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Book Review: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Viking Penguin, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-0670786206

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

I don’t read a lot of YA fiction, as I tend to enjoy a harder, darker horror in general, but I have enjoyed it from time to time, and the concept of Man Made Boy intrigued me.

It is indeed an interesting book filled with fun ideas. Man Made Boy is the story of Boy, the son of the Frankenstein monster and his Bride. Boy and his parents live in a New York City refuge for monsters; hidden in plain sight from the public as a part of a freak show, the monsters live in a labyrinth behind and underneath a theater in the city. I LOVED this concept. The set-up is beautifully done and creates a wonderful environment that is both gothic and surreal.

Boy is a teenager and this for sure is a road trip coming-of-age novel. Boy decides he wants to leave the show and live in the outside world, which is not the easiest thing to do when you are made up of re-animated body parts, but he gets out there and gets a job. As he travels, he meets other monsters, falls in love and has adventures. Where the story gets muddied is in a secondary plot about Boy’s love for hacking; he creates a villain named Vi, a sentient computer virus, in effect making Boy like Doctor Frankenstein.

The theme is not subtle, it is about responsibility. I thought the novel was fun overall and would be perfect for young teens. There is some strong language and suggestion of sexuality, entirely off camera. The book is targeted to ages 12 and up, and I think that is fair n terms of age-appropriateness. YA collections should have this book– kids looking for a light-hearted fantasy will enjoy it. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Agranoff

Posted on September 9, 2014 by , Reply

Book Review: Absalom’s Wake, Part Four by Nancy A. Collins

 

Note: Absalom’s Wake is a six-part ebook serial. Check out these reviews of earlier parts of the story!

Absalom’s Wake, Part One: A Serial Adventure of Terror on the High Seas

Absalom’s Wake, Part Two: Terror on the Beach

Absalom’s Wake, Part Three: The Whale Rider

 

Absalom’s Wake Part Four:  Terror Comes Aboard  by Nancy A. Collins

Biting Dog Publications, 2013

ASIN:  B00DAHLBG2

Available:  ebook edition (Kindle, Nook)

Part Four of Absalom’s Wake continues the adventure with our hero, Jonah Padgett, being rescued by the island native, Koro, from the sea’s embrace.  At dinner, the captain learns that  King Jim, the most treacherous of all whales, was sighted three hundred miles southwest of Rapa Nui.  The captain sets course, and two days later the ship is in the area, and the hunt is on!  Two of the crew go missing with no explanation.  The mystery is short-lived, as the ship is attacked by Shark-men!  The savage Shark-men, of the Mako Kanaka tribe, take the crew to task.  Many of the crew members are killed, including Captain Solomon.  The crew retaliates by gunning down the vicious savages.  The final blow is dealt by Koro, who harpoons their fleeing leader, One Eye.  With Captain Solomon dead, what will happen to the hunt?

Ms. Collins’ tale continues to be just as strong as in the previous parts.  The tone is consistent, with the characters’ lives falling into a familiar routine.  Their voices are strong and remain distinctive.  The descriptions were vivid and the action sequences were gripping!  The mystery continues, and I was left wanting more, more, more! Recommended for adult audiences.

Reviewed by:  Aaron Fletcher

Posted on August 29, 2014 by , Reply

Book Review: Absalom’s Wake, Part Three: The Whale Rider by Nancy A. Collins

Note: Absalom’s Wake is a six-part ebook serial. Check out these reviews of earlier parts of the story!

Absalom’s Wake, Part One: A Serial Adventure of Terror on the High Seas

Absalom’s Wake, Part Two: Terror on the Beach

 

Absalom’s Wake Part Three: The Whale Rider by Nancy A. Collins

Biting Dog Publications, 2013

ASIN: B00BQOAPE0

Available: eBook(Kindle, Nook, Smashwords)

 

This installment of Absalom’s Wake picks up where part two left off, with Jonah Padgett running for his life from cannibals.  Jonah is rescued by a native named Koro of the Aina tribe who spears one of the cannibals and chases the others into the sea.  The cannibals are of the Mano Kanaka tribe and are arch-enemies of the Aina.  They were after Jonah because of the dolphin medallion he wore, left to him by his uncle. Later, Koro accepts an offer to join the crew as a harpooner.  Koro and Jonah end up rooming together, as Jonah is promoted to Ship’s Cooper and life aboard returns to normal.  At Christmas, Koro tells the tale of Kamoho, King Of All The Sharks and father of the Mano Kanaka, The Eaters of Men.  Koro also tells the story of how he came to be born– a story that sounds very much like the story of how Jonah’s beloved uncle won his wife, years before.  A couple of weeks later, another of the Harpooners bets Koro that he can kill the next whale before Koro can.  At stake is a gold watch, against Jonah’s dolphin medallion.  The hunt is on.  Koro leaps onto a whale’s back and mortally wounds it.  The whale thrashes the sea, tossing the whaleboat about.  The call of “Man Overboard!” rings out, as Jonah slips beneath the waves.

This part of the story was well written and does a great job of slipping a few more tantalizing details in with the action sequences– details that  add a bit of tension and suspense to the overall storyline.  I  look forward to finding out just how Koro fits into Jonah’s life.  As with the previous two parts, the author paints a vivid picture of the environment, and the characters have individual voices.  The only complaint I have is that there is the occasional misspelling which tended to break the mood while I sorted out what was intended.   Recommended.

 

Reviewed by: Aaron Fletcher

 

 

 

 

Posted on August 29, 2014 by , Reply
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