Book Review: Monster Planet by David Wellington

Monster Planet - David Wellington

Synopsis:
For twelve years, ever since zombies took over the world, Ayaan and her small band of fighters have been defending what is left of the human race in Africa. Doing overhead patrols in one of the few working helicopters on earth, they monitor the progress of the ghouls heading towards their camp and eliminate any that could be a threat. But one day the group come across a sight never before thought possible- a large group of living humans, working together with the zombies as they trek across the vast African desert. This unusual ensemble is led by the Tsarevich, also known as the Prince of Death, whose supernatural powers as a lich (a zombie who rose again with his intellect intact) are greater than those of any other. Sensing that this may be the only chance for her to destroy him, Ayaan and her crew make an impulsive attack on the Tsarevich’s group, but the stronger forces of the lich win out and Ayaan is captured while many of her crew are slain. Among the surviving members is Sarah, a young woman who Ayaan brought up after she was orphaned at the age of eight.
Sarah feels it is her duty as Ayaan’s young protégée to rescue her from the horrors that await, and if all else fails and Ayaan is killed, to end her ‘life’ as one of the undead. With Osman the helicopter pilot, a ghost and some old revived mummies on her side, Sarah has to face insurmountable odds to save her mentor and friend.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, the viewpoints of some of the major characters change as the action of the story progresses. Views, which were once black and white, now feature variants of grey, and the ideals that were once held are overturned in favour of new concepts about the way that the future should pan out.
This is a situation that often occurs in everyday life, and it is interesting to see how the author can adapt these views to mean the difference between life and death for his characters.

Positives:
This is a story of survival- all of the human characters are fighting to create a world that will once again be safe enough for humans to inhabit, and free of flesh-eating zombies. Even the Egyptian mummies, who have been dead for thousands of years, endeavour to survive the Tsarevich’s discriminating elimination of their ‘race’.

Negatives:
The gory descriptions of the zombies and the methods that the Tsarevich uses to torture and kill his victims are more than a little unsettling at times, but given the nature of the story, this is to be expected. You can’t have a novel about the undead without it featuring some of these themes.
Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Horror

Recommended for: People who enjoy a good zombie novel and who may have read David Wellington’s previous zombie novels.



Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Synopsis:
While sailing through the icy seas near the North Pole, adventurer Robert Walton and his crew come across a foreign man close to death and stranded on the snow.
After picking him up and attempting to nurse him back to health, the man reveals himself to be a scientist named Victor Frankenstein, whose interest in creating life through alternate means has led to his ultimate downfall.
Through letters to his sister Margaret, Robert Walton recounts Frankenstein’s tale, which has been dictated to him throughout their long conversations.
He reveals Frankenstein’s fascination with creation as a young man, and about his experiment, in which he combines body parts of the deceased to form a new being, which he brings to life with a shock of electricity.
But Frankenstein’s joy following his success is undermined once he looks into his creation’s ‘watery eyes’, and he rejects the creature on the basis of its looks, denying it any chance of being assimilated into his township, or into everyday human life. In a show of vengeance, the creature decides to wreak havoc on Frankenstein’s existence, and sets out to destroy him, and all that he holds dear.

What I gained from reading this book:
Mary Shelley’s classic novel raises many questions concerning the limitations of human creativity and highlights the moral boundaries that Victor Frankenstein breaches when he rejects his creation, and the creature’s subsequent requests for a mate. Readers have to question if the events in the novel would ever have occurred had Frankenstein treated his creature with respect, especially since the creature shows no sign of malevolence before being rejected. This book makes readers consider how tolerance and education can shape somebody’s attitudes to life, and highlights how fine the line between good and bad really is.

Positives:
This is one of the most famous gothic novels to ever be written and the influence it has had on other literature and film is astounding. Not only is this story written with gripping detail, but Shelley lets us see the story from both sides. The reader is given an insight into Frankenstein’s mind as he struggles to control and hide his disgust at his creation, and several chapters are dedicated to the creature’s interpretation of the same events. This allows the reader to see why each of the characters reacts in the way that they do.

Negatives:
This novel was originally published in the year 1818, so if you are not a fan of ‘old-fashioned’ writing, then this book is probably not a good choice for you.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Classic Horror

Recommended for: People who want to read a classic book that still raises questions today.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below