Pixie Dust Book Reviews: [Blog Tour & Scavenger Hunt] Monster Night by P.B. Azeltine & M.E. Drewry

In the novel Monster Night, a new drug has begun to circulate Olympia High School and David seemed to be the only person that can find out who's behind it all. Will his magic help him save the day or will he be unable to follow in his grandpa's footsteps?

SCAVENGER HUNT / GIVEAWAY

Each blog stop in this tour will have a hidden phrase/object within their post that you must look for and mark down. Be sure to keep a look out and you will need to match the item to the blog it was shown on.

Once you have them all figured out, head on over to Reading Addiction Blog Tours’ blog and enter to win!

So, as a side note, just watch for something random in my post. Y'know, "one of these things is not like the others." I have faith in you!

REVIEW

Title: Monster Night

Author: P.B. Azeltine and M.E. Drewry

Publish Date: December 4, 2012

Publisher: Self-published

Pages: 234

Buy the Book: Amazon | Smashwords

Rating: ★★★★

When a drug surfaces in town that turns teens into the mythological creature of the chupacabra, David Copperfield Finkleman is called in to help. Why? Because David possesses a rare gift. He is a true blue, magic out of the fingertips, potions and spells, wizard. Well, that and because his grandfather is the lead investigator on the case and the drug is circulating in David's own high school. David is thrust into a world of danger and monsters he never knew existed, all the while living his normal daily life. He learns that he will have to save the very bullies who torment him in school and the chemistry teacher who wants nothing more than to flunk him. Adding to his problems, he deals with girl troubles, a boss who doesn't appreciate his sarcasm, and saving an agent's life before it's too late...no pressure!

I love the way that authors describe things in their stories and you always know that it will never be the same from one author to another. Just because a house is a house doesn't mean that an author associates the same thing with it as another author. That's one of the greatest parts about books. It's the way that these descriptions manage to make the story come alive off the page. A description can make or break a story in my mind and the authors of this story definitely knew how to create a very vivid image in my mind. It became one of my favorite things during the strong. I couldn't wait to see how they would describe something else.

Monster Night by P.B. Azeltine and M.E. Drewry is the masterful story of a young wizard named David, who never seemed to fit in and was always being compared to his brother. Everything changed though when he was pulled out of school to visit his grandpa who was just recently admitted to the hospital for a heart attack. Now, the fate of the case his grandpa was working on rests on his shoulders and for once he seems to know just what he was doing. He was never the popular type of guy like his older brother Henry, which essentially made him an outcast. Instead of everyone appreciating the fact that he was his own person with his own talents, he is constantly compared to a brother that he has no hope becoming like. Maybe this will be his big break. Maybe he will finally be able to step out of his brother's shadow and become his own man. Maybe he just might get the girl that seems to be just out of his reach. Who knows what can happen when magic is involved. Can he solve the case without putting anyone he cares about in danger? Will he be able to keep his magic a secret from everyone around him? What does the future hold for him as he tries to become the man his grandpa is sure he is meant to be? If everything turns out just right, he might have something to look forward to in the future.

The plot for this story was kind of a mix between a sleuth story and a magic story. It held a lot of the typical plot points that those two separate stories have but combined them in a way that made it unique. There wasn't a lot of huge plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat but it was definitely a great read. It kept me wanting to know more without feeling like a chupacabra is going to suddenly appear in my bedroom. A few things caught me by surprise so when that happened, I was more enthralled with the story than ever.

David, the main character, could be described as the geeky type of guy. He got good grades and was the president of the Magic Club at his school, not something that most guys would openly admit to being a part of. I think the best part of his character is the fact that in the beginning, you could tell that there was something about him that made you want him to be more than he was. It was easy to sense his potential as a character from the moment I read his first snarky comment or observed his first brave deed. Of all of the characters, he faced a lot of growth to become a confident character that was need to make this story worthwhile. Although he became a more certain and brave guy by the end of the story, I was happy to see that he held true to himself even in the end. He could've easily allowed his new emotions to cloud his perceptions but instead he chose to be content with who he was before anything unique went down. I found him very relatable and a good all around read.

His biggest support throughout the story was Gramps or if you prefer, his grandpa. I actually wasn't too sure about how big of a part that this particular character would play since it all began with him being in the hospital. It was surprising to not only have him become a major character in the story but also to have him save the day more than once. Gramps is definitely one of the most legit characters you can read that have faced a lot in their lives and still managed to prove that age only makes them stronger. I am glad that he become a sort of mentor for David, which I am certain will only prove to strengthen the powers that have been displayed in this tale.

There was a romantic subplot but it was smaller than most young adult books and yet I refuse to complain. I think for the story, the amount of romance was just perfect. It exemplified how uncertain David was about himself, especially around girls, and you get to observe him become more comfortable around girls as the story goes on. Be sure to watch out for Sabrina because she is the girl that I rooting for. Finally whole messy love triangle that has two girls instead of two guys. I am happy with that.

It was a great read and I think you all should go check it out. It isn't too long of a read but it is well written and well thought out.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

P.B. Azeltine has been writing for many years. She is a Land Surveyor Instrument woman by day and a writer at lunch time, traveling in the car time, any spare moment time, days off time, and eventings. She loves writing young adult, middle-grade, historical romance, and contemporary romance. She tries to put humor in all her writing. She has learned that as she goes through life, humor can make it much easier to get through. She lives in Olympia, Washington (U.S.A) with her husband, two daughters, son in-law, future son in-law, two dogs, one cat, and one lovebird.

Website: www.pbazeltine.com

M.E. Drewry is a teacher and writer. An avid fan and reader of fantasy, she decided to co-write her own fantasy story for young adults. She lives in Rochester, Washington (U.S.A.) with her husband, Jacob, and her overly pampered black lab, Shadow.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Monster-Night/420416314714188

EXCERPT

"That crazy creature they had in the book?" I asked. I'd never heard of anything like this before. “Wow!” I ran my hand through my hair and stared wide-eyed at my grandfather. “I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

"And this isn’t the Land of Oz,” Gramps said. “This is my world and now yours, where magic comes to life and threatens people and their lives. As wizards it’s our duty to protect the average person from bad magic. That’s why I need your help. I can’t do this in the condition I’m in.” He patted his heart. “My ticker’s left me weak, which weakens my powers. You’ve got to take my place, David. You’re the only who can. I don’t know anyone else who has the power you do and could take on someone like this.”

“Gramps, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you. Keep reporting to me. Now, Tom had a lead on the man who brought the drug into the country. He'd come to the Northwest, because he thought the area would keep him hidden."