Friday Freak Out: Giving You the Creepiest and the Freakiest

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Synopsis: Monsters are real. Will Henry is the orphan apprentice of a doctor with an unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. When a midnight visitor brings them the body of a young girl entwined with the corpse of an Anthropophagus, it is the start of the most mysterious case of Will Henry's life. Anthropophagi are headless monsters whose razor-sharp teeth are int heir stomachs--and they are supposed to be extinct in this part of the world. Now Will and the monstrumologist are in a race against time to put a stop to the plague of monsters before they kill again.

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It sounds as freaky as it is. The Monstrumologist sounded good when I read it for school, but I didn't think that it would be so in depth. It's told in a diary (I would suggest that you read the prologue). I mean that it's based on a diary of the old Will Henry.

The beginning was mild with nothing but telling you the life of Will Henry and how he got to be with Dr. Warthrop. As the book progresses, you learn more of the doctor and more of Will Henry, but it also becomes more descriptive and had be covering my mouth in imaginative disgust as Will Henry explained the kill of the Anthropophagi and some of the things Dr. Warthrop does.

The book is broken up into three Folios, one for each diary that the old Will Henry has. Folio One is explaining Will Henry's life and the finding of the Anthropophagi and how Dr. Warthrop perceives the threat. Folio Two is more about what's going to happen when killing the Anthropophagi and new characters are brought in to show not only the dangers of the Anthropophagi, but also who will help Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop kill them off. And finally, Folio Three is how they kill the Anthropophagi. And oh my goodness, it was descriptive. Yancey describes everything with clarity and doesn't leave a single detail out. Which is good...and bad. It makes everything better for memory, but harsher on your stomach.

I didn't think the end came as a surprise to me, but I did think that Will Henry becomes a lot more brave at the end of this novel.  You see him more as a growing boy with more to discover rather than a young boy who is afraid. But the last chapter, towards the end, I was shocked and you learn how Will Henry comes to live so long.

Over all, this was a good read if you like horror stories. The plot was so cool and I was amazed at how Yancey could come up with this story. It kept me on edge the entire time and I literally thought that I was living in the world of Will Henry. The details were overwhelming at times, especially during the more gruesome parts of the book, but I never thought I was drowning in details. This is an excellent read and is one of the scariest books I have ever read. Also, it's 454 pages long so I recommend that if you want to read a really long book and have time to read a very long book, this would be great for you.

The Cover: Um, did you notice the skulls in the blue sky? They're more prominent in the picture up there, but on the book, they're not that prominent. I was looking on the back, and I saw the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, and I saw a wendigo's face, and I thought, Hmm, I wonder if this book has a picture. And it did. Of skulls! That made the book only slightly more creepy. And as you've noticed, I've added alternative covers and I am so glad I have the cover I have. Scary, right?

If you read The Monstrumologist and can't wait for another gruesome adventure with Will Henry, pick up The Curse of the Wendigo, another chilling read.

Friday Freak Out: Giving You the Creepiest and the Freakiest

Kissed by an Angel Trilogy by Elizabeth Chandler

A love beyond life...a danger beyond doubt. When her boyfriend, Tristan, died, Ivy thought she'd lost everything, even her faith in angels. But now she's discovered that he's her guardian angel--his presence so strong that she can feel the touch of his hand, the beat of his heart. Ivy needs Tristan now more than ever because he knows she is in terrible danger. Only Ivy's guardian angel can save her, now that his killer is after her. But if Tristan rescues Ivy, his mission earth will be finished, and he must leave her behind forever. Will saving Ivy mean losing her just when he's finally reached her again?

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OK, so these books are old. They were published in 1995--15 years ago. But that doesn't mean the story is less creepy. It starts out the night of Tristan's murder. Chandler gives a brief overlay of how it happened, when it happened. Then she dives into before Tristan (right when Ivy meets him) and Ivy's story of why she's there. It confused me for awhile, but I eventually got over it.

It was good in the beginning, when Tristan was still involved. But when he died and Ivy thought it was just an accident, it got slower. And slower. Until I hardly read it at all. But eventually, I picked it up again. And it got better. And creepier. And better. Until I was sticking my nose into it every single chance I got. Once Ivy suspected that someone had purposely killed Tristan, she set out to find out who did. And boy did it get interesting.

Her stepbrother Gregory was the creepiest person in the story. At the beginning he was welcoming and open, and Ivy didn't suspect anything. And then as the story went on, he became slightly crazed. And he started to freak me out. Ivy draws closer to him, though. And she thinks his craziness is because his mother died not long after Tristan. But the craziness gets more intense and the book started to evolve into a murder mystery. Which was creepy. And the murderer was slightly obvious, but still left me breathless.

Chandler made a wonderful tale of true love and moving on. She also made a freaky murder-mystery novel that thoroughly creeped me out.

Love Chandler? Check out Dark Secrets 1, Dark Secrets 2, and The Back Door of Midnight.

Friday Freak Out: Giving You the Creepiest and the Freakiest

GONE Series by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. Gone. Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents--unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers--that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.



It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Mean while, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger probelm looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived burried deep in teh hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them. The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought. As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage; Astrid against hte Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

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I may do "Freaky Friday's" once in awhile, when I've read an exceptionally freaky book. Like the GONE Series by Michael Grant. Doesn't it just sound freaky? I first read them looking forward to raging battles, hopeless dreams and a romance thrown in. But what I got was a never ending fight against people, nature and the FAYZ; a slight romance that never really shows up; and a battle for survival. And all the paranormal stuff like the powers? Yeah, Grant does a pretty good job of explaining them so well, you were gasping out loud at the end of a chapter.

Grant is an amazing author with plenty of details and creativity in his books. He wrote these stories marvelously, giving them a very creepy vibe and plot that will make you dying for more. And speaking of more, if you love these books and are freaking out at the end of Lies, I have news for you. Coming April, 2011, Plague, the fourth novel, comes out. And trust me, I was dying for Plague. I loved these books and I recommend them if you are in a scary book mood.