Review: The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1), by Rick Yancy

The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1)
By Rick Yancy
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2010 (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Genre: Horror; Historical Fiction; Paranormal; Supernatural; Fantasy; Mystery; Sci-Fi; Adventure; YA
Source: Library!

DESCRIPTION:

"These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for who I kept these secrets. The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me."

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was feeding on her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagi—a headless monster that feeds through the mouthfuls of teeth in its chest—and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.

The Monstrumologist is the first stunning Gothic adventure in a series that combines the spirit of HP Lovecraft with the storytelling ability of Rick Riordan.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The Monstrumologist was the first ever Gothic horror novel I have ever read, AND I'M DEFINITELY READING THE SEQUEL! I judged a book by it's cover while I was in the library and it paid off! This book was excellent!

The plot proved interesting and spaced itself away from the vampire/werewolves/supernatural power/sinister academy/fallen angel/fairy books with all those dark looking cover that I'm so very sick of seeing in libraries and bookstores and hearing people rave about (not that I don't like them, because I do like them, just the well-written ones because they're turning those supernatural books out so fast they seem like a generic cereal bran, all with the same character archetypes and plots).

Although the book does have a sinister antagonist in it that is indeed a monster, this monster is completely different from lipstick-wearing vampires that love the scent of strawberry shampoo. This monster is seldom heard of and isn't found in any human-creature romance. Instead, you'll find this monster ravaging human flesh with razor teeth. Wanna looksee?

Picture from the blog, Corner Ink Journal

I baby-barf just looking at it.

Worst part? They've infested New England and it's up to the monstrumologist, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, and his indispensable twelve-year-old apprentice, Will Henry to exterminate the infestation.

On the negative side, the beginning of the book is very slow-paced, and did little to draw me in (with the first chapter as an exception). I always tried to get a chapter in before bed, but the chapters were so long that I would usually only get half in.

Don't get me wrong: there were phenomenal chapters, my favorite being the one with the old man in the insane asylum ("What of the Flies?" I believe it is called. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it), and in those cases, I'd read more than a chapter and my eyes would swell because before I would know it, it would be one in the morning.

The writing style is formal and wordy since the book takes place in the 1888. I also suppose that's the reason why the chapters are so long.

The book started to pick up pace during the chapter called "The Help," because it introduced a fascinating character named Jack Kearns. I must admit that I liked him better than Will Henry.

The Monstrumologist is a perfect scare for people who like both historical fiction and fantasy.

RATING:

Review: Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs
By Jean Webster
Publication Date: (first published 1912) June 11th, 2011 (Puffin) (first published 1912)
Paperback, 208 pages
Genre: Classics; Romance; Childrens
Source: purchased at an indie bookstore

DESCRIPTION:

A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college. The only requirements are that she must write to him every month, and that she can never know who he is. Judy's life at college is a whirlwind of friends, classes, parties, and a growing friendship with the handsome Jervis Pendleton. With so much happening in her life, Judy can scarcely stop writing to the mysterious "Daddy-Long-Legs"!

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

Daddy-Long-Legs was okay, pretty uneventful. It's an epistolary story, meaning that it is completely made up by letters. Judy is seventeen at the beginning of the book, and twenty-one/twenty-two by the end, but her vocabulary was that of a ten-year-old. The excuse that she's an orphan can't be used because her orphanage made sure they educated her well past the grade level they normally educated orphans. 

However, I was completely infatuated by two of the elements in the book:

1) The little snippets of the 1900s given to you through Daddy-Long-Legs are utterly charming. Apparently, as decreed by English grammar, a person can't feel nostalgic about something they never knew (it's used incorrectly very often). I beg to differ! I may not know that "pie-plant" is rhubarb, that "junket" is a pudding-like dessert, or that "paper chase" (also called "hare and hound") was an "outdoor game in which certain players, the hares, start off in advance on a long run, scattering small pieces of paper, called the scent, with the other players, the hounds, following the trail so marked in an effort to catch the hares before they reach a designated point" (definition from dictionary.com) (I'm totally rounding up some friends and playing). I may not know any of those things, but I can be nostalgic about it, can't I? 

