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Monster Mayhem
In this funny, action-packed graphic novel adventure, a science-obsessed girl finds herself in the middle of one of her favorite monster movies. Can she invent her way out of disaster while also saving the monster who has become her friend?
Zoe's favorite thing to do--besides invent and build robots--is watch classic monster movies. She has never been comfortable with kids her own age, and so she pretends she doesn't need friends while inside she's longing for connection. And then one day, Zoe finds a mysterious ring on her way home from school. She puts it on, gives it a twist, and--FRZAAKK! There's a massive burst of light! The next morning, a familiar monster appears at Zoe's window. He's from one of her favorite kaiju movies, and he likes Zoe--he wants to be her friend. Has her secret wish been fulfilled? But it turns out that Zoe's ring has brought more than just this friendly monster to life. More monsters have arrived, and they are hungry! Now she'll need to reach out to other people to help her save her town from destruction. Good thing she's a robotics genius!
Zoe's favorite thing to do--besides invent and build robots--is watch classic monster movies. She has never been comfortable with kids her own age, and so she pretends she doesn't need friends while inside she's longing for connection. And then one day, Zoe finds a mysterious ring on her way home from school. She puts it on, gives it a twist, and--FRZAAKK! There's a massive burst of light! The next morning, a familiar monster appears at Zoe's window. He's from one of her favorite kaiju movies, and he likes Zoe--he wants to be her friend. Has her secret wish been fulfilled? But it turns out that Zoe's ring has brought more than just this friendly monster to life. More monsters have arrived, and they are hungry! Now she'll need to reach out to other people to help her save her town from destruction. Good thing she's a robotics genius!
216 pages, Hardcover
Published August 28, 2018
17 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
July 19, 2020
2020 bk 241. A very nicely done graphic novel that centers around a young girl who is afraid of making friends because she doesn't want to be hurt. The arrival of triplets in her family has already pushed her to the side (she thinks) in her parent's affection. The other kids at school don't want to have anything to do with her because she is super smart. And then comes the day she is transferred to a STEM school, and she is assigned a new robot project (she already has one robot to her credit). Things (friends, family, magic rings) eventually work out. The illlustrations are fun and fit the story line. A happy read.
April 26, 2022
its good...?
May 15, 2018
“Monster Mayhem” is a graphic novel with robots, monsters, great illustrations, and a heavy friends/working together message. For adults, this lesson may seem to be ridiculously obvious and repeated far too many times, but the monsters and robots are over the top as well and it is this very fact that will likely make this a favorite for lovers of graphic novels in grades 3-5. Librarians, don’t look for this to be another “Roller Girl,” but your Ricky Ricotta and Cleopatra in Space fans will love it. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
February 14, 2019
A full-color children's graphic novel that has it all: pleasing art, plenty of action, and a protagonist with a full character arc of growth. Zoe is a robotics genius but she's sorely lacking in friendship skills. She'd rather be left alone to work in peace...until a crisis develops that she can't navigate without help. The creator ties up all the threads for a satisfying ending, but leaves one trailing strand that may become a sequel.
November 27, 2019
Cute, funny, sweet and heavy with movie monsters and science. Ages 8 to 10. Great artwork.
January 30, 2021
Now that is one talented inventor! This was super cute and a great reminder that we all need friends!
March 16, 2021
I loved this book about friendship, engineering and trust in this amazing SCI-FI adventure. People of all ages will enjoy this book!
May 12, 2022
I purchased this book to bring some diversity to our school library. The main character is a young Black girl who struggles to trust new friends. She is a robotics genius who gets chosen to attend a school for students who are gifted with technology. She’s convinced she doesn’t need any help ever and does not let others in, all while her parents are overwhelmed at home with her new triplet siblings.
We see the representation of an African American family along with girls who don’t like to wear dresses. And even some Japanese influence.
It seems like there are other books that go along with the storyline of this magical ring, but I don’t think they necessarily follow the same character, Zoe. Just the ring. This book is part of a series, but can definitely be read alone.
