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Monstrosity #2
The Monsters In Your Neighborhood
As one of Frankenstein’s Creatures, Natalie Gray knows that unique parts sometimes make up a great whole. Still, leading a diverse support group for monsters—now including Cthulhu!—isn’t an easy task. Especially not since the internet arrived.
New York City embraces the different and the bizarre. Still, even for such a fun-loving city, the supernatural and monstrous might be a bit too much. It’s been six months since the members of “Club Monstrosity” overcame the most recent spate of anti-monster violence and they’ve reestablished their routine of meeting in a church basement once a week to (ugh!) talk about their feelings. Still, they also know a war against them is brewing.
Natalie and Alec (the werewolf) have begun dating, and the mummies Kai and Rehu are tighter than a bug in a…well, bandage. But when modern means (YouTube, Twitter, bits and bytes) are used to chilp away at the solidarity of these ancient monsters, it’s up to Natalie to save the day. #MonstersInNewYork may be trending on Twitter, but this girl’s trending toward saving the day…somehow.
New York City embraces the different and the bizarre. Still, even for such a fun-loving city, the supernatural and monstrous might be a bit too much. It’s been six months since the members of “Club Monstrosity” overcame the most recent spate of anti-monster violence and they’ve reestablished their routine of meeting in a church basement once a week to (ugh!) talk about their feelings. Still, they also know a war against them is brewing.
Natalie and Alec (the werewolf) have begun dating, and the mummies Kai and Rehu are tighter than a bug in a…well, bandage. But when modern means (YouTube, Twitter, bits and bytes) are used to chilp away at the solidarity of these ancient monsters, it’s up to Natalie to save the day. #MonstersInNewYork may be trending on Twitter, but this girl’s trending toward saving the day…somehow.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2013
3 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Petersen
22 books538 followersA Facebook application once told Jesse Petersen that she'd only survive a day in a zombie outbreak, but she doesn't believe that. For one, she's a good shot and two, she has an aversion to bodily fluids, so she'd never go digging around in zombie goo. Until the zombie apocalypse, she lives in the Tucson with her husband and two cats and writes snarky urban fantasy about monsters and zombies. Find out more about the author at www.jessepetersen.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 15, 2015
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
A copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was provided to me by Pocket Star/Edelweiss for review purposes.
The Monsters in Your Neighbor picks up right where Club Monstrosity left off with the monsters set to anticipate an attack from the Van Helsings after killing of one of their own. But things have been silent, eerily silent, and they haven't heard a peep from the Van Helsing's until each monster finally receives the message they've been waiting for: "War."
Club Monstrosity possessed a highly entertaining and original idea that I was immediately keen to. A group of monsters that attend AA-type meetings together to discuss their concerns with functioning in a society that isn't aware of their existence? I love it. And I loved this installment even more than the first. The mystery has a lot of depth and twists and turns that managed to be quite surprising.
New characters have also been added to the gang: we've got Patrick, a Cthulhu relegated to living in the sewers because of the impossibility of masking his appearance and Igor, Natalie's fathers old assistant who has a new Southern accent and after some modern-day plastic surgery has had his old hump removed. I was surprised to see how incorporated into the story both were, but they were entertaining additions.
The ending left you anticipating more installments and I'm definitely on board for more Monster-drama, and really hoping more interesting Monsters get added to the gang! This is a humorous and entertaining mystery series with plenty of paranormal and plenty of fun classic horror movie references.
A copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was provided to me by Pocket Star/Edelweiss for review purposes.
The Monsters in Your Neighbor picks up right where Club Monstrosity left off with the monsters set to anticipate an attack from the Van Helsings after killing of one of their own. But things have been silent, eerily silent, and they haven't heard a peep from the Van Helsing's until each monster finally receives the message they've been waiting for: "War."
Club Monstrosity possessed a highly entertaining and original idea that I was immediately keen to. A group of monsters that attend AA-type meetings together to discuss their concerns with functioning in a society that isn't aware of their existence? I love it. And I loved this installment even more than the first. The mystery has a lot of depth and twists and turns that managed to be quite surprising.
New characters have also been added to the gang: we've got Patrick, a Cthulhu relegated to living in the sewers because of the impossibility of masking his appearance and Igor, Natalie's fathers old assistant who has a new Southern accent and after some modern-day plastic surgery has had his old hump removed. I was surprised to see how incorporated into the story both were, but they were entertaining additions.
The ending left you anticipating more installments and I'm definitely on board for more Monster-drama, and really hoping more interesting Monsters get added to the gang! This is a humorous and entertaining mystery series with plenty of paranormal and plenty of fun classic horror movie references.
August 12, 2013
Three and a half stars: A fast paced and entertaining adventure with all your favorite monsters.
It has been six months since the Van Helsing attack on the Club Monstrosity support group. The monsters have settled back into their routines, and they have resumed their weekly support meetings. A new member, Patrick a cthulhu, has joined the gang. However, the peace is short lived since the Van Helsings are dead set on starting a new war. When a video of a Frankenstein Monster attacking someone in New York goes viral, Natalie and the rest of the monsters realize they must take action immediately to prevent the Van Helsings from gaining an upper hand. Can Natalie and the rest of the Club Monstrosity stop a war?
What I Liked:
*The Monsters in Your Neighborhood picks up six months down the road and it is a fast and furious adventure. I love that these books are short so you can pick one up and read it in one sitting. Even though it is a quick read, it delivers a fun story that leaves you satisfied. If you are in the mood for novella type books that deliver and won't leave you wanting, get this series.
*Once again, I loved the creativity and new twists on the age old monster lore that we all know and love. The Frankenstein monster is a female named Natalie, and there is a lovable and smart werewolf Alec, along with the Lizard woman Linda and two centuries old mummies. There is a new addition to the line up, Patrick who is a cthulhu, which is a winged creature with tentacles on his face who lives in the sewers. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the characters, and I think the spin on the famous monsters is a blast. Even Igor, minus his humpback thanks to plastic surgery, makes an appearance in this one.
* I was excited to see the diabolical and monstrous Hyde return, and he certainly does not disappoint. Hyde is evil and scheming, a true villain, one who will thrill and chill.
* I enjoyed the fast pace of the story. The entire novel moves at a quick clip which means the plot never drags. Everything whips along at a rapid but even rate. There is never a dull moment. This book is energetic and entertaining.
*The sequel outshines its predecessor with more humor, action and adventure. This book has more depth, and I found it to be much more engaging than the first book. Hopefully, this series will continue to grow and deliver.
And The Not So Much:
*Once again, I was a bit disappointed with the romance between Alec and Natalie. In the first book, there is an attraction and it moves quickly to a romantic relationship. I was expecting this time around for a little more heat and spark, but it remains a bit on the shallow side. I would love to know more about how a wolf and a Frankenstein monster make their romance work. The bit of romance that is present is enjoyable, and I do like the relationship between the two. This is an urban fantasy, and books in the UF genre are not known for romance. So if you are a true UF connoisseur, you won't be feel cheated by the fast romance.
*I am completely unfamiliar with the cthulhu. I wanted a bit more description and detail on this monster. What are its powers? Weaknesses? I don't think I am the only one who hasn't encountered this sewer dwelling, tentacled creation. Aside from being ignorant on the cthulhu, I found Patrick to be a thoroughly likable character, one I hope to get to know better down the road.
*The ending is a bit open, not a cliffhanger, but here are some interesting ideas presented on how the monsters are going to deal with the latest threat of exposure to the humans courtesy of the Van Helsings. I am very curious as to how things will develop, and I am hoping there will be a third installment.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood did not disappoint with its fun storyline, entertaining monsters and fast, adventure packed pace. If you are a fan of books that you can whip through in one sitting and you enjoy monsters, definitely give this series a whirl. I love the ingenious twists on the old favorite monsters.
Favorite Quotations:
"Rehu was another mummy. The mummy, if you wanted to get technical about it. He was also Kai's super-longtime off-and-on boyfriend (think thousands of years of Facebook status changes) and a former member of their group."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
It has been six months since the Van Helsing attack on the Club Monstrosity support group. The monsters have settled back into their routines, and they have resumed their weekly support meetings. A new member, Patrick a cthulhu, has joined the gang. However, the peace is short lived since the Van Helsings are dead set on starting a new war. When a video of a Frankenstein Monster attacking someone in New York goes viral, Natalie and the rest of the monsters realize they must take action immediately to prevent the Van Helsings from gaining an upper hand. Can Natalie and the rest of the Club Monstrosity stop a war?
What I Liked:
*The Monsters in Your Neighborhood picks up six months down the road and it is a fast and furious adventure. I love that these books are short so you can pick one up and read it in one sitting. Even though it is a quick read, it delivers a fun story that leaves you satisfied. If you are in the mood for novella type books that deliver and won't leave you wanting, get this series.
*Once again, I loved the creativity and new twists on the age old monster lore that we all know and love. The Frankenstein monster is a female named Natalie, and there is a lovable and smart werewolf Alec, along with the Lizard woman Linda and two centuries old mummies. There is a new addition to the line up, Patrick who is a cthulhu, which is a winged creature with tentacles on his face who lives in the sewers. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the characters, and I think the spin on the famous monsters is a blast. Even Igor, minus his humpback thanks to plastic surgery, makes an appearance in this one.
* I was excited to see the diabolical and monstrous Hyde return, and he certainly does not disappoint. Hyde is evil and scheming, a true villain, one who will thrill and chill.
* I enjoyed the fast pace of the story. The entire novel moves at a quick clip which means the plot never drags. Everything whips along at a rapid but even rate. There is never a dull moment. This book is energetic and entertaining.
*The sequel outshines its predecessor with more humor, action and adventure. This book has more depth, and I found it to be much more engaging than the first book. Hopefully, this series will continue to grow and deliver.
And The Not So Much:
*Once again, I was a bit disappointed with the romance between Alec and Natalie. In the first book, there is an attraction and it moves quickly to a romantic relationship. I was expecting this time around for a little more heat and spark, but it remains a bit on the shallow side. I would love to know more about how a wolf and a Frankenstein monster make their romance work. The bit of romance that is present is enjoyable, and I do like the relationship between the two. This is an urban fantasy, and books in the UF genre are not known for romance. So if you are a true UF connoisseur, you won't be feel cheated by the fast romance.
*I am completely unfamiliar with the cthulhu. I wanted a bit more description and detail on this monster. What are its powers? Weaknesses? I don't think I am the only one who hasn't encountered this sewer dwelling, tentacled creation. Aside from being ignorant on the cthulhu, I found Patrick to be a thoroughly likable character, one I hope to get to know better down the road.
*The ending is a bit open, not a cliffhanger, but here are some interesting ideas presented on how the monsters are going to deal with the latest threat of exposure to the humans courtesy of the Van Helsings. I am very curious as to how things will develop, and I am hoping there will be a third installment.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood did not disappoint with its fun storyline, entertaining monsters and fast, adventure packed pace. If you are a fan of books that you can whip through in one sitting and you enjoy monsters, definitely give this series a whirl. I love the ingenious twists on the old favorite monsters.
Favorite Quotations:
"Rehu was another mummy. The mummy, if you wanted to get technical about it. He was also Kai's super-longtime off-and-on boyfriend (think thousands of years of Facebook status changes) and a former member of their group."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
June 14, 2013
If you ever find yourself with some time on a lazy afternoon, in the mood for a book that's light, funny and just a little silly, I highly recommend the Monstrosity series by Jesse Petersen. They're super quick reads and are like pure fluffy cotton candy for the brain. Anyway, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This one is actually a follow-up to Club Monstrosity, in which we were first introduced to the motley crew of monsters who meets twice a week in a church basement for their Monstofelldosis Anonymous support group. After the events of that first book, however, the topics of their meetings have understandably shifted from more touchy-feely subjects to war planning and preparations for their fight against the descendent of fiction's most famous monster hunter and his family, the Van Helsings.
