Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley – Review by Sarah Oakes

Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great read about friendships. Monty always has trouble making friends. When he moves house again, he struggles to fit in and finds bullies everywhere. Whilst exploring his new house, he finds a trapdoor in the attic leading to underground chambers full of old crates and notes about old experiments. Full of excitement, Monty decides to literally make a friend. his friends turns out to be a furry monster with mysterious abilities. Can Monty keep his monster hidden from the world before scientists get to him?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns that I just couldn’t put down. Well developed characters like Monty standing up for himself but vulnerable underneath. Great cast of supporting characters like the mysterious and bubbly Houdini or the creepy Dr Petrovic
I loved the visual detail throughout the novel like with the rickety house full of cracked floors and spider webs and lofty attic for a sense of the gothic. Or the scenes in the underground with the rope ladder and tunnels for a sense of adventure, dark and dangerous and exciting wonderfully written. Or the scenes in the skate park full of life and people and a sense of wonder as a place away from it all for Monty. Or with the monster and giant size with its colourful fur and teeth and claws and the green slime straight out of a sci fi novel, strange and weird and wonderful.
the combination of horror with monsters and experiments and a child’s story with school and bullies combined perfectly to make a captivating read. I loved the sense of the horror genre existing in a kids narrative, a place you wouldn’t expect it and makes it fresh and exciting. I also liked the nods to horror stories like with Hyde and the hints to Frankenstein later on was a lovely addition. Overall, a great read and I would give it five stars.

View all my reviews