The Curse of the Wendigo

Starred review from October 4, 2010
The chilling sequel to Yancey's Printz Honor book, The Monstrumologist, is as fast-paced, elegant, and, yes, gruesome as its predecessor. Dr. Pellinore Warthrop and his apprentice, Will Henry, travel from the bleak Canadian wilderness to the streets of New York City while attempting to determine what—man, myth, or monster—is responsible for a string of murders. The deaths are unfailingly horrific and graphic (with much flaying of skin, plucking of eyes, and removing of faces), and Will and his mentor suffer physically and emotionally throughout, grappling as much with the belief systems at the core of their beings as they do with the alleged wendigo (a North American equivalent to a vampire, neither of which Warthrop believes exists) that is thought to be responsible. The development of the relationship between hapless Will and the demanding monstrumologist is the most rewarding aspect of the story; as Warthrop clings to his scientific bedrock as loved ones die and his very profession is threatened, Will also clings—to a diminishing sense of his own humanity. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-Will Henry, assistant to monstrumologist Pellinore Warthrop, finds a woman at his doorstep who seeks Warthrop's help in recovering her missing husband. He vanished while in search of a mythical creature known as the Wendigo, a vampirelike monster whose hunger for human flesh is insatiable. Will Henry and Warthrop travel to Canada to find Jack Fiddler, a Native shaman who was the last person to see Chanler alive. While he puts forward a supernatural scenario for Chanler's disappearance, Warthrop is convinced that there is a rational scientific explanation for everything, even when faced with seemingly incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. His stubborn commitment to the rational is challenged by his own mentor, Dr. von Helrung, who is about to propose that the Monstrumology Society accept mythological monsters as real. Refusing to accept what Chanler has become, Warthrop ends up endangering not only himself and Will but also the only woman he has ever loved. The style is reminiscent of older classic horror novels, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, mixed with the storytelling sensibilities of Dickens. The ever-present, explicitly detailed, over-the-top, disgusting gore, however, is very much a product of modern times. The Curse of the Wendigo is certain to be popular with fans of The Monstrumologist (S & S, 2009), and the horror genre in general, but the disturbing, cynical tone makes the most appropriate audience for this book uncertain.-Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO

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