The old gang is back -- minus the few we lost in the first book, of course, but there are a couple new additions to the cast as well. Speaking of which, why, yes that is indeed Cthulhu you see on the right side of the cover. I admit my inner Lovecraftian horror fan danced a little jig in glee at the appearance of Patrick, even if the thought of an Old One cavorting with the likes of Natalie, Alec, Kai et al. is more than a bit surreal.
This was a cute story, very funny, and quite similar in nature to the first book, except with more casual swearing than I think I remember. If you're in the mood for a "popcorn book" or something to lift your spirits or give yourself a break from the stress, this does the trick. It's told in a very good-humored, teasing way, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
Thrusting the issue of social media into the lives of these characters, some of whom are hundreds if not thousands of years old, is also a nice touch. Dracula with an iPhone still cracks me up, though I think the image of Igor watching Sex and the City might give him a run for his money. Like I've said before in past reviews, it always fascinates me to see authors tackle re-tellings or satirical takes on fairy tales and classic literature, and putting a light spin on movie monsters ranks up there on my list of interesting ideas.
This one is actually a follow-up to Club Monstrosity, in which we were first introduced to the motley crew of monsters who meets twice a week in a church basement for their Monstofelldosis Anonymous support group. After the events of that first book, however, the topics of their meetings have understandably shifted from more touchy-feely subjects to war planning and preparations for their fight against the descendent of fiction's most famous monster hunter and his family, the Van Helsings.
The old gang is back -- minus the few we lost in the first book, of course, but there are a couple new additions to the cast as well. Speaking of which, why, yes that is indeed Cthulhu you see on the right side of the cover. I admit my inner Lovecraftian horror fan danced a little jig in glee at the appearance of Patrick, even if the thought of an Old One cavorting with the likes of Natalie, Alec, Kai et al. is more than a bit surreal.
This was a cute story, very funny, and quite similar in nature to the first book, except with more casual swearing than I think I remember. If you're in the mood for a "popcorn book" or something to lift your spirits or give yourself a break from the stress, this does the trick. It's told in a very good-humored, teasing way, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
Thrusting the issue of social media into the lives of these characters, some of whom are hundreds if not thousands of years old, is also a nice touch. Dracula with an iPhone still cracks me up, though I think the image of Igor watching Sex and the City might give him a run for his money. Like I've said before in past reviews, it always fascinates me to see authors tackle re-tellings or satirical takes on fairy tales and classic literature, and putting a light spin on movie monsters ranks up there on my list of interesting ideas.
July 25, 2013
Initial thoughts: The premise of this series is quite original. A bunch of "monsters" meet for a support group in a church basement. You have a vampire, a werewolf, a couple of mummies, a swamp creature, and a Frankenstein creation - kind of sounds like the start of a joke. In this book, the Van Helsings declare war on our monsters. It's a fun, light read and will most likely get a chuckle or two.
My review: What if those horror movie monsters were real? Where would they live? In New York City, of course! The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is an amusing little sequel to Club Monstrosity where we were introduced to our cast of “monsters.”
In this book the Van Helsing family (yes, those Van Helsings) has declared war on the monsters. The Van Helsings are now using modern day technology as their battle tactics: they are trying to “out” the monsters on social media. Instead of wooden stakes, pitch forks, and the like the Van Helsings are using YouTube and Twitter to turn the population of New York against the monsters. This leads to some funny hashtags.
I loved the author’s take on the “monsters.” Basically, they are just like us, only a little monstrous. All they want is to live normal lives. They meet regularly in a church basement for their monster support group. There’s Natalie the Frankenstein creation (she’s not a Frankenstein – that’s the doctor’s name!), the mummies Kai and Rehu, whiny and insecure Swamp Creature Linda aka Fish Sticks, Drake the vampire, Alec the werewolf, and Pat the Cthuhulu.
The interactions between the characters are quite entertaining and I found myself chuckling throughout. Personally, I found this book weaker than its predecessor, perhaps because the first book was a quicker read for me. While the story is still interesting, it lacked the spark of the first book. However I would still recommend this for a fun, light summer vacation read.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Star for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
My review: What if those horror movie monsters were real? Where would they live? In New York City, of course! The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is an amusing little sequel to Club Monstrosity where we were introduced to our cast of “monsters.”
In this book the Van Helsing family (yes, those Van Helsings) has declared war on the monsters. The Van Helsings are now using modern day technology as their battle tactics: they are trying to “out” the monsters on social media. Instead of wooden stakes, pitch forks, and the like the Van Helsings are using YouTube and Twitter to turn the population of New York against the monsters. This leads to some funny hashtags.
I loved the author’s take on the “monsters.” Basically, they are just like us, only a little monstrous. All they want is to live normal lives. They meet regularly in a church basement for their monster support group. There’s Natalie the Frankenstein creation (she’s not a Frankenstein – that’s the doctor’s name!), the mummies Kai and Rehu, whiny and insecure Swamp Creature Linda aka Fish Sticks, Drake the vampire, Alec the werewolf, and Pat the Cthuhulu.
The interactions between the characters are quite entertaining and I found myself chuckling throughout. Personally, I found this book weaker than its predecessor, perhaps because the first book was a quicker read for me. While the story is still interesting, it lacked the spark of the first book. However I would still recommend this for a fun, light summer vacation read.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Star for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
July 28, 2013
I loved this! It was such a fun story with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, a mystery with plenty of twists, and the introduction of two new monsters that I hope we'll see more of in future installments.
I enjoyed the protagonist, Natalie, even more this time around and I really like how she is with Alec. They're an adorable couple and compliment each other perfectly. Almost everything involving Alec had me cracking up, especially references to his PMS (Pre-Moon Syndrome) and the humor starts almost from the very beginning.
The story centers around the Van Helsings' declaration of war. Natalie and her support group of monsters consisting of a werewolf, a swamp dweller, a mummy, a vampire, and a few new additions, must work together to keep everyone safe and to stop whoever is outing them to the public.
This proves to be a difficult task because tensions are running high, one group member is feeling neglected, and not everyone has a deep level of trust for their fellow monsters. So there are as many obstacles to overcome within their group as there are threats to worry about from the outside.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood was a wildly entertaining read from start to finish and I'm anxious to see what kind of trouble Natalie and Alec will get in to next. If you love urban fantasy with tons of humor and creativity, then you must read Petersen's Club Monstrosity series!
Favorite quotes:
"Operation Destroy Their Power is in full swing," Natalie continued.
Drake sighed. "Why do we have to call it that?"
"Because it's awesome," Natalie said.
"But my human name is easier to pronounce. I do not think you even have the syllables in English to attempt the original. Perhaps, when I know you better, I shall whisper it to you for when you wish to worship."
"Kai slammed the laptop lid and glared at them. "You two should break up; you are awful together."
"I think we're kind of cute ... " Alec quipped, with a grin for Natalie."
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
I enjoyed the protagonist, Natalie, even more this time around and I really like how she is with Alec. They're an adorable couple and compliment each other perfectly. Almost everything involving Alec had me cracking up, especially references to his PMS (Pre-Moon Syndrome) and the humor starts almost from the very beginning.
The story centers around the Van Helsings' declaration of war. Natalie and her support group of monsters consisting of a werewolf, a swamp dweller, a mummy, a vampire, and a few new additions, must work together to keep everyone safe and to stop whoever is outing them to the public.
This proves to be a difficult task because tensions are running high, one group member is feeling neglected, and not everyone has a deep level of trust for their fellow monsters. So there are as many obstacles to overcome within their group as there are threats to worry about from the outside.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood was a wildly entertaining read from start to finish and I'm anxious to see what kind of trouble Natalie and Alec will get in to next. If you love urban fantasy with tons of humor and creativity, then you must read Petersen's Club Monstrosity series!
Favorite quotes:
"Operation Destroy Their Power is in full swing," Natalie continued.
Drake sighed. "Why do we have to call it that?"
"Because it's awesome," Natalie said.
"But my human name is easier to pronounce. I do not think you even have the syllables in English to attempt the original. Perhaps, when I know you better, I shall whisper it to you for when you wish to worship."
"Kai slammed the laptop lid and glared at them. "You two should break up; you are awful together."
"I think we're kind of cute ... " Alec quipped, with a grin for Natalie."
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
November 29, 2025
Wow! What a quirky, fun take on the monsters living among the city throng of New York City.
You might not know this but the “monsters” of your nightmares have taken residence right next door. They meet at the the local church hall to discuss relevant issues/feelings calling themselves “Club Monstrosity”. They even have relationship problems. They are trying to live the American dream until an unknown “Frankenstein” type monster starts to terrorize and attack the local humans. Can they solve the mystery behind the unknown monster before they are pushed into a life of hiding to avoid being killed off? Will they find true love? You'll have to check out The Monster In Your Neighborhood.
I was completely amazed by this story. Jesse Petersen completely revamps the “monster” persona by dropping them in everyday life circumstances and adding a mystery with a twist. Wonderfully constructed story for an entertaining, utterly original, and flat-out fun read. Pick up The Monsters In Your Neighborhood leave your troubles and reality behind and just enjoy this charming, humorist story.
This ARC copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was given to me by Simon & Schuster - Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication July 29, 2013.
You might not know this but the “monsters” of your nightmares have taken residence right next door. They meet at the the local church hall to discuss relevant issues/feelings calling themselves “Club Monstrosity”. They even have relationship problems. They are trying to live the American dream until an unknown “Frankenstein” type monster starts to terrorize and attack the local humans. Can they solve the mystery behind the unknown monster before they are pushed into a life of hiding to avoid being killed off? Will they find true love? You'll have to check out The Monster In Your Neighborhood.
I was completely amazed by this story. Jesse Petersen completely revamps the “monster” persona by dropping them in everyday life circumstances and adding a mystery with a twist. Wonderfully constructed story for an entertaining, utterly original, and flat-out fun read. Pick up The Monsters In Your Neighborhood leave your troubles and reality behind and just enjoy this charming, humorist story.
This ARC copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was given to me by Simon & Schuster - Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication July 29, 2013.
May 11, 2013
The story starts out 6 months later from where the last one left off. The Van Helsings are causing drama trying to expose the monsters.
Half way through the group starts to turn on each other with all the confusing going on with how to finish this war with the Helsings.
Great action scene at the end with the final Twitter post.
The monsters are coming #dontbescared. Can't wait to see what Jesse does with the next one.
Half way through the group starts to turn on each other with all the confusing going on with how to finish this war with the Helsings.
Great action scene at the end with the final Twitter post.
The monsters are coming #dontbescared. Can't wait to see what Jesse does with the next one.
March 26, 2018
3,5++ stars! Even more fun than the first book!
What's not to like about 'TMIYN'? The Wolf Man and one of Frankenstein's creations are DATING (guess who gets the PMS?), their whole monster help group lives and breathes (?) in New York and to replace one of the characters from Book 1, we get to know Pat, the resident Chthulu. I love it! Jesse Petersen's characters continue to be extremely (un)human and well-rounded, easily earning their own level of acceptance or deserved scorn! Monstrosity #2 continues the fun ride we started in Book 1 and ratchets the action up a notch! Surprises await around every corner - or at least every junction in the sewer - and the ending will have you saying 'yes, please, that would be awesome!' I think both books are excellent compliments to any author that treats such characters with respect including most recently (at least to my experience) Vivian Shaw's "Strange Practice" and naturally A.Lee Martinez!
If I had to nitpick and find anything to complain about, I'd probably harp on the same points I made about book 1. First, the book is too short (MORE MORE MORE! they cried) and the ending a bit rushed, albeit not quite as much so as in the first tome. But this is a book I'd happily pick up again one day and enjoy all over again!
Having said that: WHAT HAS BECOME OF JESSE PETERSEN? I can't find anything about her on the Interweb and her own site is deactivated!
