The Monstrumologist

I really liked the vocabulary and overall language. It was a nice change from the usual style of a modern YA book.

DNF.

This was absolutely brutal and I am in love. You know, graphic violence is an interesting thing and I'm pretty picky about it. If the author picks some sort of a violent situation or world for the book, it needs to happen. I dislike when they shy away from it and nicely knock the protagonist out or send them to a different room while shit happens. You know, if you have no inclination to show the thing, then leave it out. I also don't really like the kind of mindless violence that doesn't feel integral and meaningful, just happens with you hearing the author's chuckles in the background, because hehe, you got shocked. In this... it was perfection. I mean basically the story is about a little boy, Will Henry, whose father used to work for a kooky doctor, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop as an assistant. Then one day they family's house burnt down, the parents died and the boy was taken in by the doctor. No, he is no fixer of broken legs and checker of blood pressure. No. Dr. Warthrop is a monstrumologist. That means... monster scientist. So when monsters are found in graves and people get ripped apart alive, who you gonna call? Yeah, Warthrop and Will Henry. Another thing that Rick Yancey (bless his name) did extremely well was sell you on the 1800's. The writing was fitting, as far as I know. Sure, I am no expert, but to me it honestly felt like Mr. Yancey knew what he was doing, didn't just pick this time period for the lulz. Of course the treatment of Will Henry (he basically has a full time, super demanding job at age twelve and nobody babies him) was not according to today's standards. Again, fitting. If it bothers you, this book is not for yourself. The relationship between the Doctor and Will Henry adds to this. The man was raised by an emotionally distant father and he honestly does not do feelings too much. His work, which is extremely strenuous is his top priority. I mean the future of the human race depends on people like him, so there is no time to play around and talk about out feelings. For once an author (and a YA one) actually dares to do this well! So many want to add distant characters who supposedly don't get human interactions, but go soft and just make them a bit quirky, but totally the illegitimate child of Oprah and a Care Bear. Of course Warthrop has his kind little moments, but they are few and far between, which is something I enjoyed, it made those moments much more precious and meaningful. It's really damn hard to not compare this to my previous read, William Ritter's [b:Beastly Bones 24001095 Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2) William Ritter https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425592816s/24001095.jpg 43601150]. The premise is the same. The protagonist tells about his/her time as the assistant of a person who works with monsters and creatures, even in the same era. The difference, other than my enjoyment, was the fact that even though Mr. Yancey's monsters are scientific creatures with actual doctors doing scientific experiments (autopsies, hello), the book felt damn magical and fantastic. Mr. Ritter supposedly has magical things, but couldn't make it feel like magic. Funny enough, I've heard about Mr. Yancey before in connection with [b:The 5th Wave 16101128 The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1) Rick Yancey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg 19187812] and that sounds exactly like the kind of book I would hate. I am not big on books about teen girls kicking major soldier ass and being super cute, while hot dudes fight for her attention. Just... not my jam. But this was absolutely AMAZING. It pulled me in right away. One funny thing was my imagination, though. For some reason at first I imagined Warthrop as this old guy, kind of sickly looking and creepy. Then some time in the book he talks about the fact that he came back to New Jerusalem five years ago, when his father died, from his travels after his studies, which makes him pretty young. Also, he gets called handsome at one point. He can't be over thirty. Whoops? Sleep well and do not look under your bed!

Good but not great. At points I felt it dragged a bit. I will pick up the next in series however, as Yancey has created a very intriguing world.

This book is bad ass. The plot kicks off right away, diving into the big bad monster of this installment, headless, seven-foot-tall maneaters that have been referenced by Shakespeare and Heroditus. It's interesting, scary and disturbing as hell at times, though not always because of he monsters. I do love me some gore, and this has plenty of it, which due to the recommended age bracket caught me completely off guard at first, but I otherwise enjoyed.

The characters are real and endearing. Will Henry is a sweetheart, loyal and brave without being annoying about it, while the dear Doctor Pellinore Warthrop begs to be portrayed by some frenzied character actor. Their relationship is both uncomfortable at times and touching, very much characteristic of two very different people thrown together out of circumstance but with the same ultimate goal of just doing the right thing. The addition of John Kearns much later in the story, as both villain and savior, proves as an interesting constrast to Warthrop, and would've felt like a forcible attempt to make Pellinore look better in the reader's eyes if Kearns hadn't been so damn interesting himself.

And on top of it all, its beautifully written. Its incredibly refreshing to read such sophisticated writing when the story is written from the perspective of a young boy (even though he's telling the story as a much older man) and the content is what some would consider low brow. Its no grand mystery, just a bloody, action-packed story with a strong human element, and I am definitely reading the next two books.

Took me awhile to get through this, but I love Will Henry. I guess I should “snap to” reading the second one-but I think I will wait for Fall.

Can I please begin this review by professing my love for Will Henry? I'll be honest. He was the one thing that really bound me to this book and made it so enjoyable for me. A mere child, he saw the world with such unflinching honesty. His abject devotion to a man who rarely shows him any affection or even acknowledgement impressed me. That, and this boy was able to deal with some of the most gruesome deaths I've read about. Needless to say, Will Henry is amazing. His character made me a part of this book from the first few chapters, and I didn't look back.

Filled with twists and turns, The Monstrumologist is absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year. The vivid writing in this book is (and yes this is a pun) to die for! Set in the late 19th century, Rick Yancey shows very well how much research he did into the era. The setting is dark, gritty and raw. After thinking for a long while, I really couldn't think of a better place to set a book like this. Some of the things that Professor Warthrop does are, well, questionable. It is his status and his friendships that allow him to get away with it in this Victorian era.

Reader be warned, this book is not for the faint of heart. Although this book has a younger protagonist, there are some disturbing parts that may not be appropriate for younger readers. There are scenes in this book that even caused me to feel a little queasy. However the writing is so fascinating that it pulls you in and literally makes you read on. Let it be known though that the gore in this book is not just there as a scare tactic. It is a crucial part of the overall storyline. It gives us a glimpse at the darkest parts of human nature. The scientific aspect that goes with the monstrumologists's hunts also makes it less difficult to deal with. After all, he's just doing his job, right?

I'm not actually sure what else I can say about this book without spoiling it for those who haven't yet read it. As you can tell from my rambling review, I loved it! As long as you are strong willed and okay with some gruesome scenes, this book will have you reading until your eyes hurt. For those of you who need to be captured within the first 100 pages? This book will do that for you. Go out, get a copy, read it. You won't be disappointed!

A friend sent this too me because she thought I'd enjoy it, and I did. Orphans, gore, monsters, mad scientists and crazy bounty hunters all made for very much fun. And I'll be more than happy to read the sequel when it comes out.