Inspection by Josh Malerman is a slow-burning tale about two groups of children, one group of boys and one group of girls, that are raised as a science experiment. The goal is to prove that they can accomplish brilliant things if only they weren’t distracted by the opposite sex.
Let’s dive into my short review!
My Thoughts on Inspection by Josh Malerman
When I first read the blurb for this book, I was so excited that I preordered it right then and there. Unfortunately, I think I let my high expectations get the best of me for this one…
While reading, the slow burn format of the story was definitely bumming me out a bit. I don’t love slow plots to begin with. In this case I was definitely expecting more of an intensely sinister tale.
Repetition was also a major issue for me. There was just so much of it, that it had me skimming from time to time.
Once I had finished reading the book, and thought back about how the overall story played out, I definitely respected the way that the author organized the story line. I really enjoyed how innocent things seemed for the most part. I especially loved when you got little glimpses into the darkness behind everything. But I, personally, would have liked the story more if it had gone a bit darker.
Then there was the ending… Now that was by far my favorite part of the book. The ending was intense! It was a horrific ending; there was darkness, violence, lots of blood, and a one element of very torturous revenge.
I felt like the very end finally showed how dark and intense these towers were. I found myself equally pleased with how well the darkness was hidden from the reader and the children throughout (though there were certainly hints of it throughout the story) and bummed that we didn’t get more of the darkness earlier.
My Final Thoughts on Inspection
While the slow burn format and the repetition just wasn’t my favorite, I would still say that I enjoyed this read. I thought the idea behind the tale was super interesting and eerie!
While I probably wouldn’t re-read this one, I would still definitely recommend this to others! And I would really love to see this one adapted into a film!
Snag a copy through Bookshop to help support local indie bookshops:
Thanks for reading!
Have you had the chance to pick this one up yet? If so, what did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I wish you had enjoyed it a bit more but it still sounds intriguing. Thanks for sharing!
Same here… I had such high hopes. I know a lot of others that loved it though! 🙂
I’m glad the ending finally delivered on the darkness – it’s tough when a book seems to promise certain things and then doesn’t go far enough.
Definitely!
I don’t do well with really slow books as I can quickly lose interest in them! Give me a nice fast paced horror and I’m a happy Chuckles!
Same here! I need my horror to pack a punch!
I’m curious about this one, but it sounds like something I should grab from the library!
🙂
Sometimes, weirdly, there are some books which work best when you look on them in hindsight after you have finished reading them. And it sounds like this is one of those kind of books!
For sure!!