Title: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Horror, Science-Fiction
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Publication: 6/16/2020
Read: 6/14/2020
Format: Audiobook
Length: 9 hours & 49 minutes
Rating: 4 Caffeinated Stars
Trigger Warnings: Death, Gore

Goodreads Summary:

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.

But 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.

My Thoughts:

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.

Want to give this book a shot? Here are the buy links!

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Libro.fm, Goodreads