In a dystopian world, people are forced to navigate their surroundings blindfolded. A glimpse of an unknown creature is driving individuals to kill themselves or those around them.
Years after this catastrophic invasion began, Malorie has had enough of living in fear. She and her two children must make a journey downriver, blindfolded, to gain sanctuary. But out in the open, the terrors that loom around them are one too many.
I generally enjoy reading dystopian fiction novels, but this one was quite disturbing. Not simply because of the volume of deaths occurring in this one book, but because of the paranoia that eventually seeps into your own consciousness.
I loved the author’s writing style and the execution of the plot. I kept thinking that at any moment, I would discover the source of this madness and that kept me hooked to the story.
There are times when you get to read flashbacks. And that sort of reminded me of the way The Handmaid’s Tale is narrated – as in, how you’d get to read the before and after stories parallelly.
Malorie is shown to be such a fierce character. Her relationship with her children couldn’t be termed as fond or affectionate in a typical motherly way. But you can make out that her austere nature stems from her wanting to protect her children at all costs.
A highlight of this book is definitely its depiction of the survival instinct and how in times of distress, you can actually glean a person’s true identity.
Josh Malerman has done an incredible job with constructing conflicts that are persuasive and keep up the pace of the novel. I am looking forward to picking up the sequel soon!
The Life Stories 