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

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

4.0

Phew this book was a wild ride. Mt. Rainier in Washington unexpectedly erupts, causing a large catastrophe. During this seismic event, Greenloop, an eco-community hidden in the mountains, is cut off from the outside world. While awaiting rescue, the inhabitants of this community are faced with a new, horrendous challenge. The animals of the deep forested mountains, disrupted and forced from their homes due to the eruption, are cascading down on the community, and not all the animals are fleeing for their lives. The story is primarily told through journal entries by one of the residents, found at the community along with chaos, destruction, and corpses. Maybe its because I grew up in the hills and redwood forest of the Pacific Northwest, where I have looked out into the woods at night to see eyes looking back, but Sasquatch lore just hits different. The idea of being trapped in the mountains without proper provisions and no promise of rescue is frightening enough, but then add the element of becoming hunted by a predator bigger, stronger, and faster than you, and it makes you question what is real. The story starts slow, and many of the characters were unlikable enough to drive me into the arms of a porcupine if I had to "survive" with them. I imagined this place to be like a community Gwenyth Paltrow would run, just to give you an idea. The second half of the story is so fast-paced it made it hard for me to put down and I stayed up way too late in order to finish it. Content Warning: There is a lot of gore and violence in this one! 
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