A Taste for Monsters

by Matthew J. Kirby

Overview

A “lovely, suspenseful, lyrical” ghost story set in Jack the Ripper’s London from the Edgar and PEN Award-winning author of Icefall (Kirkus Reviews).

London 1888, and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the people of the city. Evelyn, a young woman disfigured by her dangerous work in a matchstick factory with nowhere to go, does not know what to make of her new position as a maid to the Elephant Man in London Hospital. Evelyn wanted to be locked away from the world, like he is, shut away from the filth and dangers of the streets. But in Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, she finds a gentle kindred, who does not recoil from her, and who understands her pain. When the murders begin, however, Joseph and Evelyn are haunted nightly by the ghosts of the Ripper’s dead, setting Evelyn on a path to facing her fears and uncovering humanity’s worst nightmares, in which the real monsters are men.

“[A] grisly fantasy . . . Evelyn—all grit, anger, and distrust—is a complex and engaging character, the slums and slang of Victorian-era London are carefully delineated, and the eventual revelation of Leather Apron’s identity and fate will leave readers gasping.” —Publishers Weekly

“This historical fiction blends horror with mystery and results in wonderfully crafted storytelling with strong, well-drawn characters . . . A great read for fans of history, true crime, or ghost stories.” —School Library Journal

“Kirby’s character development, particularly his portrayal of the extraordinary Mr. Merrick, is consistently impressive. Austen devotees are sure to appreciate Kirby’s commitment to the gothic entanglements of Northanger Abbey.” —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545817943
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/17/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	617,455
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Matthew J. Kirby is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels Icefall, which won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery and the PEN Literary Award for Children's Literature; The Clockwork Three, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start; The Lost Kingdom; Last Descendants, an Assassin's Creed novel; The Quantum League: Spell Robbers; and Cave of Wonders, the fifth book in the Infinity Ring series. He was born in Utah and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. Matthew is currently at work on his next novel.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/27/2016
In this grisly fantasy from Kirby (the Dark Gravity Sequence), the year is 1888 and London’s slums are soon to be terrorized by Leather Apron (later known as Jack the Ripper), who murders prostitutes in the most gruesome manner possible. In a nearby East End hospital resides a monster of a gentler sort: Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, who has a new maid, 17-year-old Evelyn Fallows. Some would label Evelyn a monster as well, her jaw destroyed by phosphorus necrosis from working in a match factory. Evelyn is initially repulsed by Merrick’s deformity, but she soon recognizes him as a gentle soul. After the murders commence, the ghosts of Leather Apron’s victims begin to appear in Merrick’s room. Concerned about the effect of these monstrous apparitions on Merrick’s health, Evelyn ventures into the slums in an attempt to put the suffering ghosts to rest. Evelyn—all grit, anger, and distrust—is a complex and engaging character, the slums and slang of Victorian-era London are carefully delineated, and the eventual revelation of Leather Apron’s identity and fate will leave readers gasping. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Taste for Monsters:* "Evelyn — all grit, anger, and distrust — is a complex and engaging character, the slums and slang of Victorian-era London are carefully delineated, and the eventual revelation of Leather Apron's identity and fate will leave readers gasping." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"This historical fiction blends horror with mystery and results in wonderfully crafted storytelling with strong, well-drawn characters. Kirby carefully balances the gruesome with a well-written, sensitive treatment of what could easily be lurid.... A great read for fans of history, true crime, or ghost stories." — School Library Journal"Lovely, suspenseful, lyrical." — Kirkus Reviews"Readers will find themselves falling down deep internet holes about both the Ripper and the Elephant Man, but if they catch a few current headlines, they may also wonder if the world has changed much in our treatment of the oppressed and helpless." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Kirby's character development, particularly his portrayal of the extraordinary Mr. Merrick, is consistently impressive. Austen devotees are sure to appreciate Kirby's commitment to the gothic entanglements of Northanger Abbey." — BooklistPraise for Icefall:Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile MysteryWinner of the PEN Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult LiteratureAn ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults SelectionA New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing SelectionWinner of the Judy Lopez Memorial Award"[A] taut, compelling mystery and survival story." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"[A] claustrophobic, thought-provoking coming-of-age adventure that shows a young woman growing into her own, while demonstrating the power of myth and legend." — Publishers Weekly"Elegant and exciting." — Booklist"A well-crafted story rich with emotion and intrigue. A thoroughly engaging read!" — Brandon Mull, bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series"Clear, lively, exciting, and unstoppable as the torrent of meltwater from a glacier, Icefall confirms Matthew Kirby as one of our finest new writers for young adults. Readers of any age may be enthralled by the bitter Nordic winter setting and the story of a girl who needs a lot of courage to discover who she is." — Ursula K. Le Guin, acclaimed author of the Earthsea CyclePraise for The Clockwork Three:*"In this riveting historical fantasy... debut novelist Kirby has assembled all the ingredients for a rousing adventure, which he delivers with rich, transporting prose." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"Memorable characters, hearty action, and palpable atmospherics." — Booklist

