Malorie

I read this book because it was a 2020 Stoker Nominated book and at the time I requested it from my library, the winner had not been named. I was hoping I would get lucky and I would pick the winner. Plus I really liked Bird Box and I would have eventually gotten around to reading this one. Alas The Only Good Indians won so I guessed wrong as far as picking a winner goes.

I wanted to be blown away by this book. I really did. I very much enjoyed Malorie and her "everywoman" experience just trying to survive when she found herself in this frightening new world. But all the main characters were sort of annoying.

Malorie became the ultimate helicopter parent. Please don't get me wrong. I get it, I really do. Malorie wants to keep her children safe and is doing this the best way she knows how, but she must have realized that as her children grew up they were going to need socialization and interactions with other people. She had to realize that they were not going to be content in isolation their entire lives. And Teenage Tom became a moody, crabby, argumentative, angst-ridden, punk-ass, douche. You know a typical teenager. There is very little that makes Tom a appealing character. Olympia does seem like the peace maker in the family and seems the most level headed of the lot of them.

I do not mind that the monsters are never defined or described. It is enough to say that they are beyond comprehension and that humanity is unable to comprehend them, causing their brains to break. Like the idea of infinity. It is man's self-centeredness that makes us assume that any "alien" species we encounter would be humanistic in nature.

To me the story fell down at the end. It seems a bit to pat for me. I did find the scenes about the blind train to be most intriguing. If there was to be another book in the series, I would like to see one about the creation of the blind train. There would be a tale. (less)