Can Max Brooks, author of the bestseller <em>World War Z</em>, hit it big again? Can he step away from the zombie apocalypse and terrorize us with another mythological/supernatural(?) creature - one that we haven't read much about? Yeah, he probably can.

A group of environmentalists move in to a small, isolated community (called 'Greenloop') in the Pacific Northwest. They appear to have an idyllic life, living off the grid, and if anyone looked capable of surviving a disaster, it would be these secluded environmentalists. And then Mount Rainier erupted.

Now truly cut off from the rest of civilization, the group begin to realize that they aren't quite as self-sufficient as they believed. Forced by nature to hunker down and find a way to fend for themselves they begin to accept their lot when they begin to hear strange noises from the woods, and notice that wildlife that is running from the cataclysmic eruption, but toward something in the woods that is even more deadly. Can the Greenloop humans share their corner of isolation with whatever is out there? If not, who will win the confrontation?

It's not a spoiler to note that the 'something' in the woods near the Greenloop camp is a Sasquatch, or Bigfoot (just note the subtitle of the book). But reading it, we don't really get to the Sasquatch moments until quite late in the book.

The book opens with an Introduction which is quite reminiscent of <em>World War Z</em>. The 'author' (we want to think it's Max Brooks but when we get to the end we're not so sure) explains the background to the story we're about to read. It's 'factual' of course. Much research has been done but still the information to follow can't be verified and the reader should "judge for yourself."

The bulk of the book is then supposedly transcripts from the diary of Kate Holland, a Greenloop resident, who details everything from their arrival to camp, to the eruption and its effect on the Greenloop community, to the fear surrounding the unknown creatures just outside the community, to the actual attacks.

Surrounding the excerpts from Kate Holland's journals are a miscellany of journalism reporting, mostly (but not entirely) featuring the author's interviews with Frank McCray (Kate Holland's brother). And there are endnotes! All good readers know that non-fiction uses footnotes and endnotes to notate a source or provide additional information, whereas fiction doesn't generally use endnotes, therefore this <em>must</em> be a factual account, right?

Brooks works this concept (making it look like a work of non-fiction) really well, with just the right amount of material from different sources. But what really makes this book a good read are the characters. Though we tend to know Kate Holland mostly through her thoughts on the others and events surrounding her (and some from the interviews with her brother) she stands out as a quiet (maybe not so quiet?) leader among the group. We get a good, personal look at all the major players in this massacre, and by the time events unfold to the climax, we've become completely invested in these people and their lives.

This was one of the issues I had with Brooks' <em>World War Z</em> ... we didn't connect with any of the survivors (to quote my own review). He addresses that here and for that, this is a stronger book (though I'm not sure Sasquatch will have the same selling power that zombies do).

Looking for a good book? Max Brooks improves on his 'reporting'-style fiction and makes a stronger connection to the characters in his new book <em>Devolution</em>, making it a horror/thriller that will certainly chart many bestseller lists and well worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Max Brooks, and it exceeded all of my expectations. I loved the writing style, the investigation into the yetis, and the unresolved ending. The characters were all well-developed and I loved the "gated community" aspect. One of my favorite reads this year.

This book was horrifying and wonderful. It had me hooked from the very beginning. I was able to listen to the audiobook and I loved that there was a full cast. Judy Greer does an amazing job of narrating Kate's journal entires. She had me completely hooked with her emotional read of this character.
I just loved the story and will absolutely have to go back and read Max Brook's other books now.

The standard structure of a Crichton-type technothriller combined with some of the oral history aspects of Brooks' World War Z. It started life as a movie-pitch, and does retain that feel, but its still a story that grabs you and keeps you moving. The segments of interviews that are spread throughout the main narrative do a great job of giving background on both Bigfoot and simian violence. And the action sequences are very well structured and described, which is something that I don't always see. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars!

I absolutely loved everything about World War Z. I loved how it defied traditional genre boundaries and had such strong writing that it is rendered a modern classic by most.

If you’re expecting something similar to World War Z, this is not that type of book. It was a very enjoyable read and I couldn’t put it down. It’s campy, edgy, and keeps you glued to the page. The characters were vivid and the tongue in cheek humor in places was genius.

I wanted more resolution in the ending, but at the same time it was a satisfying ending. He just left me wanting more from Katie. Mostar was my favorite character, of course, but Carmen and Effie were amazingly written, too.

This is a difficult book to review. It was a fun read and highly entertaining. Worth buying for sure. But is it another World War Z caliber book? I didn’t think so.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. As always, all opinions are my own.

Another fun monster-type story from Max Brooks! I enjoyed the conceit of using Kate's journals as a story-telling mechanism, though I also chuckle at the idea of her sitting down to write about what happened in the evening after... events... Still, this was a fun read that I blew through!

