Jay Fotos Studios

This beautiful graphic novel is the adaptation of the original novel “The Monsterjunkies”, written by YA authors Erik Daniel Shein and Theresa A. Gates. The adaptation was made by Jay Fotos Studios, and the result is absolutely amazing. Recently, “The Monsterjunkies: An American Family Odyssey” has received a Readers’ Favorite award in the gold category, and has been positively reviewed by Kirkus Reviews.

The Monsterjunkies are a family of cryptozoologists. They live in an impressive mansion in Foggy Point, Maine, which they use as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species. The two Monsterjunkie children, Crow and Indigo, go to school in town but find it very difficult to fit in. All the other teenagers think they are freaks and treat them very badly. While Indigo has a way of making herself liked by the others, Crow often feels alone and unwanted. He prefers to lock himself in his room, where he works on his monster figures, or spend time with the creatures around the mansion, who are his friends.

Eventually, Crow and Indigo manage to make some friends, but just as they think their lives are getting better, the lead bully in their school, Ruth, decides to torment them. If Ruth’s favorite activity is to upset Crow and Indigo, Ruth’s father favorite hobby is to ruin their parents, Talon and Pandora Monsterjunkie. The man is rich and powerful enough to run the Monsterjunkies out of town. What will the family do? Will they give up, or choose to stand up for themselves? They don’t even want to think about what would happen to the kind monsters around their mansion if Ruth and his father succeed.

“The Monsterjunkies: An American Family Odyssey” is a brilliant graphic novel that manages to send some very important messages: bullying is wrong, and when it happens teenagers have to find the power to stand up for themselves. Being different is not bad and shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Yes, it is very important to all of us to feel that we fit in society and that we are accepted, but that doesn’t mean we have to change everything about ourselves to achieve that.

This adaptation by Jay Fotos Studios is faithful to the original story, and the art is absolutely beautiful. The characters are well-drawn, and the colors are used in such a way to make the mysterious monsters stand out and jump from the panels. Even though it is a story with and about teenagers, “The Monsterjunkies” will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.… (altro)