4 out of 4 stars
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In a contest between vampires, werewolves, and zombies, who do YOU think would win? Such is the question that Wyatt, Melvin, Howard Drucker (always referred to by both names), and Sean have been arguing over for years, though Wyatt is tiring of the same old thing. In Michael Okon's book, Monsterland, this question is finally answered when the aforementioned four teenagers go to the opening of a theme park sharing the name of the book.
Even though he's tired of the years-long discussion, 17-year-old Wyatt Baldwin - no relation to Alec, as we're reminded time and again - welcomes the opportunity to visit the amusement park on its opening night with his pals, Howard Drucker and Melvin, and his younger brother, Sean. He's also hoping to spend time with his crush, Jade, even though she'll be going with her bully boyfriend, Nolan. Wyatt is sure that they'll all be safe from the vamps, wolves, and zombies inhabiting the park because he greatly admires the creator of the park, Dr. Vincent Konrad, whom he believes to be a benevolent citizen looking out for what's best for the world. Wyatt's stepfather, Carter White, isn't so sure of Vincent's altruism, so it's a good thing that he's also going as a part of his job as a member of the Copper Valley Police Force.
With a set up like this, what could possibly go wrong? Aside from total chaos, murder, and mayhem, not a thing! I found Monsterland to be rollicking fun with a major shot of violence to sober the young protagonists who find that it's not all fun and games when dealing with such creatures. The author perfectly blended suspense and action with a nice dollop of humor on top. Even though this book is clearly a work of fiction, I was completely able to suspend my disbelief and worry about what would happen next. In the same vein, I could fully picture the park as a real place...provided the monsters therein were real. From the Werewolf River Run to The Abracadavers rocking out at the Nightmare Arena, I felt like I was right there, 'oohing and aahing' while taking in all of the sights, not to mention running from the hungry werewolves and zombies.
The teens in this tome were fairly realistic, if a bit stereotypical. Wyatt and Sean's relationship in particular illustrated sibling rivalry pretty well but also underscored the love that's there between brothers. Jade was a nice enough love interest, stuck in an undesirable relationship with a bully who didn't want to let her go. My favorite duo, however, were Howard Drucker and Keisha; they clearly liked each other, but Howard had trouble closing the deal even though it was clear that Keisha liked him back. I had the most trouble sympathizing with Melvin, as I didn't feel like I got to know him as well as I did the others. I will say that when he made a major decision about midway through the book, I expected more of a reaction from his friends, who took it all in stride and were way more nonchalant than I would have been!
As a big fan of stories involving any and all of the creatures noted above, I was very excited to read a book that put them all together in a theme park. It was therefore with pleasure that I noted that though Wyatt and his peers were central figures in this tome, the author also gave ample time to the vampires, werewolves, and zombies, telling things from their points of view, though I felt like the zombies could have used a bit more "screen-time". I especially enjoyed the chapters featuring the vampires, Raoul, Sylvie, Ian, and Angie. When I first set out to read this tale, I thought that the "monsters" would just be scary, but they were so much more. None of them were happy with their living arrangements in the park, even the vampires who had agreed to be there but found themselves having to survive off of packaged animal blood after having had their fangs capped. By the end of the book, I was unhappy about their behavior, yet I could also sympathize with their circumstances. I also came to realize that certain humans in the book were far more monster-like than these creatures could ever be. Carter, Dr. Konrad, and other adults were featured in separate chapters as well. I really appreciated that each chapter focused on different people because it made for a much fuller read than just following one person.
Monsterland had perhaps a handful of grammatical errors, none of them distracting, so I am very glad to award this book 4 out of 4 stars. I also highly recommend it to fans of vampires, werewolves, and/or zombies as well as people who enjoy unique theme parks. There was a lot of violence and some sexual innuendo, so I'd caution those with weak constitutions against reading this. For these reasons, I also think it's better for older teens or young adults than tweens. While there were a few places that gave me goosebumps, the tale wasn't overly scary, so those who are okay with minor frights should be okay with this book as well.
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Monsterland
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