I had to tell myself to stop comparing this to World War Z. While yes, there are a lot of similarities, there are also enough differences to make this feel different. Whereas WWZ focused on a large scale event as seen by a huge cast of characters, Devolution is focused on one tiny community and mainly on one character. So if you go in expecting WWZ, this potentially is disappointing. But it's a good book if you just don't compare it!

Devolution tells the story of the Mount Rainier sasquatch massacre in a variety of mediums, including diary entries, journal articles, interview transcripts, and textbook excerpts. The main text of the book is the diary entry of one of the main characters, Kate, who has just moved to a high-tech community with her husband. The purpose of the community is to live in remote areas with a small number of residents while leaving a small carbon footprint on the surrounding nature. It doesn't take long for the suspense to start and the community is cut off from civilization after Mt. Rainier erupts and drives a group of sasquatches out of their usual environment and towards the community. There was a lot of suspense as the sasquatches begin terrorizing the community, but the suspense is also built as we read the interviews because then we know that Kate is missing.

I have not read any other sasquatch books so this one is already set apart from other horror books as it stands out based on subject alone. People who like survival and horror will probably enjoy the book, especially if they read and enjoyed the author's previous book. The action and writing style move the plot along quickly with the mounting suspense and danger. While the plot moved along quickly, it felt slower during Kate's entries because for me it didn't logically make sense that in this kind of situation she is writing such detailed accounts of things that happened, even while there is still danger present. However, I liked the character growth of Kate throughout the book, but she wasn't too likable for most of the book in my personal opinion. I didn't find myself overly attached to any of the characters which dampened some of the emotional impact when characters were injured or killed. There were a lot of graphic descriptions of violence and injuries that may not appeal to a more general fiction reader, but those who like horror and survival/adventure will be the customers that I would recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book, but found myself skimming the more "technical" parts. I know this is what makes up the majority of Max Brooks writing style so I can't really be judgemental about it. All in all it was an entertaining read.

I absolutely love the way Max Brooks lays out a story that seems so realistic and "unbelievable" at the same time! I found myself Googling events, quotes and ideas all throughout this book to try to decipher fact from fiction, and the simple fact that these lines were so well blurred by Brooks is why this book was so chilling. It will be a long while before I wander out into the woods again...

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Max Brooks' style of writing into i picked this up. Excellent take on the Bigfoot tale and as always a great emotional ride.

When I saw that Max Brooks had a new book out, I had to jump out and request it from NetGalley! World War Z is one of the top books I have read and one that I always recommend, so I couldn't wait to get started on Devolution! Unfortunately, life happened, and I couldn't seem to focus enough to pick this book up. Luckily, Libro.FM came swooping in with this audiobook as an option for their influencer program. I don't know about you, but audiobooks tend to be the one thing I don't struggle to focus on during COVID-19, racial tension (for ways to help, please go here), and everything that 2020 has slapped us with. I'm so glad that I experienced this book as an audiobook. The narration was perfect & the full cast was terrific. I couldn't help but squee anytime Nathan Fillion came on.

Devolution starts a bit weak but gains strength by the middle of the book. The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the inner thoughts of Kate. Having all of Kate's thoughts in journal entries added an interesting element. I also liked that we had interviews thrown in too.

Unfortunately, it just wasn't as gripping as World War Z. I found myself nostalgic for that magic that World War Z had. I think it's crucial to give this book a fair shot and not expect it to be World War Z. I kept wanting it to be WWZ, and it just wasn't. Even though it wasn't as good as WWZ, it was still exciting and kept my attention. I found myself scared at bits and honestly a bit nervous to be out and about outside when it was dark. Heck, I heard squirrels up on my roof while reading it and made sure all the doors and windows were locked.

All in all, this was a solid 4 Caffeinated Stars book. I liked the characters, the format, and the narration. I think I went into this book expecting it to be World War Z but with bigfoot, which wasn't the case. I highly recommend going into this book with an open mind, and if you have the chance, definitely listen to the audiobook.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t have to get too far into the book before I was hooked and flew through the rest of it.
This is a fictional compilation of the journal of Katie, one of the residents of a green community near Mount Rainier when it erupts, and a few other interviews. The eruption has caused a group of Bigfoot to hunt prey near their community and, eventually, the people themselves. The fact that I was heading south from Seattle, passing Mount Rainier, and on my way to another national park at the time of reading this probably heightened the amount that I was spooked by this book, but it is most likely the book that has scared me the most in my adult reading. The author does a great job of making the fears and the drive of survival of the characters feel real. Highly recommended.

