The Monstrumologist

 

Author: Rick Yancey
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary: These are the secrets I have kept.
This is the trust I never betrayed.
But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets.
The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me.

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet. (From Goodreads.com)


Review: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into with this book. I have this thing where I have to finish a book, no matter how much I dislike it or how boring it is. And if I have to give it back to the library and I didn’t like it, I have to wait awhile and check it out again. It’s weird, I know. Anyway, when I first started The Monstrumologist, I got like two pages into it before I put it down and read another book. I finally forced myself to pick it back up and finish it, and I’m so glad I did. The writing is one of the best I’ve read in YA fiction so far. Not style-wise, but just the quality. But his writing is only for the experienced reader, because of the wide range of vocabulary Yancey uses.

    I’m usually not into books with monsters, as I find that most authors make them a bit ridiculous and not at all scary. But this was one of the scariest books I’ve read. Actually, it probably is the scariest book I’ve read, because I don’t read much horror. I would, if there were more out there, but there aren’t many YA horror novels. So, if you don’t like scary things, this isn’t the book for you. Also, if you have a weak stomach, this isn’t the book for you. Right away with the first couple chapters, Yancey explains in gruesome detail some pretty nasty things. I won’t say what, but towards the middle of the book, I read the most disgusting this I’ve ever read, in gory detail. But I have a strong stomach and I’m not grossed out easily, so I was able to keep reading until the end, which was fantastic! So exciting!

    I would be hesitant to recommend this book to someone unless I knew that they could handle the nasty parts, which unfortunately, is not many people. It’s a waste that this piece of fantastic literature will go unread by most because it’s in the horror genre and is a little gruesome.