Monsterland Reanimated

November 1, 2018
This sequel pits the heroes who took down a California theme park's creator against a revitalized horde of the undead.Copper Valley's Monsterland theme park, which brought visitors face to face with zombies, werewolves, and vampires, has closed. Vincent Konrad, the park's philanthropist designer, died during an opening-night disaster along with his star attractions. Seventeen-year-old Wyatt Baldwin and his stepfather, highway patrolman Carter White, now navigate a post-apocalyptic world of looters, giant coyotes, and a government in crisis. They pick up the radio signal of Sebastian Espinoza, a soldier in nearby Stocktonville. He has supplies to trade but also warns against a purple menace. Carter reluctantly sends Wyatt and his teen friends Howard, Lily, Keisha, and Damon on a road trip to Stocktonville to establish radio contact with the FBI. Meanwhile, in a chamber beneath Monsterland, Vincent's loyal assistant, Igor, works to return life to his master's severed head. Dr. Hugh Frasier arrives to help, igniting Vincent's Plan B, which involves the zombies dispatched by the military and a strange purple substance that hungers for life. Hopefully, Wyatt and company can recruit more firepower to Copper Valley before Monsterland's grand reopening. In this zany sequel, Okon (Monsterland, 2017) succeeds in giving a second round of creatures, like mummies, shape-shifters, and blobs, a chance for mayhem. He remains firmly plugged into pop culture, as when characters argue over what to name the purple menace ("Call it the Foam," Keisha says). The author also inserts a tone of playful chaos, as in this line during a car chase: "Any faster and they'd be traveling back to 1985." Supernatural metamorphoses add dimension to Lily and returning character Melvin, but human changes also occur. Wyatt, when reunited with his crush, Jade, finds her juvenile and wonders what he'd seen in her. He also gains more respect for Carter, whom he'd resented for joining his family. Okon later touches on politics, modeling Vincent after someone who "wanted to eliminate...politicians who abuse their power with empty promises." The finale aims readers toward a raucous third installment.Heartfelt character moments combine with monstrous wackiness for a win.

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Starred review from January 1, 2019
This book is recommended by BlueInk Review, a fee-based review service devoted exclusively to self-published books. Booklist is happy to partner with BlueInk to bring you the best self-published titles for adults and youth. Stars reflect the decisions of BlueInk reviewers and editors. Okon's sequel to Monsterland (2017) continues the audacious tale set in a world gone mad after a plague decimates humankind, and monsters from various theme parks around the world escape to wreak havoc. Taking place largely around the small town of Copper Valley, California?the site of Monsterland, the theme park that featured real live vampires, werewolves, and zombies until they escaped?the story revolves around a group of teenagers who leave town seeking news of the outside world. But much of humanity has devolved into lawless gangs, and a nomadic blob of purplish slime is eviscerating every living thing in its path. Add to that roving zombies, werewolves, mummies, and a megalomaniac's grand-scale conspiracy to re-create the world, and you've got yourself a highly entertaining read. This page-turner offers well-developed characters and an appealing extended homage to classic monster movies. A sense of wonder of the sort reflected in stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory coupled with the nonstop action of Mad Max and the existential horror of The Walking Dead make this a delightfully creepy read that monster aficionados young and old will love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)