Book: Otto Normal’s Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach
Author(s): Danielle McKechnie
Illustrator(s): Simon Estrada
Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars
Audience: Child (8-17)
Synopsis: Otto and his mom move from the human world to the monster world. To a place called Monsterton. Where all it’s inhabitants are, well, monsters. Otto finally makes friends and has adventures. Until, one day an adventure goes wrong, and a member of the friend group goes missing.
Thoughts: This book was an interesting read. It’s a mix of graphic novel and a traditional novel, which is what drew me to it.
Each page has some sort of illustration (even if it’s in the background) or word art to make certain text stand out. I have to admit, it took me a while to find my reading rhythm. Once I found my rhythm, it was a lot easier to digest the story. This is a hefty book and there’s a lot going on!
I was on the fence in the beginning of the story. By the end, I’d bought in. This story does a lot of world building. There’s also a lot of lore that gets explained to the main character-Otto, that is subsequently explained to you as the reader. At times, it feels overwhelming. Come to think of it, maybe that’s the point. You–the reader, are supposed to feel the same feelings the main character is feeling in that moment….hmmm.
I found the illustrations tremendouly helpful. They helped me visualize the world, the characters, the experiences and emotions of the characters. Speaking of, this novel was BEAUTIFUL. The illustrations were vibrant. The kookiness of each character is drawn immaculately. Even the pages that are not graphic novel panels have something going on in the background. A faded set to help you imagine the environment. Stylized words to draw your attention to certain places. Different color font (which at times was harder to read). Something. There are no bland, simple, white pages.
I think this would be a good read for middle-high schoolers. As I mentioned, this is a hefty book. Over 400 pages. The story can feel a bit complicated and may be hard to follow at times. There’s no explicit vocabulary, mature content, or graphic depictions.
Book 2 of the series is scheduled to be released March 17, 2026! I fully plan to read it.
If you’re interested, Monsterton can be found on Amazon for $13.70 (Hardcover). Or, check with your local library and get it for FREE-ninety-nine!
If you’re interested in reading a sample of the book, click here!
Major Morris 