Reviews

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, by Max Brooks

chasehoffman's review

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

sorbeth's review

I got 25% in and noped out. I like the preparedness/survival story aspect but the general flakiness of some of the characters is frustrating (appropriately) and I’m realizing this is going to go into scary story territory.

kim_m's review

5.0

Was this book really about Bigfoot? Yes it was. Would I normally read a book about Bigfoot? No, but I trusted the author of World War Z and he totally did not disappoint. This is an "edge-of-your-seat" novel that reads fast and keeps your attention. I thought about it long after it was finished - the symbolism of the title, Reinhardt calling Kate, "Hannah", the references to the 1980 Mount St. Helen eruption. The novel is the protagonist's journal entries interspersed with interviews of people involved in the Mount Rainier eruption. Its a survival story, but also a commentary on the human condition and the nature of predatory behavior. I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC

ruhika's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

aurasn's review

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Sharing a similar format with his previous book, Brooks effectively uses different first-person accounts to piece together what happened to an eco-sustainable, tech-reliant remote community during an environmental disaster that causes nearby sasquatches to begin preying on its inhabitants. 

Not as engrossing as World War Z, but I did find the characters’ survival tactics and sasquatch behavioral hypotheses fascinating.

sandeestarlite's review

3.0

A fun idea for an adventure/horror story. Mount Rainier blows its top and send all sorts of wildlife scurrying for safety, including the Sasquatch. The story had a few plot holes but for a lighthearted listen it was pretty good. Would be good for a road trip.

rns1108's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

ryan_pc's review against another edition

3.0

I had a lot of fun with this. Fast paced. Interesting format. Delightful brutality. A trash novel, but a (mostly) entertaining one. It took characters i truly hated through a life changing event, to come out the otherside mostly unchanged. Although it did reinstated what I always knew about violent emergencies; listen to the stout eastern European lady, because chances are, she's seen some shit.

callmeishmael's review

5.0

Loved this book and the summer blockbuster feel. A quick fun read.

spiderfelt's review

4.0

As this book was way outside the type of book I normally read, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The audiobook cast enhanced the experience immensely, as did documentary form. The fact that I spent a lot of time in the area where this book is set might also have added to my enjoyment of the story. Whatever the reason, it will be a while before I can get the image of crushed bone fragments out of my mind.