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Otto Normal's Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach
Otto Normal and his mom have moved to Monsterton, but there’s one problem —t hey’re not monsters. In this first book of the hauntingly beautiful and highly illustrated Monsterton series, Otto and his friends embark on a journey to find the legendary White Pine Beach. But the friends find much more than they bargained for when one of their own goes missing . . . possibly forever.
In this hauntingly delightful and highly illustrated tale, eleven-year-old Otto and his mom move to Monsterton, a gorgeous island on the border of the Belcarra forest and a mysterious place called The Dark. Monsterton is picturesque and beautiful; it's an idyllic place for monsters to be themselves. There's Hamish and his brother Ben, who have been created and sewn together by their pirate father; the royal vampires, Red and Rose, who are followed around by their dutiful guards; Remi, a ghost girl who can appear and disappear at will; Darby, a quiet girl made entirely of slime; and Luck, a zombie who always she thinks she's right. In Monsterton, each monster can be themselves. They are free to be as scaly, slimy, or scary as nature intended.
There's only one teeny, tiny problem. Otto and his mom aren't monsters.
As a human, Otto feels that he has to prove himself. After all, as Remi the ghost girl reminds him, he's so fragile . Along with Otto's new friends Hamish, Darby, and Luck, the group sets out to find the legendary White Pine Beach—a beach so mysterious, it's rumored to jump locations, never staying in the same place for too long. But what the ragtag team of monsters (and one human) discovers is far more mysterious than a location-jumping beach. And when one of their number doesn't return home with them . . . rumors swirl.
Can Otto find his new friend, fit in with the monsters, and stay true to himself? And what does a lost strix, a bird-girl living as an outcast in Belcarra, know?
This spooky, delightful, and charming full-color, highly illustrated novel is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Five Nights at Freddy's. Debut author Danielle McKechnie weaves compelling lore and storytelling with delightful characters brought to life by illustrator Simón Estrada.
In this hauntingly delightful and highly illustrated tale, eleven-year-old Otto and his mom move to Monsterton, a gorgeous island on the border of the Belcarra forest and a mysterious place called The Dark. Monsterton is picturesque and beautiful; it's an idyllic place for monsters to be themselves. There's Hamish and his brother Ben, who have been created and sewn together by their pirate father; the royal vampires, Red and Rose, who are followed around by their dutiful guards; Remi, a ghost girl who can appear and disappear at will; Darby, a quiet girl made entirely of slime; and Luck, a zombie who always she thinks she's right. In Monsterton, each monster can be themselves. They are free to be as scaly, slimy, or scary as nature intended.
There's only one teeny, tiny problem. Otto and his mom aren't monsters.
As a human, Otto feels that he has to prove himself. After all, as Remi the ghost girl reminds him, he's so fragile . Along with Otto's new friends Hamish, Darby, and Luck, the group sets out to find the legendary White Pine Beach—a beach so mysterious, it's rumored to jump locations, never staying in the same place for too long. But what the ragtag team of monsters (and one human) discovers is far more mysterious than a location-jumping beach. And when one of their number doesn't return home with them . . . rumors swirl.
Can Otto find his new friend, fit in with the monsters, and stay true to himself? And what does a lost strix, a bird-girl living as an outcast in Belcarra, know?
This spooky, delightful, and charming full-color, highly illustrated novel is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Five Nights at Freddy's. Debut author Danielle McKechnie weaves compelling lore and storytelling with delightful characters brought to life by illustrator Simón Estrada.
432 pages, Hardcover
Published August 27, 2024
9 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 29, 2024
What a great story arc! I want to read the sequel right now 😫
An exciting, big-hearted adventure story with the coolest cast of characters and the most beautiful and enriching illustrations.
An exciting, big-hearted adventure story with the coolest cast of characters and the most beautiful and enriching illustrations.
August 17, 2024
It's a NOVEL, it's a plane, it's a GRAPHIC NOVEL!!
Ok... I never had one like this that mixes novel and graphic novel pages. All pages have some kind of illustration,the story is hilarious. Even as an adult I am loving it.
