Short Story Review: Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box by Mira Grant

Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box by Mira Grant (Newflesh #0.04)
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: April 18, 20111
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

A new short story from Mira Grant, the author of Feed. Every week five friends get together to play a game– a game they call the Apocalypse Game. It’s a fun time with chips and beer and plotting the end of the world. Except this time, one of them is missing and the stakes are higher than ever before.

This short story is really just the length of about one chapter. The description on Amazon says 45 pages but I think it’s shorter. It’s hard to tell because it’s e-book only. So the first thing I’ll say about it is that it’s not worth the $1.99 Amazon is charging for it!

It’s an eerie story that can stand on its own, kind of like a Twilight Zone episode. However, I found it to be more confusing than mysterious. I read it twice (since it only takes ten minutes to read!) and I still don’t understand what Cole, the missing group member, was trying to accomplish and why.

This story is supposed to be one of the prequels of the Newsflesh series but I don’t think it fits in at all. If I understand it correctly, it actually gives a completely different cause of the rising. If anyone out there has read it and the Newsflesh series, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

In short, even if you’re a fan of the Newflesh series, I think you can save your two dollars and skip this one.

Other books I’ve reviewed in the Newsflesh series:

Countdown by Mira Grant (Newsflesh Trilogy #0.5)
Feed by Mira Grant (Newflesh Trilogy #1)
Deadline by Mira Grant (Newsflesh Trilogy #2)
Blackout by Mira Grant (Newsflesh Trilogy #3)