Lis’ Review of Monster Town by Dakota Chase

Dakota Chase

Monster Town

Prizm Books, March 13, 2013 | 67 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
James Dire has a problem. He doesn't breathe fire, suck blood, or sprout fur and a tail during full moons. He doesn't eat babies, or trample cities, or carry screaming women off to his underwater lair. In short, he's about as dangerous and exotic as a boxful of sand.
While this may not be an issue elsewhere, it is in Eden, James' hometown. Here, everyone, from his parents and siblings, to his classmates, to the mayor, are fire-breathing, bloodsucking, fur-sprouting monsters, and James doesn't fit in anywhere.
James always feels excluded and knows he's always suspect because of his difference. He's very shy, has few friends, and his only sense of purpose comes from his job as reporter for the school paper.

When a girl is kidnapped, James's secret crush, gorgeous werewolf, Theo, pulls him into a hunt for clues to find her before it's too late. What they discover is a plot that's much more involved than a simple kidnapping, and may get them both killed.
In Monster Town, there's nothing more dangerous than being ordinary

Genre & Keywords: M/M Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult, Mystery, Monsters

~~~~~
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 1 out of 3 flames
~~~~~

Reviewed by Lis/Larissa:

As a teenager it’s hard to find your place in the world. Find out who you are supposed to be. James is just an ordinary boy, except that ordinary makes James stand out like a fox in the hen house. Why you ask? Well, that’s because James lives in the town of Eden, Texas. A town that is home to every paranormal species imaginable. It’s a place where they can feel safe and for the most part they do. Just don’t become a ghost in this town. Bad move.

James hasn’t got it easy. There are no two ways about it. He doesn’t fit in. He doesn’t have any friends, his parents don’t quite know what to do with him and if something goes wrong in town James is often blamed for it.

Like when his classmate is kidnapped. It’s very much the mystery. Who would want to kidnap her? There is no reason for it. Is there? James thinks it’s a good story for the school newspaper (way better than what he’s got so far) and between the accusations, he receives help from the last person he ever expects: his long time secret crush, hunky werewolf Theo.

Monster Town isn’t a very long story, but it’s a cute, fluffy, funny and adorable one. I expected a lot of drama and teenage angst, but it’s actually quite light and humorous, something that just fits. It’s a story about an outcast who just wants to feel accepted and loved.

It’s a funny paranormal world James lives in and it’s nice to see the monsters banding together to form their own little community. There isn’t much world building as the author relies heavily on accepted paranormal conventions.

James is our narrator and the only character that is fleshed out. Quite understandable as this is his story and the story is too short to have fully fleshed out characters. Although, I would’ve loved to have seen a little more of Theo. He’s an interesting character with his own problems. He’s strong though and independent and fights for what he believes in while James has just accepted that he’s never going to fit in.

The plot isn’t very extensive. There is a mystery that is easily solved, but it’s not the outside that counts, but the fluffy filling. The mystery in Monster Town is easy, but it’s the story around it that counts the most and makes the story whole.

Monster Town is a good, fun, light read and had me laughing out loud and makes for fun reading on a lazy afternoon. It isn’t set up as a series, but the ending leaves the possibility for more open.
~