4 BIG-TIME STARS FOR ORIGINALITY! Like so many, I love, love, loved BIRD BOX, (both novel and movie) enjoyed THE HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE and UNBURY CAROL, and now after reading INSPECTION, one thing I know for sure is....with Josh Malerman, you never know what you're going to get! "They deserve the truth." Malerman sets the stage by introducing the reader to a bizzare school of trusting young teens (with letters for names) living in a secluded world of strict laws and fear of disease. O...

I think I'll be keeping this one brief, as I don't want to spoil anything and I am a middle of the road reviewer for this book. As others before me have stated, this one is a super slow burn, which isn't bad, but I think keeps the books from feeling as sinister as it could. I completely agree with Dennis's recommendation that fans of suspense that are a bit squeamish of straight up horror may really take to this story. The ending was epic, and 100 points to Malerman's Hogwarts House for all the

I am pretty disappointed with this one, not gonna lie. I absolutely loved Bird Box and A House at the Bottom of a Lake by this author, so I assumed I would love this one too. This story has a great concept - it’s about boys and girls living in separate towers who aren’t aware of the fact that the other gender even exists. I was really excited to read it.I had a few problems with this book: the first thing being that it’s way too fucking long. This idea would have probably worked better for a sho...

Josh Malerman is best known for his disturbing, deeply original novel “Bird Box,” about a mother determined to save her two young children, even though it will mean rowing 20 miles down a river, blindfolded. The brilliant elevator pitch behind that book? When you see it, whatever it is, you will kill yourself on the spot: hence, the mother’s need for the blindfold. The novel became a frightening movie and then an even more terrifying cult phenomenon, as people began vying for Darwin Awards by do...

Right now is a great time to be Josh Malerman.The success of the Netflix Original, BIRD BOX, based on his horror novel of the same title, is staggering. I'm not at all surprised. Great books make great movies. Everything that is excellent about the film, is due to the fact that Malerman's story is a sweet set up for a film adaptation. I *felt* that book in a very tangible way so it was so cool to see that translated to the screen by people in the industry that respected Malerman's work and honor...

fulfilling my 2019 goal to read (at least) one book each month that i bought in hardcover and put off reading long enough that it is now in paperback.SPOOKY BOOKTOBER CONTINUES!!!!!this. book. is. slow.until it explodes.i love how josh malerman just writes whatever he wants. his breakout debut, Bird Box, was a wonderful, original, propulsive piece of high-tension horror, and everything he’s written since has been…different. not bad, by any means—i am one of the people who freaking LOVED Unbury C...

I would say this one was part dystopia or sci-fi and part horror. If you read it you will find out why I say this. It’s not Sci-fi in any futuristic sort of way but there is an experiment being conducted here. All of it is supposed to be in the name and honor of genius. Genius minds being formed without — distraction. Money? No. Power. No. I guess they are fine with that too.Religion ... I do see it and it does come to their thoughts; as well as certain individuals parading around trying to be a...

Once again I find myself branching out into the dystopian world. How could I possibly resist the latest release from Josh Malerman. I absolutely loved his previous release of Bird Box.While Bird Box rests comfortably on my favorite shelf, this one just fell a bit shy of reaching that status for me. An ingenious premise that promised an explosive mind-blowing read. But I just couldn’t quite let go and be taken there. While I really liked it...I just can't say I loved it as much as Bird Box.There

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.Experiments do not always come to fruition in the way that is expected.  This is a whole new twist on the concept of Parenthood.  The dreaded daily Inspections, checking for disease and rot.  If there is any sign of spoilage, the Corner awaits.  The Corner hums and croons and sometimes it rumbles.  What goes on behind that door? I applaud this author's fresh ideas, how he eschews the formulaic recipes and has yet to use a cookie-cutter.  I l...

