Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Bird Box

i will admit, i watched the movie long before i ever considered reading the book, but i’m really glad i did.
i do wish that the story had been told in chronological order, but i can understand why it was told in two timelines.
i thoroughly enjoyed how ominous and claustrophobic the book felt. it was truly unnerving and addictive. it was hard to put down once i got into it.

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kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.75

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This really had me on the edge of my seat, and it's so courageous that someone thought to make a movie about a book where everyone is covering their eyes! Very creepy. I did wonder about some of the pregnancy-related facts though. Those bits seemed less plausible. Definitely extremely heckin gory though.

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I am reeling from this story, possibly because I devoured it in 24 hours which made it quite an immersive experience. Bird Box is in my head.

From the very beginning we are drip-fed a mystery which is never explained or solved. It's a seemingly outlandish scenario which results in clusters of survivors who must stay indoors and forever hide their eyes from what lurks outside. There's a faint sense of the ridiculous, but the fear that gripped the characters, of what cannot be seen or known, was enough to completely engross me. Add to that a desperate, isolated mother raising her children to be constantly afraid and never look outside, and I just could not put it down.

The writing is incredibly clever. With my eyes wide open I felt completely exposed while reading, and the tension that builds slowly throughout the book became a physical sensation for me by the end. I finished the book with clenched fists; every horror that Malorie experiences, she does so through her other senses. What she cannot see she must assume, and the cause of it all remains unknowable. I absolutely loved it.

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purplesky25276's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

10 out of 10!! This book was so much better than the movie! Oh! And you have to listen with the audio book! This narrative for the audio will have you so caught up in the story that it will make it harder to put down. This book gave a wide range of emotions. It was like I was right there with the Malorie!

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