QUICK TAKE: eco-thriller with a sci-fi twist when a group of technologically-advanced hippies move off the grid but are trapped in the wilderness when a volcano erupts, leaving them isolated and forced to fend for themselves against a group of Sasquatches (is that the plural for Sasquatch??). The book takes way too long to get moving and ultimately left me wanting more. The end poses some interesting questions, in particular about a character snapping, and I would have loved if there had more investment in that storyline. Entertaining, but ultimately a little bit of a letdown.

Oh my gosh. What a ridiculous premise. It's only redemption is that the author took it seriously enough to make it an interesting read. I honestly can't wait until this hits the shelves, just to see what people say about it.

I received a free e-galley from netgalley.com.

First I want to start by saying I am a hug fan of Max Brooks and having read his previous works I understood what to expect from his writing style before I started this one.

Max Brooks does not write in a typical novel fashion. MAX Brooks usually uses a third-person point of view with a narrator to tells us about what's happening in the story by showing us the thoughts and feelings of the characters.

If you are familiar with one of his previous books "World War Z" Max Brooks proves he knows how to wield this remarkably flexible and very powerful approach to narration.

And he is a master! Max Brooks uses a mighty pen as effectively as the sharpest sword. Expertly weaving in close to show the raw emotions of the character then pulling away to make the overall story come to life in an after action style perspective.

This perspective makes everything hauntingly vivid. The setting, the isolation, the complete terror. Max Brooks has a gift for taking the bedtime ghost stories/urban legends of yesterday and making it all so plausiblely horrifying.

He went a different angle with this one so it's just a diary account of what happened to a green off the grid ultra modern rich person retreat gone wrong.

So the first 25% - and at first I was like huh not what I expected - No horror.

It is what would be typical... Dinner parties moving in, trying to live in the woods but getting food delivered by drones... Perfect life, perfect wifi you get the picture right?? So next gen. safe, boring, too perfect. Then bam apocalypse now!! A chain of events sets off an unanticipated series of catastrophic events that changes a small community forever. And that's just the semi-normal natural disaster stuff. Let's just say it ramps up.

Admittedly this may not (given world events) be the best book to read right now. If your already on edge or aren't a true horror fan then read all the reviews n than read the reviews for his other books haha but Wow... I mean just Wow!

I can truly say I am not in a hurry to meet a Sasquatch anytime soon.

If you loved World War Z.
THE BOOK because it's vastly different than the movie (Although I enjoyed it too. It is most definitely not the same). Then you will love this book as well. It was a fast paced addictive read. I couldn't stop reading - thinking. Yep it kept me up in all the ways.

First the I couldn't put it down.
Then the creep/scare factor kept me awake.

I mean did I ever ponder what a Bigfoot attack might be like? Probably Never and there it is right there...

As I shudder... Yes the descriptions of the savagery are that realistic.

Out of all the monsters in the dark. What might actually hide in the woods... Bigfoots... Bigfoot? Sasquatch, Yeti Whatever...

Hopefully not a thing cuz that was some realist scary story dynamics. This is a rollercoaster that is a full speed ahead terrifyingly scary.

#PureHorror #AmazingRead.

Seriously if true horror is not your thing this may not be for you because this is incredibly descriptive and brutal in it's presentation. Um did I already mention that? Cuz I I'm trying to be clear. The book is not for the faint of heart.

I LOVED Kate's narration.
At first I was like wow she is so obsessive and high strung. She legit needs to live in the woods just to cope. Her mind constantly dwelling on every aspect of every detail. It would be exhausting to overthink all the aspects of the minutiae that convolutes our days.

But who knew. In the apocalypse maybe that's what you need. Tough, raw, gritty character always thinking, planning and trying to survive. If ever I wished for a sequel then this is one of those times.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for sending me this incredible ARC in exchange for an honest review. I truly absolutely loved it soooooo much!!!

When Mount Rainier erupts, the small community of Greenloop finds itself cut off from the rest of the world and up against a pack of starving Bigfoots eager to find their next meal. Devolution is a realistic survival tale mixed with the fantastic what-ifs surrounding the nature and existence of Bigfoot. This is an obvious choice for those fascinated by stories of Bigfoot.

The story is told as a series of diary entries mixed with interviews and other tidbits to explain what happened at Greenloop and the possible nature of Bigfoot. The format helps the story feel more personal while diving into how an unexpected crisis can change people (and Bigfoot) whether for the better or worse.

I received an ARC for review.