What's not to like about 'TMIYN'? The Wolf Man and one of Frankenstein's creations are DATING (guess who gets the PMS?), their whole monster help group lives and breathes (?) in New York and to replace one of the characters from Book 1, we get to know Pat, the resident Chthulu. I love it! Jesse Petersen's characters continue to be extremely (un)human and well-rounded, easily earning their own level of acceptance or deserved scorn! Monstrosity #2 continues the fun ride we started in Book 1 and ratchets the action up a notch! Surprises await around every corner - or at least every junction in the sewer - and the ending will have you saying 'yes, please, that would be awesome!' I think both books are excellent compliments to any author that treats such characters with respect including most recently (at least to my experience) Vivian Shaw's "Strange Practice" and naturally A.Lee Martinez!
If I had to nitpick and find anything to complain about, I'd probably harp on the same points I made about book 1. First, the book is too short (MORE MORE MORE! they cried) and the ending a bit rushed, albeit not quite as much so as in the first tome. But this is a book I'd happily pick up again one day and enjoy all over again!
Having said that: WHAT HAS BECOME OF JESSE PETERSEN? I can't find anything about her on the Interweb and her own site is deactivated!
August 5, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: It’s the age old battle of monsters versus humans, but brand new technology gives provides unexpected leverage.
Opening Sentence: If only the Blob hadn’t died, Natalie never would have been in this position.
The Review:
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood picks up six months after Club Monstrosity. Natalie and the other monsters have fallen back into their normal routines. She and Alec are nursing their budding relationship and the group has welcomed a new member to the group, a Cthulhu named Pat. They all know it’s the calm before the storm, the first hint? A video of a huge monster ripping the arm off some homeless man in Central Park goes viral on the internet and being as tech savvy as he is, Alec the werewolf is the first to find it. Because she works at the city morgue, Natalie is the one to confirm that this video is no prank. Her boss shows her the body of a hobo missing all of one arm. This video sets the whole group into motion, but one member seems a little off her game.
Linda the swam dweller is usually a sobbing, whining mess at the first hint of bad news. She is easily the single most annoying character I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Natalie fully expects the full waterworks when she and Alec give the group the information about this video but instead Linda is cool as a cucumber and ready to act. I found it super odd that no one really commented on this. The only one who reflects on the extreme personality shift is Alec who suddenly notices how pretty Linda could be if she didn’t have to wear her “human” make up all the time. It’s a little odd how he takes several minutes to reflect on the colors of her scales and the fierceness she’s been hiding from them all these years. Come to find out, the swamp dweller has a mysterious new boyfriend-another fact no one in this group decides to think too much on until it is entirely too late. As slow as the group is to pick up on Linda’s sudden and extreme character shift, they are super quick on the uptake when Alec goes missing and then shows up a little less than two days later with memory loss.
Now between the video, the missing werewolf and the not so subtle sticky notes with the word WAR written above a VH signature, it’s not too terribly difficult to figure out that the Van Helsing family is up to something. That something is a evil and genius plot that brings this book into the 21st century. Rather than spur up mobs of angry villagers themselves, the Van Helsing family has started a Twitter feed with the hashtag #killthemonsters which starts gaining followers almost immediately after the video surfaces. By posting videos and pictures of Natalie and the others, the Van Helsing’s won’t have to lift a finger to fight, crazy followers will do it for them. That’s right. This war is now virtual.
I thought the use of Twitter and YouTube in this novel were creative and amusing, but it really took something away for me. It is stressed repeatedly in the story, how much the Van Helsing’s hate the monsters. Every detail about this family features the looks of disgust and air of superiority the family feels over the monsters but for all that hate, for all that anger and built up years of aggression, all they are going to do is post some stuff on the internet? Really? Right before the battle they have plans and strategies and I got super psyched up for an intense fight, decades in the making. Peterson manages to get a fairly intense fight scene into the book and I really enjoyed reading it. It was what I had been looking forward to the entire time, but I was disappointed. The fight was short lived and ended in a way that left me feeling extremely let down.
Peterson kept her characters familiar and the plot moved forward quickly. It was a good sequel and I felt that she left an opening for a trilogy, but if that’s the case I hope social media plays a smaller role.
Notable Scene:
“Why turn on us?” Natalie pressed, this time softer. He glared at her. “Jekyll was the only one who ever kept me from destroying you all in teh first palce. Do you think I wanted to go to that pathetic fucking group every week? To sit in that disguting basement and talk about feeelings and hear you whine about your little problems? If you had been monsters-real monstesr- it might have been one thing, but you all want to be human.” “And you want to kill humans,” Kai finished softly. He shrugged. “Most of the time. Especially since they killed my brother. Any of you could have prevented that. Any one of you could have saved him.” “How?” Natalie asked. “We were trying as hard as we could to figure out who was attacking us. If i had known, I would have done anything in the world to stop her even earlier.” “Ah, that’s right, yourl ittle investigation. Instead of just attacking the person who was following us.” Hyde shook his head in disgust. “So you hate me,” Natlie said. “Fine. But why go after Alec and Kai and Rehu, and why work with the Van Helsings?” “Because it’s easier to kill all those birds with one stone, my dear. The Van Helsings will be easy to take care of when I’m ready.” “Even with the Creature they control?” Natalie asked. He smiled. “You don’t think I have ways to alter that control? Other remotes, timers, a dozen other plans?” Hyde pushed to his feet and when Rehu moved on him he wagged his finger back and forth. “I wouldnt do that if I were you.” Slowly he pointed behind them. Natalie turned and gasped. Linda was standing in the entryway to the room with a basket containg a thic, ancient book and a small white controller in one hand, and a gun in the other. A gun trained on everyone and anyone in the room except Hyde.
FTC Advisory: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: It’s the age old battle of monsters versus humans, but brand new technology gives provides unexpected leverage.
Opening Sentence: If only the Blob hadn’t died, Natalie never would have been in this position.
The Review:
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood picks up six months after Club Monstrosity. Natalie and the other monsters have fallen back into their normal routines. She and Alec are nursing their budding relationship and the group has welcomed a new member to the group, a Cthulhu named Pat. They all know it’s the calm before the storm, the first hint? A video of a huge monster ripping the arm off some homeless man in Central Park goes viral on the internet and being as tech savvy as he is, Alec the werewolf is the first to find it. Because she works at the city morgue, Natalie is the one to confirm that this video is no prank. Her boss shows her the body of a hobo missing all of one arm. This video sets the whole group into motion, but one member seems a little off her game.
Linda the swam dweller is usually a sobbing, whining mess at the first hint of bad news. She is easily the single most annoying character I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Natalie fully expects the full waterworks when she and Alec give the group the information about this video but instead Linda is cool as a cucumber and ready to act. I found it super odd that no one really commented on this. The only one who reflects on the extreme personality shift is Alec who suddenly notices how pretty Linda could be if she didn’t have to wear her “human” make up all the time. It’s a little odd how he takes several minutes to reflect on the colors of her scales and the fierceness she’s been hiding from them all these years. Come to find out, the swamp dweller has a mysterious new boyfriend-another fact no one in this group decides to think too much on until it is entirely too late. As slow as the group is to pick up on Linda’s sudden and extreme character shift, they are super quick on the uptake when Alec goes missing and then shows up a little less than two days later with memory loss.
Now between the video, the missing werewolf and the not so subtle sticky notes with the word WAR written above a VH signature, it’s not too terribly difficult to figure out that the Van Helsing family is up to something. That something is a evil and genius plot that brings this book into the 21st century. Rather than spur up mobs of angry villagers themselves, the Van Helsing family has started a Twitter feed with the hashtag #killthemonsters which starts gaining followers almost immediately after the video surfaces. By posting videos and pictures of Natalie and the others, the Van Helsing’s won’t have to lift a finger to fight, crazy followers will do it for them. That’s right. This war is now virtual.
I thought the use of Twitter and YouTube in this novel were creative and amusing, but it really took something away for me. It is stressed repeatedly in the story, how much the Van Helsing’s hate the monsters. Every detail about this family features the looks of disgust and air of superiority the family feels over the monsters but for all that hate, for all that anger and built up years of aggression, all they are going to do is post some stuff on the internet? Really? Right before the battle they have plans and strategies and I got super psyched up for an intense fight, decades in the making. Peterson manages to get a fairly intense fight scene into the book and I really enjoyed reading it. It was what I had been looking forward to the entire time, but I was disappointed. The fight was short lived and ended in a way that left me feeling extremely let down.
Peterson kept her characters familiar and the plot moved forward quickly. It was a good sequel and I felt that she left an opening for a trilogy, but if that’s the case I hope social media plays a smaller role.
Notable Scene:
“Why turn on us?” Natalie pressed, this time softer. He glared at her. “Jekyll was the only one who ever kept me from destroying you all in teh first palce. Do you think I wanted to go to that pathetic fucking group every week? To sit in that disguting basement and talk about feeelings and hear you whine about your little problems? If you had been monsters-real monstesr- it might have been one thing, but you all want to be human.” “And you want to kill humans,” Kai finished softly. He shrugged. “Most of the time. Especially since they killed my brother. Any of you could have prevented that. Any one of you could have saved him.” “How?” Natalie asked. “We were trying as hard as we could to figure out who was attacking us. If i had known, I would have done anything in the world to stop her even earlier.” “Ah, that’s right, yourl ittle investigation. Instead of just attacking the person who was following us.” Hyde shook his head in disgust. “So you hate me,” Natlie said. “Fine. But why go after Alec and Kai and Rehu, and why work with the Van Helsings?” “Because it’s easier to kill all those birds with one stone, my dear. The Van Helsings will be easy to take care of when I’m ready.” “Even with the Creature they control?” Natalie asked. He smiled. “You don’t think I have ways to alter that control? Other remotes, timers, a dozen other plans?” Hyde pushed to his feet and when Rehu moved on him he wagged his finger back and forth. “I wouldnt do that if I were you.” Slowly he pointed behind them. Natalie turned and gasped. Linda was standing in the entryway to the room with a basket containg a thic, ancient book and a small white controller in one hand, and a gun in the other. A gun trained on everyone and anyone in the room except Hyde.
FTC Advisory: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Monsters In Your Neighborhood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 17, 2013
When last we met Natalie, Alec, Kai, Drake and Linda, they had discovered the Van Helsings were behind the murders of their fellow monsters. And now the Van Helsings have declared all out war on the monsters of New York City. The family want them dead, and our Monster Group are trying to survive, and at the same time, not be outed.
When a video surfaces on YouTube of a monster attack in a park, the gang are terrified that their existence is about to be known. And Natalie – who long thought herself the last of Frankenstein’s Creatures – thinks she can identify the monster as one of her father’s creatures. Just like her. While she’s dealing the ramifications of that, she also has to deal with her love for Alec the Wolfman, and the dangerous secret he doesn’t know he has.
We’ve got a new monster joining the group! Cthulhu! Or rather, Patrick, if you please. Due to the full deformation of his body, Patrick lives in the sewers, cloaking himself when he has to rise to the surface, hoping he won’t be seen by humans. And we also have the addition of Igor, Frankenstein’s assistant. A small man, he’s had plastic surgery to remove his hump and speaks with a Southern accent. He’s also an interior designer. Cos he’s like, an assistant, ok? And assistants like to help. Which is basically the entire meaning of his existence, to help. :D
Once again, Jesse Petersen has given us a wonderful, witty, fun tale of what it would be like to be a monster living in present day. Trying to hold down a normal job, moving amongst humans without being discovered, just trying to live their lives as normally as they possibly can. And adding social media to the mix, The Monsters in Your Neighborhood has become just that little bit more real. If this were Real Life, if we really did have the monsters like Cthulhu, Dracula, Frankenstein’s Creature, The Wolf Man, living among us, I really do believe social media is where we’d discover them.
Back before YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook; back before the internet even (yes kiddies, there really was a time before the Internet) – how did we find out things? We looked up books in the library. We watched the news and heard about things at 6pm at night. Or the next morning when we read the newspaper. We didn’t find out things instantly like we do today. The second you turn on your computer, you are finding out things that have happened since you logged off. You don’t have to wait for the news that night, or the newspaper in the morning. Remember one of the greatest twists of All Time? “Luke, I am your father”. How did you find out about that? If you were extremely unlucky, a friend who had already seen the movie told you. Or perhaps a la Family Guy you heard someone in the line at the movies. But the majority of us found out as we sitting in the cinema, watching it happen. Nowadays, we’d have had that spoiler splashed all over the Net and would know about it a long time before the movie even hit our town.
