MONSTERLAND
Monsterland Series, Book One
Monsterland Series, Book One
BY MICHAEL OKON
Narrated by Scott Brick
Genre: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17)
Length: 234 pages; Audio: 6 hours, 18 minutes
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Apocalyptic, Horror
Publisher: Wordfire Press
Release date: October 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M: There is some violence, blood and gore.
Book Description:
Welcome to Monsterland, the scariest place on earth.
When world markets are decimated by a crippling plague, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, Vincent Konrad decides to place monsters in a theme park setting to promote education and tolerance. Copper Valley is chosen as the primary site for the park in the United States.
Wyatt Baldwin, a high school senior is dying to go to the opening and when he lands special passes to the park, he and his friends are expecting the experience of a lifetime.
After all, in a theme park where real zombies, werewolves, and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?
BOOK REVIEW
HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book Review: This story is just fabulous. From the very start, readers are drawn into the story and kept enthralled to the finish. And then, throughout the story, a sense of dread builds ever so subtly in the background – and then knocks you in the face.
“Night came fast in the swamp, dropping a curtain of darkness, extinguishing all light except for the beacon of the full moon. It continued to float upward, indifferent to the consequences for its innocent victims.”
Author Michael Okon’s writing is engaging, and he has a knack for description and use of figurative language. Often, beautiful passages are juxtaposed against the horror of what is unfolding, which makes reading (and reading with your ears) a real pleasure. Okon also excels at establishing the mood and setting, and with the recent real-life Coronavirus breakout, the premise of Monsterland doesn’t feel quite as far-fetched; in any case, the what-if factor is unsettling.
Monsterland works on two different levels. There’s the surface level story that’s the stuff of nightmares: werewolves and vampires and zombies that live among us. And that story is a thrill ride, quite literally, as the once-human creatures have been corralled and theme parks created around the monsters. And then there is that second level.
“The vitality-challenged present a significant, expensive burden to the country as well as the world.”
If readers go a little deeper, they will find a whole other layer of meaning within the lines. Okon asks the question: what exactly does it mean to be human? And in defining who is victim and who is villain, the lines become especially blurry when the great American way of commercialism drowns out rational thought.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: The narration performed by Scott Brick was really well-done. He nails multiple character voices and personalities, younger and older, male and female and other. He delivers an extra chilling, creepy rendition of Dr. Victor Conrad and also a humorous Igor the hunchback. The recording was glitch-free and pacing was perfect; I listened at regular speed.
I highly recommend Monsterland for young adult and adult readers. If you enjoy the supernatural but also like food for thought in addition to BRAINSSSS, Monsterland is a great choice. I am looking forward to the next book, Monsterland Reanimated and plan on jumping right into it.
Thank you to the author and iRead Book Tours for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
Meet the Author:
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance.
Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
Connect with the Author:
website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreads
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
5 print copies of Monsterland Reanimated
5 eBook copies of Monsterland Reanimated
1, $100 Amazon Gift Card Winner
(open USA)
The Dark Fantasy Continues:
After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos. World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief. During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid re- animated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?
Great review! Sounds perfect for those moster-loving readers (audiobook readers). Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTruly a pleasure.
Delete