Monster of Ohio by John Scalzi - Book Review

 

From the publisher: Monsters of Ohio is a heartfelt exploration of a tentacular solution to the struggles of the modern world from the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain

Welcome to Richland, Ohio. Things aren't great.

The town’s biggest employer is closing shop, and Richland's on the brink. It's where Mike Boyd, with his own set of problems, finds himself returning to after decades away.

He's not planning to stay.

But Richland has other plans for Mike, his old friend Dave, and a newcomer Andi. They're caught in a swirl of local troubles, private equity, executive theft… and something extremely weird involving Jeremy Keller’s prize cow.

Welcome to Richland. Leave your expectations behind. Bring a tarp.

I have read a number of John Scalzi’s books and know what to expect (particularly from his non-Old Man’s War books) - snark, humor, and sarcasm along with crazy ideas and a lot of fun. His newest book, Monsters of Ohio, didn’t disappoint.

After being downsized from the USDA due to a DOGE-like situation, Mike Boyd returns to his small Ohio hometown just in time for the meat processing plant to be shut down. Unfortunately, the plant employs a large number of the town’s residents, so things aren’t going too well. Mike connects with his old friend Dave, the town’s last remaining police officer, and gets the scoop on the coming closure.

Elsewhere, pets are disappearing at an alarming rate, and Jeremy Keller’s cow seems to have been butchered by an unknown person or thing. Dave starts to investigate and asks Mike to help. With the help of Andi, who is the publicist for the new Richland Monster Mash festival, Mike and Dave begin to uncover a whole lot of weirdness going on. 

Add in a scummy corporate boss, Mike’s bitter parents, Dave’s sick mom, a racist jerk, and explosions and you’ve got the makings for an entertaining read that is an interesting reflection on our current times.

I really enjoyed Monsters of Ohio. Scalzi’s books always read fast, and this one is no different. There is a lot going on but the characters are very engaging. The situations are so absurd you don’t even find yourself questioning them, just accepting them and moving on to the next thing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Scalzi fan or enjoys funny science fiction stories with a bit of social commentary.

I received a preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.