I think a lot of older grade schoolers will enjoy this story. Laura is bullied at her old school, but even if the bullying continues at her new school, she also now has friends as a support group. She also finds she's been chosen to protect the world from monsters! It's an entertaining and quick read.

This story started off very well with a few laugh-out-loud moments and events and characters that are very relatable. Laura is a thirteen-year-old girl who's been bullied about her size her whole life. When her parents tell her they're moving to another town, she's excited to leave her depressing life behind, however, when they pull up to their new house, Laura's excitement dwindles away very quickly. It's not the beautiful house she had anticipated. Not to mention all the creepy things that start happening right from the get-go, like seeing the shadow of a figure watching her house and hearing strange noises coming from her closet. Worst of all, she learns that escaping her old life doesn't erase her problems as she encounters a new set of bullies, including the non-human kind.

I loved Laura's personality and the relationship she has with her brother, Tom. Laura's family is quite a quirky bunch, which I liked. They were all so different and unique in their own way. When it came to the fantasy elements and dealing with the Under Earth world, the story somewhat reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and Narnia. While I did enjoy the story, I found it to be very repetitive. After the introductory chapters, the scenes and the events that were taking place started to feel too identical. I lost interest in the scenes that took place at Laura's school as it was far too predictable. I skipped a few of these scenes. The fantasy element wasn't really prominant throughout the story. The focus seemed primarily on Laura and the relationship with her fellow pupils. We do get some more action and fight scenes about three quarters of the way into the book but I wanted to know more about Laura's monster crushing role than middle school gossip.

The danger of being a Monster Crusher is spoken about and seen somewhat in action in the book but given the prospect of the earth being overrun my monsters, I didn't feel the threat. While the story had a lot of suspense in the opening chapters, I don't feel it had enough tension to keep me to glued to the pages. I loved the beginning, lost interest during the middle, and engaged with the story again towards the ending. It was a good read, and I think the target audience will enjoy it.

DNF. The story was off to a great start, but I lost interest halfway through the book. I did however, enjoy Laura's character and loved the fact that she wasn't your typical popular kid.

This was a really good story, I was taken by surprise by many of its twists. I felt the perspective it gave on both the bullied and the bully was great, though I expected some of it to connect more with the fantasy element, since it's one group (humans) pitted directly against another (magical).

Laura Monster Crusher by Wesley King.
Laura Ledwick is... well... large. The kids at school don't let her forget it, and call her by various names: Laura Largebottom, Laura Lardo, Lots of Laura--you get the idea. When Laura's family moves to the next town over before eighth grade, she expects more of the same. What she doesn't expect are the snake-like yellow eyes watching her from the forest. Or the mysterious rattling in her closet. Or finally making real friends for the first time. Or handsome uber-nerd Liam R. Kelp, who might just be the cutest boy to ever wear a Science Is Cool T-shirt. But when Laura finally discovers the source of the rattling, things take on a whole new level of weird. It turns out Laura has just been given the most important job in the world: Monster Crusher. Her role is simple: protect the earth from the horrors beneath their feet. Eighth grade is about to get a lot more interesting.
A very good read. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved Laura. Loved the story. Loved the ending too. 5*. Netgalley and penguin random house Canada.

A REVIEW COPY OF LAURA MONSTER CRUSHER WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW. NERDOPHILES WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS REVIEW. OUR OPINIONS ARE OURS AND OURS ALONE.

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Title: Laura Monster Crusher
Author: Wesley King
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Review Spoilers: Low

Monsters may become the latest trend in middle grade and young adult fiction. I'm not going to come out and bet on them, however, because mermaids are putting up a good fight. That said, I'm really rooting for monsters. Monsters are fun and unlike zombies, werewolves, or vampires there's a lot more freedom to them as far as storytelling and worldbuilding go. They don't have nearly as many set rules as other fictional beings do. Every author has the freedom to make monsters into whatever they want without making people mad.

Laura Monster Crusher is a book about monsters and author Wesley King really has some fun with things which means that we, as readers, get to have a lot of fun, too.

