The Monster on the Road Is Me by J.P. Romney
Published August 30th 2016
It starts with the crows. When you see them, you know he s found you.
Koda Okita is a high school student in modern-day Japan who isn’t very popular. He suffers from narcolepsy and has to wear a watermelon-sized helmet to protect his head in case he falls. But Koda couldn’t care less about his low social standing. He is content with taking long bike rides and hanging out in the convenience store parking lot with his school-dropout friend, Haru.
But when a rash of puzzling deaths sweeps his school, Koda discovers that his narcoleptic naps allow him to steal the thoughts of nearby supernatural beings. He learns that his small town is under threat from a ruthless mountain demon that is hell-bent on vengeance. With the help of a mysterious – and not to mention very cute classmate – Koda must find a way to take down this demon. But his unstable and overwhelming new abilities seem to have a mind of their own.
I’d never seen or heard of this book before I stumbled across it in a Barnes and Noble. The cover caught my eye but it was the title that made me pick it up. I read a couple of pages and I bought it right away. I loved the writing and the concept was original. I loved that this book took place in Japan and I thought the Japanese mythology was really interesting.
I really liked Koda and he often had me laughing. Most of the time when the synopsis’ for books claim that the book is “witty” or “humorous”, I rarely think the book is actually funny. More often than not, the humor just feels forced. But I actually thought this book delivered the humor that the dust jacket synopsis claimed it would.
Overall, The Monster on the Road Is Me was wonderful. I loved the concept, the writing, and the characters. This book adds some much needed diversity in the Young Adult genre.
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