I didn’t know what to expect from The Monster Variations at first glance. I picked it up after reading a review posted on the A.V. Club; I mean, if someone was throwing the name of Stephen King around, and you were a fan, you would too. What I got was so much more, and unique, and much to admire, that it will be some time before I forget this book.
This tale involves three junior high friends, James, Reggie, and Willie, and the summer that changed their lives forever. The story is recounted as James’ is looking to put this town in his rearview mirror, to college and the future in front of him. He stops for gas and runs into Reggie there, long since removed from their friendship; the tale is recounted here. This is the summer that Willie lost his arm, and the summer was taken away from all of them, after the truck that took Willie’s arm, kills a boy, and a town wide curfew is put into effect. During this time, the boys seek to do things they’ve always wanted to do, with the threat of this being their “final summer.” They break into the school, steal a “monster,” and do anything they can to save their summer.
In the process, we learn of tormented bullies (Mel Herman), the damaged families of all of them, and the future of them all. Kraus explores how friendships can change on the drop of a dime, how growing old is a monster that all of us toil with in youth, and just how scary the future can be. The book’s most tragic figure, Willie, is beautifully set up as the lost symbol of youth, of the one who will never grow up, through no choice of his own. Even the simplest of things become hard for him, whether it’s walking down the street to buy groceries for his mom, or climbing into a tree house. His demise is felt more sad, when you find out who it’s perpetrated by.
The Monster Variations is a novel that transcends its genre; it will appeal to young and old alike. Its lost youth message is one that, though overused, is crafted so expertly, and so well, that you could fall in love with this book. Everyone has related to this book at some point in their life, but it’s so rare to find the beauty in such things. This is a must read!