2) There are pictures in this book! Hand-drawn by main character, Jerusha Abbot. Quelle adorable! For example, here's one of my favorite ones:

It's cute, no? I don't know. I really like it and found it entertaining. There was another hand-drawn picture of what Judy called a "fish," but was really a picture of a turtle. I laughed out-loud at that one, and a good friend of mine who was also reading quirked an eyebrow at me. I showed her the picture and she didn't find it even remotely entertaining. :( Guess my sense of humor is a little off.

RATING:

Review: The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy

The Apothecary
By Maile Meloy
Publication Date: August 29, 2011 (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Hardcover, 362 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; Historical Fiction; Mystery; Childrens;  YA
Source: Library (but I loved the story so much that I bought it)

DESCRIPTION:

It's 1952 and the Scott family has moved unexpectedly from Los Angeles to London. Janie Scott feels uncertain in her strange new school until she meets Benjamin Burrows, the local apothecary's curious defiant son, who dreams of becoming a spy.

Benjamin's father promises Janie a cure for homesickness, and it seems to work. But Mr. Burows is no orindary apothecary, and he holds dangerous secrets. When he disappears, Benjamin and Janie find themselves entrusted with his sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia. And Russian spies are intent on getting their hands on it.

Discovering transformative elixirs they never imagined could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous quest to save the apothecary and prevent an impending nuclear disaster.

From award-winning author Maile Meloy comes a novel that sparkles with life and magic. Breathtakingly illustrated by Ian Schoenherr, this is a sotry that will delight kids and return not-so-young readers to a world in which the extraordinary is possible.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

I love love love The Apothecary. It's classified as a childrens book, but I'd say it's boarderline young adult. Scratch that. The Apothecary is for anyone young at heart,  but I think female fans of Harry Potter will enjoy it the most.

Anyway, The Apothecary had a completely delightful cast of characters.

Janie was a real diamond in the rough in the world of weak-female-protagonists and male-hero-dominated-adventure-books: she was both a strong and determined main character, and a pleasant narrator (the book is written in first-person). As a reader, I found Janie easy to get along with. Benjamin, who I'd say was another protagonist, was admirably brave, and Pip, the street urchin was resourceful, funny, and intelligent. Pip wasn't my favorite, but he could easily be any reader's favorite.

My favorte character was Sergei. I completely adored Sergei. He reminded me of a more lonely version of Neville Longbottom, and I pitied him so much for it. I loved Jin Lo second best, because she acted tough and nonchalant on the outside, but harbored hidden sorrows inside. 

The plot rocked. It was fresh and ingenious. Even though the characters often brewed potions such as the Smell of Truth and the Invisibilty Elixar, I found none of it cheesy or unbelievable partially due to the way the author, Maile Meloy, and Janie presented it in the book. By "Chapter 7: The Message," which began on page 60 in my hardcover copy, the pace of the book picked up and I coudn't put it down. By the end, all the sub-plots and plots and conflicts were so tangled together that I didn't know how the end would turn out (and it seemed like the author didn't know either because one point of the conflict was lamely compromised), until I reached the ending.

The ending. Grrr. :( It took my breath away not in the way you may think. :(

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy (funfact: Maile Meloy is the sister of Colin Meloy, lead singers in the band, The Decemberists) is a truely magical and ingenious book that I would read again and again and again and again and...

RATING:

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
By Stephen Chbosky
Publication Date: February 1st, 1999 (MTV Books and Pocket Books)
Paperback, 213 pages
Genre: Contemporary; Realistic Fiction; YA
Source: an English teacher!

DESCRIPTION:

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that wil spirit you back to though while and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

--from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

I like the one sentence summary imdb.com provides for The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie better than the actual book blurb, because the movie tagline seems to give you the gist of what The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about:

"An introverted freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world."

