The Monstrumologist

The Book

The Monstrumologist
By Rick Yancey
Simon & Schuster
Published September 22, 2009

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.

Critically acclaimed author Rick Yancey has written a gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does a man become the very thing he hunts?

The Review

I know this book wasn’t in my review queue, but since I was having all sorts of shipping troubles trying to get my hands on my signed copy of Green’s The Fault in Our Stars I decided to pick up another book in the interim–and an award honoree no less.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey was a Printz award honor book back in 2010 and for excellent reason: this book is as fantastic as it is creepy. Told through the journals of a old man looking back on his time as the twelve-year-old assistant of a world-renowned monstrumologoist (for def. see description above), the story follows Will Henry as he and Dr. Pellinore Warthrop set out on a search and destroy mission to rid a quiet 19th century village of murderous man-eating monsters, the Anthropophagi. What on the surface appears to be a straightforward quest, however, quickly becomes a very twisted path as the deepest depths of the doctor’s past are brought to light–and both Will Henry and the doctor begin to doubt the humanity of the person they had trusted most.

I love many things about this book, but the thing that stands out the most is how intricately Yancey draws the characters of Will Henry and the doctor. To say these characters are fully fleshed out is a bit of an understatement. Just as with real people, the characters are full of contradicting motivations and sentiments. The doctor in particular is a struggle to pin down. Determined to be the “modern scientific man” as he father was, the doctor often sacrifices his more human inclinations. He is not affectionate toward Will Henry. He is distant and imposing and often argues with Will Henry as if he were an adult, then becoming frustrated when the twelve-year-old cannot hold his own. Yet for all these flaws, the doctor is a likeable character. It is clear he cares for Will Henry, even if the mode of that love’s expression is unorthodox (he, for instance, tells Will Henry he will shoot him in the head rather than let him suffer an agonizing death at the hands of the Anthropophagi–naturally Will Henry is taken aback at this notion).

The doctor also has strong moral convictions–he is disgusted at the mistreatment of the inmates at the insane asylum–a stark contrast against the charismatic John Kearns, a British gentleman of dubious origin that the doctor brings in to assist with the hunt. Kearns, who prides himself on following the “morality of the moment” (i.e. eat or be eaten), is one of those truly frightening characters in literature because, on the surface, he seems so dashing. He’s confident, well-spoken, and a natural leader. Everyone–the doctor, Will Henry, the constable, the villagers, the readers–wants to follow him. They want to believe he has all the answers. And he does, to an extent. They just aren’t pretty (or ethical) answers.

Which is how Yancey is able to explore deeper themes in the book. Through the eyes of his expertly drawn characters, Yancey plumbs the depths of human character. He confronts young readers with moral dilemmas usually reserved for a college philosophy class. Is it better to sacrifice one for the survival of many? Can a person, or monster, be inherently evil? Or is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so?

The only downsides to the book are:

1. its use of advanced vocabulary and grammar (I know, what a downside…); some younger or less advanced readers may find it less accessible for this reason. And…

2. there are some truly disgusting scenes, most of them involving maggots; if you are prone to nightmares, like myself, please be aware you’ll be dreaming about this book for quite some time.

However, these downsides are extremely minor. Overall, I think it is an excellent book and definitely worth the read.

The Rating

Readability:
Originality:
Believability:
Thematic Quality:
Connectability:

Overall Rating: (hurray, my first 5 star rating)

The Recommendation

A must read! Great language, creepy atmosphere, complex characters, awesome themes. Younger readers may need help along the way, but the challenge is well worth it.

And, if you get done with this book, there are two more in the series: The Curse of the Wendigo (which despite its silly title is supposed to better than the first) and The Isle of Blood. I can’t wait to read these two…I mean, too!

January 23, 2012

in Children's Books, News, YA Literature
2 Comments

2012 Newberry / Printz Award Winners Announced

Earlier today, the American Library Association officially announced the winners of the 2012 Newberry, Printz, and Caldecott Awards (among others). Here’s a brief summary:

John Newberry Medal
Dead End in Norvelt
By Jack Gantos

Michael L. Printz Award
Where Things Come Back
By John Corey Whaley

Randolph Caldecott Medal
A Ball for Daisy
Written and illustrated by Chris Raschka

Other Awards:

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults went to Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising series–one of my favorites!)

The Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults went to Rotters, written by Daniel Kruas and narrated by Kirby Heyborne.

The William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens went to Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.

For a complete list of the awards, winners, and honorees, please visit the ALA Web site.

January 20, 2012

in Miscellaneous
1 Comment

I Heart Book Art

I love it when books are used in creative ways. I stumbled across this artist, Guy Laramee, and was completely blown away with how he sculpted landscapes into his books. It reminded me of the Mysterious Book Art I wrote about a couple of weeks ago.

