Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice-for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. This beautifully balanced thriller will keep readers tense, surprised, pleased, and surprised again as a master manipulator unfolds her plan of revenge.Īre we not men? We are-well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).Ī zombie apocalypse is one thing. Is Jane really a sociopath or the rare woman who doesn’t care what others think? And which of us wouldn’t at least dream of sweet revenge against those who cause such pain? Stone even provides the perfect ending, which can’t be commented on without ruining its perfection. As the novel progresses, our view of Jane gradually shifts. Stone does a masterful job of creating in Jane a complex character, making her both scary and more than a little appealing. It’s fascinating to hear Jane, who narrates the novel, comment on her plans and observations of others. Coldly analytical, she fashions herself to be just the sort of woman Steve wants-meek, mousy, and needy.

Now Jane has insinuated herself at Steven’s company. When Meg became involved with Steven, though, she turned from a funny, bold woman into a submissive girl who accepted Steven’s cruel comments and control, until in her despair she killed herself.

But college roommate Meg gave Jane her best chance at seeing how normal people lived.

Jane isn’t sure she herself has ever felt love, or any emotion other than hatred for her abusive family.

In this suspenseful, just-creepy-enough thriller, Jane travels to Minneapolis after her friend Meg commits suicide. When her best friend commits suicide after being dumped by a worthless man, Jane, a self-described sociopath, decides revenge will be slow and sweet.

Victoria helen stone jane doe