The title of this book was the first thing that caught my eye. They’ve finally done it, I thought to myself, the monsters in our cave have published a book revealing the dark truth of what really lurks under your beds. Thankfully, I was proved wrong.

Ben Horton’s debut novel is about Cameron Reilly – an ordinary teenage kid whose world is about to change in a horrific explosion. Waking on an operating table, under the knife of Doctor Fry, is only the beginning of Cameron’s nightmare. He has been saved from death by having almost every part of his body turned into a cybernetic machine – a cybernetic assassin to be precise. With his flesh half-ripped off, Cameron looks more like zombie than a futuristic weapon.

Springing from Fry’s lab, Cameron meets others like him – hideous teenage cyborgs, who are all rejects from Doctor fry’s nefarious experiments. They have formed the Monster Republic and offer Cameron a chance to reboot his life…

I’m a huge fan of Robocop and the Terminator movies, so it wasn’t a huge leap for me to get swept away with the story. The pace is relentless, the action is gripping and Horton’s easy style and the publisher’s choice of using a larger font ensures Monster Republic will be perfect in the hands of those reluctant readers. Monster Republic is a perfect stepping stone towards Joe Craig’s “Jimmy Coates” series.

I’m ready to join the Monster Republic – come and join us.