I sincerely do not know how to rate this. How do you rate a book that held you entranced, kept you turning pages because you had to KNOW what was ultimately going to happen, and yet you still found problematic to a degree? Also, I feel a rant coming on, because I've read a number of reviews for this one just now, and I have something to say.Let's address that first. People and expectations. Here's the thing about Josh Malerman, the sensational new voice in horror fiction who penned the fantastic...

1-1.5 stars.A husband and wife duo decide to live out a "thought experiment" where 26 boys and 26 girls are kept in separate towers in the Michigan wilderness. It is their hypothesis that if each sex is raised independently of each other and without knowledge that the other exists, the "genius" that will come as a byproduct of this upbringing will far outweigh the controversial nature in which this experiment was conducted. Where to begin? I'm going to be quite blunt. This book was awful. I mean...

INSPECTION is a wildly imaginative and thought-provoking tale!What would happen if boys were raised without any knowledge of the opposite sex? That's the basic premise behind this book, (there's more to it, but I won't get spoiler-y.) Just think about that for a minute, think about what would be involved. How to explain where the boys came from, for instance? How to explain puberty and changes to the body? The answer to those questions and more is easy. You LIE. And what happens when those lies

3.75 Stars* (rounded up).Well, that was different. In truth, I couldn’t tear my eyes away!What can I say without giving too much away? “Inspection” is weird and wild and had a really interesting concept. The first part was a little slower for me and took a while to get into and then BAM!!, the second part took off and I was all in. The characterizations hooked me. K and B, got me and and they got me good. Reality is not what you think it is and truth well, what is the truth? Be honest and you ar...

Best laid plans and all that......What happens when good old D.A.D and M.O.M keep their "children" in the dark? That really is the question! J is one of the 26 Alphabet boys. They are being raised by D.A.D. and his "staff". The boys are smart, they are being raised to be prodigies. They only know each other, their school, their D.A.D. and the people who work at the school. They fear disease almost as much as they fear becoming spoiled rotten and being sent to the Corner. *shivers* J has always b...

Josh Malerman returns with another of his novels that bends the mind while captivating the reader’s attention from the get-go. Full of intriguing twists alongside layers of social commentary, Malerman has created yet another book that will have people thinking, even without a Netflix adaptation. A group of twenty-four boys live in a tall building, isolated from anyone else. These boys, each given a letter rather than a name—two boys, A and Z, are no longer with the group—were plucked from the ja...

★★★½In my opinion, Josh Malerman has a very abstract way of storytelling, and with all abstract art forms, it is open to interpretation. Although Inspection is more of a straightforward story once you have all the information, there are still some interesting concepts that lay underneath. Because the mystery component is dependent on the reader having zero information about the plot line, I must refrain from incorporating any sort of synopsis into this review. But the themes I took away from my

For me, this is either a 3-star or a 4-star book. Not a 3.5 - just one or the other. I am not sure if that makes sense as I often just find myself averaging this sort of thing out, but it just doesn't feel right in this case. I am flipping a coin and going with 4-stars.For the first part of the book I felt like I was riding a thin line between understanding and being completely lost. Like the first hour or so of an M. Night Shyamalan movie, it's weird but interesting. You know things are going t...

After having more discussions with people after this book was released, I'm more frustrated by it than I already was, and I think my experience was closer to 2⭐ instead of 3⭐.This is a difficult review to write since I have really mixed feelings on Inspection. I enjoyed some parts of it, and was quite annoyed by others.Even if I don't always love the outcome, Josh Malerman always has creative concepts for his books. I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, and a fair amount of the story was...

Malerman gives a master class in mood-building with this deliciously creepy coming-of-age story. I don’t want to spoil anything because you need to savor every line, but I’d call it Dead Poets Society as directed by Tim Burton. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

 Original, Zany and Perplexing... From the author of  Bird Box,  this novel completely threw me for a loop. A mesmerizing cover and a promising premise had me diving in with high expectations.From the first chapters I was aware of something dark and secretive going on with this group of boys duped "the alphabet boys".  They are living in a tower at a remote location as part of an "experiment".  These boys are being raised to become the worlds best in science, engineering and math.While I en