Ayoh - Shop now
Enjoy this audiobook free + more
Free title with your free trial!
$0.00
  • Click above to get a preview of our newest plan - unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $21.49
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

The Monstrumologist Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Rick Yancey (Author), Steven Boyer (Narrator), Recorded Books (Publisher)
4.3 out of 5 stars 673 ratings
Award-winning author Rick Yancey has captivated young adult readers with his popular Alfred Kropp novels, the first of which was named a Best Book for Children by Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal. Now Yancey begins a gripping new series with The Monstrumologist.

Dr. Warthrop is a scientist who tracks and studies real-life monsters. Assisted by his 12-year-old apprentice, Will Henry, Dr. Warthrop discovers a pod of Anthropophagi and launches a hunt to destroy the foul beasts.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    11 hours and 33 minutes
  2. Author
    Rick Yancey
  3. Narrator
    Steven Boyer
  4. Audible release date
    October 28, 2009
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Recorded Books
  7. ASIN
    B002UQ93XM
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.

Product details

Listening Length 11 hours and 33 minutes
Author Rick Yancey
Narrator Steven Boyer
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 28, 2009
Publisher Recorded Books
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B002UQ93XM
Best Sellers Rank #200,855 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#339 in Horror Fiction for Teens
#400 in Action & Adventure Fantasy for Teens
#615 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Action & Adventure

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
673 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book's storytelling enthralling, with well-written prose that creates a fantastic Victorian vibe. The characters are outstanding, and customers consider it great for young adult readers. The horror content receives mixed reactions, with some customers appreciating the gory elements while others find them excessive. The pacing receives mixed reviews, with some finding it gripping while others say it's slow in some parts.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

StorytellingWriting qualityReadabilityCharacter developmentStyleAppeal to young readersHorror contentPacing
65 customers mention "Storytelling"59 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling in this book, praising its gory and enthralling narrative, interesting premise, and entertaining plot. One customer particularly appreciates the atmosphere of the New England setting, while another notes the snark woven throughout the story.

"...is more than capable of juxtaposing the gruesome, the beautiful, the profane, and the profound in admirable ways...." Read more

"...It was pretty gory, creepy, lots of action and even humor. I adored Will Henry and he is one of my favorite main characters to date...." Read more

"...This refreshes the theme quite a bit and the fact that the monsters are explained as just animals the result of evolutionary processes aids greatly..." Read more

"...Yancey's plot is uncomplicated and a little mundane. There's good action throughout and enough gore to creep out even the most experienced adult..." Read more

59 customers mention "Writing quality"49 positive10 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its well-crafted prose and dazzling use of language, with one customer comparing it to Victorian classic literature.

"...A sure footed writer, Yancey is more than capable of juxtaposing the gruesome, the beautiful, the profane, and the profound in admirable ways...." Read more

"...The writing is gothic, and solidly evokes the time and setting of the story...." Read more

"...I was surprised by how eloquent and well-versed the author was in Victorian-era language and mannerisms...." Read more

"...in the series, and I should let anyone reading this know; it's a VERY wordy series, full of medical terms, Latin Names, and that distinctive romantic..." Read more

29 customers mention "Readability"23 positive6 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and worth reading, with one customer particularly appreciating its amusingly alliterative prose.

"...has more than dabbled in the fantastic and has spun many entertaining yarns for the YA reader...." Read more

"...It was pretty gory, creepy, lots of action and even humor. I adored Will Henry and he is one of my favorite main characters to date...." Read more

"...It is a worthwhile read, it just may not be the easiest read for the chickenhearted. (Like me.)..." Read more

"...from it, I think that they will come away from reading the amusingly alliterative prose with a better vocabulary, an appreciation for absurdity, and..." Read more

27 customers mention "Character development"23 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting how the author paints graphic verbal pictures of all the characters, while another highlights the deep well of courage and resolve.

"...end has twists and turns and plenty of nail biting, as well as unexpected heros..." Read more

"...Dr. Warthrop is a pain in the ass but for the most part, he is a sweet man in a way, if you can look past the mad scientist and neglectful at times..." Read more

"...The characters had defined, grandiose personalities which made them likable, even if you were unable to fully connect with them, and the imagery of..." Read more

"...mad scientists, gouts of blood and bits of brain, and truly reprehensible villains (the monsters are pretty nasty too!)...." Read more

17 customers mention "Style"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, describing it as stunning and vivid with a fantastic Victorian vibe.

"...Vivid and gritty, yes, but also...pass me the brain bleach, please. Nonetheless, I kept reading. And reading...." Read more

"...writer, Yancey is more than capable of juxtaposing the gruesome, the beautiful, the profane, and the profound in admirable ways...." Read more

"...It's not specifically scary, but the imagery is clear and bold. A squeamish reader may want to take a pass. All others should jump in." Read more

"...was artfully done and I appreciated the skill of the author...." Read more

10 customers mention "Appeal to young readers"7 positive3 negative

Customers find the book appealing to young readers, particularly teens, with one customer noting it works well for both young adult and adult readers.

