Made for Each Other

My Boyfriend Is a Monster #2

by Paul D. Storrie (Story by), Eldon Cowgur (Illustrator)

Tom Stone stepped into Seward High and into Maria McBride's life like a bolt of lightning. He's the perfect guy for Maria―nice, smart, and well-built. There's just one his family. Tom's father is the town's new funeral director, and business is booming. The bodies are piling up thick and fast in Persephone Falls, Alaska, so Dr. Stone keeps Tom up late at night working in the funeral home. And it's clear that Dr. Stone and his creepy assistant, Graves, don't want Maria around. Maria knows Tom was made for her. She's determined to find out what Dr. Stone has against her. When Tom refuses to stand up to his father, Maria begins to stitch together the clues...and finds out that the Stones are into recycling in ways she never could have imagined.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Romance, Horror, Comics, Fantasy, Paranormal

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Paul D. Storrie was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He started writing professionally in 1998 with the comic book ROBYN OF SHERWOOD about Robin Hood's daughter.

Since then, he has written comics and graphic novels for Moonstone Books, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, IDW Publishing, Devil's Due Publishing, Bluewater Productions, and Lerner Books' Graphic Universe division. He has also written short stories for the prose anthologies WEREWOLVES: DEAD MOON RISING and THE GREEN HORNET CASEFILES.

He currently lives in the Detroit suburbs.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was a let down. I had really enjoyed the first graphic novel in this series, I Love Him to Pieces, so I was looking forward to this one, too. But it seems every entry in the series will have a different writer and illustrator. And this was not an upgrade.

One of the things that I liked best about I Love Him to Pieces was the sweet, natural course that Dicey and Jack's romance took. But Tom and Maria take us right back to insta-love, which is really getting irritating to me. They're in love because they are, and I just can't identify with that.

I also can't identify with Maria's complete and totally unquestioning acceptance of the fact that Tom used to be several other dead people. Yes, Tom is a modern day Frankenstein's monster, created by the original. I don't doubt that a normal person could eventually come to the conclusion that she does (it's just like organ donation!) but immediately? Without a single moment of shock and horror? Without giving a single thought to how the next of kin would react? I just can't buy it. I was more shocked by her instant acceptance of the situation than I was by the mass grave robbing and desecration of bodies.

The art is ok, but I'll honestly forget all about it in a day or two. Nothing distinctive about it.

All that said, it's not entirely horrible, it's just another cliche teen PNR.

[Rebecca Crunden]

This is a really cool sort of sequel to Frankenstein. Basically, Frankenstein's Monster's son meets a girl and chaos ensues!

I'm really enjoying this series. Definitely recommend!

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, not what I expected, and dull.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but made even less sense than the first one. If you’re really into Frankenstein, it might be for you.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Tom Stone moves to town, Maria can’t stop thinking about him – he’s gorgeous and interesting and she wants to get to know him better. After she surprises him at the funeral home (his family is in the undertaking business), however, she learns his terrible secret – he’s a descendent (sort of) of Frankenstein’s monster! Built and not born into this world, his creator is Frankenstein’s actual creature. Maria, oddly enough, has no objection to this. The other creations, however, object to Maria – because she knows what they are. And one of them – Hedy – believes that Tom should be hers alone. When people start disappearing (corpses are accumulating at an alarming rate) and new “creations” start appearing, both Tom and Maria are concerned. Dating creatures can be dangerous.

I love how everyone in this series is so blase about the supernatural. Oh, you're a frightening creature crafted by a madman's monster? You're cute, and strong - I love you anyway! Danger, excitement, and, of course, LOVE. *happy sigh*

[Raving Redcoat · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the Frankenstein Monster, along with some teen angst and romance thrown in. Several nice nods to the mythos are included. A quick read.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think i definitely preferred the story of this one compared tot he first one

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are super quick reads with a bit of humor and some literary references. Not going to win any awards, but this one, with its take on Frankenstein, is fun.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one felt more fast paced than the first, and it was an interesting take on Frankenstein. I really enjoyed this one, the romance and friendship in the story were great and went well with the plot, and the humor was nice, too, I like that, even though each book is a different story with different characters and plot, they're wrapped up nicely!

[Chelly]

.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made for Each Other by Paul D. Storrie and Eldon Cowgur is the second standalone in the My Boyfriend is a Monster series. Persephone Alaska has been hit with a series of tragic accidents. Meanwhile, Maria is smitten with a gorgeous, mysterious new student at her high school — Tom.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

[Wendy Holliday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why not? A Twilight-esque retelling of all things, Frankenstein's monster.

And by Twilight-esque, I mean, taking something that is typically found in literature to NOT be a sexy teenager, and turn it into a sexy teenager that feels the need to whip off his shirt and show the fragile human girl what's going on underneath.