If Frankenstein’s Creature really was living in New York City, she would have been outed very quickly. When any person who owns a camera and has an Internet connection can upload videos that can go viral immediately, it wouldn’t be much of a secret for very long. And that’s the war that the Van Helsings are fighting against our friendly monsters. Twittering, YouTubeing – they want to out the monsters and have the whole world know they are real. And Natalie is terrified that it will be back to the not-so-good ol’ days of pitchforks and fires and mobs.
Natalie needs to pull the group together to fight the Van Helsings. Plus they haven’t forgotten about Hyde – the psychopathic alter-ego of Jekyll who is roaming around, whereabouts unknown. She also has to find out if there really is another of her father’s creations out there, and if it’s him that is killing.
The ending has a wonderful twist that I loved – nah, not gonna spill here – that has me very excited and looking forward to the next installment in the Club Monstrosity series. Jesse Petersen writes a fast-paced, fun, and very relevant in today’s world, story about a bunch of people (yep, these guys may be “monsters” but they are just like you and me, trying to live their lives in this world) who need to save themselves, and make sure no more humans die.
When a video surfaces on YouTube of a monster attack in a park, the gang are terrified that their existence is about to be known. And Natalie – who long thought herself the last of Frankenstein’s Creatures – thinks she can identify the monster as one of her father’s creatures. Just like her. While she’s dealing the ramifications of that, she also has to deal with her love for Alec the Wolfman, and the dangerous secret he doesn’t know he has.
We’ve got a new monster joining the group! Cthulhu! Or rather, Patrick, if you please. Due to the full deformation of his body, Patrick lives in the sewers, cloaking himself when he has to rise to the surface, hoping he won’t be seen by humans. And we also have the addition of Igor, Frankenstein’s assistant. A small man, he’s had plastic surgery to remove his hump and speaks with a Southern accent. He’s also an interior designer. Cos he’s like, an assistant, ok? And assistants like to help. Which is basically the entire meaning of his existence, to help. :D
Once again, Jesse Petersen has given us a wonderful, witty, fun tale of what it would be like to be a monster living in present day. Trying to hold down a normal job, moving amongst humans without being discovered, just trying to live their lives as normally as they possibly can. And adding social media to the mix, The Monsters in Your Neighborhood has become just that little bit more real. If this were Real Life, if we really did have the monsters like Cthulhu, Dracula, Frankenstein’s Creature, The Wolf Man, living among us, I really do believe social media is where we’d discover them.
Back before YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook; back before the internet even (yes kiddies, there really was a time before the Internet) – how did we find out things? We looked up books in the library. We watched the news and heard about things at 6pm at night. Or the next morning when we read the newspaper. We didn’t find out things instantly like we do today. The second you turn on your computer, you are finding out things that have happened since you logged off. You don’t have to wait for the news that night, or the newspaper in the morning. Remember one of the greatest twists of All Time? “Luke, I am your father”. How did you find out about that? If you were extremely unlucky, a friend who had already seen the movie told you. Or perhaps a la Family Guy you heard someone in the line at the movies. But the majority of us found out as we sitting in the cinema, watching it happen. Nowadays, we’d have had that spoiler splashed all over the Net and would know about it a long time before the movie even hit our town.
If Frankenstein’s Creature really was living in New York City, she would have been outed very quickly. When any person who owns a camera and has an Internet connection can upload videos that can go viral immediately, it wouldn’t be much of a secret for very long. And that’s the war that the Van Helsings are fighting against our friendly monsters. Twittering, YouTubeing – they want to out the monsters and have the whole world know they are real. And Natalie is terrified that it will be back to the not-so-good ol’ days of pitchforks and fires and mobs.
Natalie needs to pull the group together to fight the Van Helsings. Plus they haven’t forgotten about Hyde – the psychopathic alter-ego of Jekyll who is roaming around, whereabouts unknown. She also has to find out if there really is another of her father’s creations out there, and if it’s him that is killing.
The ending has a wonderful twist that I loved – nah, not gonna spill here – that has me very excited and looking forward to the next installment in the Club Monstrosity series. Jesse Petersen writes a fast-paced, fun, and very relevant in today’s world, story about a bunch of people (yep, these guys may be “monsters” but they are just like you and me, trying to live their lives in this world) who need to save themselves, and make sure no more humans die.
July 29, 2013
3.5 Stars
I've always wanted to secretly be a witch. Ever since "Bewitched" was on tv ("Google it" you youngsters), I wanted my mom to some day tell me that she was like Samantha and I was like Tabitha and we had super cool powers that only took mastering the nose twitch to activate. I never could twitch my nose so I thought that was the only thing holding me back. I knew in my heart of hearts that weird creatures existed. We grown-ups call them "supernaturals". I call them cool and it would be so awesome if they did exist the way they do in Jesse Petersen's Monstrosity world.
This is the second book in her urban fantasy series and Frankenstein's creature, wolfman, Dracula, two mummies, a lizard lady and now a cthulhu are trying to stay one step ahead of technology so they can continue hiding in plain site in New York City. Yep, you guessed it, with the rest of the freaks...
Story / Tempo / World Building
As far as urban fantasy stories (and series) go, this one is a super quick read because both books in the series are on the shorter side. The world is New York City (easy to imagine) and the monsters are all fabled characters we all grew up knowing and loving.
Our monsters need a little help though. They need each other so they can work together to keep themselves hidden from the humans. Especially if they want to continue acting like humans and enjoying the lives they've established in New York City. One thing they've established to help with this are their support group meetings.
The book starts out (just like the first one) in another support group meeting but this time, it's Natalie who is trying to run the meeting the same way Bob (aka Blob) did in the past. Already things aren't going well for her when everyone in attendance shows her a note they received. This note simply says one word, "war". It only gets worse as reports of monster attacks goes public and the gang is left trying to figure out who is attacking the humans. If you read the first book, you might have an inkling who it could be.
But this story isn't that straightforward. It whips around, toys a little with you but because it's short, it wraps up quickly. It's not an overly deep story and doesn't delve too much into the the character's relationships. It's just a straightforward urban fantasy, light on relationships. I kind of wished we had more on Alec and Natalie's newly found "coupledom". I mean, we did, but it really didn't satisfy me.
Characters
I mean, Alec has proven that deep down, he really cares for Natalie but Ms. Petersen never took it another step further. Alec is so much more than the goofball he portrays on the outside. He's this really smart leader who I believe just pretends to be dumb so he can enjoy his long existence with dumb distractions. I really wish he would come out and say, "HA! I'm alpha, hear my roar! I mark you, Natalie, to be my mate. Roooooaaarrrr!". Guess maybe I was looking for something that just isn't going to be there, even with the little hints I thought I saw *sad face*.
I do like Natalie. Her character has stayed consistent through both books. And we get to see a completely different angle to her life in this book. Something I completely didn't think about in the last book that totally made this book for me! Yes, I'm being vague on purpose but I don't do spoilers. I'm hardcore like that.
If you need an escape for just one evening, crave a fun urban fantasy, and don't want to get tied down with heavy world building - basically get in, get out, smile at the end - then this is the book and series for you! Sometimes its just fun to play pretend for a few hours. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do my daily nose aerobics.
Review appears on
I've always wanted to secretly be a witch. Ever since "Bewitched" was on tv ("Google it" you youngsters), I wanted my mom to some day tell me that she was like Samantha and I was like Tabitha and we had super cool powers that only took mastering the nose twitch to activate. I never could twitch my nose so I thought that was the only thing holding me back. I knew in my heart of hearts that weird creatures existed. We grown-ups call them "supernaturals". I call them cool and it would be so awesome if they did exist the way they do in Jesse Petersen's Monstrosity world.
This is the second book in her urban fantasy series and Frankenstein's creature, wolfman, Dracula, two mummies, a lizard lady and now a cthulhu are trying to stay one step ahead of technology so they can continue hiding in plain site in New York City. Yep, you guessed it, with the rest of the freaks...
Story / Tempo / World Building
As far as urban fantasy stories (and series) go, this one is a super quick read because both books in the series are on the shorter side. The world is New York City (easy to imagine) and the monsters are all fabled characters we all grew up knowing and loving.
Our monsters need a little help though. They need each other so they can work together to keep themselves hidden from the humans. Especially if they want to continue acting like humans and enjoying the lives they've established in New York City. One thing they've established to help with this are their support group meetings.
The book starts out (just like the first one) in another support group meeting but this time, it's Natalie who is trying to run the meeting the same way Bob (aka Blob) did in the past. Already things aren't going well for her when everyone in attendance shows her a note they received. This note simply says one word, "war". It only gets worse as reports of monster attacks goes public and the gang is left trying to figure out who is attacking the humans. If you read the first book, you might have an inkling who it could be.
But this story isn't that straightforward. It whips around, toys a little with you but because it's short, it wraps up quickly. It's not an overly deep story and doesn't delve too much into the the character's relationships. It's just a straightforward urban fantasy, light on relationships. I kind of wished we had more on Alec and Natalie's newly found "coupledom". I mean, we did, but it really didn't satisfy me.
Characters
I mean, Alec has proven that deep down, he really cares for Natalie but Ms. Petersen never took it another step further. Alec is so much more than the goofball he portrays on the outside. He's this really smart leader who I believe just pretends to be dumb so he can enjoy his long existence with dumb distractions. I really wish he would come out and say, "HA! I'm alpha, hear my roar! I mark you, Natalie, to be my mate. Roooooaaarrrr!". Guess maybe I was looking for something that just isn't going to be there, even with the little hints I thought I saw *sad face*.
I do like Natalie. Her character has stayed consistent through both books. And we get to see a completely different angle to her life in this book. Something I completely didn't think about in the last book that totally made this book for me! Yes, I'm being vague on purpose but I don't do spoilers. I'm hardcore like that.
If you need an escape for just one evening, crave a fun urban fantasy, and don't want to get tied down with heavy world building - basically get in, get out, smile at the end - then this is the book and series for you! Sometimes its just fun to play pretend for a few hours. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do my daily nose aerobics.
Review appears on
August 13, 2013
Originally reviewed for and posted at Vampire Book Club
Review source: copy provided by publisher via netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars
Note: While this review will be spoiler free it may contain spoilers for the first book in the series, Club Monstrosity.
Six months have passed since the attacks on the support group and life is looking good for Frankenstein’s monster Natalie. She’s taken over running the group, who are getting on better than ever, and her relationship with Wolfman Alec is progressing nicely (there’s even the possibility of a double date with the Mummys in the works). Everything would be fantastic if it weren’t for the threat of war for the Van Helsing family hanging over them.
When a video of a monster attack in Central Park goes viral and various monster-related hashtags start treading on Twitter, the increasingly panicked group look to Natalie to figure out their next move. But when mind games and a blast from the past cause friction, mistrust weaves its way through the group once again. Natalie begins to wonder just who they are fighting against, the Van Helsings or each other.
Like its predecessor The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a fast-paced read with plenty of action. While some of the twists seemed fairly clear to me before their reveal, I still enjoyed the mystery and like the mixture of ancient magic and modern technology as the plot progressed. I enjoyed learning more about Natalie’s past and Frankenstein’s creations but I would have liked to see more about the other members of the group too. Their lives before the group and how they met, as well as delving deeper into the Van Helsings.
The group dynamics I loved so much in Club Monstrosity continued to draw me in, although they have slightly changed here with the death of certain members and the joining of new ones. My favorite new addition was Pat (also known as Cthulhu). He may be visually the most monstrous but seems to have the most heart, particularly poignant when juxtaposed with Hyde’s good looks and dark intentions. The dysfunctional-but-close bond shines through between the members but here we see a darker side of group mentality.
