Audiobook Review: Devolution by Max Brooks

Book: 83/150

Rating: 4/5

Summary: As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.

But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten.

In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.

Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before.

Thoughts: A sci-fi eco thriller is not a genre I've read much of, but this was fantastic! I love books that incorporate multi-media to tell a story. The journal entries, interviews and news reports combined with a full cast made this such a fun and engaging story to follow along. Do I believe in Bigfoot now? I almost want to!

I would love to see this one as a limited series, though the monsters on TV are never as good as the ones you've built up in your head. Although, the scariest part of this book is how realistic it is- there is no doubt in my mind that a "fully sustainable community in the middle of nowhere" is already in the works: what happens when a natural disaster causes this community to be even more isolated when they already are? On top of that, add a mysterious creature to the mix...

Kate was a fun, unfiltered protagonist. She comes off (I hate to say it) 'ditzy' at first, but it was great to see her development as her situation intensified and it became a story of survival. Judy Greer was such a great narrator (along with Max Brooks, Nathan Fillion, and Jeff Daniels), this one was a great listen but with the multi-media element I'm sure it's a great read as well. I'm definitely more inclined to pick up World War Z now.

Thanks to Libro.fm, Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, and Max Brooks for an ALC of this book. It just came out June 16, 2020!