The combination of art, humor, and text makes the read perfect for relabctant readers. It's 432 pages and makes it a great gift for spooky season.
Otto Normal moves to Monsterton, and he is the only human among kids that are ghosts, zombies, etc...
Very cool middle-grade read.
Ok... I never had one like this that mixes novel and graphic novel pages. All pages have some kind of illustration,the story is hilarious. Even as an adult I am loving it.
The combination of art, humor, and text makes the read perfect for relabctant readers. It's 432 pages and makes it a great gift for spooky season.
Otto Normal moves to Monsterton, and he is the only human among kids that are ghosts, zombies, etc...
Very cool middle-grade read.
August 30, 2024
WOW! This story, this beautifully constructed world, is more than a book. It’s an experience that is not only a book, but a visual artistic wonder AND one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to that accompanies a book. It’s should all be experienced together. The attention to detail goes beyond what one would normally consider. Couldn’t recommend more for adults, children, parents, and families. No spoilers, however the ending really made me emotional and I can’t wait to dive in to more of this world as it’s released.
August 26, 2024
This read is a recipe for adventure and fun, and it steers the mix nicely.
Otto's life is a bit rough since is father died, but when his mother spends more time than usual speaking to a stranger only to announce they're moving and heading off to an adventure...well, he's a bit overwhelmed. Especially when this move includes boarding a ship, falling off the edge of the water, and landing at a place where only monsters live. Yeah, not what any kid would expect. But these monsters are friendlier than expect (some, anyway), although life has grown more than a little strange. There are secrets everywhere, surprises at every turn, and more danger than ever existed in the normal world. When one of them goes missing...well, it's time to dive into the darker side, and that won't be as fun.
This is such a lovely read! It takes the popular gothic-ish, monsterly direction of middle-grade life, adds the usual dab of quirky humor, odd friendships, and mysteries, and then, ups the entire thing to a new level with a grabbing format. When I picked this one up, I was expecting a graphic novel. While I wasn't completely wrong, this isn't that. Rather, it's a melding of a middle grade novel with graphic novel like pages when things getting really tense and tons of illustrations, carefully added color schemes, and attention to fonts. Add the message of friendship, going beyond comfort zones, and a touch of family ties, and it's an enjoyable read.
While there are messages, this read is more about adventure and friendship. It switches POV between the various group members, allowing each one to gain some connection to the reader. Plus, the mysteries don't only surround the adventure, but also go into the characters and their own backgrounds. It doesn't go overly deep, though, into emotions and thought in a way which would scare away more impatient readers. Rather, the pacing stays high and keeps the mix with the monsterly side at the forefront...and adds humor, too.
The graphics are well thought out and pay close attention to the atmosphere of the read. The color schemes alter not only in the illustrated scenes, but also add background to the book-style text to enhance the feel when necessary to really let the reader sink in. It creates a grabbing, reader experience from beginning to end.
Otto's life is a bit rough since is father died, but when his mother spends more time than usual speaking to a stranger only to announce they're moving and heading off to an adventure...well, he's a bit overwhelmed. Especially when this move includes boarding a ship, falling off the edge of the water, and landing at a place where only monsters live. Yeah, not what any kid would expect. But these monsters are friendlier than expect (some, anyway), although life has grown more than a little strange. There are secrets everywhere, surprises at every turn, and more danger than ever existed in the normal world. When one of them goes missing...well, it's time to dive into the darker side, and that won't be as fun.
This is such a lovely read! It takes the popular gothic-ish, monsterly direction of middle-grade life, adds the usual dab of quirky humor, odd friendships, and mysteries, and then, ups the entire thing to a new level with a grabbing format. When I picked this one up, I was expecting a graphic novel. While I wasn't completely wrong, this isn't that. Rather, it's a melding of a middle grade novel with graphic novel like pages when things getting really tense and tons of illustrations, carefully added color schemes, and attention to fonts. Add the message of friendship, going beyond comfort zones, and a touch of family ties, and it's an enjoyable read.
