Monster by Frank Peretti

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Monster
Available from Amazon
Price: $99.00
Updated on 12-28-2008.

Features

Audio CD

Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.; Unabridged edition (July 15, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0786167769

ISBN-13: 978-0786167760

Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 12 ounces ()

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) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Monster (Hardcover) 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.

Monster
List Price: $99.00
Available from Amazon
Price: $99.00
Updated on 12-28-2008.