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Readers > Talk it Up! > Discussion guides > 2012 Oregon Reader's Choice Award Nominees > The Monstrumologist

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Discussion guide by Casey Kolakowski

Summary

In the late 19th century, twelve year-old Will Henry is taken in by the monstrumologist, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, after the death of his parents. Dr. Warthrop employs Will as his assistant in the scientific study of monsters. Soon they are faced with a horrifying discovery and the two have to hunt down and destroy the terrible Anthropophagi, a man-eating species which will very likely bring death to much of the community if they are not stopped. Will and Dr. Warthrop must face horrible secrets from the past to end the gruesome horrors that are happening around them.

Booktalk

A grave-robber brings a late night delivery to the house of Dr. Pellinore Warthrop. The doctor and his 12-year-old assistant, the orphan Will Henry, discover that the delivery is not just the corpse of a young woman, but also the corpse of the hideous creature that choked to death while feeding on her dead body. Dr. Warthrop recognizes the creature as one of the Anthropophagi, a very rare man-eating species that has been only known to exist in a small part of Africa. The doctor and Will begin investigating and soon make the terrifying discovery that there is an entire pod of Anthropophagi somewhere in the area and the local community is in danger. And soon the feeding begins . . . Will and the doctor must hunt down and kill the Anthropophagi.

Dr. Warthrop and Will uncover the many dark secrets that have led to the emergence of the Anthropophagi in America. Although he wishes to keep the Anthropophagi and his discovery of their origin a secret, Warthrop sees the need to bring in a colleague, John Kearns, to aid in the hunt. The hunt is difficult for everyone, but especially for Will, who must overcome fear, uncertainty, and evil if he hopes to save himself and the doctor.

454 pages, 10th grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Will Henry has seen, and been, through a lot for a boy his age. In spite of all the horrors he has witnessed, he appears relatively well-adjusted (though depressed). What is your opinion of Will? How has he managed to stay sane?
  2. Dr. Warthrop frequently puts Will into very dangerous, frightening circumstances and is often harsh, and even cruel, to him. At other times his actions suggest that he may actually care for the boy. This is often confusing to Will. How would you describe their relationship? Why did the Dr. Warthrop take in Will Henry after his parent’s death? Why does Will feel committed to serving Dr. Warthrop?
  3. The author includes many graphic, gory, and gruesome details in this book. Did you find that the details added to the story or were they a bit too much? Were these details necessary to create an atmosphere of horror?
  4. Which part of the book do you find the most frightening (or disgusting)?
  5. Dr. Warthrop, like his father, feels determined to keep the monsters he studies a secret. Why this secrecy? Is it right to keep the knowledge of something this dangerous from the public?
  6. Warthrop obviously does not think highly of Kearns and his methods. Why do you think he calls on Kearns for help?
  7. Kearns does many horrible things during the hunt of the Anthropophagi, like using live humans as bait. He claims that his actions are necessary if they want to succeed. Do you believe that his actions were the only way to achieve success? Would success make his actions acceptable?
  8. Will faces some very close encounters with Anthropophagi during the hunt. He must kill them quickly and without hesitation in order to save his, as well as Malachi’s life. He is incredibly brave, especially for a 12-year-old. What would you do in Will’s situation?
  9. Do you think there may be rare and dangerous “monsters” in the world that we have not yet discovered, or that no one has told us about?
  10. The author writes this book as if he acquired the story directly from Will Henry’s journal. Why does the author choose to present the story in this way?

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