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Monster

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 2,986 ratings · 341 reviews

Meet Monster. Meet Judy. Two humans who don't like each other much, but together must fight dragons, fire-breathing felines, trolls, Inuit walrus dogs, and a crazy cat lady - for the future of the universe.

Monster runs a pest control agency. He's overworked and has domestic troubles - like having the girlfriend from hell.

Judy works the night shift at the local Food Plus Ma...more

Paperback, 342 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Orbit (first published April 22nd 2009)

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Jan 30, 2012 Stephanie Griffin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do you need an “escape” book? Want a break from all those “serious” books you’ve been reading? Then boy, do I have a treat for you! MONSTER, written by A. Lee Martinez, is an action-packed, over-the-top, modern-day fantasy packed with humor about a man who catches and transmogrifies pests. Not your ordinary pests. We’re talking ice-cream eating yetis, giant multi-headed snakes, Japanese ogres, walrus dogs, snarling goat-headed creatures, and the like. MONSTER had me smiling all the way through.
M...more

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May 19, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, reviewed

First time reading this author and I practically devoured the book in one sitting. I'll admit, the cover caught my eye and that's probably why I bought it. Happily, the book did not disappoint at all. I thought it was fun and creative - definitely brain candy, like one reviewer's blurb on the back cover called it. Monster and his enchanted color-changing skin was really cool. I also liked the author's explanation of how magic exists yet most humans in the world just aren't capable of realizing i...more

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Oct 18, 2009 Dominic rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a fun read.

Recommended to Dominic by: Jason Lohry

Before I delve into the review, I just want to state that even though I only gave this book 3 stars, it deserves a 3.9, I just can't fully apply the "I really liked it" tag that comes with four stars. And so we begin,

A. Lee Martinez has written an incredibly fun, unique, funny, introspective, wishful, and decent novel with "Monster". He introduces a lot of ideas that even the sci-fi/fantasy scene never really thought of before, and he spins, as a whole, an enticing tale with these ideas. I can...more Before I delve into the review, I just want to state that even though I only gave this book 3 stars, it deserves a 3.9, I just can't fully apply the "I really liked it" tag that comes with four stars. And so we begin,

A. Lee Martinez has written an incredibly fun, unique, funny, introspective, wishful, and decent novel with "Monster". He introduces a lot of ideas that even the sci-fi/fantasy scene never really thought of before, and he spins, as a whole, an enticing tale with these ideas. I can't really put my finger on what made this book "just not quite enough" for me. It has all the needed elements that are engaging and fun, but there is just something missing, and I think that it's the deepness and backstory of the characters.

The book focuses on Monster, a crypto-biological animal control agent, with some slightly sociopathic tendencies, a dead-end relationship with a succubus who doesn't enjoy being intimate, and Chester, a sixth-dimensional uncorporeal sidekick with morality issues who does neat tricks with his paper body "host" he uses for the third dimension.

Even though throughout the novel you learn about how miserable Monster is with his stagnant life and you get a lot of psychological insight into Monster, Chester, and their new loser/"chosen one" friend Judy, you can never really quite connect all the way with any of them.

I wasn't so sure about the trans-dimensional, all-powerful, parasitic Mrs. Lotus, and I really felt that she was underdeveloped. She had a lot of potential in the story and could have really made the ending more engaging. Because of her character, the universe-shattering ending of the novel really just remained a quiet moment at home in reality.

However, I digress. Overall Monster was a good read, and I definitely don't regret picking it up.

[Side Note:] The very short chapter about Rob and Evelyn is quite entertaining just as a stand-alone.

If there is one thing I have learned from this book, it's that angels are real... and they're easy. ;]

[Pg. 268, Mrs. Lotus to Judy:] "Do you know what separates humanity from the other beasts of this world? It's not the ability to make tools or complex language or any of that other nonsense you tell yourselves. No, humans are unique in all this world because they're the only creatures that can make themselves miserable. And do you know how you do that? You do it by expecting to be happy. You're so busy thinking about happiness, obsessing about finding it and why it isn't where you expect it to be that you completely miss the point. The other creatures of this universe don't go looking for happiness. They don't even expect to be happy. They just expect to be, and that's good enough." (less)

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Jun 11, 2009 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, sci-fi, monsters, magic

I now want a paper gnome sidekick after reading this story where mythological beasts are real, and there are cryptobiological agents to deal with them. (Think animal control for yetis.) A young slacker woman gets involved and disaster ensues.

