Monsterland

Halloween is a time of ghoulish cheer, but for Charlie it makes him miss his cousin Billy even more. Convinced that Billy is in the woods, Charlie sets out with his dog, Ringo, to find him. When he ends up in Monsterland, he meets the vampire Prime Minister and sets out with a famous monster guide into the dangers of the land to discover what happened to his cousin. Along the way he faces many dangers and meets mysterious creatures that open up his eyes to a whole new view of monsters.

The monsters are incredibly layered characters–just ordinary people who happen to be a werewolf or a vampire. The more Charlie learns about them, the more his view of them changes into a whole different opinion of what it means to be a monster, which is perfectly represented by the use of Frankenstein’s monster. Franklin as Charlie’s guide is the perfect homage to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as the intelligent monster with humanity. He’s the perfect companion to Charlie’s innocent viewpoint. It’s easy to fall in love with this world and these characters, with each of Charlie’s new friends being the monsters you want to meet. A story of grief and closure, Monsterland is a fantastic coming-of-age journey perfect for children and young adults.