Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster by Kachi Ugo is a truly exciting story for both young and young at heart readers alike. Shy twelve-year-old Perry Johnson is scared when he learns that upon reaching the age of twelve, he has to go through an initiation. His family, as it turns out, leads a double life; they look and behave like ordinary humans but they are actually Mewranters, and their purpose is to stop the sea monster from destroying nature. The task is dangerous enough, but it becomes doubly scary when Perry turns into a golden eagle on his initiation day. Thus begins New Yorker Perry's adventures that will take him to the Valley of Death and to a task that could mean life and death not only for him and his family, but also for the world as he knows it.

Kachi Ugo's Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster certainly does not lack adventure and excitement. A shy fumbling boy, Perry suddenly finds himself in the forefront of a fight against the sea monster, among other things. Kachi Ugo is quite effective in slowly developing Perry's transformation so that readers will not only relate to him but will fight with him, literally, if it is possible. Fast paced and intriguing, Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster does not fail to enthrall and while we are entertained by the story's twists and turns, Perry Johnson also comes of age. This is a book that deserves a place on every young person's bookshelf, or a space on their computer, because in this day and age, we urgently need young heroes.

Kachi Ugo's Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster follows Perry Johnson, a twelve-year-old boy who, like the rest of his family, is a Mewranter: “Mews have existed since the dawn of time...We are like a force for good, preventing evil from growing rampant in the world.” Perry only knew that his family was special, but just how special they were was the shock of a lifetime. His first test is to learn his aerial form and morphing into a giant golden eagle brings with it an immediate danger to himself, his parents, his clan, and coincidentally also to rousing a monster that Perry alone is meant to combat.

It took no longer than the first page of Kachi Ugo's debut novel for me to become hooked into Perry Johnson's world in Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster. The build up and climax were as worthy of a read as all great fiction, but I loved the premise of an “average Perry” having (quite literally) the weight of the world on his shoulders and reading along as he (again, literally) rises to the occasion. As a mother, I found the theme particularly stirring and relatable, a feeling that was heightened as I saw my own teen daughter become happily invested in Perry's plight. Ugo has wrapped up a tale into a spellbinding world that drives the plot through land, air, and sea, breathing life into the unknown and laying the foundation for what any parent and their child would hope to be the start of an excellent series.

Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster by Kachi Ugo is the story of Perry Johnson, a boy who wakes up on his twelfth birthday to an austere coming of age ritual that only a child who is also a Mew - the protectors of the planet from fantastical creatures unknown to average humans - would have no choice but to participate in. Having barely skated by as just average his whole life, Perry is pushed off a cliff during his initiation and takes the surprising form of a giant golden eagle ... to the shock and horror of his parents and clan chieftain. With the reawakening of a sea monster, Perry is thrust into the center of warring clans he does not know, a monster he doesn't have the experience to defeat, and the probability of consequences that may likely prove fatal to those he loves most.

Mewranters is a unique work of fantasy with all the right elements to enthrall younger readers and their parents, as Kachi Ugo has crafted his story line to reach a wide audience in the genre. Perry's mediocrity makes him a comfortable character to identify with and root for, particularly as he grows into who he is meant to be and what he is capable of achieving. Ugo writes in a crisp, clean voice that provides an uncluttered narrative without detracting from the book's tension, authentic dialogue, and lifelike creatures. I'd recommend this book to those who are looking for a fresh twist in youthful fantasy, packaged up nicely as a coming of age story that the whole family will love.

Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster by Kachi Ugo begins with Perry Johnson, an average boy in school who seems to succeed at nothing, feeling as if it is the last day of his life. Turning twelve, he discovers he is one of the rare species of humans destined to protect nature from calamities, a “mew”. But then what happens at his initiation stuns everyone — he shifts into a Golden Eagle. Mews can transform into aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic forms, but no one that transforms into an eagle outlives their twelfth birthday, so this is a bad omen, and shifting into an eagle has also awakened the dreaded sea monster. Every Mewranter now wants Perry dead and he doesn’t understand why. While his kind is out to kill him, he hears the irresistible call of the sea monster. What is his connection with the sea monster and why is shifting into a golden eagle an abominable thing? He needs answers fast, for his life and those of his family hang in the balance.

Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster by Kachi Ugo is an enticing urban fantasy for young adult readers, a coming-of-age of sorts, fast-paced, and featuring phenomenal characters and a huge conflict. This is a book for readers who want something original and readers looking for fresh ideas in urban fantasy. Just like Percy Jackson, Perry Johnson is surely going to be the new hype. The story is original, well-crafted, and plotted with the skill that keeps readers racing through the pages. Character development is one of Kachi Ugo’s strong skills and it combines with masterful storytelling and a great sense of setting to deliver the enjoyable reading experience that readers look for. Mewranters: Attack of the Sea Monster is one of the finest reads in the YA genre.