Man Made Boy

by Jon Skovron

Genres: YA Contemporary

Synopsis

Love can be a real monster.

Sixteen-year-old Boy's never left home.  When you're the son of Frankenstein's monster and the Bride, it's tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob.  And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it's important they maintain a low profile.

Boy's only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he's a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code.  When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can't escape his demons-both literal and figurative-until he faces his family once more.

This hilarious, romantic, and wildly imaginative tale redefines what it means to be a monster-and a man.

Release date: October 3, 2013

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Print pages: 368

Sample

Maybe it was the darkness or the vortexes or the magic flute player, but I just said it.

“I have a huge crush on you.”

“You are so incredibly lame for saying that.” The weight of her head abruptly left my chest.

“Wh-what?” My heart pounded in my chest. “Why?”

“Because at a time like this . . .” Her face was now less than an inch from mine. “You should just kiss me.”

So I did. As soft and sweet as her voice was, as her skin was, it was nothing compared to her lips. Her hot breath escaped into mine and I thought this must be what her heart felt like. I held her gently; she was so small and delicate that I could not help but surrender my strength to her.

Then she pressed against me and breathed in my ear, “Freedom.”