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WARNING
Yeah, you read it right. I’m a monster hunter. Back before I actually became one, I would have thought that sounded totally awesome. And don’t get me wrong, in a lot of ways it is. But most of the time, I’m either running for my life or hiding in the shadows, praying the monster chasing me doesn’t pick up my scent. And I’m almost always scared to death. In a few pages, I think you’ll see why.
But there are a few things I need to warn you about before I tell you my story.
First, this isn’t a cartoon. These are bloodthirsty creatures who will stop at nothing to kill. They are scary. Very scary. Second, the only way to stop them is to kill them first…and that gets gross and messy. Third, this is all real.
You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I can almost see you smirking as you read this. But this isn’t a joke. Monsters are real and the story I’m about to tell you really happened. If you’d rather walk through life believing that monsters are only found in books or on the movie screen, then you should shut this book right now and go do something else.
I give you these warnings because the story I’m about to tell you isn’t for everyone. Not everyone can handle it. The blood. The gore. The monsters.
This life was thrust onto me. I had no choice but to take up a sword and fight. But you can still walk away and pretend this dark world doesn’t exist. Or you can walk through the door that I’m about to open and find out the truth about the world around you.
But I warn you (and this is a big warning), if you read this book, if you learn about the monsters that roam among us and the hunters who fight them, if you decide to learn the truth, then you will become fair game for the monsters to chase.
Make sure you understand what I’m saying.
If you read this book, you will be part of this world and the monsters will come after you too. You will start to see things that no other humans can see. The shadows will move when you walk near them. The creatures of the night will seek you out, testing the doors and windows of your house, looking for a way in.
And, at some point, they will find you, just like they found me, and you will be forced to defend yourself.
So, think carefully before you turn the page, because once you do, there’s no turning back.
Ever.
Once a monster hunter, always a monster hunter.
See you on the other side.
If you’re brave enough.
Jessica's Review: Well this become a movie or tv show I wouldn't be surprised! It was very good. Fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson will love this book! My 8 year old daughter had me put it on her iphone so she could read it. (hope thats ok lol) It is deff. one that elementary and middle schoolers will love.
Brooke's Review: I received a copy of this book from the author to read and give an honest review. This has in no way influenced what I write or my thoughts about this book.
I don't read much middle grade fiction, but this book sounded so great, I could not pass up the opportunity to see what it was about. And I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it because it really was great!
I love the cover. When you read the book you will understand it better, but it's exactly how I pictured the armor worm by the main character. And the coloring of the cover is particularly eye catching. It really reminds me of something so much more mid-evil than what the book is truly about. I love the look as it shouts pure fantasy in my mind.
Jack is an awesome main character. He's strong, without even knowing it. He is kind of this dweeby nerd who thinks of himself as something more in the middle. He is completely relatable as a 14 year old boy for sure. I have to say that I couldn't picture him in my mind, because I didn't find that kind of detailed description when I read the book. But it didn't deter me from continuing on and getting to know the awesomeness that was this book. My favorite part about Jack is how straight forward he is with the audience. And he does it in a chuckily way, which just made me want to keep on reading to find out what happened. He challenged the reader not to read the book, well, this is certainly what propelled me forward. Jack is a well developed character.
I love Jack's friends, Will and T-Rex. They are kind of opposites, but compliment Jack's personality. You see the cockiness of Will versus the self debasing character that is T-Rex, and Jack seems to fall somewhere in the middle. And Eva is definitely an awesome interest. I love that she has a disability, but she is able to completely compensate for it. And I love that it doesn't get mentioned as something throughout the book that Jack notices. He just accepts that it is part of who she is.
My favorite thing about this book was how Gunhus used Jack's voice to pull the reader along. The writing was certainly easy enough to understand for a middle grade reader, but complex enough to keep even an adult like me intrigued. And the fact that we are introduced right away to a story that we know will contain monsters and action really keeps you wanting to read along and find out what being a monster hunter is all about. It's well written and clean
The entire time I was reading this book I couldn't help but think about my 9 year old son and how much he would probably enjoy it. If you enjoy books like Percy Jackson and The Olympians, then you should pick this book up for sure! I will enjoy reading the rest of the books in this series as they are released.
4 out of 5 stars from me.
"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."
Book Description
Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday!Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.
As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
For Middle Grade readers and higher
Fans of: Percy Jackson Series, Harry Potter and The Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine
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