I received an advance copy of this audiobook from Netgalley. The audiobook function is new on Netgalley and is very much in the beta stages. I was unable to download this or another audiobook using the iPhone app and ultimately had to download to my work Android phone. Not ideal.

If I thought finishing Station Eleven while a pandemic hit was bizarre, I have no words for reading a post-apocalyptic novel. In Josh Malerman's Malorie (sequel to Bird Box) our protagonist talks about people mourning the world they have lost, meanwhile in the real world, we've learned that it doesn't take an apocalypse to lose a way of life.

Malorie is set 17 years after apocalypse, a decade after the events in Bird Box. Boy and Girl, Tom and Olympia, are teenagers now and if you think the post-apocalypse will protect parents from teenage rebellion, think again.

A census man arrives on the doorstep where Malorie and the teens are hiding out only to be chased away by a terrified Malorie. He departs, leaving documents on the porch.

It is in these documents, disturbing glimpses into a world that they dare not see, that Malorie discovers that her parents Sam and Mary Walsh might be alive.

It took years to prepare for their journey down the river at the end of Bird Box but the maddening allure of the possibility of her parents being alive drives the family out into the world and on to the fabled Blind Train, travelling towards where the Walshes were last recorded.

I absolutely loved Bird Box, giving it a glowing 5 star review back in 2014 and remarking that it "couldn't be creepier if it was woven together with cobwebs and dust using rodent bones as needles". I want to say that I had high expectations for Malorie but the truth is that I didn't think Bird Box needed a sequel and I was happy to just read Malerman's other works instead (A House at the Bottom of a Lake is particularly good).

It turns out that my instincts were partially correct and I'm going to base my rating based on an average of several factors.

As a sequel to Bird Box

Two stars. Malorie definitely wasn't as good as Bird Box. Where Bird Box hinted and implied, Malorie told and explained. Bird Box was creepy, interesting and terrifying, Malorie rehashed a lot of what we knew already and was often dull.

As a horror story

Two stars. Bird Box terrified me. It was the scariest book I'd ever read, Malorie was not.

As a standalone post-apocalyptic novel

Three stars. Had I read this on its own, without expecting it to be particularly scary or live up to its predecessor, I would have rated it above The Road which I couldn't finish but far below The Walking Dead, The Survival Game or Wye. It's quite an interesting (albeit slow) quest, traversing a post-apocalyptic landscape while blindfolded and landing up on a Blind Train.

As a young adult novel (which it unexpectedly became)

Three stars. This is a strange addition but so much in Malorie focuses on Tom and Olympia, their rebelliousness and their desperation to see the world they have grown up in that I figured it deserved a rating as a YA novel and it does okay on this level.

On average, I give Malorie an okay two-and-a-half out of five stars, rounded up to three stars. I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend it but I'd definitely recommend Malerman's other works.

I listened to Malorie on audiobook narrated by Katherine Mangold who did a great job of capturing Malorie's fear and desperation as well as capturing distinct voices for the other characters.

<i>A huge thanks to the publisher, Netgalley for the audio, and Edelweiss for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Well. This was a huge disappointment. Not going to lie, I didn't have the highest expectations going in, given my feelings about Bird Box, but I had questions at the end of that, and had hoped to get answers in this sequel.

Instead, I got a flimsy excuse for Malorie and her kids to leave the school for the blind, and a 10 year time jump. It truly felt like Malerman just wanted to cash in on Bird Box' success while not really having a proper story in mind.

Don't get me wrong, the time jump was a good idea. Getting to see from Tom and Olympia's POVs was a definite positive of this book, and I related to Tom a lot. Because he was as annoyed and frustrated with Malorie as I was. As I am. Because Malorie is the absolute worst character ever. She is so whiny it made me want to scream. The narrator just makes it worse, just like with Bird Box.

But those POVs are the only positive thing I can think of, because if I had to spend this entire book in Malorie's head, I think <i>I</i> would have been the one going mad. This entire book is just flimsy and slow and just outright maddening. I wanted to scream multiple times. It was predictable, in the worst way imaginable. If this wasn't an ARC, I would have DNFed. Even now, I was incredibly. tempted.

And even with those POVs, things are hidden from you, adding some unreliable narrator to the already awful mix.

