The Monstrous Memoirs Of A Mighty McFearless

Book cover for "The Monstrous Memoirs Of A Mighty McFearless"

by Ahmet Zappa
ISBN 0375832874
Random House Children's Books, July 2006

From School Library Journal:

When 11-year-old Minerva McFearless and her younger brother, Max, discover that they are the latest generation in a family of monster-hunters, their widowed father forbids them to learn anything about his dangerous occupation. Nonetheless, the siblings soon come upon Ms. Monstranomicon, a monster-hunter's manual that is a monster herself, and find themselves pursued by the minions of the vile Zarmaglorg, king of the monsters, who kidnaps their father. Zappa has written a passable first novel whose roots aren't hard to see–Ms. Monstranomicon bears strong similarities to one of Harry Potter's textbooks, for example. But the sardonic back-and-forth between Minerva, Max, and their know-it-all guide, Mr. Devilstone, is amusing, as are the photo-illustrations and the nature guide pages describing the disgusting creatures that they encounter and the often-disgusting formulas that the monster-hunter employs to defend against them. The protagonists are engaging, but the plot is fuzzy and the villains are stock. Still, children will enjoy the story, which ends, unsurprisingly, with the promise of a sequel. – Walter Minkel, New York Public Library

From Barnes & Noble:

This mid-grade novel will bolster the spirits of any night warrior who has battled the forces of evil. The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless recounts the heroic exploits of 11-year-old Minerva McFearless, her brother Max, and their coyote cohort Mr. Devilstone in their never-ending struggle against the dreaded Zarmaglorg. TV personality Ahmet Zappa has crafted a mock memoir that combines scary full-color illustrations and surrealistic "scientific data," making for some horrifyingly hilarious fantasy.

From Publishers Weekly:

First-time author Zappa (son of rock legend Frank) mines his childhood fear of things that go bump in the night for this mock-memoir of a "monsterminator"-in-training, with recipes. Eleven-year-old Minerva McFearless, or Mini, as she's called, and her brother, Max, nine, stumble upon their father's secret trade-eliminating monsters. For years, they study his encyclopedic Monstranomicon, a talking, biting (female) book that contains information about all manner of evil beast and "defensive recipes" on how to defeat them. Mini also learns to speak Monstrosity, the native tongue of Grumplemisers, Glorches and the Howleewoof who relishes "children con carne." This stealthy self-teaching comes in handy when their widower father is kidnapped by agents of the Zarmaglorg, "the king of evil," who resides in faraway Castle Doominstinkinfart. With a cantankerous one-eyed coyote named Mr. Devilstone leading the way, a perilous trip to rescue Dad is on. The reptilian-skin look of the cover, Zappa's lively monster doodles and photo-illustrations of the main characters in key scenes, add kooky, creepy graphic appeal to the McFearless kids' escapades. A B-movie aesthetic keeps the narrative from being truly scary, and the repeated references to barfing, slime, blood and guts make this ideal summer reading for the crowd that's graduated from Captain Underpants. Ages 8-12.