"...target audience and makes a book that will be deemed a great read by discerning adults as well...." Read more

"...The big surprise for me as I read this novel was that it was intended for young readers...." Read more

"...The book is not for children (under 4th or 5th grade based on individual maturity). The language is smart and the themes are rather heavy...." Read more

"...Set during the Victorian era, it will appeal to young people who like gore and horror...." Read more

46 customers mention "Horror content"27 positive19 negative

Customers have mixed feelings about the horror elements in the book, with some enjoying the gory and frightening content, while others find it too intense.

"...more than makes up for these common set pieces with the most fantastical of monsters that are at once foreign and familiar and whose ruthless..." Read more

"...It could happen to a kid, it does, it's horrifying and sick and it makes the reader, at least in my case, turn the pages even faster to get to the..." Read more

"...really understand why the novel is considered a YA book because its horror theme and in some instances deeply philosophical ideas make it easily..." Read more

"Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey is an enjoyable horror-mystery that has satisfyingly deep characterizations and action for a young adult novel...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it gripping while others note it can be slow in some parts.

"...Loved the characters, even the heros are flawed, but you're rooting for them anyways. Will definitely be continuing with the series." Read more

"...Vivid and gritty, yes, but also...pass me the brain bleach, please. Nonetheless, I kept reading. And reading...." Read more

"Good book and VERY unique. I enjoyed it. It was a little slow is some parts but definitely worth a look." Read more

"...cannot say it is a must read, but it is a solid story told with extraordinary skill...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reluctant Writer
    5.0 out of 5 stars It's a monster.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    100 pages in and I was appropriately horrified. Despite the positive reviews. Despite the shiny silver award sticker on the jacket (which means Capital-L-Literature). Despite the author, whose work we had so enjoyed in other young adult novels, I was ready to toss this book into the trash, thinking it not even worthy for donation to the public library. I mean, how much brain matter and blood and rotting corpses do I really need to wade through? And yes, I had an actual nightmare starring headless corpses--thank you very much, Mr. Yancey-- that I could have done without.

    Vivid and gritty, yes, but also...pass me the brain bleach, please.

    Nonetheless, I kept reading. And reading. And wading through the splattered brain bits and decapitated children...and discovered why this book deserved the shiny silver sticker.

    Mr. Yancey transports us through a "discovered journal" of a deceased transient to a 19th Century New England having Dickens overtones (and in Dickens style, there is a high expectation of men's curses foreshadowing certain ends). The journal's author is Will Henry, a man who claimed, impossibly, to have been born in the latter part of the 19th Century. Will, after all these many long decades decides to record his life as a young apprentice to a monstrumologist, a researcher and killer of monsters, the great and legendary Dr. Pellinore Warthrop. Will tells us his parents have died in a fire, a fire which may be attributed to the work of the good doctor. With no family and nowhere to go, Will becomes the ward of Dr. Warthrop. But this is no act of charity on the part of Dr. Warthrop, nor a debt to be paid for the work Will's parents provided: No, Will is an "assistant" to Dr. Warthrop, and here the designation is important in two ways: First, Will is not an apprentice--there is no assumption that Will will be taught a profession, as would be required of his age; and secondly, Will's function is only to assist the doctor in his work in all manner necessary, including all housework and cooking and running errands and note taking and dissecting creatures...and, perhaps worst of all, be the silent, obedient audience for the doctor's one-sided conversations and violent tantrums at all and any hours of the day or night. So, why does Will stay? Well, as Will admits, the doctor is all he has. And, as codependent relationships go, the inverse is also true: the doctor openly states, Will Henry would never leave him. If, for no other reason, perhaps I kept reading to see if Will would escape the monster in his midst, if he could escape the Doctor, who is a kind of parasite and vampire in his own right, though much less immediately recognizable and, therefore, perhaps more dangerous still.

    For younger readers, this is a dandy good adventure of a pre-adolescent orphan (are there ever any other kind of YA hero?) with pluck and resourcefulness and a deep well of courage and resolve. (Because of the ick factor, perhaps save this book until Junior has had some dissection in biology class first). The climatic battle at the end has twists and turns and plenty of nail biting, as well as unexpected heros (Jack the Ripper even makes a cameo appearance and in a twisted, sick way does his part to save the day). For older readers, this book could be an allegory: What are monsters? Do they hide in graveyards and dark basements? Are they the parasites living off our flesh as an essential part of the balance of nature? Or are monsters also the know-it-all, never-admitting-wrong, charismatic narcissists in life, who demand undivided commitment, devotion and love--without ever giving any in return--to feed their own personal monsters? And which monsters should we really be battling? The monsters, which killed Will's father in a most horrid manner, conversely gift Will with supernatural longevity. So, are all monsters all bad? And are all heroes all good? No, and those shades of grey are surely what lead to awarding the shiny Michael Printz sticker.