I just- don't do it, folks. It's not worth it. I promise you it's not. Not even the ending. It might just be 320 pages, but all 320 of them are wholly unnecessary and don't add anything to the original novel. Which already wasn't great, in my opinion. I fear for the day this book becomes a movie, knowing I'll watch it just to see how they deal with the unreliable narrator. Just to be even more annoyed. Because I'm a masochist.

So basically what I'm saying is, don't be like me. Stay away.

Well this was the sequel that i didn't know I needed!!

10 years have passed and we catch up to Malorie and the kids, still living (if you can call it that) in hiding.

The creatures have multiplied, and luckily Tom and Olympia have super sonic hearing to be able to tell if they are close by, the reason they need such good hearing?
Malorie makes a discovery that will ultimately put her and the children in danger once again as they travel across the country to possibly find someone still alive!

This book was just as tense as Bird Box, I didn't love it as much as the first book, and the ending was a little hmmm for me, but apart from that, it was a great addition to the first book, and I really enjoyed it.

First of all thank you for having the opportunity to listen to my first audio book.
I found this book okay, but then again I didn't find the first one that good. If you are wanting a horror book this isn't the one.
I don't know if I would of found the book better but the audio didn't keep my attention.
I did enjoy parts of the book and I am sure some people with love it but for me I didn't.

Malorie by Josh Malerman is the sequel to the best selling Bird Box. The story picks up from shortly after where Bird Box ends and finds Malorie and her children on another journey. The writing is brilliant although a little repetitive and it’s still fast paced. The story isn’t as good as in Bird Box and doesn’t have that same gripping feel but it’s a decent sequel.

I am a big fan of audiobooks when on the move. Unfortunately, I have not been on the move as often as I would like given the resurgence of COVID locally. I had to learn to use a new app to hear this. I did not realise that it does not reserve the place when you stop listening and a bookmark is required to start where you left off. Despite all this, it was an immersive experience. Malorie was a little too profane for my liking but given the circumstances, she has found herself for most of her adult life, it is to be expected. We start where we left off in the previous book Birdbox. I was not so taken by the first but attempted the second just in case. It was different because of the number of voices we are given access to and overall I liked it. When we last left Malorie, she had arrived at a safe spot, or so she thinks. Despite the relative stability, she remains hyper-vigilant in order to keep her kids safe. Then the story jumps a decade. Her children are teens with their own troubles and secrets. Her son Tom is differentiated by calling the older character Tom the man. This particular quirk never got annoying despite the number of times it was used (surprisingly!). Tom is rebelling against everything his mother wants him to do and another dangerous journey is in the offing.

The audio narration was good and the story was more about how people see themselves and interpersonal relationships and dynamics are the focus as compared to the dystopian scenario itself. The conclusion wrapped a lot of things in a neat bow but still felt a little dull. It is a good book and people who enjoyed the first will find satisfaction in this sequel (I think).

Bird Box was one of the best horrors I have read in ages. It was phenomenal in its atmosphere, and tension on each page. But this isn't a review for that...

Malorie is a well-loved character to so many readers. She keeps that grace with her as she traverses the pages within the book. I love the character and the atmosphere, yet again. However...

Too much repetition of prose. The same patterns are repeated, which while I understand could be to push the point home, felt overdone. The try/fail system was relatively low stakes, which unlike its predecessor, left me wanting.

By no means a bad book, it isn't. If one did not have Bird Box's ghost hovering over you when reading it, you would finish it and know that it was a decent read. Worth picking up!

Bird box was my favorite book, and it was the one which started me on the path of horror. I started loving the genre, thanks to Josh Malerman.

Then came this book which had me all kinds of excited. I wanted to go back to the world where blindfold was the norm. A hope of a new world where people lived without blindfolds, where her parents supposedly resided caused Malorie to leave the safe place with her kids Tom and Olympia.

A well woven plot line, lovable known characters bit who were new to me, and an eerie atmosphere to the prose which I read/listened to.

It was slightly slow paced compared to the first with many repetitive ways of address, but those were nary some minor points. The writing drew me in with its eerie setting. The narrator did a good job to keep me invested in the plot.

Overall, an entertaining read/listen.

Whilst a much anticipated sequel to Birdbox, Malorie doesn't add a huge amount to the original story. Despite the engrossing nature of the world, resentful teenagers who want freedom and progress versus their mother who wants security and routine can only hold the attention for so long. The repetitive dialogue also adds to the monotony.

