“We all have monsters,” his father whispered. This book is about monsters we all face at some point in our lives: bullying, fear, violence, abandonment, and alcoholism. A killer is on the loose in a small town, running over young boys with a silver truck. Twelve-year-old James, his nerdy friend Willie, and crazy Reggie face a summer of monsters. What makes this story work is its believability, yet as I quickly turned the pages I found myself saying, “I don’t believe it.” For teens that like thrillers with twists and turns. ( )

The concept behind the story is better than the actual story. ( )

Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com

The story begins in the present with James, who on his way out of town runs into Reggie. The story then switches to the year when they were twelve.

Most of what you read will be from this year, when one of their friends is hit by someone in a silver truck, causing him to lose his arm. About two months later, another boy is hit and killed by what everyone suspects is the same truck. This leads the parents and the town to enact a curfew.

Seen through the eyes of 12-year-old boys, this story was very riveting. I enjoyed watching the story unfold. The story is not a hard read but it may not be something you want younger kids to read. I would say that they should be 12 and up.

THE MONSTER VARIATIONS was a fast and enjoyable read that reminds me a little of the movie Stand By Me. ( )