Devolution - Max Brooks - 7-15-20(ish)

[Alan]

Join Vickie and me (and possibly Ginger and Kasia) as we explore Max Brooks' new offering, Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre. We'll be starting around July 15th.


"My name is Daryl."

[Vickie]

Looking forward to it, and I love that commercial!😂😊

[WendyB]

oh what the heck... count me in! :)

[Kasia]

I saw this post in my emails and it legit made my morning haha, I will try my best to join :) think this is the most buddy reads i've done ever ( this will be my 5th this month)

[Kasia]

WendyB wrote: "oh what the heck... count me in! :)"

NICE!! :)

[Ginger]

Even though I'm reading Needful Things and moving, I'll read this with you all!
I'll likely be a bit slow in reading it though.

I love anything Bigfoot related AND I live in the Pacific Northwest. I've been to Mount Rainier so many times that I should have seen a Sasquatch by now.
I have to join this BR. hahaha!

[Vickie]

Ginger wrote: "Even though I'm reading Needful Things and moving, I'll read this with you all!
I'll likely be a bit slow in reading it though.

I love anything Bigfoot related AND I live in the Pacific Northwest...."

Awesome Ginger! And are you sure you're not holding out on us with some sightings?😜😆

[Ginger]

Vickie wrote: "Awesome Ginger! And are you sure you're not holding out on us with some sightings?😜😆"

Every time I go out in the woods for hiking or camping up here, I'm always on the look out! hahaha!!!

[WendyB]

Got an early(ish) start. Not much to say so far.

[Ginger]

I got started on it last night. I'm really liking the location (obviously). I know exactly were all the cities are that's being referenced.

And trust me, we're always looking at the mountain and wondering when it's going to explode. LOL!
Here's a picture of it close to a beach (Three Tree Point) that I'm 5-10 walking minutes from. As you can see, it's rather big and menacing. :D
Us locals up here say, "The mountain's out!" on a sunny day.

[Vickie]

Wow, Ginger, that's gorgeous! You're one lucky lady.😊 I started it today as well and loved the pure joy of Kate's descriptions during her hike.

[WendyB]

Liking the characters so far. They're all pretty weird.
Don't know what Dan's problem is but I feel the need to smack him.. repeatedly.

[Ginger]

Vickie wrote: "Wow, Ginger, that's gorgeous! You're one lucky lady.😊 I started it today as well and loved the pure joy of Kate's descriptions during her hike."

I liked that part too! He's describing the hikes up here pretty well. There are just so many trees and it's so green!

[Ginger]

WendyB wrote: "Don't know what Dan's problem is but I feel the need to smack him.. repeatedly."

Looking forward to reading about Dan! :D

[Alan]

Started it tonight. Decent reading so far, but kinda bland with all the set up, and Karen is getting annoying with the prattling on. However, I finished chapter 5 and since shit finally began to hit the fan methinks things things are going to pick up soon.

[Ginger]

Alan wrote: "Started it tonight. Decent reading so far, but kinda bland with all the set up, and Karen is getting annoying with he prattling on. However, However, I finished chapter 5 and since shit finally beg..."

Oh good, I’m glad the action is finally starting!
I only have gotten to the start of Ch 4 and agree. It’s a slow start and definitely setting the plot so to speak.

[Ginger]

Yep, I agree WendyB. Dan is an ass! LOL!

[WendyB]

Chapter 6 and there is a hint of fit hitting the shan... at least a little bit. And it feels like what is being discussed in the book is what we're going through now in real life, the lack of preparedness for emergencies.

[WendyB]

Anyone else not trusting Tony and Yvette?

