In September of 2010 the first book of the new Monster High Book Series was released. It was written by Lisi Harrison, who is known for her teen oriented fiction series The Clique. In her version of Monster High, our supernatural heroines are not introduced right away. Instead we are introduced to Melody, a human teenager who is making a major move from Beverly Hills to Oregon. What Melody and her family do not realize is that this town is home to monsters who live among the normal people, called normies, without detection.
Monster High by Lisi Harrison at Amazon
You can buy it in Hardcover, Paperback or Kindle edition.
Don’t forget the New Monster High Book, The Ghoul Next Door which is supposed to be out in April 2010.
Monster High Book Storyline Preview – Chapter 1
We find out in the first chapter that Melody suffers from asthma and that she comes from a family that places a lot of importance on superficial appearances. Her father is a cosmetic surgeon, and her mother shopped for wealthy people to help them improve their images. Her older sister was born with model perfect looks, as well. In contrast to her family, Melody does not care about appearances. She had been tormented by the kids at her California middle school because she had an imperfect nose and pointed teeth. Prior to starting High School, her father provided her with a nose job and veneers under the pretense of improving her asthma. Melody found she was suddenly accepted by the same kids who had mistreated her before. She deeply resented this new popularity because of the superficial nature of it all. She did not have a chance to resolve these feelings because her parents decided to move out of smoggy Los Angeles when the surgery did not improve her breathing condition.
Monster High Book Chapter 2 Preview
After we get this background information about Melody, the second chapter switches perspectives to Frankie, who is the grand child of the original Frankenstein monster. She is newly created, and her obsession with pop culture, fashion, and teen magazines provides her earliest educational experience. Frankie looks to be about 15 years old, but she is actually only about two weeks old when she starts high school. Frankie has a lot of trouble fitting in because she has no clue what the real world is like. She has seen only television shows and magazines, so her behavior quickly puts her at odds with other kids, even the other monsters who should be more accepting of her.
Monster High Book Differences From The Show
I do not want to give away the plot or ending, so I will not give a synopsis of every chapter. The story is about two girls who seem drastically different on the outside but have the same internal problem. They both do not quite fit in with their peer groups. While Melody is actually pretty, she does not want to be accepted just for her looks. Frankie is very misunderstood in her early attempts to make friends. The parallel between these two characters is very interesting, and the reader gets to look into both worlds as the story switches between the two girls’ perspectives. The characters do interact in the course of the story, as well.
The regular Monster High characters are all in this book, as well. The teenage monsters call themselves the Regular Attribute Dodgers, and they go to the same school as the ordinary humans. The RADs have to hide their real identities form the normies as well as deal with the same issues that all teens face as high school students. While the story includes the familiar MH characters, there are differences from the series of short episodes featured on the MH web site. In the Monster High series of webisodes all of the MH girls attend a high school with students and faculty made up of monsters. This is in line with the original character toy series.
If you were hoping that the Monster High book would be exactly like the animated series, you may be disappointed with Harrison´s interpretation. If you are able to enjoy the characters in a new setting and plot, then you should check out the first book, which is already available. It is less than 200 pages, and the plot is paced quickly to easily draw you into the story line.
So check out Monster High by Lisi Harrison at Amazon if you want to give it a chance.