While there are messages, this read is more about adventure and friendship. It switches POV between the various group members, allowing each one to gain some connection to the reader. Plus, the mysteries don't only surround the adventure, but also go into the characters and their own backgrounds. It doesn't go overly deep, though, into emotions and thought in a way which would scare away more impatient readers. Rather, the pacing stays high and keeps the mix with the monsterly side at the forefront...and adds humor, too.
The graphics are well thought out and pay close attention to the atmosphere of the read. The color schemes alter not only in the illustrated scenes, but also add background to the book-style text to enhance the feel when necessary to really let the reader sink in. It creates a grabbing, reader experience from beginning to end.
August 14, 2024
Otto Normal's Monsterton is a delightful story filled with gorgeous full color illustrations which begin with these lush shades of blue and dark cut outs of tree's, moving to a darker shade of purple which nicely highlights Gretchen's eyes, a black-winged Strix who is part human, part bird. The prologue is suspenseful, immediately immersing you in this new world as she tries to outrun the keeper or guardian of the forest. I really liked the mix of full pages of text with illustrations, ranging from one to three panels per page. And the creative way the illustrator used differing colors to standout various features of the characters. Specifically, the panel of green that resembled Frankenstein's skin. I loved how there were black and white illustrations that sort of had a faded yellowish hue when discussing events from the past. And how one image looked a cover of a comic book. Yeah, just gorgeous!
The story takes on alternating storylines as Hamish's brother and his friend Kit go into the forest in search of one of their friends, Cricks. While Hamish and his gang are in a different direction jumping off of a train. Each chapter header includes a small picture of one or two of the characters beginning with Otto and then switching to the perspectives and illustrations of Darby, or Ben and Kit. Overall, Otto Normal's Monsterton was a compelling read, especially after the disappearance. I was eagerly turning pages to find out how the story was going to end and was completely vested in finding out what happened in Belcarra Forest. Oh, and the mysteries that unfolded, like how did Remi become a ghost, why are monster's so afraid of the Strix and some of those threads and deceptions that were revealed in the final pages. Can't wait to read more. A truly delightful, spooky and compelling debut that begs to be read under a blanket with a flashlight to get you in the mood for Halloween.
**A huge congratulations to Danielle McKechnie and Simon Estrada on their wonderful book and thank you to the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.**
The story takes on alternating storylines as Hamish's brother and his friend Kit go into the forest in search of one of their friends, Cricks. While Hamish and his gang are in a different direction jumping off of a train. Each chapter header includes a small picture of one or two of the characters beginning with Otto and then switching to the perspectives and illustrations of Darby, or Ben and Kit. Overall, Otto Normal's Monsterton was a compelling read, especially after the disappearance. I was eagerly turning pages to find out how the story was going to end and was completely vested in finding out what happened in Belcarra Forest. Oh, and the mysteries that unfolded, like how did Remi become a ghost, why are monster's so afraid of the Strix and some of those threads and deceptions that were revealed in the final pages. Can't wait to read more. A truly delightful, spooky and compelling debut that begs to be read under a blanket with a flashlight to get you in the mood for Halloween.
**A huge congratulations to Danielle McKechnie and Simon Estrada on their wonderful book and thank you to the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.**
January 3, 2026
I started this book as soon as it arrived, and read it cover to cover within 48 hours of receiving it (only because I had plans and had to stop reading!) I LOVED this book! It is a combination novel/graphic novel and the artwork is fantastic! The story is well written and a perfect combination of the novel/graphic novel. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!
The story is about a mom and son, Otto, who moved to an island called Monsterton which, unbeknownst to them was inhabited by monsters, they were the only humans. Otto befriends a group of monsters and together they go on an adventure to find their friends who had disappeared in the forest, and the discovery of an orphaned monster who helps save them. This is a book of friendship, working together and being different. The end of the book gets really good when all the stories start weaving together! It is so well written and designed, it is a pleasure to read.
I loved reading this book! I would highly recommend it and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series! I cannot say enough about this book.... if there were six-stars for the really exceptional books I have read, this would be one of them!!!!
