Monster by A. Lee Martinez

Sunday, May 17, 2009



isbn: 9780316041263

I have looked at his book Too Many Curses before, and thought it sounded kinda cool, so when this appeared in the store I decided to borrow it (one of the perks of working in a bookstore is that you get to borrow the hardcover books, as long as you don't damage them). I ended up reading it in a quick afternoon and it wasn't bad at all. The opening scene is incredibly strong, the buildup is pretty good and the descriptions of the monsters and of the battles is super fun. There is a lovely bit in the middle where we learn what bonding with the universe is like. The main character, Monster, is fun; he changes colours everytime he wakes up, and different colours give him different powers (he flies when he is goldenrod, shoots beams from his eyes when he is peach, can heal when he is turquoise). Too bad he can't choose what colour he will be in the morning. The end, though, is a bit like finding out the only ice cream left at the dessert buffet bar is lemon sorbet. It's still nice, but it's not triple chocolate fudge.

3/5

Lack of updates.

I have been madly re-reading things I adore, recently, and therefore have not felt the need to repost the same reviews over and over. Sorry guys! Things I have re-enjoyed recently:

- All my Stephen Leacock
- Fancies and Goodnights by John Collier
- Karma Girl by Jennifer Esteep
- Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

A few things I have started but not yet finished (and may never get through)
- Summoning by Armstrong
- Greywalker by ...
- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (holy shit that book is long! Excellent, but a brick!)