[Alan]

Not sure how far you've gotten, but I didn't trust Tony from his first appearance on the page. LOL

[WendyB]

Alan wrote: "Not sure how far you've gotten, but I didn't trust Tony from his first appearance on the page. LOL"

p 108
I think Yvette may be even worse than him

[Alan]

So I've caught up to you. At this point I can say I don't like any of the characters. They're all incredibly annoying in their own ways. Except for maybe Palomino, the poor girl. I almost wish for the volcano to blow and cover them all in lava in the next chapter. End story.
Cartman always had it right. This is what happens when you get a village of

[Vickie]

Yep, totally agree. Didn't trust them from the get-go.

[Alan]

Finished chapter 13. Aw yeah, shit getting real, yo.

[Ginger]

WendyB wrote: "Anyone else not trusting Tony and Yvette?"

Nope, did not trust them from the beginning. Trying to sell the Kool-Aid for their utopia village. LOL!

[WendyB]

Some of this feels like what we're seeing in the US right now. These people, with the exception of Mostar, don't seem to have any survival instincts, to want to take steps to make it through the winter alive or until help from the outside could arrive.

Some comments on page 140 felt so true. To paraphrase, you're warned your country is about to collapse and friends and neighbors want to kill you.
This is a scary book when stop to think how close to home some of the thoughts in it hit.

[Vickie]

Yes, I can see that Wendy. It's definitely getting interesting now, and at least Dan is getting better now that he's in survival mode. And I'm loving Mostar. For some reason, though, I just keep picturing her as the little spitfire, Maz, from Star Wars, lol!😆

[Alan]

And....done. Right as the first attacks began, seeing how the various characters acted, two things dawned on me: 1. The characters are all pretty useless, as far as trying to survive in their mountainous environment in the life-threatening conditions - yes, Mostar has some useful knowledge, and if she wasn't the only one would be of more importance, but she also spouts a number of ideas that she has no idea how to go about bringing to fruition (like her suggestions of planting a garden, but having no idea how to actually garden) so she's not THAT great. 2. The useless characters are pretty much like all those party-loving dumbass teens who wander into Camp Crystal Lake, just lining up to be Jason's victims - (view spoiler)[this book was essentially a slasher movie. (hide spoiler)]

In the end, I still disliked all the characters, and I thought the way (view spoiler)[Tony and Yvette just locked themselves in the house and disappeared for like 5 chapters before suddenly appearing briefly so they could die made no sense - as if Brooks couldn't figure out what to do with them so just ignored them and then wrote them off) (hide spoiler)]. But, it was an interesting read and kept me wanting to know what would happen next, so I was reasonably entertained.

[WendyB]

You read fast, Alan. I might finish this weekend if nothing much intrudes on my time.

Yeah, these seem to be people who think they like the wilderness and wanting to act like they are roughing it but they still want all the comforts of the big city, including grocery delivery and lots electronic gadgets. Def not the people you'd want around in an emergency.

[Ginger]

Ha!! You do read fast Alan!

Vickie- I can totally see that with Mostar. That’s a great image for her. She’s no-nonsense and doesn’t feed into the hype of “everything” will be okay.

I have not read any in the last day. I’m only at Ch 5.
Moving and packing is really squeezing into my reading time!

[WendyB]

One small thing my mind can't get past is the way Kate's journal is written. Who would take the time to write out dialogue and every little detail of the action when so much is happening and so much needs to be done? Wouldn't it seem more realistic for someone to write "we talked about xyz" rather then he said this and I said that.

[Vickie]

Yes, so true Wendy!

And Ginger, I'm glad everything worked out for you! We're still looking for a place, it's getting rather frustrating. 😕 I feel your pain, though, with packing and moving. Not looking forward to that part.😉

[Alan]

WendyB wrote: "One small thing my mind can't get past is the way Kate's journal is written. Who would take the time to write out dialogue and every little detail of the action when so much is happening and so muc..."

It really did stretch willing suspension of disbelief especially late in the novel when things were constantly hectic. Who would bother writing whole chapters of what happened when their life was in serious peril?