This is the worst choice of book to read when you’re quarantined, nervous, anxious, taking your most emotional support from great booze and stocked toilet papers (I’m cuddling them, that’s why people buy them so much, right? They are like white shapeless teddy bears and I recently tried them in a recipe: just mix them with almond milk, marshmallow and chocolate chips: my husband told me that was the best food I’ve ever fixed in my entire life)

Anyways, this is frightening, action packed, ominous, dark, wild, savage, disturbing ride! You gotta think again before deciding to read a book from World War Z’s author.

What we have so far: A big chaos in Pacific Northwest breaks out with the Mount Rainer’s eruption. So we’re introduced to Greenloop community consists of smart homes located in near Ranier Park, isolated from the society. They just created their own safe, clear, highly tech quarantine place. But what was that howling sound coming from the woods? And those footprints cannot belong to a real human, can it? What the hell happened to those animals in the woods? Bloody, ugly, disgusting massacre start to terrify the small community. Maybe they’re not safe enough as they expected, right? Invisible monsters are not under their beds anymore. They’re all real, they are out there and they are coming for them.

I think the most things I enjoyed about the book were detailed, layered and entertaining characterization and addictive progression. There are other narrations but the story mostly told by journal entries. The story-telling style is captivating, keeping your interest alive with realistic, slow building mystery. Things get more violent, raw and vulgar at each second when the monsters appear.
Surprisingly I also loved Kate (in the beginning she irritated the hell of me with her weird, quirky antics and ultra-paranoid behavior.) and I wanted to punch her know-it-all face at several times but when the crisis occurs she turns into my hero and the transformation of character made me reminded of other super heroes from comic books: a person seems like an ordinary and creepy can be an enigma hiding so much potential inside.

Kate's narration helps us to understand the nature of danger they are going to fight against so we can see the whole picture in our heads more clearly. And her tragic but also witty sense of dark humor keeps us agitated but also curious to know what’s gonna happen next! When the shit hits the fan she turns herself a kind of Sarah Connor with more knowledge about the nature monsters.

Overall: It’s a fantastic, nail-elbow- entire arm biter, heart throbbing, definitely earth shattering, wild, extremely crazy train ride you’ll take. It’s definitely worth it but if you cannot handle a mind bender, heart rate jumper, stress riser book, you are not great fit for this bat shit crazy journey!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for sending me one the most anticipated books’ ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. I truly enjoyed it so much.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC.When Mount Rainier errupts, its humans versus Sasquatch. A community is cut off from civilization and must defend itself when Bigfoot comes to call.

I truly enjoyed this book. The story is a retrospective style story of a volcanic eruption leading to the interaction of a small enclave and a group of hungry, violent Sasquatch. The narrator is a reporter who has received a tip about strange things that happened following an eruption of Mt. Rainier. He investigates and the story is told through a series of interviews and journal entries from one of the inhabitants of the enclave.
I don't read a ton of horror stories, but this one caught my eye because I had read the authors first book (World War Z - side note: don't see the movie, read the book) which was written in the same style and was really well executed. This book did not dissapoint either. The interview/after action report style reminds me of Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain or Sphere (two of his best). The characters all have very individual personalities and their own believable flaws, strengths, and weaknesses. The horror comes from the journal style of the story... even though you know the character had to survive for awhile to write the journal portion you can still feel the tension. The realistic writing style means that even though you know it is fiction, it can make you suddenly very aware of all the noises in and around your house as you are reading.
This book fulfilled my expectations in that it was hard to put down until I had finished. My only complaints are a couple of confusing segments and that it wasn't longer (had to leave the imaginary world too soon). Although, the ending was surprisingly satisfying even as it was abrupt. I would certainly read another work by this author given the chance, although I would not want to see the hash of the story Hollywood would make of an adaptation (seriously, World War Z the movie was BAD compared to the book).

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Devolution by Max Brooks While meticulous detail went into the background of the story and the premise was quite interesting, the format of the narrative made it difficult to get invested in the characters. The action lagged somewhat in the first part of the book. However it did pick up once the Bigfoots/Bigfeets got introduced into the mix. Bigfoot fans will most assuredly enjoy the story.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Good: Really fast, engaging read. Interesting concept, and reminded me of a good ol' monster movie from the 20th century. People who enjoyed WORLD WAR Z will like this one, too. And quite scary, too.

The Eh: Books in diary entries really just don't do it for me. It makes the whole thing way more implausible, because really who writes their diary entries with the suspense and dialogue of a novel? There's also no way that Katie would remember half of the details in her diary entries the next night while she's writing. It's just kind of a pet peeve of mine, but I know other people like that stuff.