A middle grade book with an unlikely heroine, Laura Monster Crusher follows a girl named Laura who finds herself in an odd predicament after she and her family move into a new home in a brand new town. She has, it seems, been enlisted by a secret organization to become the next Monster Crusher. It turns out her closet is a portal to a subterranean world full of magic and monsters and the first person to come through that portal inherits the title and duties of the Monster Crusher. But Laura is not athletic and no matter how hard she tries the people entrusted with her training are less than enthusiastic about her chances facing down an actual monster.

In the end, Laura has to rise up against not just other peoples' doubts about her but her own doubts about herself as well. After years of being bullied for her weight and size, she has to learn to believe in herself. Along the way she makes new friends (some of them unlikely), maybe falls in love for the first time (with her nerdy classmate Liam), and faces down monsters - those both mysterious and closer to home.

I love Laura so much as a character. She's the reason I devoured this book from start to finish. She's just so much more realistic than other heroes and heroines we see in these kinds of books. Laura isn't some skinny orphan with natural skills that make her an expert at monster fighting in a short period of time. She's a big girl who hates athletics and she struggles from beginning to end to earn her title as Monster Crusher. It may have been handed to her but she earns it over the course of the book proving everyone wrong - even herself.

Her struggles are just so believable.

If I were suddenly called upon to guard our world from monsters I would be in exactly the same place as her. Overweight and lacking any training, it'd be a struggle for me to take up that responsibility. Laura struggles with the responsibility. And she works her butt off throughout the book to juggle both her personal life, school life, and her training. Sometimes she's successful and sometimes she's not.

Now, some of things in this book aren't believable. And, in fact, some things are downright silly. The idea of an underground world where monsters run rampant being cut off from out world is always a bit ridiculous to me even though it appears in a lot of books. But Laura is amazing, the other characters - from her classmates to her fellow warriors and her adorable brother - are amazing, and the story manages to throw some serious plot twists at you in short order.

It's very much a middle grade book but even as an adult I was hooked. I read this book in just one sitting and was up until almost 3 AM so I could finish it. And it's all because I loved the main character. Body issues and bullying are things that kids of all ages deal with and this book does an amazing job of showing kids that no matter what they can be heroes. It's a great message and it's coupled with an entertaining story that keeps you hooked throughout.

If you've got a middle grade reader in your life, I'd highly recommend that you check out this book and pass it on to them. There's not a whole lot of crossover appeal to this title - the story is very much geared to it's target audience - but I still enjoyed it so older readers might like it, too. But as a body positive book that transcends the contemporary genre and embraces the fantastic, it hits the mark in every way. Right now available only in Canada, it's a book I hope makes its way to the US market sooner than later!

When I look back at middle school, I see myself at my weakest. I hadn't yet grasped the concept of loving, understanding, and appreciating myself. Because of this, I felt insecure and self-conscious all the time. Laura Ledwick, the protagonist, is thirteen. She's used to other kids calling her names because of her larger size. Worried about her, her parents decided they move to a new town. Now Laura must deal with being a new kid and the odd noises that seem to be coming from her closet every night.
When I first started reading this book, I was annoyed with the writing style. But the more I read on, the more I enjoyed the story Wesley King created. He did a great job of balancing the fantasy world and the contemporary one.
If you're around the age of 13, or you're looking for a good balance between fantasy and contemporary this is the book for you. I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars. I'm glad I got the chance to review this book. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

For a fantasy middle-grade book, it is very much well-written and the plot is very interesting. I didn't expect much on this book and was surprised by how much I love it. Laura as the main character rocks. She's smart, kind, funny and dotes on her blind 9-year-old brother, Tom. Of course, she has her down moments because of the bullying but her determination to not let it consume her is something. I like how as a character, Laura develops gradually. From being bullied to standing up to herself and her friends, and even her Monster Crusher training, she didn't get better immediately. She worked very hard to get her title. And even then, it's not perfect. But she have the courage, the strength, the sharp mind and the heart to be one of the Monster Crusher. From being awkward and uncertain she became a self-assured girl, no matter her size is.

There are few surprises that you won't expect and it adds to the good story. There's not a lot of action going on, though. Not until the last part.

