Official Review: Making a Monster by Stephen Colhoun Walker

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gali
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Official Review: Making a Monster by Stephen Colhoun Walker

Post by gali »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Making a Monster" by Stephen Colhoun Walker.]
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"Making a monster" is a well written and fast packed thriller sets up in the U.K. The author uses loosely the concept of dual personality to show us how one can be transformed into a sociopathic killer, thus taking the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotion. Reminiscent of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde case, our protagonist Pete also has two distinct personalities: his Jekyll side and his Hyde (evil) side. While the story of the good Pete is told from the third point of view, the story of the evil alter ego (who is a reckless killer) is told from the first point of view and his voice is much stronger. It was a refreshing change to read events from the point of view of the alter ego.

Is there a monster inside each of us, just waiting to break loose? This is one theme of the story, though I beg to differ. The interplay of good and evil and how dual personalities can affect a human is another one. This is the story of an ordinary man who goes over the edge over due to unfortunate circumstances. The story begins with the destruction of the very ordinary Peter Pouley, continues with the creation of a monster and ends with description of his reign of terror. Each chapter in the book describes a different stage in the life of the alter ego.

Where do you go when your past is obliterated and your future is uncertain? This is the one million dollar question Pete has to answer in order to survive. Meet Peter Pouley (Pete), an ordinary man described as a loser. He never amounted to much, never held any steady job for long and he moves from one job to another. When the story kicks off, Pete is between jobs. He isn't one for action and much prefers to watch life from the side-lines. He drinks, watches TV, reads cheap thrillers and uses light drugs to forget his woes, a sad habit his alter ago picks up for a while to clear his head from the main personality.

All this change when Pete meets a beautiful lady who asks for his help. His life takes a drastic turn for the worst as ominous events begin to unfold. Our Pete is being framed for murder. Thus his alter ego, his monster side, is born and being forced to take over in order save his skin. The alter ego is forced to kill to avoid capture, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Pete becomes a wanted criminal and both the police and the mob are after him. He is on the run and will need all his marbles (and the help of his other personality) to get out of the quicksand alive.

Pete doesn't like this murderous side of him, but he is too weak to resist it. Alternatively, the other personality isn't really a conventional sociopathic killer like we were led to believe from the synopsis. He isn't arrogant for a start and later develops a conscience and one could almost identify with some of his actions, almost. It is a sign of a talented author when the reader finds himself rooting for a flawed protagonist, monstrous though he is. Pete lurches from one disaster to another and the reader hold his breath waiting for developments.

After a slow start, the plot picks up and the reader follows with widening eyes the story of Pete and his alter ego. Both personalities are complex ones and keep developing throughout the story. The story gets pretty harsh and violent in places, so it isn't for the faint of heart nor is it suited for the young audience. My only criticism of the book is that some of the violent acts were a bit too much and the injection of sexual overtone wasn't really necessary and the book was better off without them.

Despite that and after much deliberation I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the book and found its concept an original one. There wasn't a dull moment and the plot keeps readers on their toes. The book was a page turner, the pace fast, the tension gripping and the end was very touching and not what I expected at all! I would highly recommend this book for those interested in thrillers with dark overtones.

***
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Post by cduggins17 »

This was such a great review!! It provided enough information without giving any spoilers. This book just moved to the top of my "to read" list, mostly because I'm interested to see how the author explores the theme of "evil in all of us." The separation of the two personalities will be interesting to see how the author pulls off. I imagine it would be very difficult to establish two voices that are both similar and different at the same time. And ultimately, I'm interested in the ending... what happens to Pete's dual personalities and what does that say to the author's purpose in writing the book? This is certainly a great example of a review that I will remember for when it is my turn!
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Post by gali »

cduggins17 wrote:This was such a great review!! It provided enough information without giving any spoilers. This book just moved to the top of my "to read" list, mostly because I'm interested to see how the author explores the theme of "evil in all of us." The separation of the two personalities will be interesting to see how the author pulls off. I imagine it would be very difficult to establish two voices that are both similar and different at the same time. And ultimately, I'm interested in the ending... what happens to Pete's dual personalities and what does that say to the author's purpose in writing the book? This is certainly a great example of a review that I will remember for when it is my turn!
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did. :)
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Post by PashaRu »

Nice review, Gali. You described very well why you liked the book. Don't know if I'll read it, but I enjoyed the review. :)
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Post by gali »

PashaRu wrote:Nice review, Gali. You described very well why you liked the book. Don't know if I'll read it, but I enjoyed the review. :)
Thank you :)
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