A very different kind of story about survival of the fittest. As I read, I kept having to remind myself that this is fiction. It reads as a realistic post-disaster tale told through the eyes of the rescuers and the detailed entries of a diary/ journal kept by one of the victims. Max Brooks does a very good job of putting the reader in the middle of the story.

It's hard to review this book without giving away spoilers.

But I loved it. I got totally sucked into it and my minds eye could picture the scenes so well. I had to put it down at one point as I didn't want to know what was going to happen next!

As a very early reader of World War Z (I read the manuscript) ] was so excited and grateful to be able to read the galley of Devolution, Max Brooks' first non-graphic novel since World War Z. I knew I had to temper my expectations, but I was truly gripped by this tale of off-the-grid survival that combined a volcano (a favorite survival topic of mine), loss of technology and a self-isolated community of people unprepared for survival.

With the exception of a sage-like elder who has survived an earlier catastrophe, and through whose eyes our narrator (in diary form) learns to trust to survive, this community of folks that consider themselves off-the-grid have no idea how interlinked with the grid they are until the net goes down and traps them in the wilderness.
Lava flows keep them from escaping, and drive a monstrous threat their way - an uncompromising legend whose fight for survival has one rule: win.

I feel bad for Brooks that he'll have to curtail his book tour due to the coronavirus and Covid-19 threat. However: we were able to spread the word on WWZ like a virus back in the day! Let's help him out with Devolution: this will be an excellent quarantine/self-isolation read. The audiobook should be terrific, too -- I believe I saw on reddit that it will be fully cast. (Brooks did an AMA that's worth looking up.)

Keep your trashcan lids on tight.

While this is a certainly a unique and suspenseful story, it didn’t quite capture me like I hoped it would. The premise is interesting but the format of the novel made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. The primary narrator is Kate, who recently moved to a brand new, high-tech, and secluded community called Greenloop that was designed to provide the luxuries of modern life within a natural setting. The story unfolds using Kate’s diary entries as well as commentary from Kate’s brother and various experts following the events described in the diary. In her diary, Kate describes a nearby volcanic eruption that makes it impossible for the members of Greenloop to make contact with the larger society. Kate and her fellow community members soon realize they are being watched and stalked by large ape-like animals and are woefully unprepared for survival. This portion of the story really stood out for me because it was highly suspenseful and engaging and kept me on edge wondering what would happen next. Unfortunately, once the action picked up, I found that I didn’t really care what happened to the characters. Although I lost interest in the overarching story, the commentary interspersed throughout the novel added some extra meaning that prevented me from becoming totally disengaged. I particularly enjoyed learning about past reports of Sasquatch sightings and hearing expert analyses of animal behavior as it related to the events unfolding in the novel. Overall, the book was disappointing but I would say it’s worth the read if you’re interested in the Bigfoot concept and you’re looking for a fast-paced book with a unusual premise.

Quite scary. This author has been around a while and knows how to effectively write good characters in addition to crafting a very good plot. Good stuff.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for the review copy.

WOW! This book was masterfully done and I applaud Mr. Brooks for a job well done. I couldn’t stop reading until I ran out of pages to swipe, the details both normal and gorey, (and there was plenty gore) kept me wanting more and as I write this review I am left wanting more. (Here is to hoping for a sequel and I even think a movie!!)

So quick synapses Kate and her husband dan move to greenloop a small community of people living in the middle of the woods in high tech homes that are run by solar panels and methane gas. Upon arriving Kate falls In love with the scenery and try’s to get dan out of a slump and everything is normal friendly neighbors, great views, and seclusion from crime. That is until the eruption of mt rainier. They find themselves cut off completely from society and eventually hunted by the fabled Sasquatch.

I give this book a five star rating because I really have not come across any big foot books and as my first it did not disappoint. My only real gripe is the end which was kind of a cliff hanger that leaves me hoping for a second book which I would very happily review, but i can’t help suggest any one reading this review to add this to your collection when it’s available (publication date is may 12 2020) especially if you believe in big foot or just love a fantastic sci-fi thriller.

A volcano has a nasty mudslide called a Lahar. This volcanic mudslide cuts off communications and blocks off the road. Our main protagonists live in a rural splotch of land where they are trying to "get back to nature" with the comforts of suburban life.

All the native animals are confused and trying to find a new place to live. Bigfoot is among them.