So, overall, Laura Monster Crusher is a fun read. It may be a fantasy/adventure book but it also deals with Laura's issues and battles in every day life. Kids, teens (and adults, too!) can learn a thing or two about self-esteem and loving one's self. I'm pretty sure readers of all ages will enjoy it.

Laura Ledwick, a girl larger than people perceive the size of someone her age should be, gets bullied by many, especially the designated mean girl. After all, she squished another kid while playing duck, duck, goose when she was younger. Her family moves from New Castle to Riverfield, where she has no expectations of any difference for grade eight. There she encounters situations involving creepiness, scary anxiety, hopefully potential relationships... After moving into her new home, rattling came from her walk-in closet a couple of times. It turns out there is a secret elevator! There, wherever the elevator will take her, is where she discovers the house chose her; she was picked to become a Monster Crusher! She has to now protect the world from evil creatures with no choice in the matter. The thing is; she just wants to be invisible and isn't exactly physically fit to fight the monsters.

This book was magnificently marvellous. The presence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Duff was there at times and I loved it so much. Throughout the story carried diversity in the characters, not just picking it up at the start and then completely throwing it away. For one, there's a larger girl as a main character, Laura, and her brother, Tom, is blind. Also, some characters we meet on the way have come from around the world.

While at first some people seemed 2 dimensional, later on some of them became tridimensional and furthered my wonderful experience while others didn't progress very much.

Laura was hilarious in her own way peeking through the pages. The author did a fantastic job in making me want so much for Laura, I got invested in her character quite much. It was a show of pulling my emotions and thoughts in all directions. Her character growth developed beautifully.

Tom had such great character. He is blind, but that doesn't mean he's any less than someone else. He makes things lighter and funny, coming back with witty remarks in more of a negative situation.

Her parents care for her so much. With her situation, it makes sense how much her parents take place in the book. They are so loving, kind, hilarious and sometimes annoying except I kept on loving them. They are so supportive and want to know what goes on in her life. They are definitely a highlight in the story who don't take a big part in it.

The writing was amazing. The way the author didn't just flat out explain the description of the setting and the characters but intertwined the information with the story was quite natural. I was on the edge on my seat quite a few times and kept wanting to read on. In between those moments I was laughing my head off rolling on the ground. Even at some serious times I could laugh.

On the flip side, near the start, I thought the magical house (who picks the next monster crusher for that area) was being a little sexist and exclusive to people out of the norm as well as some other characters.

Some aspects of the book did not seem realistic and quite predictable. My correct predictions made me proud, but the ones I didn't guess made me think how close-minded and not very smart I am. Some aspects that are spoilers made me extremely frustrated and I despise when people include it in a their story line. Also, at one point, there was a situation where something mentioned prior had a big part in it and I was kept waiting until finally the character figured it out.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book.

A brilliant, smart and entertaining book for all ages. I'm quite older than the target group myself, but I can assure you that I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

This was a fun, quick read. It gave a purpose to a girl, whom bullies made life for. I thought that the dilemma was thoroughly defeated, once they moved into the house, which turned Laura from a bullies dream to a monsters nightmare. A great book Especially for those kids that are not what society has deemed popular. I loved that it had wit and excitement to draw a younger aged reader and give them a morality issue that was solved supernaturally and real life (group of misfits, banding together). Will definitely make my son read, when he is a bit older!

I was given this ebook by Netgally for an honest review! *This book is great so far! WILL UPDATE WHEN DONE
You meet Laura, a larger than life personality whom being "large" herself has been a target to bullying her whole life at New Castle Elementary. Until the eighth grade, then her family moves a town over to Riverfield. Her and her family move into a "fixer upper" that Laura isn't sure about at first, due to her room being filled with spiders. Not a fan of spiders here either! As if being at a new home wasn't strange enough, Laura keeps seeing eyes in the woods behind her house. Stranger than that, Laura heard her closet "rattling* and curiosity got the best of her. A trap door? She is then plunged into a new world, Derwin one of the last five realms in the Under Earth. She learns of "monster crushers" and is given no choice as to if she too wants to be a "monster crusher". She obtains The Complete Guide To Monster Crushing created by the Monster Crushers of Riverfield. She was told to come back when she heard her closet "rattle".