The Van Helsings approach of divide and conquer works all too well from the outside. However, it later becomes apparent one of the biggest mistakes made by the group has been in their own treatment of a certain member. It once again highlights the fact they may be monsters but their behavior can be all too human.
Natalie begins the book much lighter, seemingly genuinely happy in her own skin. When the identity of the monster from the video is revealed however, it dregs up painful memories and guilt over her monstrous nature begins to creep in again. It was hard to see all the progress she had made begin to slip. Thrust into the role of leader and forced to make some tough choices, the pressure starts to affect her relationship with Alec. There were moments where I really wasn’t a fan of Natalie’s behavior toward him, jumping to conclusions and losing her temper, especially considering how supportive he has been.
The quirky nature, witty writing and action make The Monsters in Your Neighborhood a fun and enjoyable read. While I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first book, I’m still fascinated by this monster support group and look forward to finding out even more about them.
Sexual content: Kissing
Review source: copy provided by publisher via netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars
Note: While this review will be spoiler free it may contain spoilers for the first book in the series, Club Monstrosity.
Six months have passed since the attacks on the support group and life is looking good for Frankenstein’s monster Natalie. She’s taken over running the group, who are getting on better than ever, and her relationship with Wolfman Alec is progressing nicely (there’s even the possibility of a double date with the Mummys in the works). Everything would be fantastic if it weren’t for the threat of war for the Van Helsing family hanging over them.
When a video of a monster attack in Central Park goes viral and various monster-related hashtags start treading on Twitter, the increasingly panicked group look to Natalie to figure out their next move. But when mind games and a blast from the past cause friction, mistrust weaves its way through the group once again. Natalie begins to wonder just who they are fighting against, the Van Helsings or each other.
Like its predecessor The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a fast-paced read with plenty of action. While some of the twists seemed fairly clear to me before their reveal, I still enjoyed the mystery and like the mixture of ancient magic and modern technology as the plot progressed. I enjoyed learning more about Natalie’s past and Frankenstein’s creations but I would have liked to see more about the other members of the group too. Their lives before the group and how they met, as well as delving deeper into the Van Helsings.
The group dynamics I loved so much in Club Monstrosity continued to draw me in, although they have slightly changed here with the death of certain members and the joining of new ones. My favorite new addition was Pat (also known as Cthulhu). He may be visually the most monstrous but seems to have the most heart, particularly poignant when juxtaposed with Hyde’s good looks and dark intentions. The dysfunctional-but-close bond shines through between the members but here we see a darker side of group mentality.
The Van Helsings approach of divide and conquer works all too well from the outside. However, it later becomes apparent one of the biggest mistakes made by the group has been in their own treatment of a certain member. It once again highlights the fact they may be monsters but their behavior can be all too human.
Natalie begins the book much lighter, seemingly genuinely happy in her own skin. When the identity of the monster from the video is revealed however, it dregs up painful memories and guilt over her monstrous nature begins to creep in again. It was hard to see all the progress she had made begin to slip. Thrust into the role of leader and forced to make some tough choices, the pressure starts to affect her relationship with Alec. There were moments where I really wasn’t a fan of Natalie’s behavior toward him, jumping to conclusions and losing her temper, especially considering how supportive he has been.
The quirky nature, witty writing and action make The Monsters in Your Neighborhood a fun and enjoyable read. While I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first book, I’m still fascinated by this monster support group and look forward to finding out even more about them.
Sexual content: Kissing
August 21, 2013
I try to make a point never to go back and re-read my reviews. I always end up wrinkling my nose before tearing those suckers down promising myself that I���m ���just going to polish them up real quick��� and then totally repost them.
WHICH NEVER HAPPENS.
But it���s Monday, and work is ten kinds of fucked up today, so I forgot about this rule of mine and reread my review for Club Monstrosity.
Then laughed for about an hour.
See, I was trying this thing where I swear less and I���ve already sworn several times in this little ramble alone. I mean, the review hasn���t even started yet���
Plus I don���t really think I expressed how fucking awesome Club Monstrosity was.
I promise, this time I���ll do better.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is so freaking good, I nearly wet myself.
I know what you���re thinking right now. ���But Ginny, how do we know you���re not simply prone to incontinence.��� And the answer to that is simple. If I was, trust me, there would���ve been a post about it.
So now that you know that this is, in fact, a big deal let me tell you WHY I nearly peed myself.
First, I still fucking love monsters. So fucking much. It���s not like that changed in the past three months. And guys, not only are all the monsters still here (minus the blob, of course) but we have a few new additions in the form of Igor (YEAH!) and Patrick, who is a Cthulhian-esque creature. (FUCK YEAH!)
And it���s not enough that these characters in and of themselves are epic, fuck no, it���s what Ms. Petersen does with them that takes them to totally new heights. (This is where I got ���Such Great Heights��� by Postal Service stuck in my head��� so if the rest of the review seems disjointed it���s because I���m trying not to transcribe the song as I hum it���)
���
In all seriousness though, this book handles a lot of things really well. Monsters in Manhattan *gigglesnort*, an age old vendetta, mystery, betrayal, romance, more betrayal, and seriously what the fuck is going on right now? And then some more betrayal.
Oh, and a remote I seriously need to get���
Don���t look at me like that. I wouldn���t use it for anything bad. Just to like, make sure the laundry gets done.
And that I get the hope diamond.
WHAT?
The ending, you ask because I got off-topic��� again. Well things are wrapped up in what could be described as a nice little package, since it only one loose end. Does this mean it���s the end of the series? I am not so secretly hoping it isn���t��� but if it is I at least won���t spend the rest of my life going ���but seriously��� what ever happened to���?���
5 stars.
Okay, so my husband just informed me that I never pointed out what was so awesome I nearly peed myself. Aside from everything working out, and how much I really love these characters, it was actually the description of the Cthulhian-esque monster, and this part near the end that I can���t really get into without spoiling some majorly big somethings. See, if I could, I would spend every night playing Arkham Horror��� but since I can���t (because setup of that game alone takes FOREVER) I���ll settle for squealing over awesome Cthulhians.
I received a free copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
WHICH NEVER HAPPENS.
But it���s Monday, and work is ten kinds of fucked up today, so I forgot about this rule of mine and reread my review for Club Monstrosity.
Then laughed for about an hour.
See, I was trying this thing where I swear less and I���ve already sworn several times in this little ramble alone. I mean, the review hasn���t even started yet���
Plus I don���t really think I expressed how fucking awesome Club Monstrosity was.
I promise, this time I���ll do better.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is so freaking good, I nearly wet myself.
I know what you���re thinking right now. ���But Ginny, how do we know you���re not simply prone to incontinence.��� And the answer to that is simple. If I was, trust me, there would���ve been a post about it.
So now that you know that this is, in fact, a big deal let me tell you WHY I nearly peed myself.
First, I still fucking love monsters. So fucking much. It���s not like that changed in the past three months. And guys, not only are all the monsters still here (minus the blob, of course) but we have a few new additions in the form of Igor (YEAH!) and Patrick, who is a Cthulhian-esque creature. (FUCK YEAH!)
And it���s not enough that these characters in and of themselves are epic, fuck no, it���s what Ms. Petersen does with them that takes them to totally new heights. (This is where I got ���Such Great Heights��� by Postal Service stuck in my head��� so if the rest of the review seems disjointed it���s because I���m trying not to transcribe the song as I hum it���)
���
In all seriousness though, this book handles a lot of things really well. Monsters in Manhattan *gigglesnort*, an age old vendetta, mystery, betrayal, romance, more betrayal, and seriously what the fuck is going on right now? And then some more betrayal.
Oh, and a remote I seriously need to get���
Don���t look at me like that. I wouldn���t use it for anything bad. Just to like, make sure the laundry gets done.
And that I get the hope diamond.
WHAT?
The ending, you ask because I got off-topic��� again. Well things are wrapped up in what could be described as a nice little package, since it only one loose end. Does this mean it���s the end of the series? I am not so secretly hoping it isn���t��� but if it is I at least won���t spend the rest of my life going ���but seriously��� what ever happened to���?���
5 stars.
Okay, so my husband just informed me that I never pointed out what was so awesome I nearly peed myself. Aside from everything working out, and how much I really love these characters, it was actually the description of the Cthulhian-esque monster, and this part near the end that I can���t really get into without spoiling some majorly big somethings. See, if I could, I would spend every night playing Arkham Horror��� but since I can���t (because setup of that game alone takes FOREVER) I���ll settle for squealing over awesome Cthulhians.
I received a free copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 24, 2013
Natalie is the new leader of the Monster support group but it’s not exactly peaceful. Despite having come together closer than ever before, they all live under the shadow of Van Helsing’s declaration of war. After such a delay, they have only just started to relax
When Van Helsing fires the first salvo. Not in a direct attack – or not just in a direct attack – but via twitter and youtube. The Van Helsings target them at their greatest fear – exposure. Exposure to a hostile and terrified public who will rise up in a mob like those the Van Helsings whipped up of old.
As the group turn on each other with suspicion and spite – fanned by the flames of Van Helsing’s divisive tactics and even a traitor in their midst, Natalie must hold them together to face their old foe.
This is one of those book reviews I’m having trouble with – because a lot of what I’ve said about the first book in the series still applies. I don’t like my reviews to sound repetitive, but this book is exactly what you’d expect from the last book.
The monsters are still extremely fun characters – they continue to be everything they were before – while different and odd and, yes, monstrous, they’re equally human. And by human that doesn’t mean nice and compassionate - no it means petty and prone to panic and likely to be selfish and frightened and resentful and spiteful. Human doesn’t mean nice – and I think too much in Urban Fantasy, a monster striving to hold onto their “humanity” means a monster trying to be compassionate and kind. But that’s only one side of humanity – we’re not all nice. We do fall apart in a crisis. We do look for someone to blame rather than looking for solutions. We are paranoid, we do tend to lash out when threatened or upset or angry. We don’t always make sense. We don’t always act sensibly and we certainly don’t always listen to reason.
This book shows that extremely well with the story set up to try and drive wedges between the monsters of the group. We have seen characters grow – with Linda gaining some strength, Kai and Natalie growing closer with mutual respect and, of course Natalie and Alec have really developed their relationship; all excellent things I wanted to see. But all of that is threatened with the external menace mixed with the individual threats – you can see who is closest to who by the way they bury their suspicion, but those close relationships also mean those who are just friends worry that they’re going to be sacrificed for the sake of loved ones. The paranoia, backbiting and lashing out between them is so very typical of a realistic response – especially when you get directed threats like the Book of the Dead, carrying spells that can kill immortal mummies, is stolen which make Kai and Rehu paranoid and frightened. It’s really well done.
I like how Natalie has grown as well, she used to have a lot of insecurity but she has really come into her own as a leader – clearly standing above the others. She’s really believable as a leader; she isn’t perfect by any means and she certainly has doubts, but you can see why the others believe in her and support her. And I definitely love how Linda has grown with respect to dealing with the man who treats her poorly – oh yes yes I do.
Read More
When Van Helsing fires the first salvo. Not in a direct attack – or not just in a direct attack – but via twitter and youtube. The Van Helsings target them at their greatest fear – exposure. Exposure to a hostile and terrified public who will rise up in a mob like those the Van Helsings whipped up of old.
As the group turn on each other with suspicion and spite – fanned by the flames of Van Helsing’s divisive tactics and even a traitor in their midst, Natalie must hold them together to face their old foe.
This is one of those book reviews I’m having trouble with – because a lot of what I’ve said about the first book in the series still applies. I don’t like my reviews to sound repetitive, but this book is exactly what you’d expect from the last book.
The monsters are still extremely fun characters – they continue to be everything they were before – while different and odd and, yes, monstrous, they’re equally human. And by human that doesn’t mean nice and compassionate - no it means petty and prone to panic and likely to be selfish and frightened and resentful and spiteful. Human doesn’t mean nice – and I think too much in Urban Fantasy, a monster striving to hold onto their “humanity” means a monster trying to be compassionate and kind. But that’s only one side of humanity – we’re not all nice. We do fall apart in a crisis. We do look for someone to blame rather than looking for solutions. We are paranoid, we do tend to lash out when threatened or upset or angry. We don’t always make sense. We don’t always act sensibly and we certainly don’t always listen to reason.