[WendyB]

Finished. Gave it 3 stars.
Had a nice quiet afternoon with nothing to do but chew through a book.
Perfect. :)

boy howdy, I agree with you, Alan, about Tony and Yvette. Not to mention those characters were totally wasted in the storyline when so much more could have been done with them. In fact, most of the characters were wasted. (view spoiler)[ The only one who strapped on set of balls and fought back was Kate and we're left hanging about what finally happened to her and the little girl (hide spoiler)]
Probably will have more to say later when others have finished.

[Vickie]

Just finished as well and pretty much agree with both your thoughts, Alan and Wendy. It was an entertaining enough read, but hard to believe certain things, especially, as mentioned, taking the time to write things down. 🙄

[Ginger]

All of you are just speed readers! LOL!
I can't wait to read more in a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing all of your spoilers.

Vickie - I hope you can find a place soon. It sure is frustrating to buy a new house or just finding a rental house. It took me weeks to find a nice rental house in a good area and I looked online every day.
I wish you good wishes and peace when you finally have to pack and move. I would never wish this on my enemy! LMAO!

[Vickie]

Ginger wrote: "All of you are just speed readers! LOL!
I can't wait to read more in a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing all of your spoilers.

Vickie - I hope you can find a place soon. It sure is frustrati..."

Lol, thanks Ginger!😆

[Ginger]

You all smoked me! I'll have to finish this in the next week. *fingers crossed*
I'm glad at least all of you finished it fast so at least it wasn't boring when the shit finally hits the fan. :D

[Matthew]

I just started this, but didn't notice there was an ongoing buddy read that just started, too! I may have to join in.

[WendyB]

Matthew wrote: "I just started this, but didn't notice there was an ongoing buddy read that just started, too! I may have to join in."

Please do!
Books are always more interesting when there are more points of view.

[Ginger]

Matthew wrote: "I just started this, but didn't notice there was an ongoing buddy read that just started, too! I may have to join in."

Please join Matthew!! I’m only at the beginning of Ch 5 so I’m still reading this and not very fast. 🤣😂
I would love to see what you think of this as well!

[Matthew]

Well, I will say first . . . I am doing audio and about an hour and a half in or so and nothing has really been what I expected yet. Not that I had a lot of pre-conceived notions, but an in-depth introduction to a specially developed "Green" community is not what I expected.

I am very curious to see where this goes!

[Ginger]

Matthew wrote: "Well, I will say first . . . I am doing audio and about an hour and a half in or so and nothing has really been what I expected yet. Not that I had a lot of pre-conceived notions, but an in-depth i..."

Ha! I think we all felt the same on that. None of us were prepared for this perfect sustainable utopia.
I mean, I know it’s not going to go well. 😉🤣

[Matthew]

Ginger wrote: "Matthew wrote: "Well, I will say first . . . I am doing audio and about an hour and a half in or so and nothing has really been what I expected yet. Not that I had a lot of pre-conceived notions, b..."

There are earthquakes at the place I am in the book. So, that is promising for potential action!

[WendyB]

It's just about to get interesting...

[Kasia]

Apologies that I never got to read this with you guys, I have been sneaking in some comments and really enjoying them.

[Ginger]

Kasia wrote: "Apologies that I never got to read this with you guys, I have been sneaking in some comments and really enjoying them."

Kasia, you can still join if it works for you reading schedule? But if not, I'm glad you are enjoying all the comments!

[Matthew]

About 2hrs and 45min in . . .

Vibes right now:

- Dante's Peak
- Media/Social Media/Society and their response to the Coronavirus

[Ginger]

Matthew wrote: "

- Dante's Peak
- Media/Social Media/Society and their response to the Coronavirus"

I can totally see this. Without WiFi, these people are screwed. LOL!

[Matthew]

Ginger wrote: "Matthew wrote: "

- Dante's Peak
- Media/Social Media/Society and their response to the Coronavirus"

I can totally see this. Without WiFi, these people are screwed. LOL!"

The biggest similarity was the description of all the conspiracy theories and suddenly everyone is an expert . . . its too close to reality for comfort!