Rating: 8.5/10
Synopsis
The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast–and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.
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.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance copy of Devolution for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
Devolution is a story about Sasquatches. What more do you need? Brooks provides a gory thrill-ride that is as much a horror story as it is a survivalist guide after a natural disaster. Let’s just say this feels all-too-real when reading during a pandemic that has been ravaging for months, and just goes to show that I need to start prepping ASAP.
Brooks doesn’t write/publish many novels, but based on previous works, when a new one is on the horizon, you just know you are in for a treat. Devolution works in a similar way that World War Z did: an oral history of an event that took place, recounted “posthumously” almost as an addition to history but more as a warning to the world.
The journal entries of Kate Holland begin light-hearted enough as she and her husband arrive at their new high-tech, off-the-grid community of Greenloop, begin to meet the other residents, and start a new life away from the disaster that is the rest of the world. That is, until Mount Rainier’s eruption wholly and completely traps them, cutting them completely off from the outside world and putting their wits to the test.
Thing is, dealing with the fallout of a volcanic eruption is the least of their worries. A creature only spoken about in myths is stalking around their community, and let’s just say it’s pissed. Or rather… they are.
We’ve all seen those Jack Link’s beef jerky commercials (Brooks actually references them in the story) and been given a depiction of how Bigfoot actually behaves. Let’s just say that the author takes the outcome of all of these commercials and turns it up to 11. These creatures are ferociously savage and we should just be glad they aren’t hanging around our neck of the woods (at least so we think).
The way this story evolves and how the characters evolve with it (mostly Kate) is the most intriguing part of this novel. I honestly couldn’t stand Kate in the very beginning, but grew to like her as things became more harrowing. Something about giant killing machines lurking in the woods while you are trying your darndest to grow beans just works for me. Weird, right? But seriously, she has to grow up and into her role very quickly as things devolve at a rather quick pace. By the end, you hope the best for her and want those creatures gone as much as she does.
I did end up going through Devolution via audio, which IMO is the best way to go about it. I mean good good grief, it has ten (10) narrators that bring it to life, including names like Nathan Fillion, Kate Mulgrew, Jeff Daniels, Steven Weber, and the author himself. Need I say more?
All in all, if you enjoyed the way World War Z was presented and like Brooks’s writing style, Devolution will work well for you. If you are in it just for Bigfoot, go buy it immediately.
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