This book shows that extremely well with the story set up to try and drive wedges between the monsters of the group. We have seen characters grow – with Linda gaining some strength, Kai and Natalie growing closer with mutual respect and, of course Natalie and Alec have really developed their relationship; all excellent things I wanted to see. But all of that is threatened with the external menace mixed with the individual threats – you can see who is closest to who by the way they bury their suspicion, but those close relationships also mean those who are just friends worry that they’re going to be sacrificed for the sake of loved ones. The paranoia, backbiting and lashing out between them is so very typical of a realistic response – especially when you get directed threats like the Book of the Dead, carrying spells that can kill immortal mummies, is stolen which make Kai and Rehu paranoid and frightened. It’s really well done.
I like how Natalie has grown as well, she used to have a lot of insecurity but she has really come into her own as a leader – clearly standing above the others. She’s really believable as a leader; she isn’t perfect by any means and she certainly has doubts, but you can see why the others believe in her and support her. And I definitely love how Linda has grown with respect to dealing with the man who treats her poorly – oh yes yes I do.
Read More
July 31, 2013
Mon avis en Français
My English review
After the end of the first book I was curious to see what Jesse Petersen had for us for the rest of our small group of « monsters ». And I must say that I am far from disappointed.
We find all the characters that we had the chance to discover in the first volume, including Natalie and Alec as they are now together in everyday life. Natalie has now taken the place as the leader of the group like Bob and tries her best to help everyone. But the routine is hard to take especially now that Van Helsing has declared war. Our group seems quite anxious over their next move and do not know what they can expect from them. So when Drake is stabbed and that a video featuring another Frankenstein’s child is put on social networks, their world collapses, including Natalie’s. Indeed, our young heroine thought she was the only extant creature on earth, and learning from reliable sources that this is not the case will totally undermine her world. So she asks for help from the last person she would have thought to contact: Igor, the former assistant to her father. But that’s not all and the return of Hyde seems to complicate things.
It is with great pleasure that I found Natalie and Alec and I was happy to see how their relationship had changed. They are really cute together and also very close to one another. They protect, help and support each other no matter what happens. This novel also allows us to learn more about her past and her life and I must say it was really interesting. Kai and Reu are welded back more than ever and determined to do what they have decided even if Reu seems to have understood that behave badly sometimes doesn’t solve anything. Linda is of course always irritating although I was a little sorry for the way people behave with her. However we can also understand them as she always does something really annoying. And we also have another new character, Pat. He is much more intriguing and different than any others we have discovered so far. But I must say that I was completely surprised to see Igor, the former Frankenstein’s assistant become immortal. I did not expect to meet him but it was a really interesting character to understand and I wonder if we will then have the chance to see him again later in the story.
I was curious to see how the war would unfold for our characters. I expected a great battle, a war, but not at all, it is even better than that. In today’s world, war can be used with social networks and people’s fears over what they can not explain. Jesse Petersen has perfectly managed to modern tools and to handle them to create an intriguing battle of modern times.
It was a very good new novel, containing many tracks that I did not expect. I advise you to start the series and rediscover the protagonists that we all know. This is an explosive cocktail of characters!
My English review
After the end of the first book I was curious to see what Jesse Petersen had for us for the rest of our small group of « monsters ». And I must say that I am far from disappointed.
We find all the characters that we had the chance to discover in the first volume, including Natalie and Alec as they are now together in everyday life. Natalie has now taken the place as the leader of the group like Bob and tries her best to help everyone. But the routine is hard to take especially now that Van Helsing has declared war. Our group seems quite anxious over their next move and do not know what they can expect from them. So when Drake is stabbed and that a video featuring another Frankenstein’s child is put on social networks, their world collapses, including Natalie’s. Indeed, our young heroine thought she was the only extant creature on earth, and learning from reliable sources that this is not the case will totally undermine her world. So she asks for help from the last person she would have thought to contact: Igor, the former assistant to her father. But that’s not all and the return of Hyde seems to complicate things.
It is with great pleasure that I found Natalie and Alec and I was happy to see how their relationship had changed. They are really cute together and also very close to one another. They protect, help and support each other no matter what happens. This novel also allows us to learn more about her past and her life and I must say it was really interesting. Kai and Reu are welded back more than ever and determined to do what they have decided even if Reu seems to have understood that behave badly sometimes doesn’t solve anything. Linda is of course always irritating although I was a little sorry for the way people behave with her. However we can also understand them as she always does something really annoying. And we also have another new character, Pat. He is much more intriguing and different than any others we have discovered so far. But I must say that I was completely surprised to see Igor, the former Frankenstein’s assistant become immortal. I did not expect to meet him but it was a really interesting character to understand and I wonder if we will then have the chance to see him again later in the story.
I was curious to see how the war would unfold for our characters. I expected a great battle, a war, but not at all, it is even better than that. In today’s world, war can be used with social networks and people’s fears over what they can not explain. Jesse Petersen has perfectly managed to modern tools and to handle them to create an intriguing battle of modern times.
It was a very good new novel, containing many tracks that I did not expect. I advise you to start the series and rediscover the protagonists that we all know. This is an explosive cocktail of characters!
August 4, 2013
*Genre* Urban Fantasy, Humor
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Upon finishing Club Monstrosity, I knew I would end up digging right into The Monsters in Your Neighborhood to see what happens next. Petersen shifts the time line 6 months into the future where we find that Natalie Gray (Frankenstein's Creature) is now in charge of the Monstofelldosis Anonymous support group which includes Alec (Wolf Man), Kai (Egyptian Mummy), Rehu (Egyptian Mummy), Linda (Swamp Dweller), Drakula, and a new character named Pat, a Cthulhu, who is straight out of Lovecraft's novels and can only exist in the sewers of NYC. The one monster that is missing just happens to be Henry Hyde and he's back to his diabolical ways which hangs a black cloud over the lives of the group members.
If you've read Club Monstrosity, you would know that the monsters biggest threat comes from the Van Helsing family who has declared war on the monsters. In this case, the war is being played out on Twitter under the hash tags of #monstersinnewyork, #realmonstersnyc, and #Killthemonstersand. The intent is to use various live social networks as the family tries to expose the monsters for who they really are, and bring an end to them once and for-all by letting the public do their dirty work for them.
I think the most interesting aspect of this story is the arrival of Igor, Frankenstein's immortal assistant who apparently has been living in Atlanta without letting Natalie know. Of course, Igor isn't the same person he was when Frankenstein was running around creating his Creatures. Nope. He's had plastic surgery on his hump, and speaks with a Southern accent, and he's apparently an interior decorator as well.
Natalie is still the strongest character. She has to deal with many different issues which tug and pull at her from every angle. Her relationship with Alec is severely tested as well, but, thankfully there's not a lot of angst and whining that would ruin the experience of reading this book. Interestingly enough, Pat is also a very interesting character to read about and not only because he can't appear human like the rest of the group. He's definitely a character to watch out for.
I think The Monsters in Your Neighborhood has more depth, humor, action, and suspense than Club Monstrosity did. The threats are more real, the villains can be anyone at anytime, and you really don't know who is going to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ending to The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a bit open-ended and I hope that means that there will be a third book in this series. Time and Ms Petersen can only tell us whether or not that actually happens.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 04/09/2013* Expected publication: July 29th 2013 by Pocket Star
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Upon finishing Club Monstrosity, I knew I would end up digging right into The Monsters in Your Neighborhood to see what happens next. Petersen shifts the time line 6 months into the future where we find that Natalie Gray (Frankenstein's Creature) is now in charge of the Monstofelldosis Anonymous support group which includes Alec (Wolf Man), Kai (Egyptian Mummy), Rehu (Egyptian Mummy), Linda (Swamp Dweller), Drakula, and a new character named Pat, a Cthulhu, who is straight out of Lovecraft's novels and can only exist in the sewers of NYC. The one monster that is missing just happens to be Henry Hyde and he's back to his diabolical ways which hangs a black cloud over the lives of the group members.
If you've read Club Monstrosity, you would know that the monsters biggest threat comes from the Van Helsing family who has declared war on the monsters. In this case, the war is being played out on Twitter under the hash tags of #monstersinnewyork, #realmonstersnyc, and #Killthemonstersand. The intent is to use various live social networks as the family tries to expose the monsters for who they really are, and bring an end to them once and for-all by letting the public do their dirty work for them.
I think the most interesting aspect of this story is the arrival of Igor, Frankenstein's immortal assistant who apparently has been living in Atlanta without letting Natalie know. Of course, Igor isn't the same person he was when Frankenstein was running around creating his Creatures. Nope. He's had plastic surgery on his hump, and speaks with a Southern accent, and he's apparently an interior decorator as well.
Natalie is still the strongest character. She has to deal with many different issues which tug and pull at her from every angle. Her relationship with Alec is severely tested as well, but, thankfully there's not a lot of angst and whining that would ruin the experience of reading this book. Interestingly enough, Pat is also a very interesting character to read about and not only because he can't appear human like the rest of the group. He's definitely a character to watch out for.
I think The Monsters in Your Neighborhood has more depth, humor, action, and suspense than Club Monstrosity did. The threats are more real, the villains can be anyone at anytime, and you really don't know who is going to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ending to The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a bit open-ended and I hope that means that there will be a third book in this series. Time and Ms Petersen can only tell us whether or not that actually happens.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 04/09/2013* Expected publication: July 29th 2013 by Pocket Star
July 29, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was a cute but incomplete feeling story. While there were aspects I enjoyed, like the humor and the secondary characters, there wasn’t enough for me to really get into it and I really wished it had been longer and more fleshed out. The main character, Natalie, was the one who really got the most screen time and I really liked her as the heroine, because I felt an innate goodness in her which made her very likeable and sympathetic amongst some other characters who were a bit obnoxious. Because of the length though, we don’t get much time with the other characters.
I’m kind of over 200 page novels. Sure, it’s a story- but quite frequently, it isn’t enough. It’s not a short story, but it’s not a full length (as I would define it) novel either. It’s a shorter story arc, and less time to develop characters, and it seems like a bit of a cop-out that’s allowed because we live in a world that wants to have a new book every month. I would gladly wait (and pay more!) for something longer and more developed.
My biggest problem with THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was the villians. They’re total hand rubbing, evil laughing, cookie cutter villains and it was annoying, to be honest. Annoying- and predictable. The upside is the “good guys.” Those characters are ones I want to see more of, for example, Pat, the Cthulhu and Kai and Rehu, the mummy couple. They’re fun and I feel like a bit of extra length would have allowed for more of their personality to shine. Also, I love the inclusion of social media in a modern day Van Helsing’s fight against the evil monsters. Their methods of fighting have been updated and make a lot of more sense in our world today. Even if I was rooting for the monsters to win in the end.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like the book, but THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was fun and definitely a quick read. I really am only complaining so much because I did like it and wished it would have lasted longer! Maybe, had I read the first Monstrosity book, CLUB MONSTROSITY, I would have enjoyed it more, because I would have had a bit more background. Regardless, the idea of a support group for “monsters” and the original take on these monsters (I bet you can’t remember the last UF book you read with a Cthulhu monster) is entertaining and I’m willing to take a look at the next Monstrosity book when it comes out.
Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex
THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was a cute but incomplete feeling story. While there were aspects I enjoyed, like the humor and the secondary characters, there wasn’t enough for me to really get into it and I really wished it had been longer and more fleshed out. The main character, Natalie, was the one who really got the most screen time and I really liked her as the heroine, because I felt an innate goodness in her which made her very likeable and sympathetic amongst some other characters who were a bit obnoxious. Because of the length though, we don’t get much time with the other characters.
