Three and a half stars.

An interesting book with a host of unusual characters. We follow the adventures of Judy, a clerk at a fast-food mart and Monster, a freelance monster hunter. I felt the characters come to life and were unique, but I didn't find them sympathetic--it was hard to care too much about them. Rather, I wanted to pop them both on the head and say, "wise up!" It says something when your most ethical and sympathetic character is a sidekick paper golem from another dimension. However, the fact that that is even a sentence in my review is one reason I'll read more of Martinez' books--very creative characters.

The plot is mostly action/puzzle solving, when Judy repeatedly comes into contact with Monster over monster infestations that keep occurring in her vicinity. Judy tends to forget the experience unless magic helps maintain her memories, and one of the most interesting plot points is when she is determined to maintain her memories on her own. I felt the steps she took and her subsequent reactions to them to be both realistic and sadly funny.

There's a segment on a couple living across from a being we meet later in the book, and in retrospect it's a little puzzling why it was included. Perhaps it is meant to show us how amoral/ egocentric she is? Unfortunately, it derails the focus from Monster and Judy and does little to heighten tension.

It turns out that the book is a little bit philosophical too, and gets kind of-far-out universe-origins odd. Maybe Martinez is channeling Douglas Adams. If you enjoy that style, you will most likely enjoy Monster.

Rounded down because of language and unsympathetic characters. By language, I would say it was written at a low high school level in straightforward prose. It's a style I occasionally enjoy but felt lacked world-building and sophistication. ( )

A twist on crime scene clean-up - with monsters as the criminals. ( )

Good fun read. First book of his that I read. Like his humor and characters. ( )

Finished it one sitting. Fun. ( )

Laugh-out-loud book with demons, a licensed demon exterminator, and the end of the universe.

An easy read with no deep meanings to plumb. And did I say, funny? Can't wait to read Automatic Detective by A.E. Martinez, which I believe I have around here somewhere. Bought used, of course. ( )

I want more . This book is fun , it's one of the books i re-read when i'm in a reading slump ( )

This was a fun listen, the narrator was excellent, the story pace was quick, and the writing made me laugh. It was exactly what I needed after two truly creepy and somewhat sad reads. ( )

Monster was a very fun and unique novel, but it did confuse me at times. Sometimes multiple things would happen at once and it would make it very confusing to keep track of. When I did understand it it was super fun and entertaining. I like how at some serious times in the book the narrator would make a joke and there was a lot of humor in the book which was a great touch. Every character had their own personality and opinions, I liked the characters that were very sarcastic the most. Lotus had to be my favorite character even though she was the villain in the book, she had such an “I’m the boss of everything” attitude which was really funny and she had an interesting background. I enjoyed the end of the book the best because I liked to see what was happening after the whole battle over the stone, Monster did not like going back to his job so it was funny when he said “I wish I was a cat” because that was the whole thing he was trying to stop. Overall the book wasn’t perfect but it was very creative, funny, and entertaining. ( )

Synopsis: Monster, who works for Cryptobiological Containment and Rescue Services as a freelance agent. With his sidekick Chester, a sixth-dimensional entity that manifests as various shapes of folded paper, he handles the more exotic problems for Animal Control. As a magical being, he wakes every morning as a different color and magical ability, a curse he cannot control. He first encounters Judy in the when she places a call for help at work. They meet again when trolls infest her apartment. As an incognizant, someone whose mind can't acknowledge magic, Judy soon forgets the bizarre events, but Monster suspects she's somehow involved with the recent number of dangerous cryptobiological happenings. They spend time together, with Judy even performing a ride-along as Monster goes about his work. Apparently, Judy has had several similar magical encounters throughout her life, but she can't recall any of them. But it's absolutely vital for Judy to remember that magic exists, because she's the key to defeating an ancient, powerful and extraordinarily devious being, disguised as the crazy neighborhood cat lady. When Lotus, keeper of a stone mysteriously linked to Judy, spirits Judy away, Monster attempts to come to her rescue, only to discover that he's in way over his head. As an ancient cosmic parasite, Lotus has used the stone to extend her life for millennia, but needs a key to unlock it's all-powerful magic during the coming cosmic alignment. Judy is the being required and nothing will stand in Lotus's way as she directs the cryptobiological events to drive Judy to her grasp. While Judy struggles with her destiny and against the growing influence of Lotus as the alignment grows closer, Monster discovers his own magic. He destroys his evil girlfriend, sending her back to the underworld and discovers the ability to shift between colors and magical abilities to fight the coming Armageddon. Both have been drawn together as two entities with a choice, either go with the cosmic flow that has pushed them around for most of their lives, or stand up and fight for something much larger than themselves. In the end, both Monster and Judy triumph against Lotus's parasitic evil and release the stone's power back into the universe. While magic is now a larger part of the universe, both Judy and Monster now have the freedom to each make a fresh start.
Review: The pace of this book was a slow, but I did find the cat lady entertaining. I'd like to turn people into pets on occasion. ( )

A monster who hunts monsters. With all the humor A. Lee Martinez brings to things. ( )

Amusing comic fantasy, lots of dry humor. A. Lee Martinez is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. ( )

Do you need an “escape” book? Want a break from all those “serious” books you’ve been reading? Then boy, do I have a treat for you! MONSTER, written by A. Lee Martinez, is an action-packed, over-the-top, modern-day fantasy packed with humor about a man who catches and transmogrifies pests. Not your ordinary pests. We’re talking ice-cream eating yetis, giant multi-headed snakes, Japanese ogres, walrus dogs, snarling goat-headed creatures, and the like. MONSTER had me smiling all the way through.
Monster (that’s his name) and his paper gnome sidekick, Chester, encounter a sudden proliferation of beasties to catch, which leads to the discovery of a universal power war that they can’t seem to get away from. Houses burn, streets melt, alternate dimensions are visited – I tell you, the fun never ends!
This is an easy read that will keep you entirely entertained for a few hours. I recommend MONSTER for everyone who wants to brighten their day! ( )

Monster works for a special “pest” control agency that specializes in the supernatural, and Judy is a human who keeps running into magical creatures, they have to work together find out what is going and and save the world.

