11 must-read SFF book releases that will kick your July into high gear

Malorie – Joshua Malerman

Malorie is the long-awaited sequel to Josh Malerman’s popular 2014 novel Bird Box, which many of us probably know because of the terrifying Netflix adaptation that starred Sandra Bullock and took over our brains back in 2018. But are readers ready to dive back into his apocalyptic tale when we’re all now living out a scenario that feels terrifyingly close to a dystopian novel?

If you read Bird Box then you already know the answer is probably going to be a resounding yes.

At the end of that book, Malorie finds a safe haven for herself and her two children at a school for the blind. According to Malroman, its sequel will take place 12 years later. Tom and Olympia are now teenagers attempting to navigate this difficult world. And after Malorie receives a list of alleged survivors that contains names she recognizes, the group will prepare to take another harrowing journey together. Will they survive the monsters again?

Like any good suspense story, the official synopsis contains barely any information about the plot of the sequel, but certainly seems terrifying enough.

"The film adaptation of Malerman’s first novel, Bird Box, was watched by over forty-five million Netflix accounts in the first week, the best first seven days ever for a film on the platform. Countless more came to know the story through social media. The image of Sandra Bullock’s character, Malorie, blindfolded—as she’s led through a terrifying near-future apocalypse by the trained ears of her children—has become synonymous with a new generation of horror. Now from the mind of a true master of suspense comes the next chapter in the riveting tale. This time, Malorie is front and center, and she will confront the dangers of her world head-on."

Malorie is available on July 21.