Devolution (Brooks novel)
Plot. The plot focuses on the investigation being done by a reporter 13 months after the titular Sasquatch Massacre occurs in the community of Greenloop, Washington. Greenloop is a small eco-centric community, consisting of six smart homes and a central Community House. The location is remote; it is one and a half hours south of the city of Seattle, has a single access road, and supplies are delivered by drones. The homes inside are eco-friendly, powered by sunlight and waste. Many of the functions of the smart homes are automated, and are controlled via iPhones  and iPads. The narrator is guided into the events of the massacre by the brother of Kate Holland, one of the residents who is still missing. The narrator combines Kate's journal entries and additional interviews with experts on zoology, a Forest Service officer and others, in order to provide the reader context about the nature of the Bigfoot. We learn that for therapeutic reasons, Kate was asked by her psychotherapist to maintain a written record of her thoughts, feelings and experiences in Greenloop. The initial entries describe her troubled relationship with her husband Dan, her lifestyle and the quirky  upper-class neighbors of her small Greenloop community. Upon the eruption of Mt. Rainier, the residents decide to shelter in place and wait for rescuers to arrive, relying on the capabilities of their technological homes and rationing to carry them through the coming days. As the National Guard and local officials try to regain control of the Mt. Rainier eruption area, including Seattle, the residents of Greenloop slowly realize how cut-off and unprepared they are. It is then that the wild animals and worse, the sasquatches appear. The journal entries (and therefore, the book that we are reading) then  become a record of the residents' battles against the sasquatch. Reactions. "Kirkus Reviews" was positive, calling the book "a tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem". "Publishers Weekly" and "Library Journal" also had positive reviews, saying Brooks "packs his plot with action, information, and atmosphere, and captures both the foibles and the heroism of his characters", and that it was a "creative and well-executed conceit" that would also appeal to "those who appreciate nonfiction survival stories". "The Washington Post" was negative, with the review titled "A great Bigfoot novel may be lurking out there. Max Brooks's  'Devolution' isn't it." "USA Today" gave it a mixed review, saying it was "ambitious mishmash of individually interesting pieces. Not quite sharp enough for compelling satire, a little too sneering for effective horror, it will find plenty of readers among devotees of Brooks, but will be a miss for most general readers." American gun enthusiast and self-defense instructor Massad Ayoob reviewed the book, concluding that it presented a good case for firearms ownership.