Anyway, you don't have to do drugs or get wasted every weekend or be gay to relate to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

To understand why the story is so relatable, you must first understand what a "wallflower" is, dear friend, which (according to the infamous urbandictionary.com) is "a type of loner" who is "a seemingly shy person who no one really knows, often some of the most interesting people if one actually talks to them." Wallflowers "know a lot about people, what they're truthfully like," and although being a wallflower isn't bad, the word is viewed negatively.

So, from that, I think we've all felt like (or have been/are wallflowers, such as myself) wallflowers even if we aren't one. It's about being an outsider, looking in. Observing. For example, in one part of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie gets all of his friends the perfect Christmas present, and cares enough to make each personal, but no one gets him anything partially because nobody truly knows him. It's about not feeling connected to anyone. Feeling totally alone, which is completely relatable in most instances for all of us.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written in a series of letters from the main character, Charlie, to some unnamed person, or perhaps even written to us. Each letter starts out "Dear Friend," and ends with "Love always, Charlie." Some entries are beautiful. Some horrible. Some humorous. If you don't account for the themes and life lessons within the story, you will take a lot less from it than others and like it a lot less to. Without thinking about the profound meanings of each letter, the whole story can seem mundane.

I adored Patrick, Charlie's gay friend. However, I found him more likable in the movie, probably because he was more flamboyant. Movie Patrick just gave more life to the meaning of Book Patrick.

(Speaking of the movie, it definitely wasn't as good as the book, and the vibe I got from it was different from the book's vibe, but it does the book a good amount of justice. It's worth seeing).

I'd like to leave you with the best quote of the book, which has a sort of cult-following:

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

--The Perks of Being a Wallflower

RATING:

Review: East, by Edith Pattou

East
By Edith Pattou
Publication Date: September 1st, 203 (Harcourt Children's Books)
Hardcover, 498 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Fairy Tale; Retelling; Romance; Adventure; YA
Source: Library (Reed Memorial)

DESCRIPTION:

A magical epic of love, betrayal, and loss.

Rose is the youngest of seven children, meant to replace her dead sister.

Maybe because of that, she's never really fit in. She's always felt different, out of place, a restless wanderer in a family of homebodies. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with it —in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family—she readily agrees. 

Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart—and finds her purpose—and realizes her journey has only just begun.

As familiar and moving as Beauty and the Beast, yet as fresh and original as only the best fantasy can be, East is a bold retelling of the classic tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," a sweeping story of grand proportions.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

If you don't read East, by Edith Pattou, you're not missing out on anything.

I knew I probably wouldn't like it by page 25, but I kept at it anyway. I even followed my Fiftieth-Page Rule, the one where "giving a book a fair chance" means reading fifty pages in, then deciding if I want to stop reading it. But I kept reading past the fiftieth page, so the book must be doing something right.

(By the way, here is a link to the original Norwegian fairy tale, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" if you want to read it.)

First, East is written in first-person, but the views alternate between Rose, Neddy (Rose's older brother), Father (Rose's father), Troll Queen, and White Bear. I don't have a point-of-view preference, so I didn't mind the alternating view points.

The main character, Rose, was so foolish the majority of the time, it made me want to pull my hair out. Her foolishness seemed to clash with her admirable intelligence, which I don't understand. I don't understand how in one instance a person can set a character up as having quick-wit, and then in the next, make the character foolish. I just don't get it.

The climax was anything but that. I'm itching to sarcastically tell you the climax, but I can't because you may want to read it.

East was too long. Worst yet, I feel like East had no substance. It's hard to describe, but I'll try. In it, the narrator tells you this happened, then this happened, then this happened. The end. No moral. No value. Nothing.  

And what the H is with all of these Stockholm Syndrome fairy tales? Beauty and the Beast, anyone? Stockholm Syndrome does NOT equal romantic.

RATING: