YA SPECULATIVE REVIEW: A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby


ABOUT THE BOOK

Fear the living more than the dead.

It’s London 1888, and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the people of the city. Evelyn, a young woman disfigured by her dangerous work in a matchstick factory, who has nowhere to go, does not know what to make of her new position as a maid to the Elephant Man in the London Hospital. Evelyn wants to be locked away from the world, like he is, shut in from the filth and dangers of the streets. But in Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, she finds a gentle kindred who does not recoil from her and who understands her pain.

When the murders begin, however, Joseph and Evelyn are haunted nightly by the ghosts of the Ripper’s dead, setting Evelyn on a path to facing her fears and uncovering humanity’s worst nightmares.

REVIEW

I don't normally review young adult books, but this one appealed to me for some reason.  And I was not disappointed.  I found Evelyn to be a very sympathetic character in her struggles to survive.  And the connection she establishes with Joseph Merrick, the so-called Elephant Man, is a sweet, tender one.  Evelyn's scars and Merrick's disfigurement allow them to empathize with each other.  But Merrick's appearance takes some getting used to and Evelyn struggles at first, but she's so glad to be off the streets and in 'hiding' that she continues to serve him despite her discomfort and over time the discomfort disappears.  The other thing the two have in common is the appearance of some very haunted ghosts who appear to be the victims of the "Leather Apron", soon to be known as Jack the Ripper.  The hauntings disturb Evelyn, but they have a much more severe effect on Merrick, they appear to be killing him.  In order to save him, Evelyn enlists the help of Charles, a frequent visitor who has expressed interest in her.  With Charles's help, Evelyn seeks to find out enough about the ghosts to help them find peace.  If she doesn't, she fears Merrick won't survive the onslaught.  The book was quite compelling, especially the mystery of the ghosts and the terror brought about by the murders.  The gruesome murders and blunt discussions related to it make this book more appropriate for young adult readers.  The combination of the sweet relationship between Evelyn and Merrick and the horror related to the hauntings and murders makes for an different sort of read.  The details about life on the streets and the suffering of so many was difficult to read at times, but all to realistic.  Kirby's done a good job with this one.



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