At the 3/4 mark on this, I was getting bored and this was headed for 2 stars. This story of official agents who deal with the strange has been done to death in recent years, the humor wasn't that funny and the entire story seemed to consist of one magical an...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Having previously read In the Company of Ogres and Gil's All Fright Diner, I thought I had a handle on Mr. Martinez. He excels at finding humor in the mundane and hilarity in the unexpected. His humor approaches that of the great Terry Pratchett, perhaps after having honed his razor wit on as many pages as Mr. Pratchett has, his will be as sharp.

That said, Monster is a different beast from the aforementioned. While it does have moments of humor, they are underwritten with a sense of sadness at t...more Having previously read In the Company of Ogres and Gil's All Fright Diner, I thought I had a handle on Mr. Martinez. He excels at finding humor in the mundane and hilarity in the unexpected. His humor approaches that of the great Terry Pratchett, perhaps after having honed his razor wit on as many pages as Mr. Pratchett has, his will be as sharp.

That said, Monster is a different beast from the aforementioned. While it does have moments of humor, they are underwritten with a sense of sadness at the passing of magic from our own world. Mr. Martinez posits that magic is all around us, most people just can't see it.

There is something mystically tragic about a color-changing, spell casting (even if he does have to use crib notes), monster hunting, demon dating guy like Monster feeling trapped in his day to day life. In any other world, his job title would be "Adventurer" or "Wizard", but in our stale world we over-categorize him as "Cryptozoological Capture and Containment". It makes you wonder how many of us would truly be happy in the fantasy careers we oh so often imagine ourselves in. How quickly would the fantastical become the mundane. How soon would we, too, fail to be surprised by a yeti in the frozen goods section?

I feel Monster is an apt look at today's world. We are surrounded by technological marvels, why right now I am typing this very review into my computer made of thousands upon thousands of resistors and transistors and capacitors, where it will be broken down into a stream of 1's and 0's and zipped over the backbone to a server somewhere to be reassembled into its original form and displayed on the screen for you to read, and chances are, someone will complain that it took too long to load. I read the book on a tablet, a wireless device that I can carry with me and download nearly any book I want at any time, and which can hold more books than were contained in the Library of Alexandria, and I complain that sometimes when I hold it a certain way, the screen rotates when I don't want it to...

HAVE we become oblivious to the magic around us? Do each of us know a Monster and just forget running into him because of the fugue of normalcy we shroud ourselves in?

Read Monster with an open mind, ready to question the world around you. Or read it for a good laugh. Either way, it will not disappoint.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After a co-worker of mine slapped a bunch of books onto my desk and told me to read these, I was initially hesitant. I worked up the courage to read Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas and enjoyed it thoroughly. So it was natural for me to pick up the second book which was of a similar genre.
Monster is a story that strikes the absurdness bell so many times it’s easy to get completely lost. The novel paints a portrait of the weird and obscure, but offers well-timed comic relief that doesn't man...more After a co-worker of mine slapped a bunch of books onto my desk and told me to read these, I was initially hesitant. I worked up the courage to read Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas and enjoyed it thoroughly. So it was natural for me to pick up the second book which was of a similar genre.
Monster is a story that strikes the absurdness bell so many times it’s easy to get completely lost. The novel paints a portrait of the weird and obscure, but offers well-timed comic relief that doesn't manage to bore the reader at any point. Martinez guides the user through a world of magic, the paranormal, and of course—monsters.

Monster Dionysus, the lead character (Yes, that’s his name) is a freak of nature. His skin changes every morning when he wakes up, each colour granting him a different ability. He lives in a broke down apartment with his succubus demon girlfriend from hell. When he’s not home, he’s out doing a nightshift at the Crytobiological Containment Company, a sort of pest control agency for monsters/demons/trolls/etc. He teams up with a living “paper gnome” who can fold himself into various shapes and sizes, just keep him away from the flames.

Monster meets Judy at a local food store, where they manage to get mixed up in a whole lot of trouble that spirals completely out of control so bad, eventually the whole universe is thrown out of whack. Not to mention a crazy cat lady who claims to be an “all knowing” entity is secretly tracking their every move.

Lee Martinez’s “Monster” was one of the only books I’ve read that reminded me of Ghostbusters. It took the absurd and made it into something hilarious. Martinez’s writing is never confusing and very well laid out. There’s wasn’t any re-reading of any parts, the pace of the book is constantly engaging. You’ll find yourself laughing at loud at many points in the book. Chester, Monster’s paper gnome side-kick is quite a hilarious character and original creation.

My only criticism is that the story takes a few and, quite honestly, pointless turns. There’s scenes that drag on to long that have nothing to do with the central plot. For about half the book, there’s nothing but random monsters coming out of the shadows. In addition, there’s a lot of description into the whole concept of “cognitants”: human beings that cannot comprehend magic at all so their brains instinctively refuse to process it. This contrasts a lot to Harry Potter’s “muggles”, or human beings in “the matrix”. Although it is a cool concept, I think Martinez spent too much time trying to explain it. It’s as if he wanted the readers to really believe that “congnitants” really had these attributes--and then the next chapter is about a six-armed hairy gorilla kojin creature. I didn't think this flowed well. But hey, remember it's complete fantasy right? So I tried not to get my head strung up about it...

Overall, Monster is a funny and unique read. I’ve never read something that reminded me of a comedy movie before. I’m sure this would translate well onto the big screen if somebody scripted an adaptation. Seems like it would make an awesome 80s flick :D
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Apr 04, 2012 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Good Omens and non-serious fantasy readers

Recommended to Lucy by: Amazon

Shelves: own-the-book

Judy discovers a troll eating the ice cream and chicken dinners at the supermarket in which she works. She calls out animal control to be presented with a blue man named Monster Dionysis and a paper gnome named Chester. This will not be the last time these two meet.

According to an interview in the back of the book, it's not a comic fantasy. That may be true, but it's still bloody funny.

I enjoyed it, and actually like Monster. He's got the underlying tone of someone who just can't be bothered. Fo...more

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Sep 05, 2011 e.a.s. demers rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I will freely admit that I don't dabble in the world of SciFi on a regular basis. It's nothing personal against the genre, just not overly fond of the alien world-building that so many times can weigh down an otherwise pleasant story.

There is a certain finesse, which is necessary to introduce a new set of 'rules' outside our comfortable reality. Some authors have that finesse, others don't.

A. Lee Martinez has that finesse.

The title-character, Monster Dionysus, a human-like entity who changes...more I will freely admit that I don't dabble in the world of SciFi on a regular basis. It's nothing personal against the genre, just not overly fond of the alien world-building that so many times can weigh down an otherwise pleasant story.

There is a certain finesse, which is necessary to introduce a new set of 'rules' outside our comfortable reality. Some authors have that finesse, others don't.

A. Lee Martinez has that finesse.

The title-character, Monster Dionysus, a human-like entity who changes colors every time he wakes, is a member of Cryptobiological Containment and Rescue Services (CCRS). He spends his nights, with the help of his inter-dimensional paper gnome helper, Chester, bagging cryptos. Got a problem with Yetis raiding the ice cream freezer at your local grocery store, just call CCRS and they'll contain, bag and remove your unwelcome intruders.

Monster's tedious job and tedious relationship with his demon-girlfriend, have his horribly tedious life spinning in circles. If not for a chance encounter with a helpless human, Judy--- who has a hard time remembering that she even met Monster (witnessing magic is very unsettling, something better off forgotten), Monster's life may have continued down its path of self-destructive boredom.

It's isn't long before Monster realizes that his fate and the fate of the Universe itself is somehow tied to this ridiculous human who has a penchant for attracting cryptos at the most inopportune times.

Not a difficult read. There isn't any great and ponderous theme to boggle the mind---just a straight-forward, often comical, neat little story.

My only complaints were that I didn't find the character of Monster engaging/endearing at first. The intention was to play him off as a jerk, I get that, but even jerks have soft spots that occasionally peek out. Monster does redeem himself at the end, but I kind of expected to see the merest hint of redeeming qualities somewhere other than the last couple of chapters.

The only other complaint I had was the dialogue-- which came off (in a few spots) as corny or forced as a means to explain what was going on.

All in all, a fun read. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories outside the norm, who likes a little comedy and allusions to demonic love-making.
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Mar 20, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Watch out for deadly garden gnomes, yeti’s that loathe vanilla, trolls, and possessed cats while the fate of the universe rests on the shoulders of three unlikely people: a disgruntled Cryptobiological Containment & Rescue Services (CCRC) worker, a paper gnome named Chester, and Judy, an incognizant mundane Food Plus Mart worker. (by the way, she’s great at stacking cans of vegetables). Not exactly the A Team when saving our collective butts. But hey… it’s all we’ve got.

Monster is not your o...more Watch out for deadly garden gnomes, yeti’s that loathe vanilla, trolls, and possessed cats while the fate of the universe rests on the shoulders of three unlikely people: a disgruntled Cryptobiological Containment & Rescue Services (CCRC) worker, a paper gnome named Chester, and Judy, an incognizant mundane Food Plus Mart worker. (by the way, she’s great at stacking cans of vegetables). Not exactly the A Team when saving our collective butts. But hey… it’s all we’ve got.

Monster is not your ordinary kind of guy and in between his supernatural color changes, definitely brings new meaning to the word apathetic. But you’ll adore him. The two failings of this incredibly interesting character are his conscience and his selfishness. These are a point of conflict for Martinez. Which is why Chester fills the role of sensei so nicely. Not that Monster listens that well to him. Will he end up doing the right thing? Will he help Judy step up to the plate and fulfill her destiny? Or will he just do his job, swig back a beer, and veg out in front of the TV while the universe collapses around him? Monster’s man-cave guttural mentality is immensely endearing, and watching him stumble over basic rights and wrongs will bring a smile to your face.

Martinez has taken whimsy, humor, and sci-fi and melded it into one big Scooby sandwich of a story that you’ll rub your belly and belch loudly after devouring. The efforts of Monster, Chester, and Judy to outwit their arch nemesis Lotus, snag the universe stone, and continually battle summoned cryptos is like riding The Colossus at Magic Mountain and having a few wheels break off mid-flight. Scary, but fun. I LOVED Monster. I was constantly amused and amazed at how Martinez makes his world building so effortless. How the heck does he do it?

The pace is continually zippy and entertaining, the text snappy as Martinez unabashedly gives us a window into his quick fire mind. I was strongly reminded of Christopher Moore, but I have to say it (don’t kill me after the fact) that I think Martinez is hella funnier. Way. The Post-It's, the dialogue, And inventive. And I strongly suspect he ate up comic books as a young sprat. I now consider myself a lifelong devotee.

A Fiendishly Bookish Review
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Jan 14, 2010 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This funny tale of a cryptobiologist (think Dog Catcher, but for kobolds and yetis) reminded me a bit of Christopher Moore's work, with angels and humor figuring into the plot.

Out of the blue, magical creatures seem to popping up around a grocery store clerk. The aptly named Monster (whole daily skin color change results in new magical abilities thing) and his smart and well read sidekick Chester, a paper gnome who can fold himself into a variety of origami shapes, are unique and engaging chara...more

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Aug 05, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Neil Gaiman

Shelves: read-in-2009

Review published here: http://www.hipsterbookclub.com/review...

In his new novel, Monster, A. Lee Martinez serves up an urban fantasy escapade bursting with biting humor and sarcasm. Through genuine and realistically flawed characters, madcap scenarios, and glimpses of philosophical perception, Martinez balances a fun and funny story with just the right amount of contemplation to keep it from being too serious.

The story follows titular character Monster, a cryptobiological containment specialist...more Review published here: http://www.hipsterbookclub.com/review...

In his new novel, Monster, A. Lee Martinez serves up an urban fantasy escapade bursting with biting humor and sarcasm. Through genuine and realistically flawed characters, madcap scenarios, and glimpses of philosophical perception, Martinez balances a fun and funny story with just the right amount of contemplation to keep it from being too serious.

The story follows titular character Monster, a cryptobiological containment specialist. Simply put, he restrains and captures supernatural creatures the same way Animal Control catches stray dogs and cats. However, the animals Monster captures—cryptobiologicals, or cryptos—are nothing short of fantastic. Monster first meets Judy, a bored supermarket clerk, when she calls to report a yeti eating all the ice cream out of the store fridge. Together, through an unusual turn of events, Monster and Judy become humanity's last hope for survival.

Martinez may not break new ground in urban fantasy writing, but there are enough creative and original fantasy elements to keep the story fresh. Martinez sprinkles the plot with countless mythological and paranormal beings, some recognizable (such as gremlins) and some not (such as grylio, a sort of polka-dotted venomous iguana). There are even angels and devils walking among us, including Monster's demon girlfriend from hell. Literally.

While intrinsically good people, Judy and Monster both have their share of personality flaws. Monster is often selfish, apathetic, and lazy. Judy is cynical, unmotivated, and irritable. While they share an unavoidable bond that comes with joining together to save the world from an evil super-being, they don't actually like each other. Readers, too, will catch on to their relative shortcomings but will also appreciate the realistic portrayal of two young people trying to get by in less than desirable circumstances. Martinez has an exceptional imagination, shown through the fantastic characters and scenes, but also a bluntly realistic perspective of real life. Consider the novel's antagonist, who reminds readers that humans, for the most part, create their own problems:

Humans are unique in this world because they're the only creatures that can make themselves miserable… You do it by expecting to be happy. You're so busy thinking about happiness, obsessing about finding it and why it isn't where you expect it to be, that you completely miss the point.

This balance of the wildly absurd (supernatural beings, potential Armageddon) and stark realism helps give the book a more credible edge. The story mostly maintains a lighter tone, but Martinez does sneak in some reflective insights between the lines.

One of the more endearing characters is Monster's sidekick, Chester. A "sixth-dimensional entity using a paper construct to interact and interface with this plane," Chester is a higher being from another dimension who can fold his paper body into various shapes as needed. Sometimes, he folds himself into a walking, talking paper man; sometimes, he becomes a flying paper crane to quickly flee a situation. Chester often serves as the voice of reason for Monster, partly due to his superior logic and detachment from the human race that makes him think more objectively. He also steps in when Monster's conscience starts to waver. When Monster decides to turn his back on the mystical battle for humanity and let fate sort itself out—even at Judy's expense—Chester is the one who reminds him what it means to be a human:

You are the most shortsighted, impulsive, and self-centered blob of protoplasm I have ever met. But here's your chance, Monster. It's time to prove that you aren't just one bad decision after another, that you can do what needs to be done when it comes right down to it. It's time to be more than just a human being looking out for himself. Or you can just be another blob of protoplasm. It's your call.

And that really is the theme of the novel, behind all the sarcastic remarks and cryptobiological antics. It is about choosing to do the right thing even when walking away is considerably easier. It is about two members of the human race—ones who don't even particularly like each other—who can reach out to each other in a difficult time.

Monster may not offer profound revelations to its readers, but is an enjoyably playful read with the creativity to keep readers absorbed and depth to keep them engaged. (less)

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May 26, 2009 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comedic-horror, comedic-fantasy-non-discworld

I really like A. Lee Martinez. I've read each of his books and I have to say I still really like him. I think I mentioned it in my review of "Automatic Detective", but I thought that was a bit of a let down, it wasn't as... I don't know, something as I was hoping for it to be. It was still fun and it was still exciting and well written, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. But again, it was good, so I can't really complain.
Monster is about a guy(Monster) who hunts monsters. Well, cryptobiologica...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Sam Sobelman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a bit of an existential crisis while reading Monster. So, this review is going to be about me. And the book. Because both of us had a crisis.
Monster is written in a style so similar to my own I had to check my hard drives to make sure that I hadn't written it and published it under a pseudonym while I was black-out drunk that one weekend at my friend's bar mitzvah in Tahoe. But I hadn't. And then I wondered.
What does this say about me? Why aren't my books getting picked up by publishers an...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Joshua rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I've been meaning to read a novel by A. Lee Martinez for sometime now, always perusing the bookstore, looking at the backs of the authors books and chuckling thinking that they were my kind of books. Since I enjoy a good Urban-fantasy novel (although recently most of the one's I've read have been mediocre at best), I decided to pick up Monster and quickly read it. It's an interesting concept, a basic animal control for mythical monsters, and it aspires very high with some wild and inventive idea...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Liza rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

Monster Dionysus is a cryptobiological rescue agent. When the noncognizant (people who can't understand that magic and monsters exist) call 911 to report a monster sighting, he goes to the scene to contain the crypto. But Monster isn't very good at his job. The runes he is supposed to use to contain cryptos keep slipping from his memory. Except, of course, for the practical joke runes he learned in community college. When Monster meets the woman who called in a yeti infestation, he realizes that...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Secoh2000 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd have to give it a 3.5 out of 5.

A quick run down of the book.

It's about a person who traps monsters for a living; with his origami gnome side kick. His life sucks and he hates it all, until he's called to the scene of a yeti attack at a uni-mart. He meets up with a young lady stocking the shelves in this uni-mart, saves her life and says adue!

Or at least he tries to...

He ends up finding himself unwittingly enthralled with this young lady in a grand scheme that involves them both! What happens...more

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Aug 20, 2010 Jessica(Spinecracker) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars
Honestly, I bought Monster because I thought the cover was pretty bad-ass, and I'm really into yellow lately. For whatever reason, I was not aware of A. Lee Martinez nor any of his stories. I sat down to start this book and 15 pages in I'm laughing my ass off, and saying "This is gonna be gooood" So I'm wondering, am I the last person to find this amazing author? But, I was reassured that "No... There's a guy in Quebec who is still holding out."

Enter a world, where magic exists but hum...more 4.5 stars
Honestly, I bought Monster because I thought the cover was pretty bad-ass, and I'm really into yellow lately. For whatever reason, I was not aware of A. Lee Martinez nor any of his stories. I sat down to start this book and 15 pages in I'm laughing my ass off, and saying "This is gonna be gooood" So I'm wondering, am I the last person to find this amazing author? But, I was reassured that "No... There's a guy in Quebec who is still holding out."

Enter a world, where magic exists but humans are just too dumb to remember it, or sometimes can't even see it right in front of them. A set of circumstances involving a Yetti, a supermarket, and the frozen foods isle put Monster, a Cryptobiological Rescuer, and Judy, a down-on-her-luck supermarket employee, on the same path.

For a guy named Monster, he sure is a pansy. He gets beat up by at least 3 girls I can remember, and complains about how bad a punch hurts when he does throw one. His girlfriend is a demon who runs his life and completely belittles him, and he wont do a thing to change it. I must say, I found his character refreshing and hilarious. Often in fantasy stories "the guy" always puts our heroine first, thinks only of others, and never falters. I liked watching what can happen when you take all of that away. Favorite Monster quote:

"Let me guess. Her name is Charity. Or Chastity. Or Modesty. Still can't figure out why angels all have stripper names."

Judy has been plagued with bad luck her whole life. So much so that she finds herself the family outcast, without friends, working at a job she hates. She quickly becomes part of something she can't possibly explain. Again, Judy's character is different than most leading ladies. She's basically given up on life and is slightly depressing. (but since I know how this story ends I think she is a symbol of hope)

For such a twisted tale, I laughed out loud A LOT. One minute Monster's girlfriend is getting completely turned on remembering how she tortured some little kids. And the next minute Judy comes off like a complete nut job writing reminders on her body so she wont forget what she's seen.

"Magic. Is. Real." She tapped her temple. "And I don't care if there is something wrong with my brain - this time, I'm going to remember."

The story is cross between Hell-boy and Beetlejuice, and a breath of fresh air. Have a case of series-itis? Go forth and read Monster and call me in the morning.
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Apr 27, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure why but it took me some time to get into this book. I bought it mostly because I've liked the whit of A. Lee Martinez's previous book In the Company of Ogres. I enjoyed this book too, but not quite as much. I think the concepts are interesting but some of the elements could do with a little more fleshing out. There seemed to be quite a bit of detail about the demonic girlfriend but little to nothing about the other side of the coin with the angels, beyond that they seem easy and may...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Reed rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun romp in the tradition of Christopher Moore, Monster details the adventures of, well, Monster--a cryptobiological containment specialist. You know, like a dogcatcher, but for mythological creatures.

When Judy (our co-protagonist) encounters a yeti sucking down all the Rocky Road ice cream where she works her dead-end job, she calls what she thinks is animal control and meets the aforementioned Monster.

Together they contain the yeti, and proceed on a series of encounters with all sorts of odd...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Christopher Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Douglas Adams

Monster is a light and frothy confection. It doesn't feel quite like a full meal on its own; perhaps one could use it as a palate cleanser between Ian McEwan's Atonement and Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

Author A. Lee Martinez appears to be having a lot of fun here. The book is an urban fantasy, and as such the magical elements are portrayed in an irreverent manner, rather than in the solemn style of Tolkienesque high fantasy. Our hero performs magic using runes (written symbols), inscribing them...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Erica M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When a Yeti is eating the ice cream in the freezers you're suppose to stock, who do you call? Naturally you call animal control. Good thing animal control works with the cryptobiological containment unit who are well equipped to handle Yeti's, Trolls, and all those others creepies who go bump in the night.

The concept of various layers of consciousness and creatures co-existing in one plane is always a fun one to work with and Martinez does it well. Think of this as a very gritty, grown up Harry...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Nick Cato rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lee's 6th novel (and the second I've read since his debut, GIL'S ALL FRIGHT DINER) deals with a color-changing human who runs a pest-control company; but he doesn't exactly go after rats and roaches. Along with his self-folding paper partner Chester, he collects ("Ghostbusters-style") all kinds of pesky "cryptobiological" creatures with his unique brand of magic, such as Yetis and all manner of mythical beasts who manage to find their way into our universe.

Despite this interesting premise (and a...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, fantasy, urban-fantasy

A. Lee Martinez is a hard author to categorize. I think the closest author to describe him would be a (slightly) less off the wall Terry Pratchett. Definitely a fun read.

Monster is about, appropriately, the main character of this book. He is not in fact a monster, but he catches them (basically like animal control for the city). In this world magic is all around us, but only a select few can see it (and most forget/justify it away shortly thereafter.. think the adults in Sunnydale (Buffy)). Mons...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, urban-fantasy

Okay, a quick one (I don't get to much reading for now - not to talk about time for reviews or writing myself):

Starts off like one of those fine Christopher Moore "Graveyard shift at the supermarket"-novels, complete with nice, quirky characters, propper lashes to Harry Potter ("Only Muggel use the word Muggel"), swift kicks at various urban fantasy tropes and a nice angle at magic.

And then takes a deep sip of an cocktail probably made of speed, LSD, energy drinks, Extasy and silverware cleaner...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Bhoswald rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first exposure to A. Lee Martinez was his book Gil's All Fright Diner, which I absolutely loved. I then read In the Company of Ogres, which I thought didn't compare or live up to the expectations I had for it based on my reaction to his first book. Monster, the third book I have read by A. Lee Martinez, I thought was a really good, fast read - especially compared to the last book I read.

Monster is about a guy named Monster and a girl named Judy. He works for the Crytobiological Containment an...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh Monster, how I wanted to love you and hug you and place you on my bookshelf to one day love you again, but I fear you have let me down. Maybe we just met at the wrong time in both our lives or maybe, maybe we just didn't click...

Monster found me one day while I was strolling through my local bookstore and he was quite out of his element canoodling with Ya contemporary Novels. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing. Who knows.
After having to end my love affair with the Living with the De...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, fantasy, humour

A funny, fast read. The characters and their situations are clever - Monster's colour-changing problem and his demon girlfriend are particularly hilarious - and I adored Chester and his wit. Judy is...annoying, but I think that's intentional, to show just how bored and annoyed SHE is.

A lot of the language is repetitive - if I hear about another crypto "transmogrifying in a flash," I'll scream - but the descriptions of the cryptos themselves and the magical system of this world are fun and cleve...more

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Nov 15, 2011 izikavazo rated it 1 of 5 stars

I slogged through this book because my room-mate, who never reads, asked me to read it. I figured if I read one of his books he'd read ten of mine. So far that didn't work. He now tells me that he didn't even make it halfway through this book, I understand why.
The author of this book forgets to give his characters goals or purposes. These are just two characters living their weird little lives for half a book. Then around halfway through you start figuring out that there's actually a villain. Th...more

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Jun 28, 2009 Monk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, humor, world_builders

This book has a great cast, it has some rather interesting ideas on magic and its role in the world. It was a lot of humor and laugh out loud moments.

It unfortunately suffers from a case of meandering story and deus ex machina.

This isn't to say it's bad. The story of Monster, a middling practitioner of magic and cryptobiological containment specialist, is amusing at least. In every other aspect though, he's your everyman - save for the fact that in his work he was bitten by a basilisk, almost di...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Melani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: monster, a-lee-martinez

A funny book about a parallel universe where our horror stories and monsters are a daily pest issue that skilled exterminators and everyday people deal with. It's a querky and interesting tale with many surprises, but if you're in search of an emotion-grasping, laugh-out-loud read, I would look elsewhere. This is a good book, but not one of A. Lee's greatest writings, and no where near as good as 'Gil's All Fright Diner'. It doesn't have as interesting characters and the stories seem so bland an...more

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About A. Lee Martinez

A. Lee Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. At the age of eighteen, for no apparent reason, he started writing novels. Thirteen short years (and a little over a dozen manuscripts) later, his first novel, Gil's All Fright Diner, was published. His hobbies include juggling, games of all sorts, and astral projecting. Also, he likes to sing along with the radio when he's in the car by himself.

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