That being said, the story definitely becomes stronger in the second half with additional characters and more tension thanks to Malerman's urgent and gripping prose. Unfortunately, the neatness of the plot detracts from the story with everything conveniently (and unrealistically) falling into place. Also the abrupt ending would have benefitted from an extra chapter or two to round things off in a more coherent way.

The narration of this audiobook was fantastic and believable, with Katherine Mangold excellently portraying the fear and tension the characters experience.

Overall I would recommend if you have read Birdbox but expect a rushed, inconsistent and at times, tedious story.

Thanks to Hachette Audio UK, Orion and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Let me start by saying that I loved Bird Box - both the book and movie.

Thanks to the movie now my old brain has decided that Sandra Bullock IS Malorie - and there's no arguing with that stubborn old bastard. Fortunately, I'm a longtime Bullock fan, so no issues there. I don't think I need to explain how this could have backfired.

Now let me proceed with my rather short review of ‘Malorie’.

The minute Malerman posted about it I knew I needed to read it.

I had no idea what to expect, or even if he would pull it off. I simply knew that I would take whatever he came up with and hope for the best.

Boy oh boy...

“Who's to say what’s real in the dark?”

The writing? Excellent, as expected.
The atmosphere? Check.
The sense of dread? There.

He did it, ladies and gentlemen. ‘Malorie’ is a worthy sequel to a fantastic novel.

If you loved Bird Box, picking this one is a no-brainer.

It’s been years since Malorie and the kids made it to their safe haven. Tom and Olympia are now teens, but the creatures are still at large. When an unexpected visitor shows up, the kids find something out that Malorie cannot ignore. This information leads to their next adventure.

This is the Bird Box sequel you didn’t know you needed. It was so fantastic to catch up with Malorie and the children, even though they aren’t children anymore. They are teens with their own thoughts. Do they still want to believe everything Malorie tells them? This one was just as good as the first book, but I don’t want to give anything away!

This is the sequel to Birdbox,.
Having not read or seen Birdbox, I found Malorie extremely easy to get in to. I was soon gripped and the story was thrilling.
Katherine Mangold was the sole narrator of Malorie. Her voice lent itself to the story and she was believable as the lead character.
Josh Malerman certainly knows how to create a fast paced and exciting story!

I enjoyed this sequel a lot as well as the audio narration. It added to the atmosphere and enhanced the experience. Malerman's writing is very real and impactful as always.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NG for granting an audio copy of this book.

Rating for
Book: 3.5
Narration: 4.5
Overall: 4

Firstly, Bird Box is one of my favourite books, so I'm coming at this review from that angle. I wouldn't say I was expecting a lot from this book when I started it, I was really just expecting more of the same from the first book, and that's sort of what I got. I wouldn't say I was disappointed in this book but I don't think it really lived up to the first one, maybe partly because by now this concept isn't new, we've seen it before.

It's definitely an entertaining read and at some points it's quite creepy, but overall I think the plot was weaker and the ending was just sort of abrupt and like everything just goes from being terrible to fine in a very short period of time (I felt like that a bit with the first book but this one takes it to another level).

It's interesting to see the parallels between this book and the current pandemic, it might be a bit too real for some people right now so if you feel like you can't read a post-apocalyptic book right now, I get that. There is a lot of this book that is very "no, seriously, wear the mask, I know you don't like it but please wear it to protect yourself and others around you" which makes it interesting reading for right now.

I liked that we got the story from 3 perspectives and they were all different enough that it was kept interesting, though since we're very in these characters heads some of the thoughts are a bit repetitive, but that didn't really bother me a lot.

The narration as with the first book was excellent. It's quite dramatic but it gets the tension and fear of the situation across well.

Overall, I'd recommend this if you liked the first book, but it's by no means an essential read and I think ending the story at the first book would have been fine

Continuing after the end of Bird Box, Malorie is just as tense, claustrophobic, atmospheric, scary and downright creepy as it’s predecessor. Starting where Bird Box ended, then there’s a time jump - over 10 yrs into the future and Malorie’s kids are now teens. Somehow they’ve survived, but surviving isn’t enough. They want more, they need more.

