When you’re a teenager, falling in love can be frightening and Monstersona by Chloe Spencer is a YA, science fiction / horror novel that really puts the fear back into romance! In the best way of course.
Tonight is the big homecoming game and while it is all everyone in her class is talking about, sixteen year old Riley plans to spend the night at home with her faithful furry companion, Tigger. It isn’t like she has made any real friends here since her mom uprooted their lives anyway. Seemingly out of nowhere her parents divorced and her mother yanked her away from everyone she loved in Portland, dragging her across the country to the small town of Little Brook, Maine where she didn’t fit in. And frankly, she didn’t want to.
When Riley gets home from school, her mother is just leaving for work. So, she settles in with her microwave dinner, queues up Stranger Things and binge watches until passing out on the couch. She awakens to the roar of flames and whirr of sirens. The entire town is engulfed in flames and a horrifying; monstrous roar accompanies the fiery chaos. Unable to reach her mom, and completely freaked out, Riley throws some necessities in her backpack, grabs Tigger and jumps into her old truck.
On the way out of town, Riley nearly runs over a bedraggled survivor stumbling through the bedlam. That survivor happens to be the gorgeous, Aspen Montehugh, one of her classmates. Unable to leave her to a dire fate, Riley pulls Aspen into her truck and peels out. But a different kind of danger awaits them once they escape the fires. They are being followed by mysterious SUVs and the people driving them are relentless and ruthless.
When they finally regain cell coverage, Riley’s father informs the pair that the carnage was not limited to their small town. Everywhere there was a Titan Tech laboratory (most of the east coast) suffered the same fate. Air travel has been grounded and Riley must drive the pair half way across the country to meet up with her dad. But between the mysterious SUVs, men with guns, and the carnage that is hot on their trail, topped with Aspen’s strange behaviour, it is quickly becoming a road trip through hell.
To make matters worse, Riley can’t fight the burgeoning attraction to Aspen that keeps awkwardly flaming up. But the danger is closer than Riley can possibly know, and when she learns the truth, she will need to make some very hard decisions, very quickly.
Writing
The book is written from Riley’s perspective and set in the modern world (BUT with mad scientists and monsters!). This perspective really works to boost the terror level as you quickly find your heart thumping along in time with Riley’s in her race for survival. The danger is omnipresent and from several different sources which keeps your excitement level high while reading. Spencer also does a fabulous job eliciting fear with vivid descriptions of the actually horrific, toothy and scaley monsters, and the destruction they dole out (which, by the way, is full of glorious gore).
Having extolled the wonderfully horrific aspects of gore and carnage throughout the book, it seems strange to now say that the love story is heartwarming and sweet. And yet, here I am. Spencer manages to develop lovely chemistry between Riley and Aspen as they try to overcome some pretty major hurdles in their quest for love.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
With mad scientists, faithful canine companions, monsters and gore, ambiguous allies, and a road trip (including ending up in a hotel with only ONE bed! Classic!), what isn’t there to love about this book?! Apart from the obvious joy I feel regarding the afore mentioned elements, I also think the manner in which Spencer depicts how loss affects different characters, through different circumstances and also shows commonalities in their grief, is insightful and endearing.
Oh, and I love the little shout outs to Hades, those classic high school Aerosmith slow dances, and gourmet grilled cheese throughout the book!
Heads Up
This book lives up to its horror tag. With especially grotesque monsters and equally twisted scientists, you can expect some gore, violence, death and destruction. So be prepared for some oozing and splattering. There is also a lot of trauma experienced by the characters, discussions surrounding biphobia and sexual assault occur but the acts do not, and the book doesn’t end with an HEA. It does, however have hope for one in the future.
The Conclusion
What happens when you mix young love and monsters? After reading this book, I’d say something pretty darn amazing. When it’s done right, the contrast between the two makes for an extremely entertaining read that keeps the heart pumping in more ways than one. So, if you like some splatter to go with the pitter patter of young love, then you’re definitely going want to read this.
Excerpt from Monstersona by Chloe Spencer
Day 10 – Early morning
The iron chain slips through my bloody hands. Carefully, I tighten my grip around the cleanest edge and slowly being to wrap the metal strands around Aspen’s sleeping body. I don’t know how long these are going to hold her – or if they’re going to hold her at all. Time is of the essence here, and I don’t have much of it.
I take a step back to examine my handiwork. All I’ve done is wrap the chain around her torso and wrists. I don’t even have a lock to secure it with. My only option is to tie a knot. I crouch down to try again, but the ends are too short; I won’t be able to tie them unless I unravel some of the chain.
I look at Aspen, still sleeping in the chair. Blood is splattered across her face like sun-kissed freckles. Her blond hair is sticky and stained crimson, yet she isn’t as soaked as I am – from my head to my toes, I am covered in the reeking iron stench of the two men that were slaughtered. Waves of nausea overcome me, and I gag, clapping my hand over my mouth to stop the bile from escaping. My head is reeling and my vision blurs with tears as I struggle to regain control.
Outside, Tigger paws at the door and barks urgently, demanding to be let inside. But I can’t let him in – it’s far too dangerous. I stare at Aspen for a few moments before finally turning my back to her. Laying on the table in front of me is a small syringe, filled with a strange neon-orange liquid. It glows in the darkness of the shed. The syringe itself is surprisingly unthreatening; short and stubby, like the ones they use for the flu vaccines. But that liquid…I’ve never seen anything that screams “DANGER!” louder than this.
Yet, I have no choice.
It’s either her or me.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1915585011
Publisher: Tiny Ghost Press
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