This book is definitely for people that are already familiar with the birds aren't real...movement? Theory? Or at least fans of satire. Otherwise, entering into this world would be quite a surprise. While the whole thing is ridiculous and hilarious, this book and everything that came before it are really doing a lot under the surface. This far-out theory is often used to highlight the flaws in logic held by a lot of conspiracy theorists and extremist groups. It's a guide to the kind of thinking that goes into conspiracies, and it's just plausible enough to get you thinking.

This book is wonderfully absurd and so consistent in its crazy conspiracy theory that it is quite entertaining. There is no "just-kidding moment" in the book from cover to cover, so kudos for that. That said, the story gets old and stops being super funny or entertaining, which is why I can't go any further than 3 stars.

OMG, this book is hilarious. It reminds me of Mad Magazine when I was a child, and I loved having the great lass.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Birds Aren’t Real is a mildly amusing book that carries its premise for much too long. It would have been perfect as an essay, but the book length stretched the joke until it wasn’t funny anymore. It just seemed like two old frat brothers telling a tedious, oft-repeated story from their past. For people who thought of the masterpiece Why Fish Don’t Exist when they saw the title Birds Aren’t Real, this is the opposite of that book in every way. Do not recommend.

If you enjoy over-the-top conspiracy theories and a little political mockery then you might enjoy this book, but it’s also not a must-read.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

I honestly could not follow. Is this satire? I wanted to be interested and follow the book but I couldn’t get into it.

I picked up this book excited to go on an adventure. And boy, did I.

I found the book's first quarter funny, the second quarter more problematic that we were still there, and the last half unreadable. The premise was fun, and there was a lot to it. But I'm not sure this needed to be a book.

This is a great satirical work that will almost certainly be taken seriously by someone if not properly labeled. However, birds are suspicious creatures and may just want us to believe this book is a joke so that we'll let down our guard. Reader, it's up to you to decide.

This book is a satire about conspiracy theories. In it’s unfolding, the authors envision the coordination complexity and extraordinary level of detail management that would be needed if many conspiracies were true and how many onion layers of disbelief suspension it would take to believe in them. They did a great job keeping a straight face, so to speak, in developing the backstory and efforts to inform the public of the birds-to-drones theory. While the premise is funny and the book is creatively organized, it was a bit challenging to stay interested as the book progressed.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

I think the "Birds Aren't Real" movement is very clever social commentary, but ultimately I didn't feel like there was quite enough here to necessitate a full book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Birds Aren't Real by Peter McIndoe; Connor Gaydos in exchange for an honest review. This book was hilarious from the start. I loved how well fleshed out the conspiracy was about the secret surveillance by government robotic birds.

To be completely honest this book I had trouble with. I have attempted multiple times to get into and just cannot. While it may not be for me, I am sure others will love it and encourage them to give a read. I gave 3 stars because the concept is interesting and I wish I could’ve gotten more into it.

Political parody that was a fun skim. The authors commit to this satiric conspiracy theory and to this book, which is effectively the manifesto for the Bird Truther movement. IYKYK, but the gist is that all US birds have been replaced with robotic bird drones that spy on the population, keeping us in check. Included in this often-sly book are the fictional backstory of the conspiracy, a field guide identifying and explaining some of the bird drones, a FAQ, a chapter purportedly for kids, chapters on US Presidents and how they're looped in, and further spoofy documents and how-tos. The book's subtitle says a lot: "The True Story of Mass Avian Murder and the Largest Surveillance Campaign in US History." True, no. Story, yes.

[Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

This started out amusing but it seems like a struggle to fill a book. This is a funny concept and I have followed it with delight. I was eager to read the book but was left a little disappointed. Ultimately, there just isn't enough in this bit to fill a whole book. 2.5 stars (rounded up to three since 2.5 is not possible).

I really enjoyed this book! I have enjoyed all of this author’s books. I would love to see this book adapted to film and would love to read more but it’s like this one.

Part of a curious social experiment that uses satire and exaggeration to combat conspiracy theories and disinformation. As the leader of the "Birds Aren't Real" movement and co-author of this book, Peter McIndoe, said in an interview for Johns Hopkins University, "Sometimes you need to combat lunacy with lunacy". While I am not sure how effective his strategy can be, I have to appreciate his wit and creativity. The book is hilarious, using familiar conspiracy tactics to mix fact with absurdity.

It will make a perfect gift for both Monty Python fans and your elderly uncle, who may find that some of the theories he believes in are ridiculous as well.

Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is complete satire and I have not laughed this much in a long time -- it was very cathartic to me to take conspiracy theory to this extreme. There are "memos" between presidents and Allen Dulles (former head of CIA with a questionable record). There are FAQs (frequently asked questions) and there is even a kids section with games. There is a primer on how to lead a rally and then when all else fails to go live underground (literally). The premise, is that all of the birds out there have been killed off and replaced with surveillance robots. I just loved the humor in this book -- I am still chuckling as I write this review. Loved this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Actual rating 2.5

I'd heard of the Birds Aren't Real conspiracy group many years ago, along with other supposed suppressed facts (Finland doesn't exist as a country is another classic), so I was pretty excited to see what would come of this in book form. Sadly, it wasn't a lot. It started out to be pretty funny, but when it kept repeating itself over and again, the humor disappeared and left me wishing for a shorter book. I think McIndoe did a decent job with coming up with some amusing "supporting facts", but in the end this was just too lean to be sustained, and would've done better as a novella at most.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

BIRDS AREN'T REAL The True Story of Mass Avian Murder and the Largest Surveillance Campaign in US History by Peter McIndoe & Connor Graydos

So much about this made sense. You all really need to take a look at this short book quickly before it gets hushed up and it is all too late.

Ok, actually, I had so much fun with this book! I needed a bit of the ridiculous and this hit just right. It was a quick read with a pretty impressive answer section to what would be great questions. I was fascinated to see how pieces of truth could be extrapolated into the ludicrous. A timely lesson.

Thank you to @stmartinspress & @netgalley for this fun read that came out on June 4th! This was the kind of light read I needed.

Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? Stands to reason then that birds are not real. The amount of people that took this book as fact was more hilarious than the book itself. A tongue-in-cheek look at how Americans can fall down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories! Bought a copy for my conspiracy theory loving boss!