From the Publisher

07/01/2016
Gr 7 Up—In 1888, London is in the grip of a monster: Jack the Ripper is stalking and murdering women in East End's Whitechapel area. Young Evelyn Fallow—whose disfigured face makes her a monster to some—has just been hired as a maid at London Hospital for Joseph Merrick (also known as the Elephant Man). Though he is also considered a monstrosity by many, Evelyn discovers a gentle, compassionate soul in Mr. Merrick. These two find friendship and understanding in each other. But when the murders continue, the duo are visited nightly by the ghosts of the Ripper's victims. As the body count climbs, so do the cast of apparitions, who clearly want something. Mr. Merrick's fragile health begins to decline as the pair face these spirits night after night. Will Evelyn risk leaving the safe haven of the hospital to save her dear friend? This historical fiction blends horror with mystery and results in wonderfully crafted storytelling with strong, well-drawn characters. Kirby carefully balances the gruesome with a well-written, sensitive treatment of what could easily be lurid. VERDICT A great read for fans of history, true crime, or ghost stories.—Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

School Library Journal

This historical fantasy, set in 1888 London, will surely engage listeners. Narrator Anna Mountford beautifully captures the voice of Evelyn, a young woman with a facial disfigurement. She serves as a hospital maid for Joseph Merrick. Known to the public as the Elephant Man from his past tours in a traveling show that made a spectacle of his deformities, he now resides at the hospital. While Evelyn’s voice is meek and reserved, Mountford’s voice for Mr. Merrick demonstrates compassion while also reflecting some of the difficulties he has with speech due to his condition. Both Evelyn and Mr. Merrick struggle to see the good in the world as they deal with a lack of understanding from others, the horrifying murders by Jack the Ripper, and the supernatural presence of ghosts. M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2016 - AudioFile

This historical fantasy, set in 1888 London, will surely engage listeners. Narrator Anna Mountford beautifully captures the voice of Evelyn, a young woman with a facial disfigurement. She serves as a hospital maid for Joseph Merrick. Known to the public as the Elephant Man from his past tours in a traveling show that made a spectacle of his deformities, he now resides at the hospital. While Evelyn’s voice is meek and reserved, Mountford’s voice for Mr. Merrick demonstrates compassion while also reflecting some of the difficulties he has with speech due to his condition. Both Evelyn and Mr. Merrick struggle to see the good in the world as they deal with a lack of understanding from others, the horrifying murders by Jack the Ripper, and the supernatural presence of ghosts. M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2016 - AudioFile

2016-06-22
A down-on-her-luck white girl with facial scars seeks safety (both physical and metaphysical) in a story framed by two unrelated true events that occurred in 1888: the Jack the Ripper murders and the decline of Joseph Merrick, known as the Elephant Man. Evelyn Fallow knows a degrading death is the best she can hope for if she can't escape "the godforsaken East End." A stint working in a match factory with its poisonous fumes left her with only a partial jaw: the deadly phosphorus necrosis would have killed her without surgery. Evelyn's offered a place as a maid for Mr. Merrick. She considers herself unacceptably ugly, but her repulsion at her client's features is extreme, and initially she stays only because the alternative is grinding poverty in the streets. Nonetheless, Mr. Merrick, a white man with an unknown disease, is fundamentally an extremely good person, and Evelyn's quality of life is high—or it would be, if she and Mr. Merrick weren't tormented by ghosts, hauntings that increase as London's serial killings worsen. Luscious period-appropriate prose adds flavor: "Somehow, the serenity of his syncope rendered his features less monstrous." Unfortunately, the trope in which a profoundly disabled character for whom death might be "a kind of mercy" acts as a lesson for a character, in this case Evelyn, with presumably more to live for is a stale one. A lovely, suspenseful, lyrical, imperfect paranormal mystery. (Historical paranormal. 13-15)

Kirkus Reviews