Book Review: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

 

 

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks 

Hardcover, 286 pages

Published June 2020 by Del Rey Books 

 

I was looking forward to this book, which was accidentally my third Del  Rey new release in a row. I have always enjoyed Max Brooks as a podcast guest. He has been a really good and important interview during the Coronavirus as the world events are very much in the wheelhouse of his research. NPR's Fresh Air, Ana Marie Cox's Expanse podcast The Churn did a great bonus WW Z episode, and Books was on Local NPR's Cinema Junkie with Beth Accomando. I suggest you listen to those great interviews.

Those interviews were so good I knew I wanted to check this novel out even though sasquatch fiction and lore has never excited. I didn't have a strong memory of WW Z because I listened to it on Audiobook something I rarely do more than 15 years ago.

I gotta say from the start that I really didn't enjoy this book. That being said I not going to say it is an all-around terrible book. I can see why it would be fun and interesting for other readers. This might be it's not you Max, it is me. This book does a few things I just personally don't enjoy. Add sasquatch battles and I was looking at the last hundreds and thinking...What am I doing here?
 
The story is set mostly in Washington in the shadow of Mt.Rainer about the aftermath of a Volcanic explosion that basically sends Seattle and western Washington into nuclear winter. The most interesting aspects of the novel are all about the disaster response.  Those aspects of the novel were far more interesting than anything related to sasquatch. Brooks knowledge of these issues is deep, he clearly knows what he is talking about. That is what makes him a great interview.

I also get, a article about disaster response is not going to get the eyeballs and attention that a book with zombies and monsters.

Devolution is a horror book sorta and if you notice it doesn't say it is a novel on the cover and in any way it is not a novel.  Just like World War Z is not a novel.  This is a series of accounts based on an event that didn't actually happen. The problem for me is I love a good novel. As a writer myself I think about the structure of novels all the time.  When I read them, I like being swept away by the characters, the construction and when I sit down to review them I like that flow.

Max Brooks is not writing a novel where the flow matters. It is a story but not really a novel in my opinion. I am sure the choppy style of interview fragments, journal entries (that are unrealistic as he is telling a story in more detail than a journal would) and interesting but extra-narrative asides that info-dump through the book.
 

That lack of narrative flow kept me from really understanding what was happening with characters. I lost track of who was writing the journals early on and had to look at the dust jacket to confirm. The setting of the Green loop eco-village was interesting but as I had friends who lived in a similar community I cringed at some of the characterizations that were too heavy in some ways and light in others.
 
I could live with that. It took a awhile to get to the monsters but as I was not looking forward to the sasquatch aspect I was OK with that. I wanted to be wrong on the monsters. Brooks however sees more interested in tidbits of primates than building suspense.
 
I think plenty of people will enjoy this book. I respect Max Brooks and what he set out to do. It just didn't personally work for me.  I think if you are not as picky about narrative flow you could enjoy lots here. Just not for me.