Bird Box (Josh Malerman)

There is something out there.  If you see it, you go insane, kill everyone around you, and then kill yourself.  No one knows what it is, or how it can be stopped.  All they know is that you cannot look at it or you'll die.

I had heard about this book a few years ago, and meant to read it.  I actually started it a few times, but never finished.  I guess it just wasn't the right time.  But with my "Monster Mash" summer reading theme, I thought I had finally found the perfect excuse to read it.

And oh, boy!  This does not disappoint!  Right from the start, this book grabs you by the throat and drags you into a claustrophobic nightmare, where you can't even trust your own eyes.  Malorie is living alone in a house in Michigan with her two children, Boy and Girl.  Desperate to get away from the house for the first time in years, she gathers the children, and together the three of them take a boat down the river--completely blindfolded--in hopes of finding freedom.  The story alternates between these moments in the present, and Malorie's experiences from four years ago, when reports first started cropping up of something driving people to unspeakable violence.

This method of alternating chapters works wonders, as we start to see the stories converge.  You know how the original story ends--Malorie is now all alone, except for her two children.  But, we don't know how she gets to that ending, and that is what will keep you on the edge of your seat.  That, and the fact that we don't really know what is the cause of the madness.  What is out there?  Can it hurt you?  Can it be avoided?  And is there any way you can actually look at it without completely losing your mind?

If you're looking for something atmospheric and creepy, I would recommend giving Bird Box a try.  It's a quick and fascinating read.