We see the representation of an African American family along with girls who don’t like to wear dresses. And even some Japanese influence.
It seems like there are other books that go along with the storyline of this magical ring, but I don’t think they necessarily follow the same character, Zoe. Just the ring. This book is part of a series, but can definitely be read alone.
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October 22, 2020I liked it because most of the funny parts and details
August 20, 2018
Talk about GIRL POWER!
Here, we have a budding scientific mind trapped in the body of a little girl and while she's ace at robotics, she's striking out at making friends. That's okay though, right? I mean, who needs friends? On your own you can see whatever movies YOU like a hundred times, eat YOUR favorite foods, listen to YOUR favorite music, and persue YOUR beloved hobbies...all without having to compromise for anyone. Sounds like the perfect world...right? Yeah, about that...
Zoe is our leading lady and she's MAD SMART at all the techie stuff, I could never be. Now, I'm not shabby at running programs, and computer work, but building one? HahahahahaHA! Yeah, right. Guess what? It's child's play for her...quite literally child's play as she IS in fact a child, but the things she accomplishs are SO AMAZING! I loved her little pal B-4...from nuts to bolts, he was her companion, voice of reason, and snarky sidekick without an actual pulse...although give her the suggestion and she could probably give him one. Anywho, she and he get pulled into a MONSTER SIZED adventure after a mysterious piece of jewelry winds up on her finger, and that first monsterous surprise is only the beginning! She'll learn that getting what you wish for doesn't always work out the way you wanted, and that sometimes things happen for a reason much BIGGER than you could ever dream.
Aside from the obvious MONSTEROUSLY fun story, it has SO MUCH HEART! No, really! It wasn't just romp-em-stomp-em monsters, robotics, and saving the city....it was also color filled reminder that while we may be able to do it ourselves, we can grow, flourish, and accomplish SO MUCH MORE together. It broke my heart when our little leading lady stepped outside her box, only to be squashed in such a heartless (even if unintentional) way. I saw through Zoe's bravado, and though she was gifted, brilliant, and so many leapyears ahead of her classmates, she still needed the humbling yet heartwarming connection that true friendship brings. No man/woman is an island...an old saying, but oh so true. We all need someone, and there's no shame in that...it's what makes us human. We thrive in communities, share our strengths, overcome our weaknesses, and build a better today, while striving for tomorrow.
**copy received for review
Here, we have a budding scientific mind trapped in the body of a little girl and while she's ace at robotics, she's striking out at making friends. That's okay though, right? I mean, who needs friends? On your own you can see whatever movies YOU like a hundred times, eat YOUR favorite foods, listen to YOUR favorite music, and persue YOUR beloved hobbies...all without having to compromise for anyone. Sounds like the perfect world...right? Yeah, about that...
Zoe is our leading lady and she's MAD SMART at all the techie stuff, I could never be. Now, I'm not shabby at running programs, and computer work, but building one? HahahahahaHA! Yeah, right. Guess what? It's child's play for her...quite literally child's play as she IS in fact a child, but the things she accomplishs are SO AMAZING! I loved her little pal B-4...from nuts to bolts, he was her companion, voice of reason, and snarky sidekick without an actual pulse...although give her the suggestion and she could probably give him one. Anywho, she and he get pulled into a MONSTER SIZED adventure after a mysterious piece of jewelry winds up on her finger, and that first monsterous surprise is only the beginning! She'll learn that getting what you wish for doesn't always work out the way you wanted, and that sometimes things happen for a reason much BIGGER than you could ever dream.