Enjoy.

Visit Guy Laramee’s Web site for more awesome book carving–and his other art too!

January 19, 2012

in News, YA Literature
3 Comments

Librarian determines most popular YA of today

A new article from School Library Journal lays out the most popular series and individual novels on the market today, as determined by Karen McCoy’s survey of 100 public and school libraries (conducted from July to December of 2011). Since I’m such a sucker for all things lists, I thought I’d share her findings here. Those up with YA book scene will recognize some familiar faces, but others may come as a bit of a surprise.

McCoy also attempts to identify the new and upcoming trends in YA fiction, talking specifically of the emergence of “hybrids, or the blurring of the lines between genres,” and “character-driven novels, such as Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall (HarperCollins, 2010).” Like many others, she notes the decreased interest in the vampire-centric novel made popular by the Twilight series.

You can read her entire article here.

Most popular series

1. The Hunger Games (Scholastic) by Suzanne Collins

2. Twilight (Little, Brown) by Stephenie Meyer

3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Hyperion) by Rick Riordan

4. Wolves of Mercy Falls (Scholastic) by Maggie Stiefvater

5. The Maze Runner (Delacorte) by James Dashner

6. The Kane Chronicles (Hyperion) by Rick Riordan

7. Mortal Instruments (S & S) by Cassandra Clare

8. House of Night (St. Martin’s) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams) by Jeff Kinney

10. Heroes of Olympus (Hyperion) by Rick Riordan

11. Matched (Dutton) by Ally Condie

12. Infernal Devices (S & S) by Cassandra Clare

13. Harry Potter (Scholastic) by J. K. Rowling

14. Dark Visions (S & S) by L. J. Smith

15. The Vampire Diaries (HarperTeen) by L. J. Smith

16. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Delacorte) by Michael Scott

17. The Leviathan Trilogy (S & S) by Scott Westerfeld

18. Conspiracy 365 (Kane/Miller) by Gabrielle Lord

19. Maximum Ride (Little, Brown) by James Patterson

20. Septimus Heap (HarperCollins) by Angie Sage

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall

I am finally back from my brief respite (during which I celebrated my niece’s first birthday!), and have at last been able to catch up on my telly–and indulge my Sherlock Holmes obsession with the latest (and last) episode of series 2 of BBC’s hit television show Sherlock.

This week’s episode, written by Steve Thompson and entitled The Reichenbach Fall, saw London’s only consulting detective take on “The Final Problem” in this snazzy retelling of the Doyle original.

Synoposis!

James Moriarty possesses the greatest criminal mind that the world has ever seen. Sherlock and John knew he wouldn’t stay hidden for long. But even they never guessed the sheer scale and audacity of the crime that would propel Moriarty back into the headlines. The crime of the century. The Tower of London, the Bank of England and Pentonville prison – all sprung open on the same day, as if by magic! But Moriarty’s plans don’t stop there…

Sherlock and John lock horns with their old enemy in one final problem that tests loyalty and courage to their very limits. Sherlock must fight for his reputation, his sanity and his life. But is he all he claims to be?

If I have on complaint about some of the older adaptions of the Holmes canon, it is that Moriarty never felt particularly menacing. Granted, he appears in only two stories penned by Doyle, but to the popular imagination he is one of the, if not the, greatest criminal mastermind of all time. He should feel imposing. Threatening. But, sadly, most of the time he is not.

I have no such complaint with Andrew Scott’s portrayal of ‘Jim’ Moriarty. He is CREEPY. Ever since his first appearance in series 1 (The Great Game), he has loomed over Sherlock and the audience as this mentally deranged spider, twitching the strings because he likes to watch his dinner dance. The way he manipulates the emotions of his prey while appearing to be a perfectly stable human being is simply chilling. He is indeed a nemesis worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

And it makes Sherlock’s unraveling all the more believable. The dissolution of the world he built around himself–his reputation, his brilliance, his adopted family in Watson, Mrs Hudson, Molly Hooper, and even DI Lestrade–is wonderfully plotted. The audience is strung along with Sherlock as rushes about trying to untangle Moriarty’s intricate web, only to realize, too late, that the wool has been pulled over our eyes the entire time.

Again, I loved the nuanced performance of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and the faithful John Watson. Freeman, in particular, was exquisite. He brought tears (of both laughter and sadness) to my eyes on multiple occasions. He also reminded us all, yet again, why he won a BAFTA.

Other things I enjoyed: synchronized robbery, dear Molly Hooper and her curious role in Sherlock’s ‘death,’ and the ridiculous amount of metaphor. I love storytelling at its finest.

