Title: Monitors of Mayhem
Author: Darleen Hayball Johnson
Publisher: Greenberry Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 9781947995796
Pages: 336
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss
Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
We live in a world where Monitors walk among us, watching and studying us, but for what? We have nothing to offer them, nothing they want, and are seen to be too primitive for them to view humans as equals. But sometimes, one person shows promise. Soon natural disasters will begin such as major volcanic eruptions, which will cover the central plains in rock and debris. The ash would cover the sun for years and the climate will be altered. Monitors were sent to create observation centers so they may be able to see how the human race would handle this situation and these atmospheric changes, which have occurred multiple times in the past. In order to do this the monitors need to have the trust and cooperation of their neighbors, will this be something they would be able to obtain? What will they discover?
“It is remarkable how reliant humans have become on their computer systems within less than a generation.” This quote from Monitors of Mayhem perfectly describes the state of the world and leads into the events that will happen throughout this novel. This novel displays the interesting behaviors of the human species and their reactions to different elements and alterations within their lives. Author Darleen Hayball Johnson created a book which makes readers think as they read “how would we respond to the conditions?” or “what would happen if the sunlight was blocked by ash?”
As a reader, you don’t know what to expect as you are following along in the story. The novel is broken into the voice of two characters, Ruth and Ann. Not only is each section distinguished with the characters’ names, but the font styles are different adding a unique quality of the story and giving the reader the sense of reading in a different voice as opposed to a consistent narration. Johnson uses different techniques such as alliteration to draw the readers into the story. Reading this book is a complete experience with how the words are accented, the images you are seeing based on the descriptions, even the sounds you would be hearing.
If you like a novel with a hint of science fiction and a hint of thrills, then this would be the book for you. It is one of those novels, which anyone who enjoys reading, regardless of the genre, would highly enjoy. It is a story you would not want to miss out on. A highly rated book as there is so much within the story that grabs your attention and makes you cling to it. It is one that begs to be read more than once, as it will not be one that sits on the shelf collecting dust. Readers will find themselves telling others about this book and how realistic it feels.
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