{"id":22011,"date":"2025-10-04T01:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T05:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/?p=22011"},"modified":"2025-10-24T01:35:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T05:35:10","slug":"book-summer-of-the-monsters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-summer-of-the-monsters\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer of the Monsters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"book-3256\" class=\"bdb-book-info\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/book_summerofthemonsters.png?fit=250%2C396&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Summer of the Monsters\" class=\"alignright\"\/><strong>Title:<\/strong> Summer of the Monsters<br \/><strong>Author:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/author\/david-sodergren\/\">David Sodergren<\/a><br \/><strong>First Published:<\/strong> <span content=\"2024-12-05\">December 5, 2024<\/span><br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/publisher\/self-published\/\">Self-Published<\/a><br \/><strong>Pages:<\/strong> 236<br \/><strong>Genre:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/coming-of-age\/\">Coming of Age<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/horror\/\">Horror<\/a><br \/><strong>Format:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/format\/hardcover\/\">Hardcover<\/a><br \/><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/source\/gift\/\">Gift<\/a><br \/><strong>Rating:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/rating\/5\/\"><span class=\"bdb-font-awesome-star-wrap\"><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/220710328-summer-of-the-monsters\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/addtogoodreads.png?ssl=1\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a><br \/><br \/><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> <p>\u201cMonsters aren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what sixteen-year-old Lucy Brannigan has always believed, until, broke and desperate, she and her father move to an isolated farmhouse in the small Scottish town of Helsbridge. It\u2019s their last chance, and they have to make it work.<\/p>\n<p>For Lucy, life appears to be over. With no friends, and surrounded by miles of thick woodland, there\u2019s nothing to do. But why did the previous occupants leave their belongings behind? And why is their new home surrounded by dozens of scarecrows? And worst of all\u2026 what is the cause of the horrifying screams that wake her in the night?<\/p>\n<p>This summer, Lucy will be forced to learn the dark secret of Helsbridge. And as the bodies pile up, and the blood flows in rivers, she makes a shocking discovery that will change the course of her life forever.<\/p>\n<p>Monsters are real\u2026 and no amount of flesh can sate their diabolical hunger.<\/p>\n<p>Summer of the Monsters is a tender and brutal coming-of-age horror story from the savage mind of David Sodergren, author of Maggie\u2019s Grave and The Haar.<\/p>\n<strong>Get the Book:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ztce9c\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a>\r\n<hr \/><\/div>\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Review\",\n\t\t\t\t\"datePublished\": \"2025-10-04T05:00:01+00:00\",\n\t\t\t\t\"description\": \"Summer of the Monsters\",\n\t\t\t\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Radical Dreamer\"\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/book-summer-of-the-monsters\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"itemReviewed\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Book\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Summer of the Monsters\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"author\": [\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"David Sodergren\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/book-database\\\/author\\\/david-sodergren\\\/\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t],\n\t\t\t\t\t\"isbn\": \"9798344917542\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"numberOfPages\": 236,\n\t\t\t\t\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Self-Published\"\t\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\t\"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/book_summerofthemonsters.png?fit=250%2C396&ssl=1\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"datePublished\": \"2024-12-05T00:00:00+00:00\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.goodreads.com\\\/book\\\/show\\\/220710328-summer-of-the-monsters\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"genre\": \"Coming of Age\"\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Jamie\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/\"\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t, \"reviewRating\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Rating\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"ratingValue\": 5,\n\t\t\t\t\t\"bestRating\": 5\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<h2>Review<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Summer of the Monsters<\/strong> is an emotional coming-of-age novel about a girl named Lucy and her hapless father, struggling to find their footing after having their lives uprooted. The majority of the book is set in the summer of 1996 in a small town by the woods rumored to be plagued by monsters. This book is a creature feature that went in directions I didn&#8217;t expect and I was hooked from start to finish.<\/p>\n<p>I found myself really caring about Lucy and her father, the dialogue between them was at times really funny and I thought that their characters and relationship were written well. The story is filled with 90s nostalgia, genuine joy and heartbreak, gut wrenching horror, and a little touch of the fantastical that filled me with wonder and made me feel like a kid again.<\/p>\n<p>This book was devastating but also hopeful, it brought me to tears and I loved every bittersweet second of it. It&#8217;s hard to pick favorites when it comes to Sodergren&#8217;s books because they&#8217;re all good, but Summer of the Monsters ranks really highly for me, and it is one of the best coming-of-age novels that I&#8217;ve read. As a bonus for Sodergren fans, the book references the neighboring town of Auchenmullan, which is the setting for <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-maggies-grave\/\"><strong>Maggie&#8217;s Grave<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Quote<\/h2>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;And maybe that was what <strong>growing<\/strong> up was all about? <em>Accepting<\/em> that you\u2019ll <em>never be happy<\/em>, secure in the knowledge that there\u2019s <em>nothing left<\/em> for life to <strong>take from you<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<h2>Content Warnings<\/h2>\n<span class=\"ubb-spoiler\"><a class=\"ubb-view-spoil\">View Spoiler &raquo;<\/a><span style=\"display: none;\" class=\"ubb-thespoil\">Bullying, Dead Parent, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexual Content, Violence, Vomit <a class=\"ubb-hide-spoil\" style=\"cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;\">&laquo; Hide Spoiler<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<h2>About the Author<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ubb-about-author\">\n<h3>About David Sodergren<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_davidsodergren.png?fit=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft ubb-about-author-photo\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_davidsodergren.png?w=200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_davidsodergren.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>David Sodergren lives in Scotland with his wife Heather and his best friend, Boris the Pug.<\/p>\n<p>Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.<\/p>\n<p>Since the publication of his first novel, The Forgotten Island, he has written and published a further five novels, from slashers to gialli to folk horror to weird westerns. He is currently working on several more novels, including a trilogy of violent revenge stories to be published in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>David Sodergren also writes extreme horror under the pen name Carl John Lee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ubb-author-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.davidsodergren.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/paperbacksandpugs.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Blog<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/paperbacksnpugs\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Twitter<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/18377192.David_Sodergren\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4eTRix2\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Amazon<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paperbacksandpugs\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Review Summer of the Monsters is an emotional coming-of-age novel about a girl named Lucy and her hapless father, struggling to find their footing after having their lives uprooted. The&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9],"tags":[1878,248,340,4642,3273,3366,1785,3897,3545],"book-author":[3296],"book-illustrator":[],"book-series":[],"book-publisher":[],"book-genre":[],"book-source":[],"book-format":[],"class_list":["post-22011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","tag-creature-feature","tag-european-literature","tag-grief-and-loss","tag-grief-horror","tag-human-monsters","tag-monsters","tag-scottish-literature","tag-set-in-scotland","tag-set-in-the-1990s","book-author-david-sodergren"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/book_summerofthemonsters-header.png?fit=1080%2C540&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22011"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27215,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22011\/revisions\/27215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-author?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-illustrator?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-series?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-publisher","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-publisher?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-genre?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-source?post=22011"},{"taxonomy":"book-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-format?post=22011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}