Aside from the obvious MONSTEROUSLY fun story, it has SO MUCH HEART! No, really! It wasn't just romp-em-stomp-em monsters, robotics, and saving the city....it was also color filled reminder that while we may be able to do it ourselves, we can grow, flourish, and accomplish SO MUCH MORE together. It broke my heart when our little leading lady stepped outside her box, only to be squashed in such a heartless (even if unintentional) way. I saw through Zoe's bravado, and though she was gifted, brilliant, and so many leapyears ahead of her classmates, she still needed the humbling yet heartwarming connection that true friendship brings. No man/woman is an island...an old saying, but oh so true. We all need someone, and there's no shame in that...it's what makes us human. We thrive in communities, share our strengths, overcome our weaknesses, and build a better today, while striving for tomorrow.
**copy received for review
August 8, 2019
Zoe is a gifted robotics scientist...and she's still just a kid. She knows how to do revolutionary things with robots, she is a kaiju movie buff, but she does not understand friendship at all. Her brief brush with friendship early in school didn't end well, so she isn't sure she even wants friendship. She'd rather work by herself than risk it. But when a real, live kaiju shows up in town with a voracious appetite for buildings and others soon follow, Zoe may just have to admit she needs help before the town ends up in pieces.
If you are practicing reading skills with a child or class, this would be a great book to use. The foreshadowing is pretty easy to spot, making predictions of what will happen is pretty easy, and students will feel like master readers. Of course, it is also a fun scifi graphic novel featuring a smart, sciency girl who is working on social skills. And there's a lovable kaiju (Japanese monster, like Godzilla), along with not-so-lovable ones to provide nice monster vs robot battles many readers will love. Zoe also realizes that her parents do care for her even though they are both rather consumed with surviving young triplets. Recommended for middle grade reading classes, reluctant readers, scifi fans, friendship story fans, and graphic novel fans.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Robot vs monster battles, but it is for the monster's own good (to try to get them to a safer spot and non-violent methods fail). No monsters or humans are seriously hurt.
If you are practicing reading skills with a child or class, this would be a great book to use. The foreshadowing is pretty easy to spot, making predictions of what will happen is pretty easy, and students will feel like master readers. Of course, it is also a fun scifi graphic novel featuring a smart, sciency girl who is working on social skills. And there's a lovable kaiju (Japanese monster, like Godzilla), along with not-so-lovable ones to provide nice monster vs robot battles many readers will love. Zoe also realizes that her parents do care for her even though they are both rather consumed with surviving young triplets. Recommended for middle grade reading classes, reluctant readers, scifi fans, friendship story fans, and graphic novel fans.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Robot vs monster battles, but it is for the monster's own good (to try to get them to a safer spot and non-violent methods fail). No monsters or humans are seriously hurt.
February 26, 2022
As I begin to plan a Graphic Novel Book Club for my library's tween patrons, I am looking for GNs that prioritize diversity and authenticity when it comes to the character development of the characters, given their environment and their personalities. Christopher Eliopoulos's, "Monster Mayhem" will absolutely be on that list when it comes to honest conversation about friendship, and girls and BIPOC in STEM.
The GN - instantly - had my full attention at the synopsis of, "a girl with social anxiety befriends a kaiju creature". As someone who continues to treat and learn from social anxiety as I near my 30s, I related to Zoe and how she believes that all she needs to be safe in the world is her passion. As someone who is learning to let go of being hyper-independent most of the time, I am glad that she finds the moral of the story and then some.
My only wish is that a woman of color wrote and illustrated the GN. I am not saying the Eliopoulos is a terrible author, but he is not a woman or BIPOC, so the understanding and personal experience between himself and Zoe could only go so far. When I include this GN in my GN Book Club, I will pair it with a similar lead written by an author who relates to the lead on a deeper level.
If this is not your cup of tea for any reason, I hope it will at the very least fill you with the urge to watch kaiju cinema. If you have not yet done so, like Zoe with true friends, you are missing out!
The GN - instantly - had my full attention at the synopsis of, "a girl with social anxiety befriends a kaiju creature". As someone who continues to treat and learn from social anxiety as I near my 30s, I related to Zoe and how she believes that all she needs to be safe in the world is her passion. As someone who is learning to let go of being hyper-independent most of the time, I am glad that she finds the moral of the story and then some.