But it wasn't backwards and cringe-worthy by any means.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy. Formulaic. Predictable. Schmaltzy. Over-the-top. My 2nd to least favorite. Made me sick.

Only read this to finish off the series.

Blech.

[Arnela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was nice, the romance was a love at first sight thing but there was a montage showing a lot of communication between Maria and Tom and I really loved that. The best relationships are built on a sturdy foundation of communication. I also really liked how Frankenstein's Monster made dad puns when naming his son, he was definitely dad material.

What I didn't like is that the main conflict of the story is that a female that Frankenstein's monster made has a crush on Tom and wants to have him all for herself. And she goes on this huge murdering spree to get body parts to make "New Friends" and makes a convoluted plot to get Maria out of her picture so she can have Tom. Like I understand if she became like that over time and if she was raised improperly, or hung out with the wrong crowd. But it was written that she was bad from the get go [maybe it was left overs from the cheerleaders that were used to make her] but the reasoning isn't explained so I can't say for sure why she's so mean.

But I find it tiresome that a girl is the male villain and her want of someone who's already taken leads her to create conflict. Like this is an over-the-top reaction to not being able to date someone. She could have talked it over, and yeah guess what rejection fucking hurts but you get over it, you can't control people. It feels cliche and like there was a better plot arch, and I'm just tired of girls hating on other girls because one has a boyfriend the other wanted. That's a human not a prize, jesus. I also hate boys fighting other boys over one having a girlfriend the other wanted. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER PEOPLE.

I'm also a little annoyed with the fact that we touch on certain things that could be a big deal in the story and then they get swept under the rug; Exhibit A- the pervy counselor, who's obviously got a thing for Maria [WHO IS 15] ok, that doesn't just go away, but the story showed him being creepy in the very beginning and he's never mentioned later. He can't be after just one girl, you know these bastards don't ever just have one person in their sights. And he never gets shown to be getting fired or in trouble for this; LIKE HELLO, THIS IS AN ADULT THAT WORKS AROUND MINORS AND IS CREEPING ON A MINOR, HOW IS THIS JUST SHOVED UNDER THE RUG?!!! Exhibit B - It's not nearly as bad as exhibit A, but Sheldon seems to harbor an extreme level of animosity towards Tim for getting with Maria, and if he had acted on this anger and hatred he would have become just like Hedy in the story and he would be fueling a cliche, and I would have hated him more. But while I am glad that he stayed friends with Maria and helped her, that level of hate does not leave that fast or that easy so I feel like he's a little 2D or he got over those feelings WAY TOO FAST.

[sar!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMER READING EXISTS!!!!

This beginning paragraph is gonna be the start of pretty much every review I write, so bear with me.

So yeah I’m trying to get back into reading a ton this summer so here begins my journey through the “TEEN SCENE ROOM” at the library down the street from me—and possibly the one near my grandma’s house since I have cards for both and that one has a larger manga selection.

Anyhow,
Library Book Haul of June 13th consisted of *drumroll pleaaaaaseeee* ELEVEN BOOKS—that’s not even including what my little brother checked out on my card, we got fifteen books in total and managed to accidentally check one out twice.

But here’s my current list (the one the review is about will be bolded and italicized because I’m feeling nice):

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I got like one thing that wasn’t manga or a graphic novel, and it’s the light novel to one of my favorite animes, so….sorry?

~ My Boyfriend is a Monster (#1): I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang
~ My Boyfriend is a Monster (#2): Made for Each Other by Paul D. Storrie
~ My Boyfriend is a Monster (#3): My Boyfriend Bites by Dan Jolley
~ Demon Slayer (Volume 1) by Koyoharu Gotouge
~ Demon Slayer (Volume 2) by Koyoharu Gotouge
~ That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Volume 1) by Fuse
~ Amulet (Book One): The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
~ Amulet (Book Two): The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
~ Amulet (Book Three): The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
~ Amulet (Book Four): The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi
~ Re:Zero -Starting Life In Another World- (Volume 1)(Light Novel) by Tappei Nagatsuki

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SO TO THE ACTUAL REVIEW

My Boyfriend is a Monster (#2): Made for Each Other by Paul D. Storrie

This was an odd one, as I was not expecting, well whatever you wanna call that. It’s definitely closer to the supernatural stuff than the first one and I admire that. I can’t say much about that aspect of this one without spoiling stuff, so I’ll swap topics now.

This graphic novel was a lot more broody than the first one and the characters had less personality behind them. I still enjoyed it, it just didn’t have any thrilling aspects to it as the first one did—THEY WERE EGG BABY PARENTS AND I WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS DETAIL. Overall it wasn’t bad, but I hope the series gets better.

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TL;DR

I really like graphic novels and manga, not actual books, and got a lot of them at the library.

