The Monstrumologist

By: Rick Yancey

Narrated by: Steven Boyer

Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning author Rick Yancey has captivated young adult readers with his popular Alfred Kropp novels, the first of which was named a Best Book for Children by Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal. Now Yancey begins a gripping new series with The Monstrumologist.

Dr. Warthrop is a scientist who tracks and studies real-life monsters. Assisted by his 12-year-old apprentice, Will Henry, Dr. Warthrop discovers a pod of Anthropophagi and launches a hunt to destroy the foul beasts.

©2009 Rick Yancey (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"[The] best horror novel of the year." (Booklist)

A Dark, Engrossing Listen

Would you consider the audio edition of The Monstrumologist to be better than the print version?

Not sure, I didn't read it in print, but I felt the narrator brought the sorry to life as I listened, so I would guess yes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Monstrumologist, himself, was my favorite character. I felt the most for Winthrop because, even as he literally sacrificed innocents on the alter of his monstrous narcissism and pride, he likewise consistently fought his demons to become the unlikely champion of the powerless and of his own humanity.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably the scene in the asylum where Winthrop and Will Henry hear first of the terrible migration of the monsters to the New World. This is the first time we see the depth of Winthrop's compassion for the suffering of his fellow man. Plus, the scene is riveting in its revolting and ultimately banal horror.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing!

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to begin book 2 tomorrow.

Awesome Alliteration and Appalling Antagonists

Where does The Monstrumologist rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of the better books I've listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Will Henry was a rock of courage

What does Steven Boyer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Steven Boyer was excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Most of all, I loved the alliteration. It would have felt silly in any other kind of book, but it totally made sense that Will Henry would tell a story that way. He was so poised under pressure and so proper in his servitude that and he would never write directly how shaken he was. It was almost like the staccato repetition of consonants was his subconcious or "coded" way of expressing the sheer horror of his situation. Incredible work Mr. Yancy

Any additional comments?

I'm not a big fan of gore. But it was totally worth it for the perfect use of Alliteration. The Bard of Beowulf would be bowing before the accomplishment.

Got stale after the halfway point

Dnf about 75% of the way through

Even though I dnf the book I actually liked the beginning. The story opened very strong with relatable characters. So easy to read I blew through half the book in one day. Although sometime shortly after it began to plateau.

At first this story was everything I wanted it to be for the up and coming fall season. Dark, twisted, and gory. Dr. Warthorpe reminded me of Frankenstein a mad scientist with an air of uncaring. But maybe not as much so as he pretends to. I also liked the power shift throughout the book. It became quite hilarious.

After sometime of reading, I felt as if the book was missing something. But maybe there wasn't enough character development, possibly all the talking bored me. I just got to the point where I didn't care anymore.

Classic

The narrator voice the characters just how they sounded in my head when I read this in middle school.

My Favorite Book.

I originally saw this book in high school and was always interested. Finally, I took the gamble and purchased it to listen to. The only thing I regret is that I never purchased it sooner.

brilliant

Bloody, dark, gloomy and so very, very well written. This is a great book and a great first book in the series. (make sure you get the others asap). THe narrator is great, the characters are fantastic. I loved this one.

Enjoyable and engrossing

I enjoyed this book immensely. I think the writing style coupled with the performers voice is very well done. The story flows so well that the time went by faster than I thought it could.
The gore is not gratuitous, and it’s only a few scenes throughout the story so it’s not quite the gore fest some make it out to be.

Another aspect of this story that I liked is the meta feel too it. It doesn’t feel like a diary entry (which is how it’s portrayed) but more like A Never Ending Story, where we are teleported through time to how the character is experiencing what is happening in real time. You are not someone reading a diary of Will Henry, you ARE Will Henry.

TL DR if you like the sample audio then definitely give this one a go because it’s a great listen.

It's the ending that makes it truly satisfying.

I decided to go with The Mostrumologist because many of the reviews called it disturbing. I'll be honest, as a lover of the macabre and occult, this book wasn't that disturbing. Even to the end I can honestly say that it isn't the most disturbing thing I've read. That, coupled with the Lovecraft comparisons had me on the fence about the quality of this story, but the incredibly satisfying ending changed by mind entirely. There is only one point in this book where I thought, "This must be the thing that made people stop reading." But if you get to this point and stop, then you're missing out. The narration was great and I felt almost as if the way the character dialogue was delivered grew with the characters. The story was immersive and multifaceted with well crafted characters. It expertly posed questions of morality and ethics while exploring themes like forgiveness and the burdens we inherit from our lineage, but none of these things can be appreciated to their fullest until the end. It's the ending that makes it truly satisfying.

Great

Only complaint is it’s a bit over my pay grade, I had to go back and listen to things over and over sometimes. Maybe because it’s so verbose it’s easy to miss things.

Wow!

Mr. Yancy is a fantastic writer. Steven Boyer is a remarkable narrator. The combination is wonderful. These are not YA books. I highly recommend the series.