Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

Max Brooks

Jun 2020 · Sold by Del Rey

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The #1 New York Times bestselling author of World War Z is back with “the Bigfoot thriller you didn’t know you needed in your life, and one of the greatest horror novels I’ve ever read” (Blake Crouch, author of Dark Matter and Recursion).
 
FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD

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. 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.

Praise for Devolution

“Delightful . . . [A] tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The story is told in such a compelling manner that horror fans will want to believe and, perhaps, take the warning to heart.”—Booklist (starred review)

Ratings and reviews

I liked this book. I was entertained through the whole thing. It is a pretty interesting premise--instead of your usual survivalist story featuring gritty, good ol' boys with guns whose grandpappys taught them to hunt and fish out in the woods being Davy Crockett you have something different. You read about a bunch of Limousine Liberals who think they're connected to nature because they love yoga and support the Green New Deal (yes, really) but are completely unfamiliar with how nature actually works. Are they particularly interesting characters? Nah, except for Mostar and maybe Dan. Is the book predictable? Yes. Also, the idea of killing 1000lb Squatches with kitchen knives lashed to bamboo was a bit much for me. But again, it was a nice change of pace from "Why did they not just shoot the apes? Are they stupid?" Speaking of guns, the subtle politics in WWZ were awesome. The political commentary in this book was contrived and hamfisted. Overall, good read. Will read again.

This novel will keep you on edge for many nights. Brooks knows the topic well, having thoroughly researched not just the aspect of Bigfoot lore, but it's greater connection to primatology and even it's connection to humanity. He respects it the topic instead of treating it as a joke, which I think is why this book comes off as so genuine. The Bigfoot genre is an untapped treasure trove of horror stories, and I hope that Brooks' novel begins a new trend of thrilling adventures to come.

Not great. The creatures are supposed to be 10 times stronger than an ape and ape 10 times stronger than a man. Yet these yuppies kill the Bigfoot monsters with bamboo poles. Resolution of this tale didn't do it for me.

About the author

Max Brooks is a senior nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point and the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. His bestselling books include Minecraft: The Island, The Zombie Survival Guide, and World War Z, which was adapted into a 2013 movie starring Brad Pitt. His graphic novels include the #1 New York Times bestseller The Harlem Hellfighters.