My only wish is that a woman of color wrote and illustrated the GN. I am not saying the Eliopoulos is a terrible author, but he is not a woman or BIPOC, so the understanding and personal experience between himself and Zoe could only go so far. When I include this GN in my GN Book Club, I will pair it with a similar lead written by an author who relates to the lead on a deeper level.
If this is not your cup of tea for any reason, I hope it will at the very least fill you with the urge to watch kaiju cinema. If you have not yet done so, like Zoe with true friends, you are missing out!
December 8, 2018
I have been hitting the fabulous book jackpot as 2018 comes to a close. This graphic novel blends monsters, robots, girl-power, friendship-power, and just the right amount of sass into a grand adventure story. If the cover doesn't draw you in with its adorably fun artwork and enthusiastic (and entirely accurate) blurbs, it's entirely possible you are dead inside.
The art has a bit of the Brad Meltzer cute big-head vibe going for it, combined with just a lovely twist of Watterson's Calvin. Honestly, I think this might remind me of Calvin and Hobbes more than Phoebe and her Unicorn does, because Zoe has even more of the loner vibe combined with too-much-smarts. But by the end of the book it's clear she's going to try to overcome some of her extreme solitude, even though it's also apparent that it will continue to be difficult.
This made me want to immediately grab the previous book in the series, which had escaped my notice until now.
The art has a bit of the Brad Meltzer cute big-head vibe going for it, combined with just a lovely twist of Watterson's Calvin. Honestly, I think this might remind me of Calvin and Hobbes more than Phoebe and her Unicorn does, because Zoe has even more of the loner vibe combined with too-much-smarts. But by the end of the book it's clear she's going to try to overcome some of her extreme solitude, even though it's also apparent that it will continue to be difficult.
This made me want to immediately grab the previous book in the series, which had escaped my notice until now.
January 24, 2022
This is the first selection this year for my Tween Graphic Novel Club because I was hoping to find a strong African-American character, bonuses if it is female. It was a really fun book. Zoey has a brilliant mind for robotics, but unfortunately after a traumatic childhood experience, she tends to hang out by herself or with her created robot friend B-4. It doesn't help that shortly after she started going to the robotics school, her parents had triplets and so they very rarely have time to interact with her. Aside from building a gigantic robot to help build cities for school, her favorite thing to do on the weekends is go to the cinema and watch old Kaiju (Godzilla) movies.
One day on the way home from school she finds a mysterious ring that summons a giant monster who wants to be her friend. She quickly steps into action and creates a speaking device for to communicate, and the monster begins eating everything in sight. And not only that, but the ring has called some of his monster friends to come eat her city's buildings. Will she be able to get the help she needs to save the city and its inhabitants? To find out read, this adorable tale of friendship, quick thinking, and learning to work together. Recommended for ages 8-12, 4 stars.
One day on the way home from school she finds a mysterious ring that summons a giant monster who wants to be her friend. She quickly steps into action and creates a speaking device for to communicate, and the monster begins eating everything in sight. And not only that, but the ring has called some of his monster friends to come eat her city's buildings. Will she be able to get the help she needs to save the city and its inhabitants? To find out read, this adorable tale of friendship, quick thinking, and learning to work together. Recommended for ages 8-12, 4 stars.
December 1, 2018
Aww, an excellent story with kaiju (huge Japanese monsters I believe ) and an adorable, realistic main character. Also, I was happy to see a positive, drama-free portrayal of a black family and supportive marriage.
I'm an adult, but I teared up when Zoe broke down after seeing how much her parents loved each other, wishing she had a friend that cared about her like that. When I tell you, I had to fight off those ugly tears with a bat.
Overall, I recommend this story to anyone. It's relatable to anyone's that's been hurt by someone or felt lonely. The artwork's cute too. Now, the "make friends or else" theme is very much present without acknowledging it's okay to be alone sometimes too.
