Review of The Different Kinds Of Monsters

[Janet Kimetto]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Different Kinds Of Monsters" by Seth Chambers.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Different Kinds Of Monsters by Seth Chambers is a multi-generational story about the Armitage family and the dinosaur, an Allosaurus, that keeps following them. The title lured me right in because, naturally, if it's a book about monsters, then I want to read it. I was eager to meet the monsters this writer brought to life, and boy - did I ever!

The current members of the Armitage bloodline are Dylan, his father Thomas, and his daughter Madison. The Allosaurus is Emily, named after Emily Marigate, the woman who first found her bones. When Dylan was six years old, his parents took him to The Field Museum. There, Emily caught and held his eye. He didn't know it yet, the connection they had with the Allosaurus, but that single visit set their lives in motion. They got out of The Field Museum and onto the road, and they never stopped moving. Alice Merton's song, No Roots, became their way of life. But everywhere they went - Emily followed.

The story starts in the present with Dylan's father in the hospital. After years of running, 'The ghost of an Allosaurus that's been dead since the Jurassic period' finally caught up to him, and by a stroke of luck, spared his life. But that means it's now after Dylan and his daughter, Maddy, and who says they're going to be as lucky? Dylan is forced into abandoning his family, even though he thinks Emily won't attack them in Chicago (in the city). His father makes his case, though, telling him, "I don't like the idea of you running around leading that monster away from your family, but I also know that it would be worse for you if anything happened to them. Especially if you could've done something about it."

The fact that this book follows concurrent storylines appealed to me. I especially loved the stories about Emily in the Late Jurassic Period, back before she was Emily. She was the first of four hatchlings, so she knew herself as First. The writer was able to make First so relatable. Her first moments after hatching were the best to experience. But so were the lessons taught to her and her nestmates by Mother. First doesn't understand the weird existence that came after 'The Sleep' (her as Emily), but the reader does. And how amazing is it that in a book with humans in it, it's a dinosaur that I'm able to relate to?

The only negative aspect about this book is how often complex dinosaur names are incorporated into the story. The average reader wouldn't know there were many different kinds, and even if they know that, they'd still sum them all up and call them dinosaurs. Having to regularly read through the species names slows down the pace considerably. Like how I know that you know of a T. rex, most probably, but do you also know that that's short for Tyrannosaurus rex? Fortunately, though, this is only the case in parts of the book and not in the whole book. Because of this reason and the fact that I found up to ten minor errors, I rate The Different Kinds Of Monsters 3 out of 4 stars.

If dinosaurs interest you and you want to learn more about them, then reading this book is a good start. I also recommend it to those who've watched the Jurassic Park movies and loved them. Heavy usage of profane language coupled with sensitive topics makes this book unsuitable for either young or sensitive readers. Pedophilia is especially delved into - because the definition of 'monsters' doesn't end on beasts.

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The Different Kinds Of Monsters
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[markodim721]

I think I will skip this book. Thanks for the great and objective review.

[Diana Lowery]

Oh, My! Your last sentence caught me by surprise. I did not see the subject of pedophilia coming up in this review.

[Muna Chizzy]

Great review. I love dinosaurs stories, sounds like a book i can't put down untill am in the last page.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I used to love all things dinosaurs and might just pick this back. Thanks for a detailed review.

[Wesusa]

Great review. It was perfectly succinct and cohesive. I definitely will not be reading this book, way too disturbing for my liking.

[Unosthetic]

The title of the book and the last sentence of your review gave me goosebumps. I'll definitely consider reading it thanks to your review.

[MsH2k]

This seems like a rather complex story. I’m not much for monsters—neither the animal nor human variety—so I’ll pass on this one.
Thank you for a great review!

[Raluca_Mihaila]

Your review caught the essence of the book, great job! I just loved the book, despite the sensitive topics and the constant swearing. And Emily's story was also my favorite . When I was reading the book I started to analyse all the mentioned dinosaurs, so I really did learn a lot of things about them.

[Janet Kimetto]

I think I will skip this book. Thanks for the great and objective review.

Thank you for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

Oh, My! Your last sentence caught me by surprise. I did not see the subject of pedophilia coming up in this review.

Caught me by surprise too. I did not see it coming up in the book. Thank you for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

Great review. I love dinosaurs stories, sounds like a book i can't put down untill am in the last page.

Then you should definitely read it. Thank you for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

I used to love all things dinosaurs and might just pick this back. Thanks for a detailed review.

You should pick it. You'll enjoy reading it if you don't mind the sensitive topics. Thank you for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

Great review. It was perfectly succinct and cohesive. I definitely will not be reading this book, way too disturbing for my liking.

That's understandable. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

The title of the book and the last sentence of your review gave me goosebumps. I'll definitely consider reading it thanks to your review.

I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you so much for stopping by!