Man Made Boy

Love can be a real monster. Sixteen-year-old Boy’s never left home. When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob. And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile. Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons?both literal and figurative?until he faces his family once more. This hilarious, romantic, and wildly imaginative tale redefines what it means to be a monster?and a man.

From Booklist

Boy, the son of the original Frankenstein’s monster, lives a sheltered existence at The Show, a Broadway revue featuring various fantastical creatures, such as Medusa, a troupe of dancing trolls, and a siren. But Skovron (Misfit, 2011) doesn’t stop there. In a clever reimagining of Shelley’s Frankenstein, Boy has also unwittingly created a sentient computer virus, VI, which has escaped into the world and seeks revenge. Passing for an incredibly ugly human, Boy flees the confines of The Show as well as the consequence of his creation, embarking on a road trip to L.A., where he finds a comfortable existence in an enclave of magical creatures working in TV special effects. But Boy still has to contend with the creature he spurned and takes drastic measures to set things right. Skovron’s mile-a-minute latest is overstuffed with magical creatures of every type, dangerous pursuits, revenge narratives, and teenage romances, but fantasy-loving teens will get a kick out of the action-heavy, comical supernatural mash-up. Boy learns a handy lesson about self-acceptance and bravery, too. For more connections to Shelley’s classic, suggest Stephanie Hemphill’s Hideous Love (2013), reviewed above. Grades 9-12. --Sarah Hunter

About the Author

Jon Skovron has been an actor, musician, lifeguard, Broadway theater ticket seller, warehouse grunt, technical writer, and web developer. He has nine fingers, dislikes sweets, and possesses a number of charming flaws. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and after traveling around a while, he has settled, somewhat haphazardly, in the Washington, D.C., area, where he and his two sons can regularly be seen not fitting into the general Government scene. Visit him at jonskovron.com.Jon Skovron has been an actor, musician, lifeguard, Broadway theater ticket seller, warehouse grunt, technical writer, and web developer. He has nine fingers, dislikes sweets, and possesses a number of charming flaws. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and after traveling around a while, he has settled, somewhat haphazardly, in the Washington, D.C., area, where he and his two sons can regularly be seen not fitting into the general Government scene. Visit him at jonskovron.com.

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