I'm an adult, but I teared up when Zoe broke down after seeing how much her parents loved each other, wishing she had a friend that cared about her like that. When I tell you, I had to fight off those ugly tears with a bat.
Overall, I recommend this story to anyone. It's relatable to anyone's that's been hurt by someone or felt lonely. The artwork's cute too. Now, the "make friends or else" theme is very much present without acknowledging it's okay to be alone sometimes too.
January 10, 2025
Chris Eliopoulos ("I Am" Series artist and comic book letterer extraordinaire) crafts a magical and heartfelt book revolving around a girl who fears making friends and putting her emotions out in the open. The family dynamic is tough with her parents having recently had triplets and so she feels ostracized. Her being Super Smart also creates a divide between her and a lot of the kids and to add to her problems she transfers to a STEM school. It's a lot and Chris does an excellent job of keeping you engaged in this heartwarming book that does end with you feeling good about everything...and let's be honest, more books like this are needed in a world that can sometimes be too dark for our youth. My daughters (12 and 9 years old) both enjoyed it which passes the test of "cool" for their age in my eyes.
September 25, 2018
Cute action-packed middle grade graphic novel about science-obsessed Zoe who sadly doesn't really have or want (or so she claims) friends. She is focused on her projects, such as building robots and goes to monster movies by herself. One day, after finding and putting on a mysterious ring (that she now can't get off),a Kaiju (large monster such as Godzilla) shows up at her house...
My 8 year old son really enjoyed this one. He liked the action and since he is a little science-obsessed himself, he enjoyed the robotics projects that Zoe was working on. He is interested in reading Eliopoulos' other book which also features the magical ring.
The over-arching moral of the story is "life is better with friends".
My 8 year old son really enjoyed this one. He liked the action and since he is a little science-obsessed himself, he enjoyed the robotics projects that Zoe was working on. He is interested in reading Eliopoulos' other book which also features the magical ring.
The over-arching moral of the story is "life is better with friends".
October 23, 2018
This was so cute! I love the illustrations - it's like a much longer Ordinary People Change the World book! The main character's aversion to friends is understandable - at first she is shy, and then when she takes a chance she is devastated by the other girl's duplicity. But it did get a little old at times that everyone kept pushing her need for friends and she kept digging in her heels. The STEM/science/robotics pieces are cool, and I loved how everything came together in the end to deal with the monster issue. I didn't realize this was connected to Eliopoulos' other graphic novel, Cosmic Commandos. I'm eager to pick that one up and see the thread that connects the two books together.
October 11, 2025
Zoe is brilliant, especially when it comes to building robots. But she has no friends. She watches kaiju movies about huge monsters by herself saying she doesn't need friends. When a kaiju shows up outside her bedroom window and wants to be her friend Zoe slowly accepts this and realizes maybe friends are okay to have. Unfortunately the kaiju has come from a place where more kaiju are hungry and they start to come..... a lot of them....too many....and they want to eat the city. Zoe has to do something to keep her new friend and keep the city safe. But she can't do it alone? Asking for help is hard, accepting help is harder.
December 19, 2019
The girl named Zoe loves mechanics and she makes a friend one day in first or second grade then the girl is mean to her so she decides to not make any friends, then, her parents send her to a school of advanced technology, and that girl loves giant monster movies. So she finds some sort of ring on the ground and twists it and it grants her one wish, but she doesn’t know that. Then, a monster comes up to her house and won’t leave. I would keep typing, but my fingers are getting tired. READ IT. ITS GOOD.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2020
This was probably a 2 star read, but the fact that it features a black girl who is a robotics genius is worth a lot. The story itself is rather weak. The fact that the main character doesn't have friends is so repetitive that it gets frustrating. And there is no backstory as to why she thinks friends just hurt you. The parents feel like token characters. While triplets would be tough to handle, I felt like her parents would still make time for Zoe. I wish there had been more discussion of what it takes to be a good friend.
