[Review] - Monstre
Release Date: 15th September, 2020
I will preface this by saying I am a sucker for apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic tales, especially ones that are large. There’s something about a diverse cast, a full set of locations, and an endless list of ways for things to go wrong, that gets me excited to dive headfirst into a book. Monstre promised me this and, mostly, delivered.
While Monstre features some fantastic ideas, sequences, and designs at work, there are also some important issues. Let’s just go ahead and get that talk out of the way first, because I find following a disappointment with hope leaves hope lingering above all else.
Most of the problems are structural, which is good and bad. It’s good, in the sense that the story isn’t the issue. It’s bad, in the sense that the author has their work cut out for them to make improvements in the volumes to follow. While I generally have no issue following a story back and forth in time - I actually enjoy it, usually - Monstre felt haphazard in its approach to telling several stories. They didn’t seem to overlap very smoothly, which cocked with the flow of things. Jumping between Day 1 and Day 89 (and so on, as there are a couple more “dates” at play) became a problem at times. For example, a French town being eviscerated on Day 1 is a great way in letting us know the dangers of the Cloud; however, it also breaks up the main stories so much so that I was playing recap with myself to remember who was who and what they were doing the last I checked in with them.
This brings me to another structural-like issue. This story is so large it will have multiple books, which would normally excite me; however, Volume 1 left too many unanswered questions to feel cohesive in itself. Even the ending was dropped in the middle of an important scene. While this left a powerful what-the-fuck-is-going-to-happen-next factor, I was also frustrated by how few conclusions (or even fake-out conclusions) we had in this book. Were there any? I think I’d have to reread the book to say for sure.
In addition to the odd pacing and time jumping, the characters were also a little weak. Though Swan did a good job in giving us background on the important players, I didn’t find any of them particularly likeable. Clay was probably the strongest, and that’s because you can’t get a bead on him at times. That makes him a curiosity, someone to eye closely. I like that.
But enough of this picking of the scab. Let’s talk about what good is done here (because there’s plenty). Monstre is well-written in its narration; Swan is good with words, and he struts his stuff here. He has big ideas and a lot of intelligence, all of which is made obvious time and again.
The creatures luring people toward the Cloud aren’t clearly described, but that works in their favor. You see, they have a way of camouflaging, so just how good a picture can you expect? This inability to paint a clear image of what they look like is important for the reader, because it almost forces them to imagine something wickedly fucked and scary. For me, I pictured something the size of a shed, clobbering about with a mouth the size of a truck engine. Fuck that! Steer clear!
There’s also the matter of Swan being a well-traveled man. I think this has certainly helped him change settings with ease, giving him a large playing board. With such a skill, future volumes of Monstre could reasonably take us anywhere. Oh, the stories we could follow!
I found myself most invested in the final quarter or so of this book. I felt like I was reading less “so, there’s this and this going on” and more of “now that you’ve got yourself a sizable picture, check out the shit these people are dealing with.” My enjoyment returned, as a result (having dwindled during the midsection of Monstre), leaving me eager to learn the futures of Trace, Sara, and her kids.
In conclusion - now that I have rambled on for about two pages - I would like to say I recommend Monstre for those of you who (like me) enjoy a good apocalyptic epic. Swan has tempted me with relative ease to continue after him into the abyss of the Cloud. Why don’t you find out for yourself whether or not the darkness should swallow you next?
Review by Aiden Merchant
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I received a paperback copy of this novel from the publicist, Smith Publicity, Inc., and its author for review consideration.