Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, Malorie has long dreamed of fleeing to a place where her family might be safe. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: 20 miles downriver in a rowboat blindfolded with nothing to rely on but Malorie's wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey - a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motley group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside and confront the ultimate question: In a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman's breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.

Listening Length

9 hours and 8 minutes
Author

Josh Malerman
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Cassandra Campbell
Audible release date

May 13, 2014
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English
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HarperAudio
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B00JLMU4IQ
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Unabridged
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Listening Length	9 hours and 8 minutes
Author	Josh Malerman
Narrator	Cassandra Campbell
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 13, 2014
Publisher	HarperAudio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00JLMU4IQ
Best Sellers Rank	#14,825 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #264 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #706 in Literary Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #962 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books)

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5 star		68%
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2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Rox

Bird Box

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 11, 2022

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I heard of this book but couldn't remember anything about it. My 14 year old grandson was talking about books and movies one evening and he asked if I heard of it. I said yes but not really. He said oh Meemaw you have to get it. It's the best book I've ever read. The second was good but I don't think I'll ever read another book like this again. A week later I went on Amazon and downloaded to my Kindle. I have to agree it's nothing like anything I have ever read or probably ever will again. Hard to put it down. Wasn't sure where it was going but kept guessing where. Definitely in a class of it's own.

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Rachel Kearney

quick and gory

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2022

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Compared to the movie, it is incredibly gorey. TW there are 3 scenes of dog death and 2 scenes of child death. There is no romance plot in the book like there is in the movie its just terrifying, atmospheric, and amazing. Only about 260 pages and hard to put down, i read it in 2 days

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Whitt Patrick Pond

A fine unique wine of a horror novel, where every sip will give you the cold shivers

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 29, 2015

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Bird Box by John Malerman is absolutely one of the most tensely claustrophobic horror novels I've ever read. Some horror is based on fear of things you see. And some horror is based on fear of things you don't see. Bird Box has a different kind of horror going on - a fear of things that you must not see.

Malorie lives in rural Michigan, in a run-down house with two small children. The three of them have not seen or spoken to another human being in four years. All of the windows and doors have been carefully covered over with blankets, tape, paper, tarps, anything to prevent any possibility of ever glimpsing anything outside the house, even by accident. When Malorie has to go outside, she wears a blindfold tied tightly in place. The children sleep with blindfolds in carefully covered pens. Because there are _things_ out there, and to see them, even for a second, means madness and painful torturous death. But the day has come when Malorie and the two children must leave the house, feel their way to a boat on the river, and then blindly make their way down the river, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a place of safety that still exists in the world.

The chapters alternate, sometimes in the present, more often in the past as we learn about the events of the preceding five years that led to Malorie's current situation. A lot of what makes Bird Box work is the atmosphere Malerman creates for the reader where he immerses you into a world where there's something out there, something that if seen, even by accident, even for a second, results in murderous insanity and death. Something that no one knows what it looks like because no one who sees it, even indirectly, survives intact to describe it. And you can feel Malorie's mounting apprehension early on in flashbacks as the outside world grows more and more ominous:

"It is six months before the children are born. Malorie is showing. Blankets cover every window in the house. The front door is never left unlocked and never left open. Reports of unexplainable events have been surfacing with an alarming frequency. What was once breaking news twice a week now develops every day. Government officials are interviewed on television. Stories from as far east as Maine, as far south as Florida, have both sisters now taking precautions. Shannon, who visits dozens of blogs daily, fears a mishmash of ideas, a little bit of everything she reads. Malorie doesn't know what to believe. New stories appear hourly online. It's the only thing anybody talks about on social media and it's the only topic on the news pages. New websites are devoted entirely to the evolution of information on the subject. One site features only a global map, with small red faces placed upon the cities in which something occurred. Last time Malorie checked, there were more than three hundred faces. Online, they are calling it 'the Problem.' There exists the widespread communal belief that whatever 'the Problem' is, it definitely begins when a person _sees_ something.
-- Malorie resisted believing it as long as she could. The sisters argued constantly, Malorie citing the pages the derided mass hysteria, Shannon citing everything else. But soon Malorie had to relent, when the pages she frequented began to run stories about their own loved ones, and the authors of these pages stepped forward to admit some concern.
-- Cracks, Malorie thought then. Showing even in the skeptics.
-- Days passed in which Malorie experienced a sort of double life. Neither sister left the house anymore. Both made sure the windows were covered. They watched CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News until they physically couldn't watch the same stories repeating themselves. And while Shannon grew more serious, and even grave, Malorie held on toe a pinch of hope that this would all simply go away.
-- But it didn't. And it got worse.
-- Three months into living like shut-ins, Malorie and Shannon's worse fears came true when their parents stopped answering their phone. They didn't answer e-mails either.
-- Malorie wanted to drive north to the Upper Peninsula. But Shannon refused.
-- "We're just going to have to hope they're being safe, Malorie. We're going to have to hope their phone was shut off. Driving anywhere right now would be dumb. Even to the store, and driving nine hours would be suicide."
-- 'The Problem' always resulted in suicide. Fox News had reported the word so often that they were now using synonyms. 'Self-destruction.' 'Self-immolation.' 'Hari-Kari.' One anchorman described it as 'personal erasing,' a phrase that did not catch on. Instructions from the government were reprinted on the screen. A national curfew was mandated. People were advised to lock their doors, cover their windows, and, above all, not to look outside. On the radio, music was replaced entirely with discussions.
-- A blackout, Malorie thinks. The world, the outdoors, is being shut down."

What's even more remarkable about Bird Box is that it's Malerman's first novel. It was nominated this year for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, a nomination that was well deserved.

Highly, highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a novel that will literally make you afraid to look up or turn around.

27 people found this helpful

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Book Junkie

This Yooper Bibliophile Loves Yooper Heroine!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 31, 2018

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This book is beyond well written. It is a work of true literary art. The author conveys true suspense and the feelings of dread and a dash of Hope. One reads it and feels as though they are there. I am a very avid reader, so very few authors can impress me with how they really touch a readers heart and mind.

Josh Malerman has created a book that deserves the praise it has received. It is truly original, it is truly horrific, it explores the boundaries of The human experience and does an excellent job of creating a world that is both frightening and very believable.

The depth that he plums is extraordinary, and his characters, in particular Mallorie, are excellently conceived. The myriad of ideas that he placed into his book are that of a person who is extremely intelligent and perceptive. His imagination gives this book a very good view of the world he created. He is an excellent author.

This book is definitely what I consider to be a must-read, even though I am not particularly a fan of post-apocalyptic novels. This is likely because it is so much more than that. It is a very thoughtful and human look and experience. I felt like I was right next to Mallorie the entire time. It explores so many aspects of what it means to be human and how far out instinct for survival will go. It is an extraordinary good novel and one that I fully recommend. And I wait with bated breath for the next novel by Josh Malerman.

On a very personal note, having been born in the upper peninsula of Michigan, (hence my usage of the word "Yooper") I have often thought that if there were ever an apocalyptic situation it would be someone from the U.P. who would be one of the survivors. Why, you might ask?

Because the Upper Peninsula is nothing like the lower portion. This magnificent homeland of mine is a harsh and beautifully brutal place. This is an untamed place where nature is still in charge. It is a place like no other I have seen, and I miss it mightily living in Suburban Detroit. I fell in love with a Troll (unflattering nickname for those who live south of the Mackinaw Bridge😉) and our marriage of twenty years separates me from my beloved homeland. It's 450 miles and a long 8 hour journey away, sadly.

You will find that Yoopers are kind, but children are not coddled and they are taught from a young age how to navigate in such a place. It is beyond beautiful, yet the winters are heavy, long and unforgiving. The weather is capricious in any season and one must be prepared at all times. It is sparsely populated, and Marquette is the largest city with less than 40,000 residents.

I grew up right near Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. It is a place of raw and magnificent power, and the lake is a place we are taught to love and respect. As I wrote earlier, if you ever have the chance to go there, I strongly suggest that you do.

I realize that I have reviewed the U.P. as much as I have the novel. I apologise if that's an annoyance. It's just that for a book to be so wonderful featuring a protagonist from my homeland is overwhelmingly touching. So few people know about the U.P. and I want people to know what they are missing. So, with that, I couldn't be more impressed by the way Josh Malerman wrote this brilliant novel. It has so much to offer and it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to enjoy the experience of reading Bird Box. It's too good to miss.