Lucky for us, this isn’t the end of Sherlock. Steven Moffat has confirmed that the third season has already been picked up (it was actually decided a long while ago, though the news was only recently released). Now we just have to wait.

For other opinions on the show, I highly recommend checking out the Baker Street Babes Podcast. You can also find out when Sherlock series 2 is airing in your country by consulting Sherlockology on tumblr.

January 11, 2012

in YA Literature
4 Comments

Shipping Errors and John Green reads ‘The Fault in Our Stars’

I am feeling pretty frustrated today, after spending an hour on hold with customer services trying to get my copy of John Green’s new book, The Fault in Our Stars, shipped to me (hurray for unexplained mix-ups). So, in order to cheer myself up, I decided to re-watch these two videos of John Green reading the first two chapters of the book.

For those of you unfamiliar with the premise, here’s a brief synopsis:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

John Green is a Printz medal winner, and is best-selling author of the books Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and (my personal favorite) Paper Towns.

On to the clips!

January 10, 2012

in Miscellaneous
3 Comments

Know some good self-published authors? I want to know too!

Amanda Hocking

Okay, I don’t live under a rock (most of the time). I know there are some good self-published authors out there. I just don’t know who they are yet. After reading this lovely NPR article about Amanda Hocking, a self-made and originally self-published bestselling author, I’m feeling inspired. I want to read a good self-published YA novel. That’s where I need your help. I’ve lived so long in the world of publisher-presented works, I’m not even sure where to go to find the good stuff. Sure I could browse the Internet, hoping I’ll stumble across something spectacular, but it is so hard to tell the good from the bad with just a blurb. I’d much rather get recommendations from people I trust not the lead me astray–that’s you guys. So please help me out! Let me know in the comments where I can find the good stuff or what self-published authors you all really enjoy.

Here a blurb from the article, just in case you are in need of some inspiration today:

Hocking went home and wrote her first paranormal romance — in 15 days.

She wrote and rewrote, edited and re-edited, but still no one was interested in publishing her work. On a whim, she decided to self-publish a few of her books online for anyone to download. She waited.

Some of her books began selling. She’d sell one or two books a day, and that went on for a while. Then, in June, it exploded. Bloggers began asking for interviews. Reviews began to appear on Amazon.com.

“I think I sold, like, 6,000 books that month or something,” she says. “It was a pretty dramatic jump.”

…

“It’s still totally unreal when I think about it,” she says. “It feels so weird to be able to just kind of buy things when I want them or need them.” Like a life-size replica of Han Solo encased in carbonite. It cost $7,000 and sits in her “movie room” — otherwise known as the basement.

Finally, last fall, Hocking joined an elite literary club that includes only 11 other authors, including James Patterson, Stieg Larsson and Nora Roberts: She sold her 1 millionth book for the Amazon Kindle.

And she has made $2 million doing it.

Thanks everybody, and I look forward to your recommendations.

(P.S. Check out Amanda Hocking’s blog. It’s neat!)

January 9, 2012

in Mystery, Sherlock Holmes, Television
2 Comments

Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville

BBC One’s hit series Sherlock tread old ground yesterday as it aired a remake of Doyle’s most famous Holmes adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles. A lot of expectation (and, in some cases, dread) preceded the episode, which has been re-dubbed The Hounds of Baskerville by its writer Mark Gatiss. The apprehension is understandable, since this particular story has been rehashed on the screen over twenty times to varying degrees of success (not to mention its print adaptions–like this comic with Mickey Mouse). But luckily for us Holmesians the worry was misplaced. Sherlock delivered an excellent rendition, which I will delve into shortly; but first…

Synopsis!

Something terrible has happened to Henry Knight; Sherlock and John investigate the truth about the monstrous creature which apparently killed their client’s father. A hound from hell? What seems like fantasy in Baker Street is a very different prospect in the ultra-secret army base that looms over Dartmoor. (courtesy of BBC)

I would first like to point out that this episode has a much different feel to it than the previous one, A Scandal in Belgravia. Perhaps it is the difference in writers or the change from a London setting, but watching this episode I did not feel the same frenetic energy that the other possesses in such quantity. The pacing was slower, letting the mystery of the spectral hound build around conversations (of which the best parts were lifted straight from the Doyle canon) rather than copious amounts of action involving American gun-slinging CIA agents. Russell Tovey (of Being Human and Doctor Who fame) contributes a lot to the tone with his portrayal of the haunted Henry Knight; his rendition of the Baskerville tale sends shivers up the spine even with it being truncated and frequently interrupted. Even the originally uninterested Holmes is held in thrall as he utters some of the canon’s most iconic words: “Mr Holmes, they were the footsteps of a gigantic hound!”

