Made a Monster by Rob Nelson on April 11, 2025
Genres: Splatterpunk
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Adrian and Kendra are a match made in Hell.
Adrian’s dark past left him with a twisted imagination that takes him deep into the forest where he does unspeakable things.
Kendra is new to town. She has a dark secret of her own and an unhealthy obsession with a boy she hasn’t even met yet.
Until Adrian met Kendra, he had his deviant urges under control. When she comes to him for help, his capacity for violence goes beyond anything either of them could have imagined.
Adrian and Kendra are a match made in Hell.
Adrian’s dark past left him with a twisted imagination that takes him deep into the forest where he does unspeakable things.
Kendra is new to town. She has a dark secret of her own and an unhealthy obsession with a boy she hasn’t even met yet. Until Adrian met Kendra, he had his deviant urges under control. When she comes to him for help, his capacity for violence goes beyond anything either of them could have imagined.
Rob Nelson’s debut splatterpunk novel, Made a Monster, is the coming-of-age story about two teens brought together through the abuse they suffered at the hands of their parents. Adrian has a strange hobby involving decomposed rodents. Kendra is the new girl in town with a dark secret and a taste for the unusual. When these two get together, Kendra brings out Adrian’s violent nature in horrifying ways.
This may be Rob’s debut novel, but as well as it was written, you wouldn’t think that. The structure was good, the plot was cohesive, and it had a great flow. The only pacing issue I had was a scene that took place in a school equipment room. It was the one time I was like, ‘let’s move it along.’
We get a lot of character development through flashbacks that were perfectly interlaced with the present story. I never got lost or felt jarred with the transitions. Kendra and Adrian have their own agendas and stories that run parallel, and at the end, they collide with a crescendo and a surprising twist. The tone of the book really helps the impact of that ending. Overall, the book has a heavy tone and tackles some big issues, but there’s enough humor to keep you feeling overwhelmed.
Driving this dark and twisted tale are our main characters, Adrian and Kendra. Nelson gave both of these characters so much personality. This shows in how they interact with each other versus secondary characters like Principal Kunst, yes Kunst, and the other students in the school. We see how strong a young woman Kendra is, but we also see how much she struggles to hold it together.
Adrian lives in a semi-dissociated state, but Kendra has the ability to bring a part of him to the conscious world. At least, that’s what he leads us to believe. We also get glimpses of the true Adrian when he’s out in the woods working with his…hobby. He’s just such a complex character and is written so well.
Going into Made a Monster, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. With newer splatterpunk, it’s hard to tell what type of story you’re going to get. Sometimes, it’s over-the-top and full of humor, and sometimes, it’s dark, heavy, and sinister. Made a Monster is a good blend of both, and I look forward to reading more of Rob’s work in the future.
Pick up signed paperbacks at robnelsonhorror.com.
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