The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
The Monstrumologist #1
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; September 22, 2009
Hardcover, 447 pages
Borrowed from library

These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me.

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthorpe, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.

A gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does man become the very thing he hunts?

- Description from Goodreads.com

I am completely blown away by this book. In no way would I have expected this to be so good. I had received a recommendation prior to reading the book, insisting that I should read it because "it's a very good book" but that did not prepare me for all the twists and turns that awaited me. 

The Monstrumologist is incredibly gory and grim but instead of turning me away, it only increased my fascination. I was hooked from beginning to end, despite the fact that it is a lengthy book. There is no shortage of action in this book, yet it is written so in a way that it doesn't feel like filler. Every single story line in this book feels relevant to the progression of the story. Rick does a wonderful job of describing the dark New England setting he has painted, along with the terrifying anthropophagi. While reading, I couldn't help but believe the existence of such things, even though the better part of me realized how absurd that is. Everything was so rich with detail that the story felt much more sophisticated and complex than it really was.

My goodness, I really can't reccommend this enough. I loved everything about this book, even the gory bits which by the way, are much gorier than you'd expect coming from a YA horror/fantasy. You might need to check that out before you read it if that puts you off. In all, it was a brilliant read and never in my life have 400 pages passed by more quickly. Amazingly horrifying and worrisome, this is a book you should definitely check out!