I thought the story was a bit stagnant in the beginning but it really picks up after that (so much gore!) . I did not read World War Z so can't compare the writing. If you are a fan of volcanos or bigfoot or wanted one day for the two to become one, this is for you. Each chapter has real sasquatch facts which I thought was pretty cool.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Another entertaining read from Max Brooks. This one fits well with the trend the author established with World War Z, but tackles a new, yet equally supernatural, topic. I love the way Brooks takes fragments and organizes fiction around them -- it's enjoyable and unique, like its own multi-genre form in storytelling. I recommend Devolution, along with other books by this author, and gratefully acknowledge the publisher for this advance copy.

Max Brooks is one heck of a horror novelist. He is far from a one hit wonder with his masterpiece- World War Z. Devolution has fear on each page, and will make you rethink about camping in the woods or even living off the grid, per say in a small community that is on the outskirts of society or near a city or even large group of people. What would you do if a volcano explodes and cuts you off from all communication and help, plus you don't have any real protection- ie. guns or knives, and you may run out of food. But that's not the worst possible scenario, as Katie the protagonist finds out. A group of humanoid beasts aka Bigfoots aka Sasquatch are stalking you, waiting to attack because you are either food to them or the enemy.

Through flashbacks via Katie's diary the narrator has, we see how Katie and her husband, including their small group of neighbors try to survive after a natural disaster. Within the first 50 pages, the atmosphere of the novel is chilling because you know something bad is going to happen and the outcome won't have a positive spin.

Brooks is an excellent storyteller and his research is amazing. The only downside to Devolution is the ending. It leaves more questions than answers in regards to the outcome of Katie and her neighbors and their survival, which may make the hair on your arms stand on end.

3.5 stars rounded up!

BIGGGGGGGFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!

WE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT BIGGGGGGGGFOOOOOTTTTTTT

First things first, this is both my first Max Brooks book, and my first Bigfoot book. This book popped my Bigfoot cherry. And I had a pretty good time.

This is not just a story about Bigfoot though, this is a story about survival, which I honestly found more interesting than the Bigfoot part.

Quick synopsis for ya: A bunch of rich folk want to live out among nature so they move to this technologically advanced, remote community, in the woods near Mt. Rainier that was created to let them live off the grid, without having to compromise all their bougie, 2020 comforts. Think iPads, blue-tooth speakers, drone grocery deliveries, etc. They can have all these comforts, while being one with nature. Life is peaceful until Mt. Rainier basically explodes, blocking the only path in/out of their remote community and all hell breaks loose. AND THEN COMES ALONG BIGFOOT AND HER FAMILY. Let all the survival and chaos you ever imagined BEGIN.

Now I read this book in March of 2020, aka Coronavirus Panic time. So reading about how people turned on each other for food, shelter, weapons and generally anything to help them survive (TOILET PAPER?!!!!!!) and started full blown riots, SCARED THE CRAP OUTTA ME. Are people gonna come after me for my canned beans?!

So understanding the context of the time I read this, it's probably safe to assume, this book probably scared me more than it normally would. The fall of the polite, rational people, is what scared me, not Bigfoot.

It was super cool to read about how city peeps had to adapt and learn to live in the wild. Although if I'm understanding the timeline correctly....it all seemed to happen within a span of 2-3 weeks? Which I dunno, seems a little crazy to me once I reflect back on the story.

While I did enjoy this fun story, I did find that parts of it just dragggggged on. I feel fully confident that I could make a spear out of bamboo given the length in which that is described at multiple times during the book. Maybe that is Brooks style though and it's just new to me. Or...maybe Brooks is trying to help us out when society falls and everyone panics. I'VE GOT BAMBOO OUTSIDE MY HOUSE SO I'M PREPARED GALS.

Thank you NetGally and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion!

So, the same way I couldn’t finish World War Z was what seems to have driven me to finish this really cool, really gritty, really gory-ass book!!! WWZ had more detailed ephemera that threw me off course, too. But the added info here just made me go “ohhhhhh.....of course.” Definitely buying this for the library and definitely recommending it to students and friends!

Wow! Grab a cup of tea and sit down and be prepared to have your heart race with fear.
This book grabs you from the third chapter and won't let you go till the very bloody end.
The first two chapters were a little slow, a little bit of orientation for the reader... but once the volcano explodes...WOW!
Fast paced, survival, creatures, and a throbbing isolation that you can feel in your own bones.
The author is a great story teller and keeps the pace on track and beating down your throat.
Your eyes will skim over the words wondering what will happen next.

The only confusing part was the Jewish Interlude...not sure if that was one of the characters back stories, or what.

Overall....another fantastic book by Max Brooks! BRAVO!