Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Apr.02, 2011, under Adventure, Horror, Printz Award, Sam's Reviews, Teen Top 10, Thriller
Who would like this book? Readers who like horror stories with monsters and gore with an authentic-feeling historical setting and fascinating characters.
Why? William Henry, twelve years old, has been orphaned under mysterious circumstances and is now the ward and “assistant” to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, his parents’ employer until their deaths. The book is William’s memoir of his time with Dr. Warthrop in 1888 New England when a pod of man-eating monsters called Anthropophagi begin to attack and kill humans in a very gruesome manner. Dr. Warthrop, a monstrumologist, is obsessed with studying and hunting the monsters. He yells at William to “Snap to” to help him at every turn, expecting him to be part of every horrific aspect of dissecting, hunting, and killing the monsters as well as tracking down the reasons for their mysterious appearance in New England. The descriptions of the headless monsters, their feeding, and their deaths are so clear that they disturbed my imagination and turned my stomach. The story, though, is not just blood, spattered bone, and puss. The character development, especially the relationship between William and the doctor, is richly effective, and the climax of the plot had me turning pages until late in the night. If you like horror, don’t miss this book!
The details: 454 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
