31.3.10

Book Review: Mr Monster by Dan Wells


When I attended the Headline Online party so many people told me how good Dan Well's latest book, Mr Monster is. I was lucky enough to get a copy at the party and other bloggers said that I should try and read the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer at some point but that it wasn't vital before reading Mr Monster. Here's the idea:
My name is John Cleaver. I'm sixteen. I'm a mortician. I'm a sociopath.
But I am not a serial killer. Yet.
It's been almost five months since I first killed someone. Nobody knows it, but I stopped the Clayton Killer- a serial killer who tore his victims to shreds. The other thing nobody knows is that he wasn't even human- he was a monster. Literally a monster. A demon.
Now the only monster left is me- the dark side of me I call Mr Monster. I try to keep him locked up but he's desperate to kill again, and now people are getting suspicious, the FBI is asking questions and corpses are showing up all over and- well, something's gotta give...

The Headline party has really inspired me to explore Young Adult Fiction more as I clearly am missing out on some great books.
Mr Monster is just brilliant but also completely terrifying. Dan Wells takes the reader into the mind of John Cleaver, a sixteen year old sociopath. We read his thoughts and the extreme measures he has to go to in order to control his behaviour. I don't want to give the plot away but Dan Wells does have you on the edge of your seat, especially in the final few chapters.
I must be pretty out of touch with what young adults are reading nowadays (how old do I sound!) as there are some quite disturbing and graphic descriptions in this book. I think that it would suit a reader from about fifteen upwards but I can understand why so many adults love these books too.
Dan Wells packs so much into such a relatively short book that you can't help but keep turning the pages. Mr Monster was a great starting point for me to begin exploring Young Adult fiction again, there will be many more books in this genre going on the Dot Scribbles wish list.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I am nearly finished with MR MONSTER, so good! Glad you enjoyed it! :)

Dot said...

Book Chick City- I thought it was excellent,going to try and read I Am Not a Serial Killer even though I should have read that first really.

Rebecca Chapman said...

I saw a vodcast of a young adult book club show today and it made me think maybe I don't give enough time to young adult literature... this has just reinforced that feeling

Dot said...

Becky- I have only recently started exploring young adult fiction again, can't believe how many brilliant books there are in the genre though!

Anonymous said...

I have to say that I looked at this book with intrigue at the Headline party but I have to read a series in order and they didnt have the first one at the venue. Maybe one day though if its that good.

Dot said...

Simon- I'm usually like you about reading a series in order but I had heard so many good things about this one that I couldn't wait!

prophecygirl said...

I'm almost finished with MM too! :)

Nice review, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Definitely check out serial killer if you can, it's a top book!

Dot said...

Jenny- Will do, I loved this one!

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