I read Bird Box at the beginning of quarantine, and the circumstances of real life contributed to a very immersive read. I didn't expect the same from Malorie, because we've been living these circumstances for a while. I was wrong. Malorie is every bit as immersive as Bird Box. Some might see the ending as a little to neat, and normally I would be one of those, but not this time. I enjoyed the ending, and the fact that Malorie was allowed some vengeance.

This is a fun, compelling follow up to Bird Box, but it is a completely different kind of story. Almost stunningly so.

I loved Bird Box. It’s the only thing I’ve read in ages that truly scared the pants off me but never resorted to cheap, grotesque, torture-y horror. It was all about mayhem, right up to the very end. Pretty sure I remember physically shaking as I finished despite reading in broad daylight.

So I was expecting more of the same when I received a copy of Malorie. Don’t read this when you’re alone at night, I told myself, secretly delighted that I would probably dare myself to try that anyway.

Turns out I needn’t have bothered. Malorie isn’t scary at all.

There are some tense moments and certainly plenty of suspense, but frightening this one definitely isn’t.

That said, despite not being what I expected, it’s still an enjoyable follow up to the original.

This is more about the psychological impact over time of the horrors Malorie and her family have faced, heavily focused on the inner thoughts of her two children as they grow into teenagers. This, kids, is what teen angst looks like in a dystopian hellscape.

But despite the disconnect in tone (honestly, you can’t even class this book as horror. Even suspense feels like a little much), it somehow still makes sense as a sequel to Bird Box.

Bird Box was all action, and Malorie is all thought, but somehow they fit together and this feels like the logical conclusion to the story despite the disparate sense of intensity.

The end is a bit bittersweet but an unexpectedly happy one, and the one I wanted as a reader. Or at least, I think it was the one I wanted? Part of me missed the terror/relief/unknown progression of Bird Box that leaves the reader thinking “It’s over! I can breathe! But wait...Will it ever REALLY be over?” and part of me just wanted Malorie to finally get some rest and maybe even a little shred of happiness. This book leans unexpectedly far toward the latter, but I found I didn’t mind the change in feel.

If you’re just looking for more mind-bending terror a la Bird Box, then you’ll be disappointed by this sequel. But if you’re craving the next installment in Malorie’s personal story, this is a worthwhile read.

3.5
I was interested to see what a follow up would be to Bird Box. If you go into it not expecting it to all be completely plausible. Then 4 stars. I had a problem with one of the big twists at the end so... But if you just go into it all in, then I thought it was a pretty good follow up.

I absolutely love this book! I read Bird Box not too long ago, and when I found out this was coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. And I was not disappointed! This one takes place many years later, when the two children from the last one are teenagers who want to do their own thing, but Malorie is very much set in her ways. It is an absolutely unput-down-able horror read, and I have to say that I honestly think that I liked this one better than the first one.

First off, it was surprisingly thrilling and enjoyable to be back in this world. Malerman starts off at a sprint and I was along for the ride. I continue to be genuinely creeped out by this concept and the deep well of uncertainty Malerman is able to draw from. The danger feels forever imminent; the horror element just works so effectively.

I have to say that a couple of the story choices here were too coincidental for my taste, which took me out of the experience. Overall the action of this piece went... a shorter distance than I was imagining - which felt a bit underwhelming.

But there are some great conceptual choices and evolutions with MALORIE that I think make it worth your time if you're a fan of BIRD BOX. Overall I enjoyed it but didn't love it. BIRD BOX is ultimately a more successful outing, but this one is quite fun too. 3/5 stars.

I loved this. I read this entire book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. After loving Bird Box I was pretty stoked about this sequel, but then I saw some mixed reviews coming in and I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high and get let down, but this book was everything I wanted it to be and more. This is a perfect mix of mystery, horror, and psychological horror and fear of the unknown. I love that this book takes place ten years after the events of the first book and we are following Malorie and the two (now) sixteen year old kids. I love that we bounce back and forth between all their POV’s and hearing what’s going on in each of their heads.

