Written by Nardeen Al Saffar
There are endless accounts of conspiracy theories that attempt to explain global events and catastrophes, which are often accompanied by blurry videos and images that often leave us with more questions than answers. Devolution is a written account of a similar fictional event that took place after a modern-day eruption of Mt. Rainier, told through the eyes of an investigator, a survivor, and her brother. It’s a pulse-pounding, unputdownable, often brutal depiction of what happens when we are cut off from modern conveniences and comforts and have to resort to our own (non-electronic) devices.
Devolution is the product of the research and interviews of the narrator, at the request of Frank McCoy Jr., whose sister the events revolve around. The narrator also interviews Senior Ranger Josephine Schell, who describes the events from the official perspective of the investigative and rescue teams.
The events start slowly through the diary entries of Kate Holland, as she and her husband move away from civilisation to a green community, Greenloop, that promises all the comforts of living in a city without the inconvenience and stress. The residents receive their groceries via drone delivery and are connected to the internet and the power grid, with back-up biogas generators and solar panels. The eruption of Mt. Rainier explodes all of that by cutting the residents off from the power grid and the single road that is their only means of escape. Without access and communication, their little community begins to slowly unravel. Add the mystery of the terrifying remnants of blood, bone, and tissue, and the little community desperately devolves to fighting for survival.
Kate Holland’s character seemed to be that of the typical executive trying to escape from the usual stressors: the journal itself was written to be sent to her therapist and quickly became a coping mechanism as things escalated around her. And they do escalate quickly. Her character evolves steadily and her observations add insight and dimension to the other characters’ behaviours and motives. The side characters each had their own distinct personalities and motivations which worked to better show Kate’s evolution. Their increasingly erratic behaviour reflected the bizarre circumstances in which they found themselves. The reader will quickly find themselves taking a preference to certain characters, and frustrated at others.
While Devolution seems to have had a slow start, it was simply setting the scene for rapid change in both environment and character. The lines of conflict are as clear as the sometimes graphic descriptions of action-packed scenes. The descriptions aren’t gratuitous, however, and serve to remind the reader of the extraordinary circumstances. The interspersed interviews with Kate’s brother and the Senior Ranger only serve to reinforce the oddity of the residents’ situation. There is no confusion that whatever happens to the the little community of Greenloop is not normal. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller that isn’t afraid of taking risks with characters and events in an unconventional format then Devolution is definitely one for your TBR!
Devolution is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast–and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.
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.
But 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.