The story is about a mom and son, Otto, who moved to an island called Monsterton which, unbeknownst to them was inhabited by monsters, they were the only humans. Otto befriends a group of monsters and together they go on an adventure to find their friends who had disappeared in the forest, and the discovery of an orphaned monster who helps save them. This is a book of friendship, working together and being different. The end of the book gets really good when all the stories start weaving together! It is so well written and designed, it is a pleasure to read.
I loved reading this book! I would highly recommend it and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series! I cannot say enough about this book.... if there were six-stars for the really exceptional books I have read, this would be one of them!!!!
September 16, 2024
My 10 year old and 8 year old both LOVED this book! My 10 year old loves the fantasy genre and has become increasingly picky with what she likes recently (some favorites are Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, I Am Number Four series, Warrior Heir series) and this book grasped her attention right from the start. This book is unique because it is illustrated and is a blend of both text pages and graphic novel pages, and the illustrations are gorgeous! The mix of graphic novel pages really added to the engagement of the reader and also broke up the longer text pages to make it less intimidating for a long book. My 8 year old sometimes struggles to stay engaged in longer chapter books and I found the graphic novel pages really helped to hold her attention. Overall this was a wonderful story that is both suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming and I highly recommend it! As soon as we finished, my kids both were asking when they can read book 2!!
January 13, 2025
This is a stunning mix of storytelling and visual art. Monsterton is a world that I'd love to visit, and I fell in love with all of the characters. The world building is compelling, as is each character. The story shifts between various narrators, and each is fully developed and yet hiding deep secrets.
As a brief summary, it tells the story of a young human boy named Otto who moves with his mother to a hidden island called Monsterton, populated by monsters and creatures of all sorts and completely cut off from the outside world. Residents begin disappearing and Otto learns about a mythic place called White Pine Beach that seemingly moves and disappears at will. He and his friends begin searching to uncover the mystery of the disappearances, and the truth about White Pine Beach.
You won't regret visiting Monsterton. I can't wait to revisit it in the future.
As a brief summary, it tells the story of a young human boy named Otto who moves with his mother to a hidden island called Monsterton, populated by monsters and creatures of all sorts and completely cut off from the outside world. Residents begin disappearing and Otto learns about a mythic place called White Pine Beach that seemingly moves and disappears at will. He and his friends begin searching to uncover the mystery of the disappearances, and the truth about White Pine Beach.
You won't regret visiting Monsterton. I can't wait to revisit it in the future.
October 12, 2025
Otto and his mother move from sunny California to dark and bleak Monsterton. Otto and his mother are the only humans here, so Otto feels very confused and left out. His mother has no issues with it, just trying to navigate the constant rearranging house they live in. Otto meets some kids from school, including Hamish who knows about this strange place called White Pine Beach. They set out to find it, only to have another of their friends disappear. There is so much that happens in this story and so much Lore that is dropped that keeping track of all the characters and plot lines does get a bit confusing. The artwork is amazing and the chapters and graphic novel combination works so well to keep this story going. I want more of Otto and the secrets behind his adventure to Monsterton.
August 28, 2024
👧🏻reviews: I love graphic novels and mangas so when I saw this on our TBR shelf I decided to go for it. This funny book + graphic novel “big” book is packed with colorful illustrations and hilarious characters and conversations. I went through this very quickly and I loved it!
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February 20, 2025This was really cute. I was def a little distracted when listening so I think u missed some essential things to the story/ characters. But also I knew I was going to read it again with Beau, so I will give it a rating then.
May 9, 2025
Really interesting world building. And honestly great character development. But zero answers to any of the mysteries/questions by the end of the book. I know this is part of a larger story series, but I feel like some things should have been answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2024
Read with my son! He really enjoyed it
October 9, 2024
Had a really good time but the pacing felt rushed at the end and I don’t think I understand what was implied & maybe could’ve been spelled out more clearly.
November 11, 2024
Charming but spooky with absolutely epic illustrations - and I love the layout of the entire book. This was awesome!
eddie
December 15, 2024Ages 8-12
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews