Monster

A Novel

By: A. Lee Martinez

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

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.

©2009 A. Lee Martinez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Martinez pokes at big-picture questions, like the nature of the universe and the meaning of life, with abundant, zany humor in this charming tale." (Publishers Weekly)

If a Pantheon Funded Free-Lance Men-In-Black

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Rated: PG13 some sexual situations

Static or Dynamic: Not overly either. It had descriptions, but wasn't tedious and it had plot twists but they weren't corkscrews.

1st or 3rd Person: 3rd person: follows 2-3 main characters through a slice of life in the fantasy realm

Abstract or Concrete: Sufficiently both. Some things were abstract like the mechanics of fantastical retrograde amnesia, others parts were more concrete like the specific behaviors of a plethora of mystical animals.

Linear or Non-Linear: Weakly Linear: the plot goes forward through time but it's not until a ways in that you feel like it's actually leading to a conclusion.

Narrator: It's been a while since I've heard the book and I can't say that I particularly remember the experience. That can be good and bad. It wasn't so horrible I couldn't stand it, but it wasn't particularly spectacular.

Plot Outline: So mythical animals are all around us but you never notice them because your brain induces amnesia to counter the weirdness of it all. Monster, our protagonist is one of the guys that clears up these little monster sightings. Things get more complicated when some overly strange things tend to happen to one of the people he meets and the story floats around that for a while until it pulls towards a conclusion. I get the impression that the strange happenings of the story were devices for making jokes and poking fun at the mystical world that we apparently live in. This is mostly a comedy and if you're looking for something groundbreaking or overly involving you will probably be disappointed. However, if you'd like a chuckle on your way to work, this is perfect.

Tone a little unpowered, but great story

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

Creative, fun, unpowered.

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Anything by sullivan is sufficiently intricate.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Good voices, wish the tone was a little more energetic, as the story seemed to have a little more power than the narrators opinion.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Bill and Ted meet the labyrinth

Entertaining, but doesn't quite live up

The book promises high spirited fun with monsters living and being hunted among us. There are certainly some fun characters (Monster's girlfriend for instance) and interesting twists, but none of the characters really grab you and nothing in the story is truly original. Certainly worth a listen. A Solid B+

Idea better than execution

Some great ideas form the basis of this book, but the execution was not well done. I think that a sequel could be a lot better as it has potential.

Promising!

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

A fresh interpretation!

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Obviously writing about the supernatural is big business these days, but Monster has such a hapless main character that I found it quite unique. Everyone is kinda nasty, but it's hilarious! I think the premise is very promising, and although the writing could use some polish, seeing the characters develop could be great fun if this continues on in a series.

Fun and Easy Listen

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

Comical, Magical, Fun

Who was your favorite character and why?

Judy was my favorite character because I could relate to her and her feelings about her work, her sister and her life.

Which character – as performed by Eric Michael Summerer – was your favorite?

Monster

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me laugh a lot.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The characters were pretty interesting and I could really relate to some of the characters and how they viewed their jobs and lives.

Not as fun as I would have liked.

While I liked the basis of the story and enjoyed the monster catching mayhem, the characters leave something to be desired. Monster (dumb name) was supposed to have a 'I don't give a damn' dry wit that was supposed to be funny, only he just acted like an ass. Both main characters are not very likeable and I didn't care what really happens to them. Which is a shame because this story is quirky and somewhat entertaining. I might try another book by the same author if I catch it on sale. If this is your type of book you like, I would recommend the authors Jim Bernheimer or Christopher Moore both are better with the twisted and funny material I was hoping for in this book. Narrator does a really good job and I would be happy to listen to him again.

Pretty good modern monster catcher trope

Lately I've been diggin' A. Lee Martinez. He's got quite a few novels on Audible and each one captures a different sub-group of the sci-fi / fantasy genre quite well; I definitely recommend many of his other works at a 5-star level (see my other reviews). For some reason though, I feel like this one wasn't quite firing on all cylinders.

I like the dragon that he's chasing here - a monster-catcher, civil employee for a fantastic and hidden sub-culture has to save girl who is more than she seems. But I feel like the Conflict of the novel is lacking. I'm now realizing that's very important in maintaining cohesion.

Overall, I'd recommend this book, but only if all other 5-star options are inaccessible at the moment. Otherwise, I'd keep this one on the back burner.

So good! Unlikeable characters at their finest.

The characters aren't nice, they're flawed and not charmed by any means. the story was fantastic and good and just hilarious. Would definitely recommend.

enjoyable

good story and funny as hell. I can only say it killed time very well. I would have to say it fell short in the story only a little but a good listen.