The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

A Monstrumologist is kind of an 1800s version of an agent on The X-Files; Dr. Warthrop is a Monstrumologist. His young apprentice is Will Henry, the orphaned son of his former assistant. When Dr. Warthrop learns of an outbreak of anthropophagi activity, he and Will Henry start down a dark path that will change their lives and their understanding of each other.

Much attention has been paid to this book's cover, and it's just as striking in person. It's a bit disgusting, a bit creepy, a bit confusing, but I couldn't look away. That's sort of how I felt about the rest of the book, too - I didn't always understand what was going on, especially with the anthropophagi, but I just wanted to find out more. Additionally, the characters are really engaging. There are strings of dialogue that are just delightful in their absurdity; along with the horrible events of the novel, there's a very dark, very humorous vein that runs through it. The last section of the book repeatedly reminds the reader that these are only the first three volumes of the found manuscript. I'm curious to see what will happen in the next volumes.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey