Monsterland by James Crowley

Charlie Cooper is still grieving for his beloved cousin Billy. On Halloween night, Charlie sees a figure that reminds him of Billy. Charlie follows the figure and he is led along an unfamiliar path deep into a neighboring mountain valley. But when Charlie catches up with the figure, he’s shocked when he sees a hideous vampire. The vampire, known as the Prime Minister, governs a monster sanctuary called Vampyreishtat or Monsterland. The Prime Minister asks Charlie about why he followed him, so Charlie tells him about Billy. In Monsterland there is an island where lost souls reside and the living can see them again. The Prime Minister says that Charlie can go there because one of his trusted associates is journeying that way. That associate is the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein. Charlie joins the monster’s expedition and together they encounter many dangers along the way.

Monsterland is a fantastic coming-of-age story about finding the courage within oneself while overcoming grief. Charlie keenly misses Billy and feels somewhat responsible for his cousin’s death. So when the Prime Minster gives Charlie a chance to see Billy again, Charlie is more than willing to encounter any hardship just so he can find peace with himself. The reason why Charlie prospers in Vampryeishtat is because of his grief. Charlie can look past any monsters’ grotesque facades and see that many are grieving in their own ways. With this special perspective, Charlie is able to sympathize and connect with them. What makes Crowley’s story so rich and helps Charlie’s character to beautifully develop, is the clever, solid world Crowley has created. Crowley takes the monsters of old horror stories and turns them into relatable, flawed characters who just want to live as normal of an existence as they can. Any fans of Brandon Mull or Jennifer Nielsen will thoroughly enjoy this adventure through Monsterland. For ages 12 and up.