Before it was a hit Netflix film with an all-star cast, it was a thriller of a novel by Josh Malerman. Once you find a book you really enjoy, you tend to want more. While "Bird Box" doesn't have a sequel, there are plenty of novels with the same suspenseful and heart-stopping qualities. To satiate your hunger for another thrilling read, take a look at this Thelist of books that fall in line with Malerman's hit and get ready to read your heart out.
1. "The Deep" by Nick Cutter
A plague known as the 'Gets makes people forget things and it's decimating humanity worldwide. It starts out small, causing people to forget where they put their keys or glasses, then the forgotten things get bigger. People may forget the alphabet or even how to drive. But that's not the worst of it; eventually bodies forget how to involuntarily function. There's no cure for the 'Gets. But an unknown substance has just been discovered deep in the Marianas Trench; called "ambrosia," it has been hailed as a cure-all in initial reports and may be they key to a universal cure. To study "ambrosia," a research lab has established eight miles below the sea and it's up to a brave few to descend an unravel the mysteries lurking in the ocean's depths. With those mysteries, though, may come an unfathomable evil.
2. "The Sundial" by Shirley Jackson
From the classic horror icon Shirley Jackson comes the chilling story of Aunt Fanny and the Halloran family. When the clan gathers at the crumbling family mansion for a funeral, peculiar Aunt Fanny wanders to the garden. Upon her return she recounts the end of the world in eerie detail, along with the exact date given to her by her long-dead father.
3. "Suffer the Children" by Craig DiLouie
This apocalyptic novel covers the world after the rise of Herod's Syndrome, a disease that kills children quickly and abruptly. But they don't stay dead, they come back and ask for blood. Blood gives them life. They remain children they once were, but that doesn't last; they need more blood to live. With the body holding a limited amount of blood, parents now have to decide how far they'll go to keep their children alive.
4. "Those Across the River" by Christopher Buehlman
Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, move to the small, uneventful town of Whitbrow, Georgia. There, Frank hopes to write about the history and horrors of the Savoyard Plantation, his family's old estate. Upon arrival the quaint neighbors and rural way of life seems to be perfect for the couple, but the townsfolk have lived in an unspoken fear for generations. This present fear requires a sacrifice. Coming from the thick woods where the Savoyard ruins still stand, a longstanding debt of blood hasn't been forgotten. And it's been waiting for the return of Frank Nichols.
5. "Inspection" by Josh Malerman
Written by the author of "Bird Box," "Inspection" follows J, a student at a prep school deep in the woods. The students see the school's founder as their father and J's peers are the only family he has ever known. The students know nothing about the world outside the school and they're not supposed to. But J starts question what the school is for, why they aren't allowed to leave, and what secrets their father is keeping. On the other side of the forest there's a girl, K, in a school much like J's and she's asking the same questions. As the two investigate their school's secrets they discover the mystery of each other.
Get ready for some chilling reads that you won't be able to put down!