September 22, 2021
A quick and funny read that had me smiling, from star to finish. I fell in love with our lead, who is just blunt and rash and all sorts of ridiculous and I adored spending time with her so much it almost made up for the super obvious message that “having friends is important” gets beaten over our heads to an EXTREME, which is just a trope that often really irks me with middle grade fiction - but in this case, realistically, if a book is going to be that heavy handed, it would serve better to show WHY she is so anti-friendship.
However, here we never really find out why and that’s a shame.
However, here we never really find out why and that’s a shame.
August 27, 2018
I really wanted to be able to give this graphic novel 3.5 stars, but since Goodreads forces me to choose I went for 3.
I liked the story and the art is super cute, but ultimately I think it is hampered by a bit of a slow start and kind of a two dimensional main character who I didn't really like until the end of the book.
And yet, I'll probably go back and read the first one in the series when I get a chance.
I liked the story and the art is super cute, but ultimately I think it is hampered by a bit of a slow start and kind of a two dimensional main character who I didn't really like until the end of the book.
And yet, I'll probably go back and read the first one in the series when I get a chance.
January 3, 2019
I had never seen or heard of this graphic novel and I ended up really loving this one! I thought the graphic were pretty! I also thought it was sucha cute story and seriously had a great moral at the end of the story. I have not seen such a good hearted story in such a long time! Seems like its a series but doesnt seem like you have to read them in any order because I totally thought it was a stand alone book. Love this one for kids as well!
August 28, 2019
A budding mad scientist (robotics genius, jaded by her first friend) resists friendships and builds robots. She is making a giant robot from the Kaiju (Japanese monster) movies that she loves when she stumbles upon a magic ring that brings the monsters to her city. Zoe can't fully be rid of the destructive monsters (or is she the monster?) until she asks for help and makes friends with other children in her robotics class.
April 18, 2020
I forgot to review this one too - Freddy got this at the library first, and we read it and only then discovered that it was a sequel to Cosmic Commandos, so we got that one next. I think Fred likes CC better because it is about video games and brothers, but I like this one more because it is about a little girl robotics genius who builds a giant robot suit and fights Kaiju monsters. It's like Pacific Rim, but for kids! Sweet.
August 11, 2020
Aww, robots and monsters and a good lesson about friendship. It reminds me of the The Boy Who Crashed to Earth, Hilo series, but slightly less funny. I cruised through it. Hopefully there will be other books! (But it seems like it could be a stand alone.)
February 1, 2022
Monster Mayhem is by Christopher Eliopoulos. It's a Graphic Novel. It's about what happened after Cosmic Commandos. And also there's a giant monster called Kaiju, and Zoe is building a giant robot, and Zoe and Kaiju are trying trying to defeat evil monsters. I really liked it because it had really good drawings, and loads of detail. And finally it was super funny.
A review done by Julian Henningsgaard (9 years old).
A review done by Julian Henningsgaard (9 years old).
April 13, 2022
“Having friends is like spending the day at the beach. You always wind up getting burned.”
Zoe, robotic genius, understands mechanics and technology, but she doesn't understand human relationships. She's been burned by friends before, so she decides to go it alone except, of course, for the robot that she builds. But sometimes problems are too large for one person to handle and Zoe finds out that asking for help is a skill that she really needs to learn.
Zoe, robotic genius, understands mechanics and technology, but she doesn't understand human relationships. She's been burned by friends before, so she decides to go it alone except, of course, for the robot that she builds. But sometimes problems are too large for one person to handle and Zoe finds out that asking for help is a skill that she really needs to learn.
September 5, 2018
This was a really cute book about a science-obsessed girl who build robots and accidentally brings monsters to her city. I loved the illustrations the most, followed closely by Zoe, what a spunky heroine. I did think the messages about friendship got a little preachy at times. Love how this ties to Cosmic Commandos, brilliant!
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