The trio undertake a perilous journey, and despite the danger it’s also one that’s filled with hope. For those who have read Bird Box will know that this is not the Malorie we’re familiar with. Our Malorie lives by the fold, does not get lazy, and does not hope. But after 17 years, she’s had enough. And her monologue in the part when she’s not on the train (I don’t want to spoil it for you!!) is just heartbreaking as gives a voice to her frustration, fear, exhaustion, paranoia, safety measures, anger. All of it, that’s built up over the many years. There’s some great twists/revelations in Malorie - some I didn’t see coming at all. And I have to say, this is the sequel I wasn’t sure the world needed. But this isn’t a paper exercise. There’s still the tension, the terror and of he danger. And it’s another great ride!

Katherine Mangold does a great job as narrating; she’s able to portray the tension experienced by each of the characters, whilst maintaining their individuality. She’s also great at adding that extra teenaged angst to her portrayals.

It's terribly exciting to have audiobooks now available on NetGalley, well done!

I was very much looking forward to "Malorie" , since "Bird Box" was one great suspenseful adventure.

"Malorie" however, falls short in so many levels.

Starting with the repetitiveness of the characters' own thoughts and words. It was tiresome to hear "she breaths in, she holds it, she breaths out" and "Tom the man" so many times, for instances.

Also, I am of the opinion that Malorie, being who she is, would never have gone along with the idea of leaving relative safety.

I finished the novel feeling like the story was missing higher stakes. There's too pretty of a path for these characters to follow, Odds are incredibly unrealistic which makes the plot feel improbable and flat.

To finish with a positive note, there were a few details I fairly enjoyed, that were hinted at the beginning and came full round closer to the end.

The audiobook also makes it such a fast and easy read, and I, not being completely used to listening audio without following through with a physical copy, had no problem following the narrative.

My expectations were a little high because I loved birdbox SO MUCH.
I found this book a little repetitive and a little too dramatic. I could still feel the stress and fear of the characters but it was all so easy and convenient that I couldn't care less.
I still enjoy Malerman's writing as a whole and I really think he can grab your attention, but I still don't know what happened.

P.S. Don't name your son after a man so you won't have to differentiate them as Tom and Tom the man.

I could not review this, as the NetGalley app for iPhone will not download any audio book to my device. I was extremely frustrated as I read Birdbox in one day whilst on holiday as Josh Malerman writes an extremely tense story which you cant put down (or forget)!

The sequel to Bird Box picks up Malorie's story at the Janet Tucker School for the Blind and that's as much of the plot as I'm gonna share as I don't want to ruin this audiobook for anyone!
What I can say is Malerman really cranks up the tension in this scary piece of story-telling - the horror of the unseen, the constant fear of every unexpected sound, the distrust of strangers and the fact that the simplest of tasks are fraught with danger mean that there's a constant nervous, edgy pulse at the heart of this tale. There is also a big warm beating heart - the love of one woman for her family, and the lengths that she'll go to to keep her nearest and dearest safe.
There are also interesting parallels to be drawn between the wearing of blindfolds and our current need to wear facemasks - with a section of society not wanting to wear them, believing the effects of the monsters are fake news and just mass hysteria....
A great sequel, packed with some truly nerve-shredding passages. I have to admit I preferred reading the book to the audiobook. While the audiobook narrator sounds a bit like Sandra Bullock, I felt her delivery was too evenly=paced and articulated to really crank up the tension - when you read, you fall over the words, scrambling to find out what's happening, whereas the narrated experience drags at times.

Everything I hoped it would be. I really enjoyed Birdbox, both the book and the movie. I ate into all the hype, posted the memes, loved it! When I saw that a sequel to the book had been written I was hopeful yet unsure however Malorie was just what I needed it to be. I loved that the book carried on the story 10 years after the original giving the characters time to settle into their new was of life and for the kids (teens) to become curious, bored even with their way of life, living behind a blindfold, and of the way Malorie is haunted by her previous experiences, overly strict with the teens and petrified of the “creatures” and the affects looking at them could have. The sense of adventure this book provided was great, I was kept guessing throughout. The twists were unpredictable and dramatic. I loved how although what happened in the first book was referenced throughout it didn’t concentrate too much on explanations and the how’s and whys and in my eyes this was a good thing.
The narration of this audiobook was easy to follow, dramatic but without being ott. The way it was read added to the build up of suspense throughout.
Overall a great listen/read and I am looking forward to seeing the books successes in the coming month