This book has fewer good parts than the first of the series, but it's not horrible, just read it, its not that long.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bit Too Twilight-y For Me

Okay, so the lead is a sexy Frankenstein type creation, which isn't the problem I have with this. The problem is how it feels Twilight inspired. It's by no means a direct copy -- I think this has a higher body count, for one -- but the enhanced attributes and hotness of the monster, the small town woodsy setting, and the instant attraction to an aloof stranger all seem very similar. And I was never into Twilight.

That's not to say it's all bad or derivative. The leading lady plays an active role, whether in chasing her dream guy or the baddies. It's not boring, though there were times I was going 'seriously, you're doing this?' to the page.

I wasn't a huge fan of the art. The female protagonist's eyes often looked creepy to me, and I don't think that was intentional. There were other things too, but that was what stood out the most to me.

Overall, I thought this was meh. If you want a Frankenstein themed Twilight graphic novel, then, oh boy, is this for you. As for me, while I don't regret reading this, it wasn't my thing.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maria meets and quickly falls for a new student but soon finds out that his family has something to hide. With names like Tom B. Stone, Dr. Franklin Stone, Mr. Graves, and Hedy Stone (yes, really!), it doesn't take her long to figure out what's going on. ;) But our heroine is nothing if not chill and accepting of everyone's differences! However, when the townspeople start dropping dead from terminal clumsiness, she realizes that there is something more sinister at work. Will she be able to stop it before the monster strikes again?

This is a quick, fun read, only about 126 pgs, with all of the panels done in black and white. It's a quirky humorous parody of a familiar horror story that's fun for all!

Satisfies #46 of the #the52bookclub2023 challenge: Script Font on the Spine

Tie-in: 52 Book Challenge, Frankenstein, scary, horror, graphic novel, Mary Shelley

[Heather Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute story for the series! This book follows a more modern, high school aged version of the Frankenstein book by Mary Shelley, except lover boy is the creation of Frankenstein's creature after 200 years in ice. I really liked the story and how well the FMC Maria took the news of being with a monster very well, standing by Tom's side the whole time. It was a very cutesy story that was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than crappy twilight for choosing to love a monster. Only wish that this one had a better ending for Franklin Stone (Frankenstein's creation). I hated that for Tom not having any family in the end, but I guess it was for the best.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Really.

Honestly, I wanted to read another book in this series so I decided to read all the books in this series in order.

After a completely lackluster first book in this series, this second book was a literary masterpiece in comparison, lol. We go from Zombies (booooo) to Frankenstein. The story’s plot was stronger, the characters did appeal to me, totally loved the meet cute, and honestly I did like the animation style.

I do like changing up the authors and artists for each new book.

I must admit I’m loving the “monster of the week” vibes of this series. It’s very early season 1-2 of Supernatural and I’m living for it!

[Jalissa Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this story about how Frankenstein’s monster survived and found himself in the modern world. The fact that he made more like himself & the boy fell for a girl is actually quite romantic. But, one of his new creations gets a little wacky and evil. She’s batshit crazy like the monster was originally portrayed.

[Brandi Kutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like it as much as the first issue, probably because Frankenstein's monster isn't my favorite horror monster, but it was okay. They're infatuation with each other didn't really make sense. It was rushed and a bit forced.

[Tiny Octopus · Rating 3 out of 5]

These goofy-ass little monster love stories are a fun way to blow off an hour. The pacing is super choppy, and the overall story is pretty cliche, but it was a fun, campy way to spend a few minutes reading.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just in time for Halloween...

I thought I would take a listen to this book for some simple fun. It was weirdly interesting & quirky, at best. It grabbed my attention, then it ended. It could have gone down so many roads, but it didn’t. Oh well, it served its purpose. Huzzah!

[Alex Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick little e-read/audiobook. The art was good and the story was okay. A cheesy little high school romance with Frankenstein’s monster. The audio part of the ebook I found was pretty good, the sound effects though were hilarious when the narrator acted out the effects.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, modern take on the classic Frankenstein story. The tone is light and playful. And overall, the book is a quick, easy read. There's not a lot of depth to it, but it does offer good Halloween vibes.

[Steven Gauthier · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some admirable twists and turns to this second My Boyfriend is a Monster, I didn’t like either the story or the artwork as well as Volume 1.
I guess vampires and teenage werewolves will get their turns in this odd series soon.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage riff on the Frankenstein/Frankenstein's monster tale. Shy musician falls for the dark and mysterious new boy in town. Not as strong as some of the others in this serious but still fun. Quick and easy read that would be appropriate for tween/teen.

[ashes ➷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, you got me. I'm starting to like this series. Cheesiness aside, the monsterboys are adorable and the plot is fun.

[H.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually one for Frankenstein's monster, but this had me really intrigued. The questions at the end of the book are hilarious.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new unexpected spinning the Frankenstein legacy. A mixture of horror, teen angst, and plot twists this book is interesting and familiar at the same time.