Pre-numbered label used for registration.

I can't possibly rate this book on a one to ten scale.
It took me several months to finally get through it. I must say that much of the book is like reading about someone masturbating in front of a mirror. Tommy perhaps lets us see too much of himself?

Parts of the book, I found to be quite boring. Toward the end, it transforms into something lyrical and I couldn't put it down. My two favorite parts of the book are when Tommy tries to walk to Mt. Ranier. And the epistleary portion near the end - like a serial duet.

It was a difficult book for me to read, there was just too much that my inner child identified with.
It is my personal opinion that Tommy would not have become a serial killer regardless. I think he was a latent serial killer, but had not been properly activated because he was neither psysically nor sexually abused by his parents. He just didn't go far enough with the animal abuse and the arson. Title notwithstanding, I could see that he would not become a serial killer even though the potential was there.
Thank goodness, too. I don't think i could withstand reading about the evolution of a serial killer from his own point of view.
Off to grover3d who has bbe patiently waiting a long time.

"Do you see and hear, or
do I smash the mirror?"

This one is here. I've got a couple of bookray/ring books ahead of it, but I'll get to it ASAP (and I won't forget about Amazon).

A period of insomnia and a head cold allowed me to read this book over a two day period, and I just finished a few minutes ago.

It is incredibly difficult to comment upon (and certainly to critique) someone's autobiography....especially someone kind enough to share his words with us ravenous BookCrossers. However, my brief correspondence with MonstrousWalker leads me to believe that he is looking for honest opinions, so here goes....

The book is MonstrousWalker's version of the book that each voracious reader thinks he/she has in him/her, but MonstrousWalker has taken the brave step of actually completing it, so kudos. That said, as a diary of a man's life, it is amazing. As a book to be read and enjoyed by others it is sorely in need of a good editor. The book was simply too long and repetitive in numerous spots. It was FILLED with grammatical errors (a pet peeve of mine, and I'll admit that there are others who are not bothered by this at all) - while I'll agree with the sum of MW's teacher's who apparently told him he was a good writer, they might well have encouraged him to spend a bit more time on the mechanics of English usage. The substance is there, however, and MW can be justly proud of the result.

As to the main "character", I found him "monstrous" only in the banality of his perceived problems. The book read as if it should have been subtitled, "Teen Angst, Plus One". So you hate yourself, you hate your parents, you feel you don't fit in, you can't get girls, you feel sexually unfulfilled, and you go through a bad teen-age break-up? That is the story of nearly EVERY adolescent, and one that doesn't require 600 pages of exploration. I assume the "serial killer" hook was intended as nothing more than a come-on to catch potential readers. I saw nothing in our narrator that would have ever lead me to believe that he was capable of any but trivial crimes - a kid stealing shoes off the street does not a serial killer make.

I was also a bit put off by the narrator's repeated references to his "homelessness". He may have WANTED to feel rootless, but to describe himself has "homeless" when he went hungry for about 48 hours and was never more than a phone call away from his loving parents is rather an insult to those who do not enjoy the sorts of options that the narrator has.

But you'll notice I kept reading. With the criticism I've noted above, I found myself wondering why I didn't just quit the book. In the end, I had a real desire to see what happened to this wayward boy (for he remained a boy throughout this book), and MW's writing was good enough to keep me hooked.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

As per MonstrousWalker's request, here is the routing list for this copy of MONSTROUS:

morpha of Oregon
grover3d of West Virginia
BigBird2002 of Arizona (DC# - 0302 0980 0001 2032 1827)
My4BratzinTexas of Texas
dianemdo of New Jersey
LadyGothic of Canada

This book arrived in the mail yesterday. I do have a couple of bookrings ahead of it, but I will get to it quickly. I will say that the previous journals have me a little nervous about reading this book, but I am going to try to go into it with an open mind.

This was not something that I could read. I tried, but the subject matter wasn't at all what I expected. I will get this book on the road again soon.

This book is on its way to dianemdo.

Just received today. It may take me a bit to get to it...I'll do my best.
Thanks!

Just can't get into this one. Will send it on ASAP.

CONTROLLED RELEASE: Mailed to LadyGothic today--Air mail.

Oh dear, this just arrived in my postbox in a Canada Post plastic bag as the packaging didn't hold up to processing. If there was a note included, it didn't make the trip. Fear not the book only suffered minor buffing on the pages and is in good shape!

Thanks dianemdo! This will be the perfect book for my winter hybernation and I'll be wild releasing it as requested.

I actually finished reding this 20 February but my journalling has been slack lately :(

I knew I was in for an interesting ride soon as I read the opening line: "I used to have this game in which I played with my balls."

Throughout reading this massive tome, I wondered if the constant loneliness and obsession with his wanker, was a result of depression or another medical issue which magnified those normal growing up issues.

"Hers was an unconditional love - so long as you kept the food coming. Realizing that what attracted her to me needn't have been anymore complicated than having a warm body to nestle in and plentiful food in her bowl, still I felt that she loved me because at least a warm body was something I was already. Being loved for something I already was, no matter how surface oriented, was still better than being loved for the person I might be changed or mistakenly perceived to be."

Despite the egotistical writing, I felt Tommy really didn't love himself and though he'd had violent thoughts, I honestly don't believe he would of developed into a serial killer.

Thanks for sharing this book with me Tommy! It felt naughty peeking into your private diary and it certainly was interesting! You have a wonderful writing style.

Reserved for release at the BookCrossing Convention in Toronto, April 2006.

RELEASE NOTES:

To be left amid the book buffet upon the Friday night social, get to know you in person party of the TO convention.

Picked this up at the Convention this evening..... Hmmmmmmmm, not quite so keen after reading all your entries lol...but im game.....

Light reading on the flight home???? I dont think so ;o) This one will go in my suitcase back to the UK as it sounds like i'll need to concentrate!

I swiped this one from caffcaff as soon as it came out of her case, the title alone is intrigueing. However, i only got to page 30, i found it totally uninteresting and dull. I'm afraid i had to give up!

caffcaff has decided to give this a miss now so i'll make sure it gets passed on at a meet.

RELEASE NOTES:

This book is going with me to the meet up :o)

The Chertsey Bxers persuaded me to bring this home from the Meet Up tonight - looks like a bit of a challenge!

Like others before me, I found it impossible to rate this on a scale of 1 to 10.
To start with, the only positive thing I could feel for the book was the number of previous journal entries and all of you who have read it or tried to read it before me. But as I got into it, I felt a tremendous admiration for Tommy for being able to verbalise and share his deepest inner thoughts and motivations.
I also enjoyed the style of writing, once I got used to it.
I admit I found all the masturbation a bit disturbing, but overall it was a stunning and unique read.

A fellow bookcrosser is interested in reading this, so it's parcelled up ready to go out in the post to Southampton.

wow, sounds really good, even my wife (psychologist) expressed interest

Thanks