I’m kind of over 200 page novels. Sure, it’s a story- but quite frequently, it isn’t enough. It’s not a short story, but it’s not a full length (as I would define it) novel either. It’s a shorter story arc, and less time to develop characters, and it seems like a bit of a cop-out that’s allowed because we live in a world that wants to have a new book every month. I would gladly wait (and pay more!) for something longer and more developed.
My biggest problem with THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was the villians. They’re total hand rubbing, evil laughing, cookie cutter villains and it was annoying, to be honest. Annoying- and predictable. The upside is the “good guys.” Those characters are ones I want to see more of, for example, Pat, the Cthulhu and Kai and Rehu, the mummy couple. They’re fun and I feel like a bit of extra length would have allowed for more of their personality to shine. Also, I love the inclusion of social media in a modern day Van Helsing’s fight against the evil monsters. Their methods of fighting have been updated and make a lot of more sense in our world today. Even if I was rooting for the monsters to win in the end.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like the book, but THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD was fun and definitely a quick read. I really am only complaining so much because I did like it and wished it would have lasted longer! Maybe, had I read the first Monstrosity book, CLUB MONSTROSITY, I would have enjoyed it more, because I would have had a bit more background. Regardless, the idea of a support group for “monsters” and the original take on these monsters (I bet you can’t remember the last UF book you read with a Cthulhu monster) is entertaining and I’m willing to take a look at the next Monstrosity book when it comes out.
Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex
July 30, 2013
When I first ran into an opportunity to read an advanced copy of Jesse Petersen’s The Monsters in Your Neighborhood, I took it. Who can pass up a Club Monstrosity follow-up about Natalie (a Frankenstein Creature), Alec (a werewolf), Linda (Swamp Monster), Drake (a vampire), Kai and Rehu (mummies), and their struggles with the mob-gathering Van Helsing and living in New York City? Add in a Cthulhu nicknamed Patrick (his real name will split eardrums), and we’re in for a ride. Unlike the multi-”monster” environs of Bon Temps or Forks, Petersen’s NYC is populated by monsters in hiding but trying to lead normal lives without fear or shame of being who they are with the help of their support group. Life has been quiet for 6 months, that is until video of another Frankenstein creature on a rampage emerges on YouTube to disrupt their relative therapy group peace. And it has Van Helsing written all over it, and it’s up to Natalie to lead her compatriots against the threat.
I’m fond of reviews that don’t provide too many (if any) spoilers. Thus, I will focus on two new characters to the series. The addition of Igor and the previously mentioned Patrick to the clan of heroes really upped the ante in this latest edition. Igor reminds me of an immortal Leslie Jordan (the actor who portrayed Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace), post-plastic surgery to remove the hump. He provides a deeper background and outsider’s perspective to the other characters, especially for the main character in Natalie. He is hilarious. Patrick provides a grounded, tender component to the story line where the characters otherwise are frequently at odds with one another.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a fun, engaging novel with characters and relationships to root for. In a deeper sense, the novel is an excellent allegory for those who want to live peacefully and openly with those around them, but feel they need to hide in the shadows and not able to live to their full potential. Many of you readers have done so, remember? We all have our talents. Let’s use them to our advantage, though having a werewolf and Cthulhu as friends at our sides wouldn’t hurt!
ARC Courtesy of Pocket Star, via NetGalley.
I’m fond of reviews that don’t provide too many (if any) spoilers. Thus, I will focus on two new characters to the series. The addition of Igor and the previously mentioned Patrick to the clan of heroes really upped the ante in this latest edition. Igor reminds me of an immortal Leslie Jordan (the actor who portrayed Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace), post-plastic surgery to remove the hump. He provides a deeper background and outsider’s perspective to the other characters, especially for the main character in Natalie. He is hilarious. Patrick provides a grounded, tender component to the story line where the characters otherwise are frequently at odds with one another.
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood is a fun, engaging novel with characters and relationships to root for. In a deeper sense, the novel is an excellent allegory for those who want to live peacefully and openly with those around them, but feel they need to hide in the shadows and not able to live to their full potential. Many of you readers have done so, remember? We all have our talents. Let’s use them to our advantage, though having a werewolf and Cthulhu as friends at our sides wouldn’t hurt!
ARC Courtesy of Pocket Star, via NetGalley.
July 26, 2013
3.5
Review copy c/o Netgalley
The Monsters In Your Neighborhood is the sequel to the fantastic Club Monstrosity which was published back in April (read my review here). The book picks up six months after the events of Club Monstrosity where the Van Helsing’s have finally declared war on the group.
This time around we have two new additions, Dr. Frankenstein’s old assistant Igor and Patrick a Cthulhu who’s’ extensive knowledge of New York’s sewers ends up being very handy! Both new characters played an important part in the plot of this sequel and were entertaining additions to the group. One of my favourite things about Club Monstrosity was the interaction between all of the different monsters, their personalities clash so dramatically but still they are able to pull together due to their shared secret, and in terms of character interaction and development book two didn’t let me down.
Social media also played a big part in the plot of the book which fitted in perfectly with the pop culture references that scatter the pages of this series. Seeing such iconic characters from classic literature as Dracula take on the technology was a great touch and definitely added to the humour. I also felt that word of the monsters existence spreading via Twitter and YouTube was an accurate representation of how things would play out if something like this really happened in today’s technology driven world.
As is often the case with sequels unsurprisingly I didn’t quite enjoy this instalment as much as the first. Even though it was still a great read, the fact that this unique concept wasn’t new to me this time around did take away slightly from my excitement. Luckily, like the previous book, The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was well-written and had the same tongue-in-cheek humour that made Club Monstrosity such a fun read.
Overall I would highly recommend this quick-read series and hopefully this won’t be the last we hear from the monsters of New York!
Review copy c/o Netgalley
The Monsters In Your Neighborhood is the sequel to the fantastic Club Monstrosity which was published back in April (read my review here). The book picks up six months after the events of Club Monstrosity where the Van Helsing’s have finally declared war on the group.
This time around we have two new additions, Dr. Frankenstein’s old assistant Igor and Patrick a Cthulhu who’s’ extensive knowledge of New York’s sewers ends up being very handy! Both new characters played an important part in the plot of this sequel and were entertaining additions to the group. One of my favourite things about Club Monstrosity was the interaction between all of the different monsters, their personalities clash so dramatically but still they are able to pull together due to their shared secret, and in terms of character interaction and development book two didn’t let me down.
Social media also played a big part in the plot of the book which fitted in perfectly with the pop culture references that scatter the pages of this series. Seeing such iconic characters from classic literature as Dracula take on the technology was a great touch and definitely added to the humour. I also felt that word of the monsters existence spreading via Twitter and YouTube was an accurate representation of how things would play out if something like this really happened in today’s technology driven world.
As is often the case with sequels unsurprisingly I didn’t quite enjoy this instalment as much as the first. Even though it was still a great read, the fact that this unique concept wasn’t new to me this time around did take away slightly from my excitement. Luckily, like the previous book, The Monsters In Your Neighborhood was well-written and had the same tongue-in-cheek humour that made Club Monstrosity such a fun read.
Overall I would highly recommend this quick-read series and hopefully this won’t be the last we hear from the monsters of New York!
July 19, 2013
They’re back. The monsters from Club Monstrosity still have issues. They’ve also added to their group, Patrick (Cthulhu) is along for the ride this time. Oh and Natalie’s father’s assistant Igor is in town too.
This time around there’s little time for their own run of the mill work or relationship or make-up issues. Monsters are trending. Not so trendy, though. Oh, no -- there’s still a mob like mentality surrounding the monsters, it’s just a little different this time around. The digital world has finally caught up with them. YouTube and Twitter are all abuzz after a video surfaces showing someone, or something, tearing a man apart. The exposure is extra disheartening to Natalie as this creature, it’s like her. That makes it her brother, right? She’s not alone.
It quickly becomes clear that the Van Hellsings are involved. But they don’t seem to be the only issue. What about Hyde? Why does Alec seem to be having wolfy issue when it’s not his time of the month? Why is Linda not acting like her usual weepy self? As things start to get dicy, the monsters start to get suspicious of one another but they’ll have to figure out how to work together if they want to survive the Van Helsings… not to mention the internet.
I gave the first book 3/5 stars. This book is actually a little better than the first, which tends to be rare in a series. I’d call this one 3.5-4 stars. It still feels like the author is trying a little too hard to be funny at times. Overall a decent followup. I’m actually looking forward to the next book.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?
This time around there’s little time for their own run of the mill work or relationship or make-up issues. Monsters are trending. Not so trendy, though. Oh, no -- there’s still a mob like mentality surrounding the monsters, it’s just a little different this time around. The digital world has finally caught up with them. YouTube and Twitter are all abuzz after a video surfaces showing someone, or something, tearing a man apart. The exposure is extra disheartening to Natalie as this creature, it’s like her. That makes it her brother, right? She’s not alone.
It quickly becomes clear that the Van Hellsings are involved. But they don’t seem to be the only issue. What about Hyde? Why does Alec seem to be having wolfy issue when it’s not his time of the month? Why is Linda not acting like her usual weepy self? As things start to get dicy, the monsters start to get suspicious of one another but they’ll have to figure out how to work together if they want to survive the Van Helsings… not to mention the internet.
I gave the first book 3/5 stars. This book is actually a little better than the first, which tends to be rare in a series. I’d call this one 3.5-4 stars. It still feels like the author is trying a little too hard to be funny at times. Overall a decent followup. I’m actually looking forward to the next book.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?
September 14, 2014
The Monsters of New York City are back in this hilarious sequel to Club Monstrosity. It's been six months since the death of their friends—and the subsequent removal of the menace causing it—and war is brewing between the Monsters and the Van Helsing family. While most of the monsters just wish to remain anonymous and blend in with humanity, the Van Helsings are looking to expose them for the monsters they truly are.
When a YouTube video of an unknown Frankenstein Creature tearing the arm off a man in Central Park goes viral, Natalie realizes she's not the only child of the great doctor still walking the earth. But more importantly, she needs to find out who the Creature is and why he's acting so violently. While Twitter is trending with hashtags of #MonstersInNewYork and #KillTheMonsters, Natalie and the rest of the monsters must put their heads together to formulate a plan to take down their enemies once and for all!
This was a great read, even slightly better than Club Monstrosity in my opinion. Many of your favorite monsters from the first book are back, along with a few new ones such as the formidable Patrick the Cthulhu. Awesome-ness! And since the original characters were previously fleshed out in book one, we can really get under their skin and see what makes them tick here. A very fun read indeed... with plenty of LOL moments! I sincerely hope Ms Petersen will continue to feed us more tales of these quirky, entertaining monsters in future volumes to come.
When a YouTube video of an unknown Frankenstein Creature tearing the arm off a man in Central Park goes viral, Natalie realizes she's not the only child of the great doctor still walking the earth. But more importantly, she needs to find out who the Creature is and why he's acting so violently. While Twitter is trending with hashtags of #MonstersInNewYork and #KillTheMonsters, Natalie and the rest of the monsters must put their heads together to formulate a plan to take down their enemies once and for all!
This was a great read, even slightly better than Club Monstrosity in my opinion. Many of your favorite monsters from the first book are back, along with a few new ones such as the formidable Patrick the Cthulhu. Awesome-ness! And since the original characters were previously fleshed out in book one, we can really get under their skin and see what makes them tick here. A very fun read indeed... with plenty of LOL moments! I sincerely hope Ms Petersen will continue to feed us more tales of these quirky, entertaining monsters in future volumes to come.
April 17, 2013
This was a quick read that picks up fairly soon after Club Monstrosity ended. The gang has started a war with the Van Helsing family and it starts to heat up in The Monsters in Your Neighborhood with the Van Helsings starting a social media smear campaign against monsters. Natalie, as the new leader of group, has to step up to the plate and coordinate her monsters to fight back, a task made more difficult when everyone starts turning on each other.
