Devolution by Max Brooks is a gripping horror thriller set in the wilderness of Washington state, where a small, utopian eco community faces a terrifying ordeal after being cut off from civilization by a volcanic eruption. The story, narrated through a diary and interviews, follows the community's battle for survival against hungry Sasquatch, exploring themes of humanity's relationship with nature and the primal instinct for survival.
The book delves into the consequences of a natural disaster on a group of middle-class individuals living in an advanced yet isolated community, highlighting their struggles, fears, and the gruesome encounters with the Sasquatch. Through a mix of diary entries and interviews, the narrative builds tension and suspense, keeping readers on edge as they witness the community's fight for survival amidst chaos and terror.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include violence, gore, animal attacks, and themes of survival under extreme emotional and physical duress.
From The Publisher:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of World War Z is back with "the Bigfoot thriller you didn't know you needed in your life, and one of the greatest horror novels I've ever read" (Blake Crouch, author of Dark Matter and Recursion).
FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD
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. 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.
Praise for Devolution
"Delightful . . . [A] tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The story is told in such a compelling manner that horror fans will want to believe and, perhaps, take the warning to heart."-Booklist (starred review)
Ratings (77)
Incredible (22) | |
Loved It (27) | |
Liked It (20) | |
It Was OK (5) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (158):
Read It (79) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (59) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (16) |
4 comment(s)
Not a fan of the author’s weird zionism.
I was hooked from chapter 1. This story is so well written. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the multiple people speaking different parts. I just HAD to know what was going on and hated pausing even for a minute. Highly recommend
Excellent story. Perfect length without being too long or too short. Close to 5 stars, but there were a few things that pulled me out of the story.
I haven’t read anything by Max Brooks before, but Devolution ticked a lot of my boxes:
Set in the PNW (where I live) ✅
Mentions Mt. Rainer ✅
Disaster/survival story ✅
Creature feature ✅
That creature specifically being Sasquatch ✅
Science nerdiness, like zoology, primatology, evolution, etc. ✅
Bonus points for a female lead and a cast of well-rounded characters. No one was reduced to a stereotype; all the characters’ motivations and reactions felt authentic.
It took me a minute to get invested, but once it picked up, it flew. Well paced, mixing Kate’s journal entries with interviews or excerpts from articles and papers (mostly fictional, but some real quotes from people like Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey).
I’d also recommend the audiobook for this if you’re a fan of audiobooks. When I like a book, I tend to listen to the audiobook when I’m driving so I can keep living in the story, and I had a lot of doctor appointments this week, so I listened to a fair chunk of the book. The whole voice cast is stellar- Judy Greer is one of the most underrated talents in Hollywood, and she does such a good job reading Kate’s journal entries. Plus the rest of the voice cast: Jeff Daniels! Nathan Fillion! Kate Mulgrew! Terry Gross!
What can you read after
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre?
About the Author:
Max Brooks is an author, public speaker, and nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point. His bestselling books include Minecraft: The Island, The Zombie Survival Guide, and World War Z, which was adapted into a 2013 movie starring Brad…
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