I enjoyed that novel but it is not exactly mainstream, and the cool thing is readers were willing to follow him. There is nothing overly commercial about a supernatural western spin on Sleeping Beauty like Unbury Carol. Personally I trusted Malerman who has not been cash-grabbing and repeating the same kind of horror story over and over. That misdirection is void from the movie because the creatures while still unseen are very real on the other side of the blindfold right away. I thought this novel was about a crazy and abusive mother. So while Malorie was heading down the river with the blindfolds on her and the kids I didn't know if the monsters were even real for a good 70 pages. I read Bird Box cold, no idea what the novel was about.

In the film, you know the creatures and the madness is real. (I am going to assume you at least saw the movie and spoil the first one) Honestly, the movie was good, but for my money, it missed the key part of the first act. As someone who read the book long before the movie I feel sorry for those of you who saw the movie first. Because goddamn was the first book was both of those things. As powerful of a hit as Bird Box was as a book there are forces that would push and pull an author on a project like this.Īs great as Bird Box was the pressure to deliver an equally scary and emotional ride would be a burden for any writer. I am sure there are a few of you think there is only a cash not story reason to do a sequel here. I am starting to see a pattern with the Bird Box series - living up to impossible hype is just what this story does. Years before Birdbox became the most-watched movie on Netflix and a global meme with taking the 'Birdbox' challenge Josh Malerman's novel Birdbox was the talk of the World Horror Convention.Īfter the con, I knew I wanted to read this book but of course, I had already decided that it was impossible for this novel to live up to the hype. Then I kept seeing people everywhere at the con holding his book and talking about it. During the 2014 World Horror Convention held in Portland I was setting up my books to sign and there was a very long line for one author I never heard of. I have told this story before but since we are talking about the sequel it seems fitting.

Malorie sequel