Did you know that nearly half of all werewolf attacks start as misguided hugs?

There are hits and misses in this collection of woeful tales of sad and misunderstood monsters. The Joy of Unicorns had me snorting with laughter and I loved the human/zombie role reversal in Night of the Living. Other hits included the diary of a teenage banshee, a guide to looking after your gremlin (impossible) and a living dead will to cover all possibilities.

Some of the humour was a bit obvious and it’s best read in short doses. I do wonder if it is more American humour than British; Frank Lesser writes for The Colbert Report (which I have never seen). Although the crypto-racist Bigfoot could have been a Daily Mail columnist. The prose addresses the reader a lot too, which gets a bit tiresome after a while. Still, it’s a cute little stocking filler for anyone who ever feels a bit sorry for monsters.

Some of the illustrations are rather cute too (Willie Real is a Google Doodler) although I kind of wish they were in colour. I especially like the sad, haunted bath tub and Medusa’s hairdos. Not to forget the heartbreaking monster on the cover (he has a flower behind his back).

Sad Monsters is published by Souvenir Press and is available now in paperback and ebook editions. Thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

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Shelve next to: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison and The Radleys by Matt Haig

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes only. Receipt of a book does not guarantee a review or endorsement. My reviews are my honest opinion and are not biased for the purpose of personal gain.