Friday Night Frights: Bird Box Spotlight & Movie Rec

Hey Bookdragons! Welcome to the 3rd week of the Friday Night Frights meme!

How It Works:
On your blog feature a horror novel you loved (it doesn't have to be a new release) and recommend a horror movie you love then come back here and post your link in the comments! That's it, as simple as that! 

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Now a Netflix film starring Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar and John Malkovich!

Written with the narrative tension of The Road and the exquisite terror of classic Stephen King, Bird Box is a propulsive, edge-of-your-seat horror thriller, set in an apocalyptic near-future world—a masterpiece of suspense from the brilliantly imaginative Josh Malerman.

Something is out there . . .

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman’s breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.

What I loved about Bird Box (the book):
Bird Box isn't strictly a horror novel. It's more sci-fi horror. 

What Bird Box is, is a fast-paced novel about the worst kind of monster... the monster we cannot see. An unseen threat that robs people of their minds should they "see" whatever it is that drives them to kill themselves. Nobody is safe, the madness could come for anyone. 

Bird Box moves back and forth between past and present, from the beginning of the occurrences to Malorie's journey down the river with the two children. 

I love that this book is set in Michigan. I love the idea of the madness and the need to cover one's eyes. It's a whole new kind of terror than the standard haunting or psycho killer.

Movie Rec: Bird Box

I didn't know what to expect when I watched this movie last Christmas. I didn't expect to become as engrossed in it as I did. I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. I didn't expect for it to stay with me 7+ months since the first time I watched it, like I just watched it yesterday.

"Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a survivor and her two children must make it through a forest and river blindfolded in a desperate bid to reach safety."

Sandra Bullock is fantastic in this movie, really she should get some sort of award for her performance in my opinion. The supporting cast is great as well and the screen play brings the novel to life in horrifying detail. 

I love that this movie didn't stick spot on to the novel, instead changing a few small details to increase the tension. 

I don't scare easily, but I know a lot of people found this movie bone-chillingly terrifying, so if you're surfing Netflix and in the mood for a truly scary movie tonight, give Bird Box a watch. You can thank me for the nightmares later!