cut off when she lost it or died? When I actually got to the ending, I was HIGHLY SATISFIED. 5 Stars, I've already recommended the book to several friends.Maybe 5-10 minutes after I finished I suddenly remembered the title of the book and that recontextualized the whole thing! The journal shows Kate's process of devolving into a hunter with a single purpose
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook if you're at all inclined that way. It's a full cast (including Nathan Fillion!) and the way it's all set up makes it seem like a documentary.The way we finally got to hear Mostar's voice right after she died hit HARD.
I'd been itching for a book that feels like an episode of X-files - find something supernatural and instead of the typical 4 F's (fight, flight, freeze, and f***) we STUDY it. This book wasn't quite that, since the protagonist definitely does the first 3 a lot, but somehow the framing of the whole story made it feel like I, the reader, was trying to study sasquatches through the evidence in this journal.
As someone who's lived in the Pacific Northwest for nearly a decade, I enjoyed the specific references to the area and had fun imagining where Greenloop might be. It's also very fun to imagine Tony Durant as Elon Musk.
Basic (spoiler-free) summary: Mount Rainier erupts without warning, much like Mount Saint Helens did in the 80's. There's lots of chaos in the aftermath. The framing device is a journalist researching what happened to a tiny town that was outside the path of destruction, but nevertheless hasn't been heard from since the eruption. There are recorded sound clips from some of the residents before the eruption, interviews with loved ones, an interview with a Park Ranger who investigated, and most significantly - a woman's journal that was recovered by the Ranger. 90% of the story is that journal.
I was scared that this story wouldn't have a satisfying ending because it's a journal that was recovered from the town, and the writer was not. Would it just ... cut off when she lost it or died? When I actually got to the ending, I was HIGHLY SATISFIED. 5 Stars, I've already recommended the book to several friends.
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook if you're at all inclined that way. It's a full cast (including Nathan Fillion!) and the way it's all set up makes it seem like a documentary.
I'd been itching for a book that feels like an episode of X-files - find something supernatural and instead of the typical 4 F's (fight, flight, freeze, and f***) we STUDY it. This book wasn't quite that, since the protagonist definitely does the first 3 a lot, but somehow the framing of the whole story made it feel like I, the reader, was trying to study sasquatches through the evidence in this journal.
As someone who's lived in the Pacific Northwest for nearly a decade, I enjoyed the specific references to the area and had fun imagining where Greenloop might be. It's also very fun to imagine Tony Durant as Elon Musk.