A truly fast, exciting read! Great fictional account of events that you can actually immerse yourself in the world Brooks has created! Exciting, thought provoking on social issues and the just right amount of vengeance that leaves you saying "Hell Yeah" as the ending bounds towards you!

After a volcanic eruption drives them from their native habitat, a band of Sasquatch (Sasquatches? Sasquatchii?) attack a high-tech, off-the-grid community, forcing a knock-down-drag-out battle between two very different---and very similar---tribes of primates.

If you think it's possible to write a bad book with that hook, then honey, I don't really know what to tell you.

Devolution is as much about the breakdown---and reforging---of the human community as it is about the attacking Bigfoot (Bigfeet?). (Though I hesitate a bit to call Greenloop a "community". A community of half a dozen houses is less a community than a cul-de-sac with delusions.) We follow the narrative through found diary entries of the mousy, pushover Katie, who with the rest must find reserves of inner strength and resourcefulness when faced with a predator who's larger, fiercer, and has lost all fear of humans.

I knocked off a star because I thought the epistolary format robbed the (admittedly well-crafted) narrative of some of its tension---it's a bit hard to feel completely at the edge of your seat when you know your protagonist will not only survive, but have the time and ability to write down events after they happen---but that's a relatively small thing. (Also, because I thought the narrative was a bit . . . quick? The changes in the community occur in the space of only a couple of weeks, and that seemed more unrealistic than the attacking Sasquatch.)

Overall, this was a relatively fast and exciting read, great for curling up on a couch on a rainy weekend. (Just avoid windows facing the woods!)

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I tried. I wanted to like this one so much! It had everything I was looking for, but I just could not stay with the story. Maybe I will try again at a later date.

I spent a great deal of time in my teens watching The X-Files; for some reason, I was always particularly drawn to the ones that took place in the Pacific Northwest. Over time, my fondness for those episodes have solidified into a sort of ambiguous nostalgia and fascination for that particular area of the United States. I have a weirdly romanticized view of it: the trees, the rainy weather, the fog, the open wilderness. There's just something about it that inspires horror and folklore.

Just like with World War Z, I feel like this book taught me a whole bunch. Devolution begins with a volcano explosion, so I got to learn that there is indeed an active volcano called Mt. Rainier in the Pacific Northwest. I also learned about a horrific volcanic explosion that killed 23,000 people in Colombia. I learned what lahars are. The volcano explosion is the inciting incident that seemingly drives the Bigfoot/Sasquatch creatures out of their hiding and towards the town of Greenloop. And so I also got to learn a lot about Bigfoot, which I knew little about, despite my fascination with the Pacific Northwest.

I sped through this and enjoyed it a ton. Interestingly, it seems Max Brooks really listened to the folks who criticized World War Z for having little to know female characters, because this book is basically all about the women. From Kate Holland, our intrepid narrator, to Mostar, an absolutely incredible badass (60s, Muslim, Bosnian, survivor of genocide), to gay couple Carmen and Effie and even their little adopted daughter Palomino. The book slowly builds up tension and dread before devolving into full-blown creature feature, which I loved.

It's no World War Z, as it's definitely not as ambitious or expansive, and it didn't make me quake with terror and anxiety, but it was still a good time.

Devolution may be my first foray into cryptid fiction. It’s not a sub-genre I’ve been drawn to, purely because I tend more toward space operas and fast-paced novels populated by ass-kicking heroines. Enter Sasquatch and a thrilling tale of awe and horrors. It’s a slow-burn of a novel that masterfully builds a tougher-than-nails heroine through well-executed diary entries. Brooks goes beyond the always fascinating details of larger-than-life cryptids to center on our protagonist. What starts as a therapeutic writing exercise morphs into a terrifying account of the sheer brutality of a war against untamed beasts. The words aren’t perfectly polished, and that stream-of-consciousness effect makes this ‘found footage’ style all the more enjoyable.

Writing Lessons Learned
-Diary entries can be thrilling if done right. I’ve read many an epistolary novel in my day and they often end up tired and frustrating by the end. You can only read a person’s carefully formed thoughts for so long. Brooks moves beyond this approach, using the diary as a therapeutic outlet for the protagonist’s emotions. This style gives the book a raw edge that especially plays through in the incredibly intense final quarter.
-Effective horror can slowly build from a place of calm until it overwhelms the reader. I found myself getting frustrated in the first third of the novel. The protagonist talks a lot about the idyllic landscape and this new life away from what she felt was a deeply flawed existence. It was solid writing, but not the exciting explosive action I was expecting. As I kept reading, the signs started to appear slowly, building the anticipation of what I knew was coming. By the time the Sasquatch explode into the village, you’re so excited that your mind enters the frenzied state of the protagonist. It’s a brilliant way to get the reader to have the same experience as the narrator.
-Mixed-media is essential to a diary-driven novel. I think this may be where old-school epistolary novels go wrong. By inserting frequent interview transcripts of a park ranger and the protagonist’s brother, we get outside perspectives that add additional information to the story. Brooks is able to guide us into a specific mindset before we read the in-the-moment words of his protagonist.
-How to use hyper-violence in an effective way. The horror of the novel didn’t reside in the fact that Sasquatch was real and it had arrived in town. It started the moment the first witnessed attack occurred. Prior to the closeup attacks, the villagers still had unfounded beliefs that they’d be able to survive, that the Sasquatch were friendly and just passing through. The moment we see the first brutal attack against an oblivious pair of neighbors, all bets are off and it shifts from wonder to horror. Brooks goes further by lending that air of violence to the protagonist, shifting the villainous air from beast to human. That shift is what makes the protagonist so incredible by the end.

