12 Jan 2012
1 CommentMr. Monster
Mr. Monster, Book Two of The John Cleaver Series by Dan Wells
Mr. Monster is a supernatural horror story by Dan Wells. It is the second book in the John Cleaver series. The series starts with I Am Not a Serial Killer, and continues in this second novel, Mr. Monster.
Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2)
Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2) [Wells, Dan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2)
Continuing the Story
I was a little concerned about where the story was going to go after the conclusion of I Am Not a Serial Killer. The original book existed comfortably as a standalone novel. Any continuation of the story would have to jump deeper into the supernatural elements and I was curious about how Wells planned to flesh out the characters and the monsters of his world.
Mr. Monster is a young adult, supernatural horror novel. Although, despite the YA label, it manages to throw in a lot more horror than you would expect. It takes place immediately after the first book ends. I would suggest you read the first book before this one. Mr. Monster alludes to the first book a bit and some of the plot hinges on actions taken in I Am Not a Serial Killer.
What Mr. Monster is All About
Mr. Monster is about a 16-year-old boy named John Cleaver, who also happens to be a diagnosed sociopath. Previously, a serial killer showed up in his town, upsetting the balance of mundane world. Now, after the drama of the first incident, it is happening all over again. John must try to cope with the façade of being a normal teen as the monster within him yearns to be free. That monster has a name. Taken from the infamous Son of Sam, its name is Mr. Monster.
Of course, there is much more to it. Mr. Monster focuses more on John’s teenage social issues than the last book, which I liked. Unfortunately, because of this, it takes longer to get into the meat of the plot. Also because of this, the book comes in about 30 pages longer than the previous one.
A Quick and Fun Read
It’s still a quick read though, which is good. The main antagonist is not as interesting as the bad guy from the first novel. In fact, you will probably be able to guess who he is long before he reveals himself. You will probably find some disappointment with his immediate personality change after he does. An interesting side note, the main villain’s character echoes that of real life killer Gary M. Heidnik, a murderer, kidnapper, rapist and torturer.
As I stated earlier, I am still not a fan of the main character. However, I am a fan of the story itself, and like others, I just have to know what happens next. So, I will be reading book three, I Don’t Want to Kill You. Dan Wells is still a new author so I am not expecting any miracles out of this series. All I want is a quick and entertaining read, and so far, he has provided just that.
Read my review of Book 1, I Am Not a Serial Killer
Read my review of Book 3, I Don’t Want to Kill You
Read my review of the John Cleaver Series as a whole
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16 Jan 2012
0 CommentsI Don’t Want to Kill You
I Don’t Want to Kill You – Book Three of The John Cleaver Series
I Don’t Want to Kill You is the third and final book of Dan Wells’ John Cleaver trilogy. It is a supernatural horror novel with a YA label. It looks like Mr. Wells saved the best for last. I find book three is a better-written story with better characterization. In fact, it seems as if characters that just sort of existed in the first two books, finally got personalities, including the main character. If you read my last two reviews, you would know that I have had a problem with the main character’s woodenness for the last two books.
What “I Don’t Want to Kill You” is About
There is much personal growth to the main character in this one. He is still the angsty, misunderstood youth from the first two books, but this time around, he is actually learning as he goes, and finding out new things about himself. After all, he just recently bested two supernatural killers so his confidence level is through the roof. He also seems to have much less of a struggle in this book with his “Mr. Monster.” This is a welcome change for me. He doesn’t spend the book focusing on how different he is.
At the end of the previous novel, he sent out an invitation to another supernatural beastie and so there is no surprise when one comes to his town. However, once the killings begin, John realizes that not only does he have no idea who the killer could be, but there may also be more than one of them.
One small peeve I had with this book was the character of the pastor. The author builds him up and then just…lets him go later on in the book. It is only a small peeve, amongst a few others, but they are not worth mentioning here. They do not make the story any less good.
Just as book two was slightly longer than book one, book three is slightly longer than book two. The extra length does not make this book any less of a quick read than the previous ones. Dan Wells managed to pack in a lot of action, a few twists, much character building and it all still flows quickly and evenly.
When the book is over, you may find yourself upset there isn’t another to read right afterwards. Wells manages to resolve the major plot threads but still leave a lot open to future expansion.
Read my review of Book 1, I Am Not a Serial Killer
Read my review of Book 2, Mr. Monster
Read my review of the John Cleaver Series as a whole
Read more Book, Movie and TV Reviews by Silencio Barnes
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