Club Monstrosity by Jesse PetersenMonsters exist. They all have stories to tell. Sometimes their books got it right, sometimes not so much. They have been living amongst us undetected for decades. Doing so means hiding who they are. Living such a double life isn't easy. You learn to cope best you can. For the monsters in Club Monstrosity, coping means meeting weekly in a support group. When two of their members suddenly disappear and are subsequently found dead, the remaining members of the support group realize that they are likely all in danger.
Natalie (Frankenstein's monster) and Alec (the Wolfman) take the lead in investigating this mystery as Natalie works in the morgue so she has some connections that the others do not have and Alec is just, well, wolfy -- that nose comes in handy. The other members tend to have serious issues that make their assistance in solving the mystery all but non-existant. Still, someone is out there killing monsters, issues or not, they need to sort this out before they lose another member. Is it a human who discovered their secret and is sending them a message? If so, who is it and why are they doing it? Is it a fellow monster, taking out their own kind? They have kicked some out of their group in the past, perhaps someone with a grudge? The Van Helsings? Would they break the truce?
I tried to figure out what to rate this one. I debated and debated with myself (perhaps Jekyll and Hyde wore off on me). In the end I have settled on 3/5 stars. It's okay. There's a piece of me that really hopes the follow up books are developed, getting better and better as the series continues, though generally you never top the first book. I get the feeling this series can break that tradition. There is potential here. The humor is a bit juvenile and cliched, sometimes it works with the characters and sometimes it felt out of place or forced. For me the ideal audience for this book is people who like both the tv show Lost Girl and classic monsters.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood
They’re back. The monsters from Club Monstrosity still have issues. They’ve also added to their group, Patrick (Cthulhu) is along for the ride this time. Oh and Natalie’s father’s assistant Igor is in town too.
This time around there’s little time for their own run of the mill work or relationship or make-up issues. Monsters are trending. Not so trendy, though. Oh, no -- there’s still a mob like mentality surrounding the monsters, it’s just a little different this time around. The digital world has finally caught up with them. YouTube and Twitter are all abuzz after a video surfaces showing someone, or something, tearing a man apart. The exposure is extra disheartening to Natalie as this creature, it’s like her. That makes it her brother, right? She’s not alone.
It quickly becomes clear that the Van Hellsings are involved. But they don’t seem to be the only issue. What about Hyde? Why does Alec seem to be having wolfy issue when it’s not his time of the month? Why is Linda not acting like her usual weepy self? As things start to get dicy, the monsters start to get suspicious of one another but they’ll have to figure out how to work together if they want to survive the Van Helsings… not to mention the internet.
I gave the first book 3/5 stars. This book is actually a little better than the first, which tends to be rare in a series. I’d call this one 3.5-4 stars. It still feels like the author is trying a little too hard to be funny at times. Overall a decent followup. I’m actually looking forward to the next book.
* Disclaimer: I received these books at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?