Plot Structure Analysis
I was most impressed by how slowly Brooks built the novel into the horror it would eventually become. Devolution starts with passages that describe the beautiful rural setting of woodsy Washington, complete with an eco-friendly town that’s cut off from the bustle of the city. When conflicts start to arise, they’re small and carefully managed. The fear isn’t sudden and intense, but slow-brewing until the characters realize there’s no real escape from their predicament. As we get closer to the climax, these conflicts start to intensify until you’re intent on turning the pages as quickly as possible. The final showdown is straight out of an action movie, complete with booby traps, explosions, and animalistic attacks that make the humans into the real predators. The falling action reveals an incomplete ending that only adds to the mystery of the novel and the image of a Hannah-like character stalking Sasquatch in the woods, becoming their version of a nightmarish boogeywoman.

There were a number of story elements in play that were able to craft this horror-meets-science fiction tale:

-The every-present wonder Americans have of Sasquatch and the mystery shrouding its existence.
-The personal growth journey of a woman trying to find a new life, only to be thrust into a horror show.
-A tough-as-nails neighbor who is integral to the protagonist’s growth from timidity to a badass warrior who takes down a horde of terrifying beasts.
-Two historical elements woven into the narrative, namely the history of sasquatch and a timeline of the fictional events of the Mount Rainier eruption.'

Character Analysis
Our protagonist, Kate, begins the novel as one person and exits as an entirely different being. We get to watch her quick ascent from an anxious, unsure person into the alpha of the human pack who refuses to back down in the face of the Sasquatch horde. To compare her on the first and final page of her diary is to see two people who have very little in common. It’s exciting to watch a character morph into her surroundings, especially when she is able to rise to the conflicts at hand and emerge as the hero she knew she could become. Her journey was the most impressive element of the novel.

My favorite character was Mostar, the tough neighbor who immediately ingratiates herself with Kate and her often oblivious husband. Through her strength and determination to live at all costs, she gives Kate and her husband the support they need to grow into the warriors they need to be. Her tragic past influences her every action but doesn’t define her. Through a story much later in the novel, we see her ability to make beauty out of horror, a quality that creates a stark juxtaposition beside her no-nonsense persona. She’s quite the conundrum, and the perfect addition to this tale of survival and wits.

Kate’s brother, Frank, has separated from his spouse, Gary, and needs a house sitter. His house is in the eco-exclusive town of Greenloop in Washington state. Kate is an over-scheduled LA CPA who is married to the consistently unemployed Dan. She believes house sitting will be a way to relax and bond with her husband. But Kate is dead wrong. When Mount Rainier erupts, it pushes a lahar, or boiling mudslide, on a collision course with Greenloop. But what else is being pushed to the tiny town? And why does it smell like eggs and garbage? What happens next is described within Devolution.

Ever since watching The Poseidon Adventure as a young child, I have loved disaster stories. This author also wrote World War Z so I assumed I was in for a treat. And I, unlike Kate, was dead right. Devolution is an imaginative take on a horror tale that will leave you breathlessly reading as fast as possible until the exciting and ultimately satisfying conclusion! 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Del Rey, Random House, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup #MaxBrooks

Wow! What to say about this book? I very thoroughly enjoyed it! It was fascinating, make your heart beat faster, edge of your seat good fun! It's basically (not anything basic, really!) a fictional story about Bigfoot, told so impressively I often felt as though I was watching a documentary; a really, really well put together documentary! Told through one woman's journaling of the whole experience, as well as interviews; with a lot of interesting "facts" thrown in, as well as many footnotes. I was very impressed with Max Brooks' vivid descriptions of the landscapes, the technologies, and the characters as well. I pretty much loved this book and really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was written so well that I started to feel it could be based on true events!

I cannot say enough about this book! I very highly recommend it to both friends and others alike! Thanks so much to the publisher for the chance to read it!