Monday, October 2, 2017

Monsterland Awareness Tour



a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a Monsterland swag bag; plus, there are loads of runner-up prizes, too!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
  • Monsterland Swag Bag
    • A copy of Monsterland, signed by Michael Okon
    • A signed poster
    • A t-shirt (Large)
    • A wool hat
    • A fidget spinner
    • A wrist band (entrance)
    • Pencils
    • An exclusive collectors item
Ten (10) winners receive:
  • A copy of Monsterland, signed by Michael Okon
Ten (10) winners receive:
  • Monsterland t-shirt
Ten (10) winners receive:
  • Monsterland hat
Ten (10) winners receive:
  • Monsterland fidget spinner
Age Range: 14+
Giveaway begins October 1, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends October 31, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older.
Prizes provided by Michael Okon

MY REVIEW



Warning! This book is not for the faint of heart, or those hoping that the monster will turn out to be Old Man Withers in a creepy mask and Scooby-Doo will thwart his plans. No, this is a tale of real monsters and what happens when you mix them together in a theme park with a crowd of excited teenagers, celebrities, and politicians. As it asks on the back of the book, "What could possibly go wrong?"



Have you ever debated with your friends about which monster is the biggest and meanest? You know how it is; you're all sitting around and someone asks, "Who would win in a faceoff - King Kong or Godzilla?" Wyatt Baldwin (no relation to Alec), and his friends Howard and Melvin often spend their time at work debating just such deep questions. Then again, working at the Instaburger isn't exactly a demanding job. But when they win behind-the-scenes passes to the new theme park Monsterland, it looks like they will finally get to see some of the creatures they have only read about or watched as CGI and special effects in movies. So the guys, along with Wyatt's younger brother Josh, are there for the big opening night. Jade, the girl of Wyatt's dreams is also there, along with her bully of a date and her friend Keisha, who has a crush on Howard.

But wait, you say, where do the monsters come from? Well ... vampires have been around all along, living on the fringes of society. Werewolves were discovered by accident in the Everglades. And the "vitality challenged" zombies are the victims of an incurable virus and have been quarantined into detention camps to protect the rest of the world’s population. It turns out that fear of contagion from the virus has pretty much thrown the world into a steep economic decline. So the world's leaders are overjoyed that Dr. Vincent Conrad has offered to take all the infected off government hands and confine them to the multiple parks he has built around the world, and he will even use profits from the parks to research a cure.

There are those who think it sounds too good to be true, like Wyatt's parents, but his stepfather is at the park on opening night, too. He is part of the local law enforcement contingent there to help protect the VIPs. It seems like the perfect time for the kids to experience the park - heightened security from park employees, the Secret Service, and local police - special passes to see how the park is run, and the chance to finally satisfy their curiosity about the creatures they have debated about for so long. Once the park opens at sunset, the crowd rushes in to experience all the thrills and chills. And it is an experience they will never forget.

The descriptions of the various areas of the park are creepy enough to give us goose bumps. As readers, we can only imagine how spooky they would be in person. Here's a taste of the main entrance square: "The village was a parody of any Main Street ... a maze of rutted paths, buildings squeezed together from different centuries ... a bizarre assortment that jarred the nerves." The enclave for each type of monster is decorated differently. For the werewolves there are bayou-like dense vegetation, bird calls, and banjo music. The vampires have a "techno paradise" with rubber streets that muffle any sound and gleaming chrome buildings that "grew out of the black depths." Perhaps the most macabre are the pastel suburban homes set aside for the zombies, with attendants washing the blood and guts off the streets.

Author Michael Okon takes on several heavy themes in his latest story. Among them are the threat of pandemics and how governments deal with the diseases and the victims, corporate and political greed, the difficulties of divorce and blended families, bullies, and more. Whether you enjoy stories with action or mental stimulation, Monsterland has it all covered, along with the creation of a sinister atmosphere that has you glancing over your shoulder as you turn the pages. If you enjoy horror, suspense, and thrillers, then grab a copy, but take my advice - read with the lights on.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Monsterland


Written by Michael Okon

Publisher’s Synopsis: Welcome to Monsterland—the scariest place on Earth.
Wyatt Baldwin’s senior year is not going well. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either. An ongoing debate with his best friends Melvin and Howard Drucker over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.

But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park where guests can interact with vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by werewolves on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.

With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Ages 14+ | Publisher: WordFire Press | October 13, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1-61475-594-4

Available Here:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling is his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.


OFFICIAL LINKS

Be sure to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and SnapChat  @IAmMichaelOkon #Monsterland!

FACEBOOK     |     TWITTER     |     INSTAGRAM     |     SNAPCHAT     |     MICHAELOKON.COM


TOUR SCHEDULE

The Children's Book Review
10/1
Lille Punkin'
10/2
The Fairview Review
10/3
Jrsbookreviews
10/4
Shooting Stars Mag
10/5
Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom
10/6
Word Spelunking
10/9
LitPick Student Book Reviews
10/10
A Dream Within A Dream
10/11
Bites
10/23
icefairy's Treasure Chest
10/24
TeacherDance
10/25
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
10/26

The Fairview Review is participating in the blog tour and giveaway in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Michael Okon.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for your review. I'm sure my grandson would love this. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete