My problem with Sense and Sensibility has always been that it is the exact same story as Pride and Prejudice. Actually there is one difference, Sense and Sensibility is told more from the perspective of the Shy sister, instead of the Sassy sister.

But enough about Austen, you want to hear about Sea Monsters.

Much like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, some strange event has transpired (in this story it is called “The Alteration”) that has made every creature of the sea, from humpback whale to sea snail, evil. Maybe evil isn’t the word, just hating out to destroy all humanity. This is the backdrop to the plot describe (twice) above.

The main characters, the Dashwood sisters and their mother, must relocate to an island because they have been kicked out of their house after their father was half eaten by a hammerhead shark.

So, effectively, they move from a large island (England) surrounded by sea life that wants to kill them to a much smaller island surrounded by sea life that wants to kill them. But I’ll get back to that.

Are there sea monster fights? Yes. There is a giant octopus attack, sea serpents, and a giant lobster attack. This book does suffer from the same issue that P&P&Z had that people continue polite conversation while people die and horrible creatures attack. This is meant to be funny, and sometimes is, but often leads the reader to wonder when Austen’s beloved characters became sociopaths. I will say that this bothered me less than it did in P&P&Z, except for in once scene.

Instead of going to London as they do in the book, the Dashwood sisters go to Sub-Marine Station Beta, which is an underwater city in a large protective dome. This is where the giant lobster attack happens, by the way. During their stay, evil swordfish (not something I get to type everyday) come and start tapping on the dome repeated in a spot on the Sisters’ window, eventually causing it to crack. At one point, the sisters are having a conversation in their sitting room while a maintenance guy goes out in a dive suit to repair the crack. The main is then attacked by the swordfish, struggles for his life, and then is gored by a swordfish, all as the Dashwood sisters chat and drink their tea. At one point he thumps on the glass in terror to get their attention. Did the Alteration make all the fish evil AND all the people doucebags?

Eventually, the swordfish with the help of a Narwhal, destroy the dome and kill thousands of people, something I could have never predicted in a reality where all the fish are EVIL!

Which brings me to my big problem with this book. England is an island, so they’ve always had a close tie to the sea, but they don’t have an underwater city now, so why would you build one in an ocean that wants to kill you! (It’s not as though our own, not evil ocean isn’t treacherous enough.) Everyone in this book has a water related occupation: there is a deep sea diver, sailors, pirates, lighthouse watchers. All facets of life: art, entertainment, fashion, transportation, are water related. People where wet suits and ride tame dolphins (How did they tame them? Who knows?). You know what I would do in a world where the ocean had turned against us? Stay away from the freaking ocean!

And don’t tell me not to bring logic into a fantasy world with sea monsters because that’s bull. It’s the authors job to answer these questions so that I don’t have to sit around wondering about them. Anything that distracts the reader from enjoying the story is the authors place to fix.

It’s impossible not to compare this book to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies because just as Jane Austen followed the same formula for S&S, Ben H. Winters follows Seth Graham-Smith’s formula to a T

Austen Book + Monster + Awesome occupation = $$$$$

Here is what Graham-Smith did:

Pride and Prejudice + Zombies + Ninjas = $$$$$

Winters:

Sense and Sensibility + Sea Monsters + Pirates = $$$ (less dollar signs because it’s ultimately less successful…Get it!)

And yes, there are pirates in this book but their appearance fizzles quickly and is not as awesome as one would think. (I felt the same about the Ninjas in the other book)

And the fact remains, these books are not as funny as they think they are. They are amusing and quirky, but NEVER did I laugh out loud with either of them.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, however, doesn’t try so hard to be funny as P&P&Z did. There is far less bodily function humor in this book (less, but it is still there) and I appreciate that. It’s also far more imaginative. Winters more convincingly creates a different world, and blends it a little better to the Austen one. More settings and situations are changed and the world is more thoroughly built. The story ALMOST feels like it was always written this way, while P&P&Z feels like a bad cut and paste job with an Austen library book, Shawn of the Dead, and a Kung fu movie. (Just kidding, Shawn of the Dead was much too funny to be associated with this.)

Let’s sum this all up. Despite the glaring issue that no one has the sense to stay away from the ocean that’s trying to kill them, I liked this story better that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Still, I’m not sure I would recommend either one to read for yourself for the following reasons:

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t funny enough.
2. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is at least quirkier and more creative.
3. Still, if you’re going to subject yourself to either, you should probably read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
4. See reason 1.

Also, keep in mind that by reading this, you’ll be reading Jane Austen. I think that many people are finding that no amount of Zombies, Ninjas, Pirates, or evil swordfish can hide the fact that NOTHING HAPPENS IN A JANE AUSTEN BOOK. No one stands up for themselves, fixes anything, takes risks, NOTHING.