Monster

A Novel

By: A. Lee Martinez

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Meet Monster. Meet Judy. Two humans who don't like each other much, but together must fight dragons, fire-breathing felines, trolls, Inuit walrus dogs, and a crazy cat lady - for the future of the universe.

Monster runs a pest-control agency. He's overworked and has domestic troubles - like having the girlfriend from hell.

Judy works the night shift at the local Food Plus Mart. Not the most glamorous life, but Judy is happy. No one bothers her, and if she has to spell things out for the night-manager every now and again, so be it.

But when Judy finds a Yeti in the freezer aisle eating all the Rocky Road, her life collides with Monster's in a rather alarming fashion. Because Monster doesn't catch raccoons; he catches the things that go bump in the night. Things like ogres, trolls, and dragons. Oh, and his girlfriend from Hell? She actually is from Hell.

©2009 A. Lee Martinez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Martinez pokes at big-picture questions, like the nature of the universe and the meaning of life, with abundant, zany humor in this charming tale." (Publishers Weekly)

If a Pantheon Funded Free-Lance Men-In-Black

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Rated: PG13 some sexual situations

Static or Dynamic: Not overly either. It had descriptions, but wasn't tedious and it had plot twists but they weren't corkscrews.

1st or 3rd Person: 3rd person: follows 2-3 main characters through a slice of life in the fantasy realm

Abstract or Concrete: Sufficiently both. Some things were abstract like the mechanics of fantastical retrograde amnesia, others parts were more concrete like the specific behaviors of a plethora of mystical animals.

Linear or Non-Linear: Weakly Linear: the plot goes forward through time but it's not until a ways in that you feel like it's actually leading to a conclusion.

Narrator: It's been a while since I've heard the book and I can't say that I particularly remember the experience. That can be good and bad. It wasn't so horrible I couldn't stand it, but it wasn't particularly spectacular.

Plot Outline: So mythical animals are all around us but you never notice them because your brain induces amnesia to counter the weirdness of it all. Monster, our protagonist is one of the guys that clears up these little monster sightings. Things get more complicated when some overly strange things tend to happen to one of the people he meets and the story floats around that for a while until it pulls towards a conclusion. I get the impression that the strange happenings of the story were devices for making jokes and poking fun at the mystical world that we apparently live in. This is mostly a comedy and if you're looking for something groundbreaking or overly involving you will probably be disappointed. However, if you'd like a chuckle on your way to work, this is perfect.

Tone a little unpowered, but great story

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

Creative, fun, unpowered.

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Anything by sullivan is sufficiently intricate.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Good voices, wish the tone was a little more energetic, as the story seemed to have a little more power than the narrators opinion.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Bill and Ted meet the labyrinth

Entertaining, but doesn't quite live up

The book promises high spirited fun with monsters living and being hunted among us. There are certainly some fun characters (Monster's girlfriend for instance) and interesting twists, but none of the characters really grab you and nothing in the story is truly original. Certainly worth a listen. A Solid B+

Idea better than execution

Some great ideas form the basis of this book, but the execution was not well done. I think that a sequel could be a lot better as it has potential.

Promising!

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

A fresh interpretation!

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Obviously writing about the supernatural is big business these days, but Monster has such a hapless main character that I found it quite unique. Everyone is kinda nasty, but it's hilarious! I think the premise is very promising, and although the writing could use some polish, seeing the characters develop could be great fun if this continues on in a series.