This book has a perfect blend of slow burn mystery and suspense and intense action!! My heart was racing for them and I was flipping the pages so fast in some scenes. But I also appreciated the slower thought provoking chapters of these characters reading about people’s experiences with these creatures and wondering what makes a life worth living? And questioning is life worth living if you constantly live in fear and can never see outside again? It’s all so fascinating and I love that we keep this mystery about the creatures throughout most of this book just like the first book. I think fear of the unknown is truly the creepiest thing about this book. I also just loved getting to explore more of this world and see how different and how similar their world still is ten years later.

I love these characters so much, Josh Malerman is an exceptional writer. He really brings these characters to life in this book and the pacing was just perfect, there was never a dull moment for me. There were some good twists at the end and my heart freaking swelled and I just wanted to cry for them. I’m just so impressed and so happy with this book, I think I might’ve enjoyed this one even more than Bird Box.

I enjoyed being back in the world of "Bird Box" and seeing how the world had changed over the last 12 years, as well as seeing the kids as teenagers. While I completely understood Toms teenage rebellion, it sure was anxiety inducing! Which is the whole point. His rebellion helped the plot move along at a quick pace that kept me at the edge of my seat. I finished this book within 24 hours. While I did enjoy it, I did feel there were some things lacking. The way Toms glasses worked didn't quite add up for me. Was Athena crazy or immune? The whole community just kind of confused me. But, overall, it was a fast paced, enjoyable read.

The continuing story of Malorie caught me right from the beginning. It's the rest of the story and it was gripping. The rest of the story, with teenagers, is nerve-racking. Excellent sequel.

While I never really appreciated Bird Box and found the gore and tension off putting, I found Malorie to be a much better book. Less gore, more character driven and much more introspective of what drives us all in a quest for survival. More importantly it makes us question what true survival is. Is it enough to be alive, or do you really have to live your life to its fullest.

Malorie is an excellent follow-up to Bird Box. With this story picking up right around where Bird Box left off, and then quickly jumping ahead to about 17 years later, the tie in and continuation is seamless, and the reader falls right into the comfort of Malorie's character again. This book builds on the foundation of the plot established in Bird Box, and throughout the book explores a little more deeply the interactions (witnessed and reported) between people and the creatures. We are also introduced to Malorie's son and daughter Tom and Olympia as they are on the verge of adulthood as opposed to just babies or children as they were in Bird Box. This adds a new and interesting twist to the events of the book. Malorie is a great read that will not disappoint.

I loved Bird Box (first the book, then the movie), and I thought it was perfect as a stand-alone, even despite the open ending. But then I started reading my egalley and I was instantly transported back to the world of blindfolded people, where one glimpse of the mysterious creatures invading our planet can send you off the rails and make you kill yourself in the most gruesome way. And I was so glad to meet these characters again and follow them on a seemingly impossible quest. And you know what? It was awesome.

Malorie is a character I most definitely identify with. She is me and I am her. Literally, I totally understand her motives and her strictness and resolve to do whatever it takes to protect her kids. She is living by the blindfold and I am living by the mask; and this book couldn't have been more timely (you will see so much correlation to current events, it's almost like Malerman sneaked in some last-second edits to make it relate to our current situation even more).

That being said, Malorie is also kind of jaded and definitely VERY tired. Desperate, even. And having a teenage son that is going through that whole rebellion thing makes it that much harder. The three of them (Malorie, Olympia and Tom) end up having to flee the overrun school for the deaf and they find safety in an abandoned summer camp in Michigan. There they spend years, living as they used to live before the school for the deaf - and even more paranoid than ever, because Malorie is now convinced the creatures can make you mad by touching you. Then one day she gets word that - according to the new census - her parents are still alive. And apparently there is a blind train that can take Malorie to them.

Malorie (the novel) reads like something Stephen King would write. In this book the monsters are real, even if we try to convince ourselves that they're shadows or figments of our broken imagination. By the end of the book, Malorie is forced to face her worst nightmares. She is put through hell. Everything she thought she knew is challenged and she has no choice but to accept some of the new things as truths and learn to cope with them. It's not only a solid supernatural horror, but also a fantastic psychological study. I really hope Malerman will somehow whip up one more book that will potentially explore the origins of the mysterious creatures.