The transformation of the Baskerville curse to a government conspiracy theory was also excellently done. A ghost story would have been much harder to accept as a plausible explanation than a genetically enhanced dog. I’ll admit I felt the littlest inkling of doubt about the same time as Mr Holmes, wondering if what Henry Knight’s claims were indeed a reality. I’ll also admit that I had not begun to guess at the real explanation behind Knight’s apparent hallucinations (except in vague, ill-defined ways), despite the fact that the culprit was pretty obvious, even with a cleverly done red-herring.

Once again I applaud Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for their dynamic performances as Holmes and Watson. I was especially intrigued with Cumberbatch’s interpretation of what a mental breakdown would look like for the brilliant detective, which was both humorous, frightening, and pitiable. I can only imagine what he will come up with as he faces off against his nemesis Moriarty for (presumably) the last time in next week’s episode, The Reichenbach Fall.

Other things I enjoyed: what little I saw of DI Lestrade, Watson’s botched attempts at picking up women, and breaking into a top-secret government base with only a key card and a poker face.

January 5, 2012

The Gathering Storm, by Robin Bridges

The Book:

The Gathering Storm
By Robin Bridges
Random House
Due out January 10, 2012

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue. An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar’s standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina’s help to safeguard Russia…and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The Review

Back in September, Publisher’s Weekly put out this article which predicted the future fad of young adult literature was historical fiction. Judging by the up rise in novels by big name authors set in past times–Bright Young Things, Anna Godbersen (2010), Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare (2010), Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson (2011)–this assessment is proving to be true. Joining the fray is Robin Bridges’ debut novel, The Gathering Storm, which is set in Russia at the turn of the 19th century.

Although this novel features a cast of characters well known to the paranormal romance crowd (vampires, werewolves, undead, oh my!), the real shining star of the story is its exotic historical landscape. Bridges spends much effort conjuring up images of what life was like for the aristocracy of a Russia caught between the advancements of the industrial revolution and the lingering grip of superstition. Through the eyes of the main protagonist, a modern-minded young Duchess named Katerina, readers are whisked through glamorous winter balls, social calls to empresses and tsars, and the complicated maneuverings of a mother intent on having her daughter marry well (à la Jane Austen). And sleighs rides. There are a lot of sleigh rides.

Bridges has obviously done a lot of research in order to make the book historically accurate. I confess I’m no expert, but I do recall from my brief attempt at reading War and Peace (it is on my ereader and I will get to it…eventually) that the Russian aristocracy spoke mainly in French and that whispering of revolution was severely frowned upon–all of which is remarked upon by Bridges. She also spends an ample amount of time name-dropping, which is acceptable in small portions, but feels a bit overdone here.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the historical setting, I found the rest of the book lacking. The plot was okay. Nothing extraordinary or unexpected. The action was glazed over (stating merely that they fought furiously, rather than describing the punches). The pacing at times dragged. And the romance was…well, not very romantic. Katerina and her main love-interest George Alexandrovich had surprisingly few scenes together, and those that they shared were filled more with exposition advancing the plot than building any sort of affection between the two. Perhaps Bridges was trying to channel a Darcy-type character–after all, George was often described as brooding, and Katerina was convinced he detested her–but George was too standoffish for my taste. If not for some traditional hint-dropping by Bridges I would have been just as disbelieving as Katerina when George confessed his feelings. On the bright side, this is the first in a series, so Bridges has ample room for deepening Katerina and George’s relationship.

Finally, one last note on the cover art. The publishers were given an incredible opportunity to come up with an evocative cover; something that captured the romance and glamor of olden time Russia. They settled instead on a generic cover of a girl in a traditional ushanka hat. Disappointed.

The Rating

Readability:
Originality:
Believability:
Thematic Quality:
Connectability:

Overall Rating:

The Recommendation

Read it if you like a mix of paranormal and historical fiction. Those who enjoyed the settings of Clare’s Clockwork Angel and Johnson’s Name of the Star will eat up this book.

January 4, 2012

in Miscellaneous, Mystery
1 Comment

Mysterious Book Art Left at Library

This was a news item a couple of months ago, but I find the photos (taken by Chris Scott–see his flikr page) so terrifically beautiful that I needed to re-post them. These art pieces, carved out of books, began mysteriously appearing in the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh last spring, accompanied only by a note that read: “This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…” Pieces also began cropping up at the National Library of Scotland, Scottish Storytelling Center, Central Lending Library, National Museum of Scotland, a local theater, and a bookstore.

Nobody knows who the artist is. And nobody wants to know! Through a poll conducted through the Evening News, the people of Edinburgh voted against uncovering who the anonymous donor was. And I think they were right. Some things are meant to be left as magical mysteries.

Below are just a few of the pieces.

Read the full NPR news story. Part Two.
See all the artwork on Chris Scott’s flikr page.