Early Graphic Novel Review – Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Children’s
Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Size: 192 pages
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Release Date: August 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1603090759
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from Netgalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. This was an absolutely wonderful heartfelt and cute story about a monster…who is just not all that good at being a monster.

Welcome to a world where each town has a monster. The scarier the monster is the happier the town is. This is because the scarier your town’s monster is the less likely it is that the really big and evil monster will come and destroy your town. The only problem is that for the town of Stoker-on-Avon….well… their monster is a bit less of a monster than he should be. Poor Rayburn (the monster of Stoken-on-Avon) is depressed and it will take a Professor of Medicine and a Newsboy to help him out.

This was an absolutely wonderful little story about friendship and teamwork…and of course Monsters! The story is humorous, engaging, and funny. It has some good lessons on friendship, loyalty and teamwork as well.

Rayburn is cute in a very depressed monster type of way and was funny to read about. His best friend is a monster named Tentacular, who is hilarious in his own way.

The Professor and the Newsboy add a lot to the story as they go on a mission to cure Rayborn of his depression.

The artwork is very colorful and cartoony, it matches the tone of the story perfectly. It’s not all that realistic looking artwork but it matches the goofy tone of the story well. It is easy to follow, adds a lot to the story, and it easy to see character facial expressions. I really enjoyed it. This is a book that you read and it makes you feel really happy and good.

Overall this was an incredibly entertaining read that I think kids and adults alike will enjoy a lot. It is a cute and hopeful story about friendship, loyalty, and monsters…on top of that it has a lot of humor and makes for a fun read. I highly recommend as a great fantasy graphic novel to read with even very young kids.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge
– 150+ Reading Challenge