Bird Box, by Josh Malerman

Bird Box on Netflix got a lot of hype and seemed to be very popular, so when I saw the audio book by Josh Malerman at the library I decided to check it out.  It's not the worst book I've ever read, but I didn't like it very much.

Here's the premise, crudely stated: some kind of entity or creatures or something has invaded the world.  Anyone who sees them/it immediately becomes violently self-destructive.  People are killing themselves.  The whole world descends into suicidal madness.  A few people realize that they are safe as long as they don't see the thing.  So they live in houses with all the windows boarded up.  If they need to venture outside for food or other supplies, they must wear a blindfold.

The story focuses on Malorie, who survives for a while with a small group of people.  She and her two kids attempt to float down the river to meet up with a community with whom they had brief contact by phone.  The story shifts between the weeks immediately following the initial outbreak or invasion and their flight by boat.

I like speculative stories and read lots of sci-fi, but this book is full of so much absurdity that I grew weary of it.  The reader is kept in the dark just like the characters.  But please, give me a little context or explanation.  You look at it and want to kill yourself?  Whatever.  Malerman writes some decent scenes, and has a good sense of suspense and the slow reveal.  But the whole package just didn't work for me.  For a suspense novel it turned out to be rather dull and uninteresting with a disappointing ending.

By the way, after I listened to the audiobook, I watched the movie.  I'd say the movie is marginally better than the book, but still not very good.