Monster

A Novel

By: A. Lee Martinez

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

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)

Not as good as it could have been

While Monster was a fun listen, this book was a little too cute for its own good (Demons use "Blessed" as a curse word! Even ethereal beings have to deal with paperwork! Our hero's name is Monster, and he catches monsters for a living!). There were some good ideas, and human existence was at stake, but the ideas weren't fleshed out enough and the fate of the universe never really seemed in doubt. It felt as though the author was thinking, "Wouldn't it be clever if I threw this in?" as he was writing it, but never stopped long enough on an idea to give it weight. Our protagonist is an overall unlikable guy, and we never really get a good sense of his back-story. The main villain's motivation seemed to be "Just because," which is pretty weak.

The narrator does a pretty good job with the different characters, and he keeps the book moving at a good clip. The 8+ hours absolutely flew by, which makes it great for a week's worth of driving to work. The story is straightforward and uncomplicated, though I'm a little disappointed because it had a lot more to offer and never really got there. Overall, I'd say this is a light, fun book with some very forgettable characters.

A Fantastic Ride!

Such an amazing story! This clever and fun story did for Monsters what "Men in Black" did for aliens. This story had such a fun and eclectic cast of characters that I couldn't wait to jump in my car and hear more of this story. This is most definitely a fun book to read and laugh along to, so long as you don't mind a cynical jerk as your lead character. I got a kick out of it.

Not as fun as I would have liked.

While I liked the basis of the story and enjoyed the monster catching mayhem, the characters leave something to be desired. Monster (dumb name) was supposed to have a 'I don't give a damn' dry wit that was supposed to be funny, only he just acted like an ass. Both main characters are not very likeable and I didn't care what really happens to them. Which is a shame because this story is quirky and somewhat entertaining. I might try another book by the same author if I catch it on sale. If this is your type of book you like, I would recommend the authors Jim Bernheimer or Christopher Moore both are better with the twisted and funny material I was hoping for in this book. Narrator does a really good job and I would be happy to listen to him again.

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.

:O)

The guy is funny! I'm a big fan of A. Lee Martinez and he didn't disappoint with monster. Original story and characters. Worth your time.

Absolutely loved this book.

This was great. I always love a story without romance. Action, mystery, magic... what more could you want?

Did Not Like

This book was a huge letdown for me. I listened to Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain (also by Martinez) and loved it, so I was excited to pick up Monster. Unfortunately, I found it boring, unfunny and devoid of likeable characters. Skip this one and pick up Emperor Mollusk instead.

Pretty good modern monster catcher trope

Lately I've been diggin' A. Lee Martinez. He's got quite a few novels on Audible and each one captures a different sub-group of the sci-fi / fantasy genre quite well; I definitely recommend many of his other works at a 5-star level (see my other reviews). For some reason though, I feel like this one wasn't quite firing on all cylinders.

I like the dragon that he's chasing here - a monster-catcher, civil employee for a fantastic and hidden sub-culture has to save girl who is more than she seems. But I feel like the Conflict of the novel is lacking. I'm now realizing that's very important in maintaining cohesion.

Overall, I'd recommend this book, but only if all other 5-star options are inaccessible at the moment. Otherwise, I'd keep this one on the back burner.

Comic fantasy - for those who like slapstick

Ummmm... I couldn't finish it.

I suppose it is meant to be funny, or maybe there is some hidden 'message' in it... but I didn't see the humor, or get the message.

It was a series of incrementally dumber 'monster' contacts where people get squished or burnt, or whatever, in comical ways, and then recover from whatever the mutilation was. It is very childish... and some scenes are just plain dumb. Like the winged horse scene that eventually develops into the main character being sucked into a giant worm - it has absolutely no purpose but to allow the author to let his imagination flow, and add some potentially icky scenes (I say "potentially icky" because in my world, it is really only children who are amused by slime in the way this author seems to be).

Nearer the end there seems to be some over-arching storyline that, maybe, is meant to explain all the foolishness. But, sorry, the lame stereotype old witch and a 'universe in a stone' was just too much for me.

And, no, it is not urban fantasy; urban fantasy is supposed to be mature, and possibly a bit on the dark side. This book is a comic fantasy... in the manner that you would expect a story in a children's/comic book to be.

The narration is okay. There is nothing graphic in the book, and I don't think there is much swearing.

brilliant as good as Terry Pratchett, in my eyes

What made the experience of listening to Monster the most enjoyable?

We took a holiday up to Port MacQ (nsw, Aussie) and had a fun drive whilst listening.

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

I love Tom Holts books and the overall fun use of fantasy is very enjoyable. The way the story weaves around the characters to give the metaphorical appearance of Aesculapius.The Staff being the story and the characters wrapping themselves around giving the reader a journey of enjoyment.

Have you listened to any of Eric Michael Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

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

Both my wife and I loved the book and decided to drive 250 kms the long way home to listen to the end of the story.
Joined the authors Fansite and wrote that we were gonna buy the rest of the books and audiobooks.

Any additional comments?

thanks for a great phone app. I do a lot of driving walking and the audio book has become a good companion.