Review of The Different Kinds Of Monsters
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Kim Lae Yun
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- Latest Review: The Different Kinds Of Monsters by Seth Chambers
Review of The Different Kinds Of Monsters
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Different Kinds Of Monsters" by Seth Chambers.]
This is a life story of a person named Dylan Armitage, who began his journey after stumbling upon an Allosaurus named “Emily” in a museum in the summer of 1970. His encounter with this fossil changed his life dramatically. He is always reminiscing and refers to Emily as a dinosaur and sometimes, a metaphor that is responsible for his past and present decisions and events. His encounter with Emily has led to Dylan having to cope with his struggles with his family relationships, followed by the action-packed imagination his childhood adventure across the country could offer.
It starts with Dylan reuniting with his father in the hospital, where they talked about the past, and the present starting with Emily, the Allosaurus. Throughout their time in the hospital, Dylan’s father still showed signs of his old self, his temper. His temper slowly diminished as they continued their conversations following Dylan’s mother’s passing, by reflecting on the past. The horrific events that occurred in Dylan’s life were thought to be caused by Emily. This mysterious phenomenon is then unravelled when Dylan sets foot into his father’s ruined house, discovering Emily’s history. The story continues several years after the September 11 terrorist attack, followed by Dylan’s thrilling adventure when he decided to end the troubles Emily has been causing to his family once and for all.
This book definitely has its redeeming qualities. Especially with the characters and how they contributed to the plot. The relationship between Dylan and his father was realistic. I personally enjoyed the author’s method of referring to past events which invoke powerful feelings of nostalgia. Some characters were unlikeable at first until they showed their true colours later in the plot. The choice of figurative words and phrases was appropriate and outstanding. Great use of figurative language such as personification, and imagery. It greatly captures the prehistoric environment. The sentence structure and choice of words were easy to understand. The marvelous usage of imagery undoubtedly makes it immersive. I could picture what was going on during serious times and the characters’ dialogues could set the mood and atmosphere, accompanied by great character development. The thrill and action the story provides, later on, got my adrenaline rushing and felt as if I were sitting in a vacant cinema accompanied by stunning visuals.
However, this book has its flaws. The first thing that caught my eye was the font choice. I initially thought it was unbearable until it no longer impacted my enjoyment in reading the story. It might be difficult for the average reader to picture what certain dinosaurs looked like unless you are an expert in paleontology or are familiar with a handful of dinosaur names. There are a few technical biological terms mentioned in the story such as “endorphins” and “neuroreceptors” which might be foreign to the average reader. The constant shift in timeline or flashbacks may be confusing or bothersome to some readers. Some flashbacks were dragged out too long and may get the reader go off-track. Some situations that played out in the story were, questionable, especially in certain chapters. Readers might find themselves in situations that may be uncomfortable, just a warning in advance that this book is for mature audiences due to its explicit content.
Overall, I personally enjoyed reading this book and every page was worth reading. I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. As I mentioned previously, the story greatly captures the figurative language, and the characters were realistic. There are some recurring characters that I enjoy and didn’t. As a person that was once obsessed with dinosaurs, I could relate to how fascinating these creatures truly are. Not only that, but this book has also rekindled my enjoyment of reading. It was refreshing to see a thrilling adventure of once a young boy, now a fully grown adult to journey across the country trying to resolve the troubles a prehistoric creature has brought upon his bloodline. There are a few errors I have discovered during the reading process but were minuscule enough to not be noticed when the story is read at a faster pace.
It has been 4 years since I completely read a book that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a thrill in journey, mystery, and tenderness in nostalgia. The title of this book suits it very well and if 321 pages aren’t daunting, you should check this book out. Though as I mentioned before, be prepared for the intense, explicit content. If you are not fond of these or are sensitive to violent or erotic scenes, I would suggest reading another book. Otherwise, it is worth the read.
******
The Different Kinds Of Monsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This is a life story of a person named Dylan Armitage, who began his journey after stumbling upon an Allosaurus named “Emily” in a museum in the summer of 1970. His encounter with this fossil changed his life dramatically. He is always reminiscing and refers to Emily as a dinosaur and sometimes, a metaphor that is responsible for his past and present decisions and events. His encounter with Emily has led to Dylan having to cope with his struggles with his family relationships, followed by the action-packed imagination his childhood adventure across the country could offer.
It starts with Dylan reuniting with his father in the hospital, where they talked about the past, and the present starting with Emily, the Allosaurus. Throughout their time in the hospital, Dylan’s father still showed signs of his old self, his temper. His temper slowly diminished as they continued their conversations following Dylan’s mother’s passing, by reflecting on the past. The horrific events that occurred in Dylan’s life were thought to be caused by Emily. This mysterious phenomenon is then unravelled when Dylan sets foot into his father’s ruined house, discovering Emily’s history. The story continues several years after the September 11 terrorist attack, followed by Dylan’s thrilling adventure when he decided to end the troubles Emily has been causing to his family once and for all.
This book definitely has its redeeming qualities. Especially with the characters and how they contributed to the plot. The relationship between Dylan and his father was realistic. I personally enjoyed the author’s method of referring to past events which invoke powerful feelings of nostalgia. Some characters were unlikeable at first until they showed their true colours later in the plot. The choice of figurative words and phrases was appropriate and outstanding. Great use of figurative language such as personification, and imagery. It greatly captures the prehistoric environment. The sentence structure and choice of words were easy to understand. The marvelous usage of imagery undoubtedly makes it immersive. I could picture what was going on during serious times and the characters’ dialogues could set the mood and atmosphere, accompanied by great character development. The thrill and action the story provides, later on, got my adrenaline rushing and felt as if I were sitting in a vacant cinema accompanied by stunning visuals.
However, this book has its flaws. The first thing that caught my eye was the font choice. I initially thought it was unbearable until it no longer impacted my enjoyment in reading the story. It might be difficult for the average reader to picture what certain dinosaurs looked like unless you are an expert in paleontology or are familiar with a handful of dinosaur names. There are a few technical biological terms mentioned in the story such as “endorphins” and “neuroreceptors” which might be foreign to the average reader. The constant shift in timeline or flashbacks may be confusing or bothersome to some readers. Some flashbacks were dragged out too long and may get the reader go off-track. Some situations that played out in the story were, questionable, especially in certain chapters. Readers might find themselves in situations that may be uncomfortable, just a warning in advance that this book is for mature audiences due to its explicit content.
Overall, I personally enjoyed reading this book and every page was worth reading. I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. As I mentioned previously, the story greatly captures the figurative language, and the characters were realistic. There are some recurring characters that I enjoy and didn’t. As a person that was once obsessed with dinosaurs, I could relate to how fascinating these creatures truly are. Not only that, but this book has also rekindled my enjoyment of reading. It was refreshing to see a thrilling adventure of once a young boy, now a fully grown adult to journey across the country trying to resolve the troubles a prehistoric creature has brought upon his bloodline. There are a few errors I have discovered during the reading process but were minuscule enough to not be noticed when the story is read at a faster pace.
It has been 4 years since I completely read a book that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a thrill in journey, mystery, and tenderness in nostalgia. The title of this book suits it very well and if 321 pages aren’t daunting, you should check this book out. Though as I mentioned before, be prepared for the intense, explicit content. If you are not fond of these or are sensitive to violent or erotic scenes, I would suggest reading another book. Otherwise, it is worth the read.
******
The Different Kinds Of Monsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Different Kinds Of Monsters by Seth Chambers
