The premise of the book is that there is some sort of creature which when gazed upon makes one go crazy. Malorie and her sister, Shannon, are alone at their apartment when they find out about this issue. At first, not a lot of people believe that looking at something is going to make them go crazy, then the stories get spread worldwide. Soon people are covering their windows with blankets and cardboard and anything they can to keep the world out. When things become unbearable and Malorie is forced to leave her house she drives to hope, all while closing her eyes and pregnant.
Malorie finds safety for a while, but then that safe haven is destroyed by a madman with goals unknown to everyone but himself. Malorie survives long enough to find a new safe haven, but to get there she must risk everything.
I enjoyed most of this book, although it was a little slow in parts. There were scenes when Malorie was rowing and most of them were trying to build up suspense and be creepy, but overall, I found them dull and a little tiresome. The scenes in the second house, where Malorie and the others left are trying to figure out what to do and how to survive in a world where they can't look outside, are more interesting as there is more going on. They only added to the story a little though. The characters are not as developed as they could be, I mean I like a little more background story for my characters. I did enjoy the idea of the story, but the trope of an unseen or unknown monster is becoming overdone and dull.
Unless all of these books and movies with unseen or barely seen monsters are going to explain the monsters in future books or movies (which the Cloverfield series has yet to do), then stop making them. I don't need a book that tells me of man being evil and homicidal towards men, that is the plot of life, who is evil and who is compassionate and kind.
Then ending of Bird Box is a little predictable, and I do wish that it had gone another way. There were things that foreshadowed the ending too much, and basically the story gave away what was going to happen in the end. While I did enjoy the story, I enjoyed the idea more than the story. It wasn't as developed as say Dean Koontz's From the Corner of His Eye, about a boy who goes blind and the man he becomes. The main character is blind and the story is not only more developed, but more suspenseful, and creepy.
I do recommend that before watching the movie you read the book for Bird Box. I always recommend reading the book before watching the movie, of any book, except Harry Potter, I could not get through those books. Sorry, not sorry.