REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Monsterland
by Michael Okon
Monsterland by Michael Okon is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here today for my review, a short interview with the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Welcome to Monsterland - the scariest place on Earth.
Wyatt Baldwin's senior year is not going well. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either. An ongoing debate with his best friends Melvin and Howard Drucker over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.
But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park where guests can interact with vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by werewolves on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.
With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?
Book Video
Excerpt
The sky was a sparkling, powder blue, mosquitoes droned lazily over the tepid water, frogs croaked messages while they sunbathed on waxy lily pads. The fire he created burned bright, rabbit roasting on a spit made from hickory, the juices dripping to hiss in the flames. Seven of them lay in scattered repose, enjoying the late afternoon lull—two napped, the others tossed a stuffed fur in the form of a ball around the clearing, hooting with amusement when it rolled into the brush. They traveled in a pack, his group, his makeshift family, foraging together, hiding in plain sight. It had been that way for generations. But the glades were getting smaller, the humans invasive.
The sun started its slow descent into the horizon, hot pink and lilac clouds rippling against the empty canvas of the sky. Their color deepened as the sky filled, the rosy hue morphing into a burnt orange as the sun hid behind the condensation. The air thickened, moisture causing the leaves to lie heavily against the branches. Here and there, fireflies lit the gloom, doing a placid ballet in the humid air. The men moved closer as the sun sank into the western treetops, the fading sky promising another clear day tomorrow in the Everglades despite the moving ceiling of clouds.
A lone hawk cried out, disturbing the peace of the glade. Huge birds answered, flapping their wings, creating a cacophony of swamp sounds. The area became a concerto of animals responding to the disruption of their home—wild screams, squeaks, and complaints of the invasion of their territory.
The lead male stood, his head tilted. He heard it again. It was music, the strange organization of sounds, predictable as well as dangerous. Where those rhythms originated meant only one thing—they were not alone. They all rose, tense and alert, searching the waterway. Billy pointed, his dirty hands silently parting an outcropping of trees to expose a flat-bottom boat with strangers floating slowly toward them. It was filled with people, excitedly searching the banks of the swamp, their expensive khaki bush clothes ringed with sweat. Many held huge cameras. It was obviously a film crew, invasive, nosy individuals looking for something, anything, to enhance their lives. Men’s voices drifted on the turgid air. Billy stood, sniffing, his mates following suit. He glanced at the sky, gauging the time, his eyes opening wide. It was late. The bald top of the moon peeked over the ridge in the south, the sky graying to twilight with each passing second. Night came fast and furious in the swamp, dropping a curtain of darkness, extinguishing all light except for the beacon of the full moon. That chalk-white orb floated upward, indifferent to the consequences of its innocent victims. A halo of lighter blue surrounded the globe, limning the trees silver, the cobwebs in the trees becoming chains of dripping diamonds in the coming night.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"Very highly recommended for high school and community library YA Fiction collections, Monsterland showcases author Michael Okon's genuine flair for originality and deftly crafted fantasy fiction..." ~ Midwest Book Review
"This novel weaves together the different elements of a riveting story - great characters, vivid and exciting settings, a strong storyline - and delivers a punch that will have readers reeling for a long time." ~ Readers' Favorite, Arya Fomonyuy (2017 Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review)
"...sure to become the next YA sensation ... chock full of action and suspense." ~ The Children's Book Review
"Michael Okon's Monsterland is a fun and highly entertaining romp through the territory of all my favorite scary movies when I was a kid." ~ Kevin J Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series
"The adventure ramps up to an enjoyably gore-soaked finale ... full of both mayhem and heart." ~ Kirkus Reviews
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Monsterland is Vincent Konrad's visionary theme park, which houses zombies, werewolves, and vampires. In all, there are seven theme parks in six continents opening in one day. Friends Wyatt, Howard, and Melvin, spend their days debating which monster is superior, but when they unexpectedly score VIP tickets to the grand opening of the American Monsterland, they might just find out!
The author cannily introduces us to a few of the "monsters", humanizing them and making us feel their pain, shame, and humiliation at being put on display. There's Billy the werewolf, Raoul the vampire, and the unnamed zombie, whose stories are interspersed with the adventures of Wyatt and his friends. The author also has a fantastic ability to capture minutiae, introduce intricate back stories, and incorporate small details into the narrative without making them seem extraneous. One such interesting detail is the description of the entrance of Monsterland being identical to the entrance to the Auschwitz death camp.
I forgot how much I enjoy a good horror; this is one book that I actually wish was longer. The clever blend of suspense, horror, romance, and even humor, will leave you questioning who the real monsters are.
Interview With the Author
What are four things you can’t live without?
Steak. Water. iPhone. Google. In that order.
What is your favorite television show?
I don’t watch TV. I did check out Stranger Things over a weekend which was awesome, but I don’t have a particular show that is my favorite. I have the Travel Channel or Food Network on in the background when I’m writing, but that’s about it.
If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?
Melvin from Monsterland. Who wouldn’t want to live a carefree existence, be obsessed with werewolves, and save the world from an evil antagonist?
What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?
Monsterland was released in October 2017. It’s my first published novel. Monsterland 2 comes out in 2018. I’m knee deep in Monsterland 3.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Anything by Michael Crichton. I also love comics – Stan Lee and Marvel specifically. I really get a lot of my influences from movies more than books.
About the Author
Michael Okon is the award-winning and best-selling author and screenwriter formerly known as Michael Phillip Cash. His originally self-published book Monsterland was picked up in a two-book publishing deal by WordFire Press. Michael is happily married and writes full-time on the North Shore of Long Island with his two screaming monsters in the background.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon or B&N gift card OR one of 5 Monsterland t-shirts (size large, US only).
Links