I loved this installment in the Monstrosity series. We get a continuation of great humor, awesome, campy metafiction and a dash of mystery. I also loved the characters just as much as I did in the first one. The monsters are just like everyone else, struggling to overcome their individual daily challenges, all the while trying to keep their secret from the masses.
I would say that Natalie and Alec are the main characters in the series (and I love their weird dating relationship), but all the other monsters are explored. Count Dracula is a particular favourite of mine. I loved that he thought the Twilight vampires were really. This combination of pop culture and the supernatural is fantastic is the source of the hilarity in these books.
If you’re look for a quick and fun read and you have a fondness for the classic horror movies, you should check out the Monstrosity series. It’s a short read, but there is a lot of humor and fun in these little volumes.
I loved this installment in the Monstrosity series. We get a continuation of great humor, awesome, campy metafiction and a dash of mystery. I also loved the characters just as much as I did in the first one. The monsters are just like everyone else, struggling to overcome their individual daily challenges, all the while trying to keep their secret from the masses.
I would say that Natalie and Alec are the main characters in the series (and I love their weird dating relationship), but all the other monsters are explored. Count Dracula is a particular favourite of mine. I loved that he thought the Twilight vampires were really. This combination of pop culture and the supernatural is fantastic is the source of the hilarity in these books.
If you’re look for a quick and fun read and you have a fondness for the classic horror movies, you should check out the Monstrosity series. It’s a short read, but there is a lot of humor and fun in these little volumes.
July 31, 2013
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: July 29, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Pocket Star
Author’s Website: http://www.jessepetersen.net/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Monstrosity
Series Best Read In Order: Probably, but would work well as a standalone
Steam Level: Chaste
Pet Peeves: Too Stupid To Live Moment
Favorite Tropes: Monsters! (Including a Cthulhu!), Unique Premise
This series is so much fun, that even though I tend to prefer traditional romance with steamy hot lovin’, I still couldn’t put this one down.
Light-hearted while still being full of action, betrayal, and drama, Monsters In Your Neighborhood had so much to love. We’re introduced to some new characters who really help round out the support group, including a rather unassuming Cthulhu and Dr. Frankenstein’s original assistant, Igor (who, thanks to modern medicine, no longer sports the hump thank-you-very-much).
I loved the Twitter angle, as well as the surprising twists in plot, and the horror of what is done to some of the monsters is perfect.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, action-packed escape full of humor and action.
4/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: July 29, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Pocket Star
Author’s Website: http://www.jessepetersen.net/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Monstrosity
Series Best Read In Order: Probably, but would work well as a standalone
Steam Level: Chaste
Pet Peeves: Too Stupid To Live Moment
Favorite Tropes: Monsters! (Including a Cthulhu!), Unique Premise
This series is so much fun, that even though I tend to prefer traditional romance with steamy hot lovin’, I still couldn’t put this one down.
Light-hearted while still being full of action, betrayal, and drama, Monsters In Your Neighborhood had so much to love. We’re introduced to some new characters who really help round out the support group, including a rather unassuming Cthulhu and Dr. Frankenstein’s original assistant, Igor (who, thanks to modern medicine, no longer sports the hump thank-you-very-much).
I loved the Twitter angle, as well as the surprising twists in plot, and the horror of what is done to some of the monsters is perfect.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, action-packed escape full of humor and action.
4/5 Stars
June 9, 2013
Personally in "CLUB Monstrosity", I really liked the concept of the greatest monsters of literature who find themselves in the middle of New York in a therapy group.
The idea was original. The action full of twists and conducted as an investigation with amusing repartees.
The first volume ended, as the reader left the creatures of our childhood to manage a declaration of war with the descendants of Van Helsing.
There, in the sequel of the adventures of the daughter of Frankenstein and her werewolf of boyfriend and their therapy group, the situation worsen.
Van Helsing and his progeny rely on Mr. Hyde's desires for revenge after losing Dr. Jekyll.
A new race against time ensues between creatures and hunters in the streets of New York, with new very endearing characters. Wanting to lend a hand to their friends, they end up worsening the situation.
Always well written, with a nice part left for feelings, this serie is worth being devoured. Under the humor and the supernatural, the author brings the concepts of tolerance, suffering face of differences. It is well done. No downtime, this serie is fresh and exciting.
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
The idea was original. The action full of twists and conducted as an investigation with amusing repartees.
The first volume ended, as the reader left the creatures of our childhood to manage a declaration of war with the descendants of Van Helsing.
There, in the sequel of the adventures of the daughter of Frankenstein and her werewolf of boyfriend and their therapy group, the situation worsen.
Van Helsing and his progeny rely on Mr. Hyde's desires for revenge after losing Dr. Jekyll.
A new race against time ensues between creatures and hunters in the streets of New York, with new very endearing characters. Wanting to lend a hand to their friends, they end up worsening the situation.
Always well written, with a nice part left for feelings, this serie is worth being devoured. Under the humor and the supernatural, the author brings the concepts of tolerance, suffering face of differences. It is well done. No downtime, this serie is fresh and exciting.
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
June 28, 2013
I recieved this as an ARC it does not stop me from providing an honest review
Monsters in Your Neighborhood was a funny, clever, darling novel. I received this ARC not having read the first one and was a little nervous I would need to go back and read the first to understand this.
However the author did a great job and reviewing what had happened in the previous book without it being boring, and telling me about the characters without needing a TON of detail and a crap load of info dumping. I was never lost or confused.
I found the characters to be interesting and colorful, their individual personalities really shown. I mean who doesn’t love the image of a one fanged Dracula living in a pent house?
The plot line was good, if not a little predictable, it played with the age old problem of fearing what you do not understand. The villains were unremarkable but worked for the story’s basic idea.
This was a fun, easy read I that highly recommend.
Like this? Find more at
Monsters in Your Neighborhood was a funny, clever, darling novel. I received this ARC not having read the first one and was a little nervous I would need to go back and read the first to understand this.
However the author did a great job and reviewing what had happened in the previous book without it being boring, and telling me about the characters without needing a TON of detail and a crap load of info dumping. I was never lost or confused.
I found the characters to be interesting and colorful, their individual personalities really shown. I mean who doesn’t love the image of a one fanged Dracula living in a pent house?
The plot line was good, if not a little predictable, it played with the age old problem of fearing what you do not understand. The villains were unremarkable but worked for the story’s basic idea.
This was a fun, easy read I that highly recommend.
Like this? Find more at
August 22, 2013
I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher with the condition that I post an honest review.
I found this to be a well-written, funny story. The characters are extremely like-able and interesting. The idea of monsters in group therapy is a brilliant concept. The fact that the humans are more monstrous is also a stroke of genius.
Being hunted down by the Van Helsings' and having one of their own turned against them only makes them pull together, well eventually, after they get over the shock of it.
Led by Natalie, one of Frankenstein's creations and with the help of her boyfriend, Alex the Wolf Man, the monsters unite and together they stop the Van Helsings and Hyde from outing them to the public against their will.
They also have to do something about the chip's that some of them have had put in their heads without their knowledge. (This part of the plot reminds me of The Initiative in Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
This is a fun read and I shall certainly be looking for more of Jesse Peterson's work.
I found this to be a well-written, funny story. The characters are extremely like-able and interesting. The idea of monsters in group therapy is a brilliant concept. The fact that the humans are more monstrous is also a stroke of genius.
Being hunted down by the Van Helsings' and having one of their own turned against them only makes them pull together, well eventually, after they get over the shock of it.
Led by Natalie, one of Frankenstein's creations and with the help of her boyfriend, Alex the Wolf Man, the monsters unite and together they stop the Van Helsings and Hyde from outing them to the public against their will.
They also have to do something about the chip's that some of them have had put in their heads without their knowledge. (This part of the plot reminds me of The Initiative in Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
This is a fun read and I shall certainly be looking for more of Jesse Peterson's work.
September 11, 2013
THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD picks up about six months later with the monsters having regrouped and now readying to go head to head with the Van Helsings. They've got a couple of new members in Rehu, another mummy, and Pat, a Cthulu who lives in the sewers. But since the events of six months ago, none of them are safe. The Van Helsings have dissolved the brief but tenuous truce that once existed between them and it seems an actual monster attack has recently been caught on tape and gone viral. With their anonymity threatened and a family of historic monster hunters gunning for them, you could say they're all at their wits end.
Petersen has a charming and sarcastic style that I find impossible to resist. It's what drew me in her previous series and these books as well. Pop culture references and the character casting complete with witty banter (and the aforementioned snark) are undeniably and welcomingly reminiscent of Buffy sans a slayer (or, in this case, with the slayer being the enemy).
Petersen has a charming and sarcastic style that I find impossible to resist. It's what drew me in her previous series and these books as well. Pop culture references and the character casting complete with witty banter (and the aforementioned snark) are undeniably and welcomingly reminiscent of Buffy sans a slayer (or, in this case, with the slayer being the enemy).
June 1, 2013
I recieved this book through NetGalley for review, and I have to say, although I am usually quite hesitant to read sequels, that I thoroughly enjoyed this second instalment and was impressed with the amount of development with regards to the characters and the plot.
Going into this book, you need to bear in mind that there is a lot of swearing and foul language, but personally, I think that it adds to the humour of the book, and also, in some scenes, it adds to the drama and emphasises the severity of the monsters’ situation.
I, again, really loved the various monster characters in this novel, and especially the introduction of Pat, who is a really interesting creature.
The plot wasn’t as mysterious as the first one but I still think that it was completely captivating and kept you guessing until the very end.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel which is released 29th July 2013.
Going into this book, you need to bear in mind that there is a lot of swearing and foul language, but personally, I think that it adds to the humour of the book, and also, in some scenes, it adds to the drama and emphasises the severity of the monsters’ situation.
I, again, really loved the various monster characters in this novel, and especially the introduction of Pat, who is a really interesting creature.
The plot wasn’t as mysterious as the first one but I still think that it was completely captivating and kept you guessing until the very end.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel which is released 29th July 2013.
June 12, 2013
This is cute. Pure mind candy.
There are monsters living in New York. Maybe they even live next door! But these are monsters only in the generic sense, unnatural beings who have superpowers and who just want to be left alone to live their lives. They even have a support group!
The group is led by Natalie, who is a Creature (aka Frankenstein's monster). Her boyfriend is Alec, the Wolf Man. Drake (Dracula) is there, as are the Swamp Creature and several Mummies. They all want to live quietly and not draw attention. The problem is that the Van Helsing family, age-old enemies of monsters, have declared war.
The story is told purely tongue-in=cheek. It's funny and it's light and fluffy. There are no deep meanings here.
And I loved it. This is one of a series and I will be watching for additional books.
There are monsters living in New York. Maybe they even live next door! But these are monsters only in the generic sense, unnatural beings who have superpowers and who just want to be left alone to live their lives. They even have a support group!
The group is led by Natalie, who is a Creature (aka Frankenstein's monster). Her boyfriend is Alec, the Wolf Man. Drake (Dracula) is there, as are the Swamp Creature and several Mummies. They all want to live quietly and not draw attention. The problem is that the Van Helsing family, age-old enemies of monsters, have declared war.
The story is told purely tongue-in=cheek. It's funny and it's light and fluffy. There are no deep meanings here.
And I loved it. This is one of a series and I will be watching for additional books.
December 16, 2013
Jesse Petersen continues the tale of The Monsters in Your Neighborhood (ebook from Pocket Star ) who have a support group. It’s been six months of quiet since Jeckyll and the Blob were murdered in Club Monstrosity (ebook) but no one doubts that Hyde has been up to something. This time Natalie, who was built by Dr, Frankenstein, Alex the wolfman, Drake, who no only has one fang, and the rest are helped by Patrick the Cthuihu. The Von Helsings have declared war and Hyde has decided to help them with a particularly nasty, monster-controlling, computer chip. There are YouTube videos of another of Frankenstein’s monsters tearing the arm off a man and killthemonster facebook postings. So Natalie and friends have to avoid notarity and potential angry mobs to live their quiet, almost normal lives.Lots of fun and a great giggle. Printed by the Philadelphia Weekly Press
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