As Always, I wish Happy Reads to All from the Unapologetic Book Junkie😉!

One person found this helpful

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Asheley

So much suspense! Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 1, 2022

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This is a fantastic book! I'm certain I didn't take a single full breath the entire time I was reading. I flew thru it. The amount of suspense in here is absolutely perfect. My heart raced in quite a few parts and I just loved it!

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Gretchen A. Eubanks

Excellent!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2022

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Love this book!!!

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Amanda "Cat" Brooks

One of the best books I've read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 7, 2022

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Way better than the movie. Can't wait to read Mallory. It was suspenseful and scary. Will look for more books from this author.

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Jocelyn

=']

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 3, 2022

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Okay so when I got the book the cover was completely different than the photos! And it was a little bent on the corners! But otherwise the book was in good shape! No tore pages or spills!

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Top reviews from other countries

L. J. Roach

Spooky but too problematic [SPOILERS]

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 11, 2018

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Initially I thought this would be a difficult book to review without spoilers. But then I realised there's nothing really to spoil. There's no plot twist so I'll just plough on.

Bird Box is a dystopian novel set in an apocalyptical setting where people see creatures and go mad, ultimately dying and sometimes taking others with them. The story of the protagonist is set in two time points - when everything goes wrong and she needs to seek refuge, and the current time, where she is having to find a new place with two children.

It is spooky and creepy. At one point I was reading it in the dark and something fell off my bed, and I have to confess to absolutely jumping out of my skin. I found the book hard to put down because I felt like it was all building up to something.

And then - nothing. A total cliche of an ending. You never get to find out what was out there. It's just some creature. Everyone has to live without looking outside and that's that, end of story. They find a new refuge and carry on.

It did grip me but totally fell flat. I'll not be rushing to watch the movie adaptation unfortunately.

49 people found this helpful

Alternative Mr Men

Genuinely Frightening

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 12, 2018

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Bird Box by Josh Malerman follows Malorie, a pregnant woman, as the world falls to pieces. People are seeing things that drive them to kill themselves and others. No one knows what these things might be, but soon everyone is barricaded in their homes, only walking in the open world blindfolded. It's a gimmicky sounding premise, but stay with it.

Come to this book with the right expectations. It's going to be a quick read. There are going to be moments that niggle with inconsistency. The writing won't set you alight with poetic brilliance. But I can almost guarantee you this: you will be creeped out. You might even be scared. Like me, you might have nightmares, and you might jump at tiny out-of-place sounds. Bask in these rare qualities and enjoy them.

46 people found this helpful

Emma

Words cannot describe how tense this book made me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 2, 2018

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This book is AH-MAZ-ING. I loved it from start to finish and omg the finish. The whole concept of not being able to look is absolutely terrifying, and the back and forth between when it started and the present day had me racing through the book at breakneck speed. The convergence of the timelines when we discover everything that happened is enthralling enough but then, for the story to continue, as our main character leaves to find a place she's never seen, without being able TO see...I was sat reading at 3am, heart pounding out my chest, sprinting to the finish to find out what happens. Haven't read a more compelling read in a long time, if ever. If I could give this book 10 stars I would

40 people found this helpful

Heidi

For me a five star read is a new favourite. From the blurb alone I may not have ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 18, 2018

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I’m very stingy with my five star ratings. In fact I’ve only given one so far this year. For me a five star read is a new favourite.

From the blurb alone I may not have ever picked this up, but the reviews from some of my favourite reviewers convinced me to give this a go. And I adored it.

This had me completely gripped throughout. When I wasn’t reading it, I kept thinking about it. This completely got in my head, as a horror/thriller should. It even made me rather paranoid at night.

Josh Malerman’s writing was fantastic and I can’t wait to read more from him.

22 people found this helpful

Shy

Too repetitive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 22, 2018

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The book started off promising, but several chapters in it became apparent that every chapter was pretty much the same.
People scared, people hearing sounds, people scared, people hearing sounds, nothing happening. About half way though I got so bored reading the same thing over and over again that I skipped to the last chapter. I can tell you that it really wasn’t worth reading - still nothing happened. I’ve given it two stars for the first part of the book which was interesting, before it become boring and repetitive. I’m sure this book could have been condensed to a quarter of what it is.

17 people found this helpful

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