I really love the way Martinez deals with magic in a mostly mundane world, how most people don't see it and how it impacts those who end up having no choice but to see it and I love his blending of mythologies and folk tales.

The biggest problem I had with this book is that I really didn't care all that much about the two main characters, I cared about the overall story just not how it affected them...not that it seemed to affect them that much to be honest. They weren't particularly likable but not particularly unlikable, just sort of there as a way to keep the story moving forward. The story was fun enough though that this really didn't hurt the overall story.
I did love Chester though, he was one of the best things in the book. Chester is a paper gnome who changes shape is really an entity from another dimension. I found him to be such an original idea and I loved the way his part in the story played out and I would love to read more about him.

As with many A. Lee Martinez books, this is fun if a bit slight and a very quick and easy read. ( )

It's the end of the world, almost. This is an interesting premise, the earth was created by rock in an effort to get of an evil presence named Ms. Lotus. Everything is well explained and the author manages to gracefully poke fun at his story too. ( )

It's the end of the world, almost. This is an interesting premise, the earth was created by rock in an effort to get of an evil presence named Ms. Lotus. Everything is well explained and the author manages to gracefully poke fun at his story too. ( )

It's the end of the world, almost. This is an interesting premise, the earth was created by rock in an effort to get of an evil presence named Ms. Lotus. Everything is well explained and the author manages to gracefully poke fun at his story too. ( )

It's the end of the world, almost. This is an interesting premise, the earth was created by rock in an effort to get of an evil presence named Ms. Lotus. Everything is well explained and the author manages to gracefully poke fun at his story too. ( )

I like the sci-fi mixed with humor in his writing. I like the ridiculous story ideas and how things turn out usually I'm too wound up in the story to even try to figure out what is going to happen next. If you like silly yet sci-fi/fantasy novels this is a definite must. ( )

Not as good as [b:Gil's All Fright Diner|225606|Gil's All Fright Diner|A. Lee Martinez|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316727745s/225606.jpg|218511] but still pretty amusing. Think Ghostbusters crossed with the television show Angel and you're relatively close to what the characters and plot of this story resemble. ( )

This was alright. Funeven. The overuse of the word "maw" instead of "mouth" drove me crazy. ( )

Ummmm... I couldn't finish it.

I suppose it is meant to be funny, or maybe there is some hidden 'message' in it... but I didn't see the humor, or get the message.

It was a series of incrementally dumber 'monster' contacts where people get squished or burnt, or whatever, in comical ways, and then recover from whatever the mutilation was. It is very childish... and some scenes are just plain dumb. Like the winged horse scene that eventually develops into the main character being sucked into a giant worm - it has absolutely no purpose but to allow the author to let his imagination flow, and add some potentially icky scenes (I say "potentially icky" because in my world, it is really only children who are amused by slime in the way this author seems to be).

Nearer the end there seems to be some over-arching storyline that, maybe, is meant to explain all the foolishness. But, sorry, the lame stereotype old witch and a 'universe in a stone' was just too much for me.

And, no, it is not urban fantasy; urban fantasy is supposed to be mature, and possibly a bit on the dark side. This book is a comic fantasy... in the manner that you would expect a story in a children's/comic book to be. ( )

Perhaps the best way to describe this book
Or the most convenient, in my opinion,is a short acrostic
Poem. I read [b:Monster Hardcover|1156877|Flying Monsters (World of Dinosaurs (Chrysalis Hardcover))|M.J. Benton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266732106s/1156877.jpg|1144458] from
Cover to cover in a couple hours,
Only to find it just "okay." [a:A. Lee Martinez|63669|A. Lee Martinez|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] is
Reminiscent of [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg], but lacks the
Nuance, breadth of references, and subtleties of character.

( )

Just a downright fun read. Intriguing characters and fun language. Definitely reading the rest of his books. ( )

An excellent book, a wonderful introduction to Martinez' writing, and just a lot of fun to read.

What impressed me most about this book was the magic system. This is not a scientific magic system, like something you'd get from Brandon Sanderson. It isn't a mystical system like a Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It's magic that is simultaneously old hat to its practitioners, and unknowably obtuse to others.

Like so many of this author's stories, this one is almost screen-ready, with action scenes that cry out for big budget CGI treatment. The characters are somewhat one dimensional. There is no real depth to them or their struggles. But that's okay, because that's not the point of the book.

It's a fun book, one that will make you think only as much as you want to, and entertain you the rest of the time with snappy dialogue.

Recommendation: If you like Terry Pratchett but don't require the philosophy to keep you entertained. ( )

This one was disappointing. None of the characters are likeable (this is on purpose, but to what purpose), and the book is kind of a mixture of a couple of other A. Lee Martinez books, which is unusual, as Martinez is generally unique with each new book. So far my least favorite book from a favorite author. ( )