Teenager Wyatt Baldwin, his little brother, and his friends are invited to the opening of a new unusual amusement park. It is similar to Jurassic Park but with vampires, werewolves and zombies. It’s not just one park but many all over the world will open at the same time. What sounds exciting and fun soon turns scary and life-threatening.

This is my first time reading this author, Michael Phillip Cash, and I did enjoy it. It was written well and the characters were memorable. The amusement park was described very much like Disneyworld only much darker which I found funny. I could see this as a PG-13 movie.

I liked it but I did not love it, because it was predictable. I am not sure how it could have gone any other way than it did. It was okay.

It was a quick read and had some fun moments and I could see this book getting a sequel. It is certainly set up for one. I have a pile of books from this author that I will be delving into soon. ( )

Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash was an enjoyable read. It is the story of an amusement park. It is not so much Walt Disney World as it is Jurassic Park. No dinosaurs though, just vampires, werewolves and zombies. The back story how how the three species of legend come to public attention is well done.

The main character is a teen boy dealing with the wreckage in the wake of his parent's divorce. Moving from upscale LA to middle of nowhere, losing the financial support of his inattentive father and his mother's remarriage have given Wyatt a larger than normal dose of teenage angst. The girl, Jade, he likes is the football hero's girl. Wyatt's best friends are on the far end of the socially acceptable scale. Wyatt plods through each day with his irritating little brother Josh nipping at his heels adding another layer of misery to his life.

Shortly before the simultaneous world wide openings of all the Monsterland Parks, Wyatt's luck changes. He uses his own money to buy food for a seemingly homeless man at the fast food restaurant he works for. The man is not homeless, just eccentric and the owner of all the Monsterland Parks. Wyatt is given four VIP tickets for the opening while Jade,her boyfriend and two other friends are given regular tickets. Wyatt, his brother, two best friends and the President of the United States are all headed for the opening night of Monsterland. An amusement park that features real werewolves, vampires and zombies. What can possibly go wrong?

The book is really an enjoyable read. Wyatt is a likable kid. The vampires, werewolves and zombie are real, not guys in masks as in Scooby Doo. There is a nice build up to the action. Once the action does start, it does not stop. For anyone who grew up reading Famous Monsters Magazines or the like, Monsterland will be childhood dreams come true, including the running and screaming.

I received a free copy of Monsterland from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. ( )

A plague has spread across the world affecting parts of the population and turning them essentially into zombies. Dr. Vincent Conrad has the perfect solution for the World’s zombie problem. Countries have them contained, but cannot come up with a decision on how to move forward. After Dr. Vincent discovered the last of the populations of Vampires and Werewolves, he has decided to open theme parks- Monsterland- across the world with attractions such as Vampire Village, Werewolf River Run and Zombieville. With a mission stated to research and find a cure, Monsterland opens with a bang. Lucky enough to land a special invite- Wyatt Baldwin, his brother and a few classmates are among the first guests.
This is a Young Adult paranormal, a bit like Jurassic Park but with Monsters. I really liked the theme park idea, but some of the monsters fell a little flat. Although, they were probably as realistic as monsters could get; if Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies existed, the Werewolves would hide in the thick Everglades, the Vampires would be a dying breed who can only turn others with sex and can survive on animal blood and the Zombies would be plague victims able to be killed by any normal means. I was not surprised by how quickly they revolted once they realized they were prisoners in Monsterland. The suspense built quickly and the action quickly turned gory. Steeped with teen drama, many of the students were more interested in their relationship status. Dr. Vincent was the most intriguing character. His intentions seemed devious from the start, but I had no idea how far he would take it. I was very surprised by the ending when his plan came to the surface. Another character that shone for me was Wyatt’s best friend, Melvin. Melvin is completely obsessed with Werewolves and is not afraid to be exactly who he is. I think he probably came out with the best deal. Overall, a good concept with a bit of a different twist on the classic monsters and some good parallels to concentration camps.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

Monsterland seems to be a teen/young adult book , but adults would like it too. In this world people are aware of zombies (those cursed with a virus and not dead), vampires, and werewolves. There are very few left in the world and one person claims he wants to make a theme park for them to help them. It is where they can enjoy life, they can be studied, maybe find a cure, keep them out of prisons the government would have them in, and show the public that they exist harmlessly. The story is based around two brothers, one is a big fan of the guy and one not so much. Through an odd situation, they obtain tickets and get to go free. At Monsterland's grand opening, even the President will be there. What the kids and their friends find and experience is the whole creative and fun story. Great action and lots of surprises. I can't write more, don't want to spoil it, just want to say it gets crazy! Some gory but yeah, you're dealing with monsters right? Loved it! I was given this book for an honest review. ( )

The blurb ends with this question, “What could possibly go wrong?” Well, plenty can and does.

The zombie apocalypse has come and gone, for the most part. People now know vampires and werewolves exist.

Zombies are in camps, kept contained for our and their protection.

The vampires live in poverty, struggling just to exist as their numbers dwindle towards extinction.

And the werewolves live deep in the swamps and jungles, trying to avoid man at all costs.

When one man’s vision offers all of these beings a safe place to live and improve their station, they take his offer, one way or the other.

Imagine Jurassic Park, but not dinosaurs. Instead you get zombies, werewolves, and vampires. I don’t know about you, but I’d probably buy a ticket.

When you add important people and a bunch of kids to opening night, your mind should buzz with what could happen. With what could go wrong. That’s where it gets wild.

Take a walk with the zombies in Zombieville. Meet real vampires in Vampire Village. And run with the werewolves in River Run.

But beware, ye who enter. The monsters aren’t happy and you don’t ever want that.

I ate this story up in one sitting. The minute it was available to purchase I grabbed my copy and opened it immediately. I knew it was going to be great, and it was. I loved every bit of it. Michael gave me everything I was hoping for and expecting. ( )