Review by DoctorMckenzie18 -- The Different Kinds Of Mon...
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DoctorMckenzie18
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Review by DoctorMckenzie18 -- The Different Kinds Of Mon...
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Different Kinds Of Monsters" by Seth Chambers.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The Different Kinds of Monsters is a novel detailing the lives of both an allosaurus known as “First” living in the Jurassic period, and a man named Dylan Armitage who is being followed through life by the fossilized remains and spirit of First, known to humans as Emily. While the supernatural interactions between Dylan and the allosaurus are initially positive during his childhood, resulting in a life long love for dinosaurs and other ancient life in the man, they eventually turn hostile as he grows older as Dylan first appears in the novel visiting his father after a brutal attack by Emily. The story culminates in a showdown between man and dinosaur millions of years in the making.
I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It was enjoyable to read and therefore earned a positive score, however it did have some problems that could not be overlooked and could not be given a perfect rating.
I most enjoyed the chapters dedicated to the life and experiences of First. She is the first character introduced, and while she is not human she is characterized well enough to be sympathetic to the reader. This is rare for a character that ends up being the main antagonist of the story, especially in a genre that so often regards dinosaurs as little more than killing machines. While First causes her share of deaths, she is more complex than this stereotype and even shows some level of kindness and affection throughout the story. It was also an interesting window into the author’s concept of what life as an allosaurus must have been like. Her story was only given a small proportion of the book, however, and I would have liked to have read more of it.
I also enjoyed the characterization of the human characters. While Dylan is the main character and the human side of the story is told through his point of view, a wide range of other characters are described effectively through his perspective. The first-person point of view is well done and believable, and characters react in relatable and realistic ways to events. Places and events are also described well with neither too much or too little detail, resulting in scenes that can be easily imagined without becoming excessive or interrupting the flow of the story.
The thing I liked least about the novel and the largest contributor to its lack of a perfect score was the grammar and editing issues. Many of the sentences used throughout felt choppy and grammatically incomplete, for example “But the spirit was there.” This is not only its own sentence but its own paragraph, however it seems it could just as well have been part of the previous sentence and paragraph. This was the case a number of times throughout the text, and there were other simple errors including misspelled words and misused words which lead me to believe that the work was not edited to professional standards that would be expected of a published novel. There were also several instances, most notably in the first chapter, where fairly esoteric scientific terms were used unnecessarily. This was a minor issue; however it did not fit with the tone of the rest of the novel and therefore bothered me.
I also found the switches in time and point of view somewhat jarring, which was to be expected between the Jurassic and modern chapters had there been any observable logic to their placement. Instead, the Jurassic chapters seem to interrupt the main story at random points. It was less expected between the modern chapters, which begin during Dylan’s adulthood and then continue through flashbacks until they finally reach and overtake the point in time at which Dylan is introduced.
Overall, I would recommend The Different Kinds of Monsters to others, especially those who are interested in science fiction, supernatural fiction, or the subject of dinosaurs as well as anyone who enjoys such works as Jurassic Park. I would not recommend this book to anyone who primarily enjoys feel good or romance stories, as there is little of that to be found. I would also not recommend it to much younger readers due to some of the content.
******
The Different Kinds Of Monsters
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Different Kinds of Monsters is a novel detailing the lives of both an allosaurus known as “First” living in the Jurassic period, and a man named Dylan Armitage who is being followed through life by the fossilized remains and spirit of First, known to humans as Emily. While the supernatural interactions between Dylan and the allosaurus are initially positive during his childhood, resulting in a life long love for dinosaurs and other ancient life in the man, they eventually turn hostile as he grows older as Dylan first appears in the novel visiting his father after a brutal attack by Emily. The story culminates in a showdown between man and dinosaur millions of years in the making.
I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It was enjoyable to read and therefore earned a positive score, however it did have some problems that could not be overlooked and could not be given a perfect rating.
I most enjoyed the chapters dedicated to the life and experiences of First. She is the first character introduced, and while she is not human she is characterized well enough to be sympathetic to the reader. This is rare for a character that ends up being the main antagonist of the story, especially in a genre that so often regards dinosaurs as little more than killing machines. While First causes her share of deaths, she is more complex than this stereotype and even shows some level of kindness and affection throughout the story. It was also an interesting window into the author’s concept of what life as an allosaurus must have been like. Her story was only given a small proportion of the book, however, and I would have liked to have read more of it.
I also enjoyed the characterization of the human characters. While Dylan is the main character and the human side of the story is told through his point of view, a wide range of other characters are described effectively through his perspective. The first-person point of view is well done and believable, and characters react in relatable and realistic ways to events. Places and events are also described well with neither too much or too little detail, resulting in scenes that can be easily imagined without becoming excessive or interrupting the flow of the story.
The thing I liked least about the novel and the largest contributor to its lack of a perfect score was the grammar and editing issues. Many of the sentences used throughout felt choppy and grammatically incomplete, for example “But the spirit was there.” This is not only its own sentence but its own paragraph, however it seems it could just as well have been part of the previous sentence and paragraph. This was the case a number of times throughout the text, and there were other simple errors including misspelled words and misused words which lead me to believe that the work was not edited to professional standards that would be expected of a published novel. There were also several instances, most notably in the first chapter, where fairly esoteric scientific terms were used unnecessarily. This was a minor issue; however it did not fit with the tone of the rest of the novel and therefore bothered me.
I also found the switches in time and point of view somewhat jarring, which was to be expected between the Jurassic and modern chapters had there been any observable logic to their placement. Instead, the Jurassic chapters seem to interrupt the main story at random points. It was less expected between the modern chapters, which begin during Dylan’s adulthood and then continue through flashbacks until they finally reach and overtake the point in time at which Dylan is introduced.
Overall, I would recommend The Different Kinds of Monsters to others, especially those who are interested in science fiction, supernatural fiction, or the subject of dinosaurs as well as anyone who enjoys such works as Jurassic Park. I would not recommend this book to anyone who primarily enjoys feel good or romance stories, as there is little of that to be found. I would also not recommend it to much younger readers due to some of the content.
******
The Different Kinds Of Monsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like DoctorMckenzie18's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
