Monster (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this long-awaited novel, Peretti (This Present Darkness; The Visitation) tells the story of a young woman who disappears in the Idaho wilderness and the ensuing search for her. The author's prose is clear and crisp, with only a few lapses into Lovecraftian hyperbole: his description of the novel's almost mythical setting is rich and detailed without being overwritten and his characterization of the woman, Beck, and the very unusual creatures she encounters is compelling. Peretti successfully incorporates several contemporary detective drama/suspense thriller tropes; one of his main characters, for example, is a crime scene investigator, and welcome doses of forensic evidence and DNA analysis are thrown into the mix. But the novel suffers from too many supporting characters, and Peretti's failure to develop them greatly compromises the conclusion. More problematic, though, is the novel's agenda with regard to the theory of evolution. Not raised overtly until the middle of the book, Peretti's critique of certain aspects of Darwinism eclipses the story and leads it to an unsatisfying and somewhat confusing end. As in Peretti's previous novels, those who hold conservative views are portrayed as heroic and those who disagree as evil. The novel's devolution into this simplistic moralism, however, will not keep Peretti fans away, and its many merits may attract other readers as well. 400,000 first printing. (Apr. 12)

From Booklist

Policeman Reed Shelton is guiding his wife, Rebecca ("Beck"), on a no-frills wilderness hike when a strange being attacks them, and they are separated. Bloodied and shaken, Reed crawls back for help, thinking Beck is probably dead. But she's been kidnapped by a band of apelike creatures that may embody what the people of backcountry Idaho tell their tall tales about: Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch. Or there may be another explanation: renegade researchers have been fiddling with DNA and have altered the offspring of chimpanzees into "monster" form. The monsters have escaped. This kind of thing--trying to improve upon God's creation--is red meat to Peretti's evangelical readers, but he doesn't develop the issue. Instead, he pumps up the suspense as a hunt is mounted to find Beck, but since the reader pretty much knows her fate, the suspense seems mechanical. When the true "monster" is revealed, he (or she) has little time on stage, and Peretti's argument about DNA more or less falls away. Peretti has so many readers that his new novel belongs in every library, but he was better off writing about the weight of sin, as he did in The Oath (1995). As for the evangelical take on DNA research, try Sigmund Brouwer's The Double Helix (1995). It's better informed and more suspenseful. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (April 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084991180X
• ISBN-13: 978-0849911804
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #307,670 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one is a good summer read, May 25, 2005

By	Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Frank Peretti has written some really remarkable books, including "This Present Darkness", and his writing style is always enjoyable to read. That said, this book is not as deep nor profound as some of his other works, but because it is a book that is fun to read and hard to put down, I recommend it as the kind of light reading we like to enjoy in the summer months at the beach.

The book starts with a couple out for a long trek in the wilderness, with the husband pushing his shy wife, who has a stuttering problem, out to strengthen and test her. The book never really explains how this wilderness trek is supposed to do this, but it's a believable premise anyway. The two are attacked by creatures in the forest they think are bears, or perhaps "Bigfoot"?

Now, when the book starts out by creating a situation about "Bigfoot" I was very unsure of where it would go. Typical for Peretti though, all is not what it seems. The wife, "Beck", is captured by these creatures and the rest of the book centers on her rescue, as well as some discoveries of how these creatures came to be.

The writing is good, not great, but as I mentioned it flows along and the story unfolds in a way that keeps you engaged. There are some bigger issues tackled here, but not to the extent of his other work. In fact, for those who may read the book for its "Christian" content, there just isn't much there.

Overall, a good effort and a fun light read, although not up to his best work.

68 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Detailed complexity, yet simple "big picture", May 17, 2005

By	TOMMY C ELLIS "Prison Rev." (Federal Way, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wanted desperately to love this book...as I have all the other Peretti books geared for adults. Instead, it was likeable. The tremendously detailed descriptions of setting harken to a writing era long gone--one that I frankly do not enjoy. The author is a master a description--writing with vibrancy and clarity. However, like many TV-generation readers, I get a feel for a book's backdrop, and fill in the blanks myself. Thus, during particularly wordy passages, I found myself skimming through.

The professional reviewers were correct to fault Monster's overly crowded field of supporting characters. I read this book in spurts (preschoolers in the house), and found myself occasionally wondering who I was reading about. This factor was particularly disappointing when the turncoats were revealed. I had figured for some time that there were bad guys in the mix of rescuers, and frankly did not care much which ones they were--since there were so many to choose from.

The plot could be very simple, or extremely complicated--depending on whether the reader tries to keep all the details clear, or simply concentrates on how the story is flowing. Either way, there was some disappointment. The details were overwhelming, but the overarching plot seemed to amount to Beck spending a long time being moved about the woods, while rescuing kept getting thwarted.

Yes, there was a fair amount of tension, there were some twists, some surprises. However, the most interesting character was Beck--the woman captured by some interesting creatures. She uses intuitive "intercultural" communication skills to figure out how to survive and even work her new "family."

On Evolution--a saving grace of this work is that Peretti mainly tackled one issue--do mutations work? Scientists committed to the theory might scoff at the simplistic and perhaps paranoid approach the author seems to take. Committed Creationists will be disappointed if they were looking for a persuasive tract. However for the vast majority of readers--myself included--the simple reality that mutations bring drawbacks, rather than improvements, offers a powerful question mark to Darwin's doctrine.

Bottom-line: This is a decent read, but not Peretti's best. Comparisons to The Oath are apt. Peretti does better when he tackles spiritual warfare, or faulty Christian practice. I recommend the two Darkness books and the Visitation, by the same author, instead of Monster.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who is the Monster?, April 15, 2005

By	J. Ratliff "Hermione Lives" (Muncie, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After waiting 6 years to read another Peretti book, I couldn't help but stay up all night to absorb the whole 400+ pages.

When I finished, I had a lot going on in my mind. Was it my favorite book of Peretti's? No. But after reading what he said in the interview regarding one of his favorite authors (Crichton), I understood a little better the book's intent. If you read Crichton's books (especially 'Prey' and 'State of Fear') you understand that Crichton wants us to think about the things that we generally just considered fact. In addition, we should also think about whether the actions we take are the ones that truly show that we are good stewards of God's resources.

Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoyed the book, and I couldn't put it down. It was captivating. While I wished some of the characters would have been developed more (Cap and Sing), I did enjoy the story.