Monster: By A. Lee Martinez

MONSTER

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.

REVIEW

Imagine a world where monsters are real.

Yes, the interesting monsters and the boring monsters. Everything from Unicorns to Yetis. And while that may seem all well and good right now, when you’ve got a large infestation of griffins keep eating your asparagus, there’s only one place to call.

And no it’s not ghostbusters.

It’s the CCRS (Crytpobiological Containment and Rescue Service), and before you know it your monster problem will be gone (with the appropriate proof of insurance of course). Be sure to ask for Monster.

This is the world of A. Lee Martinez’s Monster. Monster also happens to be the main character of this hilarious and sarcastic book. Monster is a just a regular guy (who happens to have different powers depending on the different color he wakes up as) who wants to get through the day as easily as possible. He’s got a red hot girlfriend (she’s actually red, being a succubus from hell and all), and a pretty good life. That is until he meets Judy. Creatures keep popping up around Judy making life much harder for Monster, something he doesn’t like one bit. But now that Judy is the key to a fight for the freedom of the universe Monster decides he can try to help her out. If only eh can remember where he put his car keys…

Monster is an incredibly funny book. It’s got interesting characters, funny situations and dialogue, and a decently fast paced plot. But what makes it truly great is the satiric nature of Martinez’s writing. He’s able to turn menial labor jobs into the funniest thing you’ve ever heard of, taking this book from an ok read to a must have for humor fantasy readers.

Monster is a great read for fans of Tom Holt, Terry Pratchett, or Christopher Moore, as Monster battles out the forces of nature while he grumbles about not getting overtime for this. A great summer read.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: February 1, 2010

Price: $7.99