I enjoyed Bird Box quite a bit (I listened to the audio) and my hopes were high for Malorie. I could see why and how her character became the way she was, but I was also a little put off by her treatment of her children, especially given her mission to find her parents. The teens seemed to be well-developed and convincing. I did like the train and that setting.

Excellent follow up to Bird Box. Malerman succeeded in terrifying me once again. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I wasn’t expecting a sequel to Bird Box, but I’m glad it’s here. This was an exciting story and a quick read. Overall, I highly recommend, especially if you liked the first book. I do have a few minor quibbles. Malorie is not very like able throughout most of the book but she starts to get better at the end. It’s been a while since I read the first book, but I don’t remember her being particularly like Abel there either. Gary pops back up in a way that didn’t totally ring true to me. I would have liked a little more exploration of that.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Del Rey Books and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have a physical copy of MALORIE coming my way, but I couldn’t resist starting the digital ARC once I downloaded it. Normally I read so slow on my kindle, that I figured I’d probably still be in the middle of it by the time my copy showed up. So NOT the case! I flew right through it because it’s impossible to put down.

MALORIE is just as exhilarating as BIRD BOX. It actually made me want to read BIRD BOX all over again too.

I loved that we got to see the kids at an older age, although it kind of irked me that Malorie referred to them as the/her “teens” all the time. I don’t know why, but I’m just weird about that kind of thing in general.

The storyline went in a completely unexpected (for me) direction. I just loved all of it and being back in this specific apocalyptic world. There was one part of the ending that I thought happened too quickly and anticlimactically. But overall it was an excellent thrill ride!

Full review here for Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2020/7/22/21334721/malorie-review-bird-box-sequel-josh-malerman-netflix-sandra-bullock

It’s been years since Malorie and the kids made it to their safe haven. Tom and Olympia are now teens, but the creatures are still at large. When an unexpected visitor shows up, the kids find something out that Malorie cannot ignore. This information leads to their next adventure.

This is the Bird Box sequel you didn’t know you needed. It was so fantastic to catch up with Malorie and the children, even though they aren’t children anymore. They are teens with their own thoughts. Do they still want to believe everything Malorie tells them? This one was just as good as the first book, but I don’t want to give anything away!

Great immersive horror. This book is a sequel to the Bird Box- which I didn't read but saw the movie. This book feels just like a continuation of the story, The monsters are still around and you still need a blindfold to be safe. I have to admit, I got so into this book that I had a thrill of terror upon puttng my mask on to go to the store. It just reminded me of the blindfold and the horror of not being able to see what terrible things are facing you, I would recommend reading/watching the Bird Box first to fully understand the story. Several characters from the first are referenced, and it would help with the continuity of the story. Loved this book and the ending. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What to say about Malorie... Honestly, I'm not sure why we needed this book. Birdbox was the perfect stand alone horror novel. When I heard Malerman was writing a second novel I was curious as to where the story could go. I sort of felt like the whole time I was reading it I was waiting for the author to tell me this was a joke. That being said, I still appreciate Malerman's detailed writing style and how he transports you to whatever world he has created. It was the plot of Malorie that caused me to give it such a low rating. And I still think people should read it, but at your own caution for the original story you loved.

This sequel to BIRD BOX starts off with a bang two years after that book ends. Malorie and her two children are at the blind school when security is breached and the creatures come inside. The story then jumps 10 years into the future and into a new location, Camp Yadin, where the three have lived alone for those 10 years. A surprise visit from a census taker brings news and an entirely new adventure for the family. This new story is action-packed and exciting, with vivid descriptions and strongly-drawn characters. Since the kids are now 16-year-old teenagers, they have their own opinions and their own desires, which don't always correspond with their mother's wishes, making for some delicious conflicts. My only quibble is that the ending felt a little rushed, and one plot development felt a bit artificial and forced. Overall, though, I think this is a terrific story and a worthy successor to the original. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing an ARC.