    In this novel and in the following Monstrumologist novel, Mr. Yancey explores from which human emotions and human flaws the monsters of legend were born. The headless humanoid cannibals might be a symbol of that line where protecting the ego supplants reason to disastrous ends (how often do we see that among politicians and public figures?). The Wendigo in the following novel is an allegory of unrequited love.

    To stretch this metaphor further still, the book at 400+ pages is a monster. And perhaps the reader, so much like Will Henry, needs to hold down his queasy stomach to complete the dissection, so he can get past the viscous and the rotting flesh to find the heart and find what makes this monster tick. So finally, yes, I'll give this grody, gooey, gorey, gross-out book very high marks.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Danny Norbury
    4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Prose and Wicked Gore Expertly Placed Side by Side
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Rick Yancey is no stranger to the strange. As creator of the award winning Alfred Kropp series, he has more than dabbled in the fantastic and has spun many entertaining yarns for the YA reader. In the Monstrumologist, Mr. Yancey kicks off a new series set in 19th century United States featuring Monstrumologist Pellimore Warthrop and his young apprentice Will Henry. Once again aimed at the YA crowd, Yancey overshoots his target audience and makes a book that will be deemed a great read by discerning adults as well.
    Yancey expertly tells the story of Will Henry through a series of journal entries detailing an infestation of monsters in the fictitious New England town of New Jerusalem. Orphaned by a father who also apprenticed to driven monstrumologist Dr. Warthrop, Will Henry has inherited his father’s line of work. It is not an ideal situation. Young Will is often left to his own devices by the fanatical doctor and seems little more than a slave to the doctor’s passions. But Yancey clearly portrays the doctor as an unwittingly bad parent, not a bad human being; he knows much about monsters but little about human interactions which makes him a tough boss and an even harder father figure.
    Together this mismatched duo will face down a herd of monsters known as Anthropophagi. Make no mistake, monsters these be, with mouths like sharks with rows upon rows of teeth in the middle of their stomachs, eyes black as night in each shoulder blade, razor like claws ten inches long and legs that propel them to incredible speeds and leaping heights of thirty feet, these beasts eat one thing…man. How a herd of thirty remained undetected and in the same town as a man whose sole job it is to study such creatures is a mystery at the epicenter of the plot.
    Broken into three folios each with about a half dozen chapters, Mr. Yancey does a wonderful job of propelling this fantastically gruesome tale to a very satisfying conclusion. A sure footed writer, Yancey is more than capable of juxtaposing the gruesome, the beautiful, the profane, and the profound in admirable ways. There are philosophical musings on mortality, about man versus nature, and about human abandonment that stand in stark counterpoint to the numerous vivisections, beheadings, and brain matter. And while the plot veers towards the serpentine as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place to explain the origins of the monsters, Yancey never loses the reader to careless plotting.
    That is not to say that there is not a misstep or two in this first outing. As a one star reviewer noted the characters are a little cliché and at times one dimensional. You have your usual crazed monster hunters, bungling gentlemen constables, the mad scientist, and the orphaned apprentice. However, Yancey more than makes up for these common set pieces with the most fantastical of monsters that are at once foreign and familiar and whose ruthless pursuits are described in gore soaked detail that will appeal to the most jaded of horror fans.
    There is much to like in this first outing. I cannot say it is a must read, but it is a solid story told with extraordinary skill. Definitely not for all audiences, but if you are at all curious I suspect you will find it worthy of the price and will be looking forward to the next installment.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • will
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good book!
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 21, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It was an interesting read , the whole world around the book is so interesting and it's monsters. The shipping was fast and the books came in good conditions
    Report
  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars L'inizio bellissimo di una saga stupenda
    Reviewed in Italy on August 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Saga stupenda, molto più da adulti che molti libri horror "da adulti" che ho letto. E ne ho letti parecchi. Non fidatevi se cercando l'autore trovate che scriva libri per giovani adulti, magari "the fifth wave" che non ho nessuna intenzione di leggere sì, questa saga no, è meravigliosa.
    Report
  • Frutti Tuti
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lieblings-Buch (reihe)!!!
    Reviewed in Germany on December 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Ich liebe die Roman-Reihe und meiner Meinung nach wird dieser Reihe / bzw dem Autor zu wenig Beachtung geschenkt!!
    Der Monstruologe erzählt eine Geschichte über einen Jungen, der bei einem charakterstarken Doktor unweigerlich in die Lehre der Monstererforschung geht.
    Packende Reihe und ich liebe sie! <3
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on April 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Love this author!
    Report
  • silvia
    5.0 out of 5 stars SPEDIZIONE puntuale come sempre
    Reviewed in Italy on January 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Non ho ancora letto il libro , ma posso dire che le condizioni in cui e' arrivato sono perfette , conforme alle aspettative.
    Report