Monster Burger (24/7 Demon Mart, #2) by D.M. Guay

Monster Burger (24/7 Demon Mart, #2) Reviews

• 
  Eli Hornyak

  Funny, action, and horror. Plus food, I mean it’ll turn you into a zombie but still, food.
• 
  Janet (iamltr)

  Yall..
  
  I laughed my butt off with this one. I have no idea why but Lloyd has grown on me. I think I actually adore him now. I do wish he would just read the freaking manual.
  
  In this one, horrible things keep happening to the night shift at Demon Mart. One after another, with no real reason. The ending had me, I did not actually guess the reason for all this. It was a great twist.
  
  For this story, we had an angel in an 8 ball, evil nekkid pixies, a giant plant named Larry who was pregnant, men with no heads as their faces were on their chests, and zombies. Lots and lots and zombies.
  
  Lloyd, Kevin the roach, and Dee Dee (I am not sure how its spelled, I read this in audio) are a kick ass team and I cannot wait until book three.
• 
  Gilbert Stack

  D.M. Guay picks up just where she left off in her awesome novel, The Graveyard Shift. Perennial loser Lloyd is still a loser after helping to save the world, but his success and poor judgment has caused him additional problems. For example, paying off all the money he owes his mother just a couple of weeks in to working what she thinks is a minimum wage job has made her suspect that he’s really entered the drug trade. And he’s also horrified to discover that God took him seriously when he made that fervent I’ll-reform-my-life-if-you-get-me-out-of-this prayer (and how many of us haven’t done the same thing on occasion?) and He expects Lloyd not only to keep working in the ultra-dangerous Demon Mart but to get fit so he can do the job better. (And this is not the kindly Jesus God, it’s the fire-and-brimstone Old-Testament-wrath God.)
  
  So life is not looking good for Lloyd as he reluctantly returns to his job where the only joy is coworker DeeDee whom he has a crush on and the Monster Burger joint across the street which has just come into new management and become highly weird. Add to that that nothing works properly in the newly rebuilt Demon Mart including the demon portal and their protective charms and life could not be crazier for poor Lloyd. (And if you read the first book, you will realize just how insanely crazy that means things have to be.) There are pixies, carnivorous plants, and more weird demons, plus, as you can tell from the great little image at the beginning of each chapter—zombies, zombies, and more zombie.
  
  D.M. Guay is clearly an aficionado of the zombie movie genre, telling us repeatedly in this novel that Dawn of the Dead was a documentary, not a work of fiction. And she brings all of her impressive zombie chops to this novel managing to do so with humor and style as opposed to the typical blood fest. And throughout everything, those crazy pixies keep making things ever more dire and complicated.
  
  Guay outdid herself in this one. Can’t wait to read the next.
  
  If you liked this review, you can find more at
  www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
  
• 
  Natalie

  I think I preferred the first one. Bit distracted reading this one so not a lot stuck. A continuing trend of exes causing trouble and some strange little shop of horrors going on. The state of the employee book was funny, as was the guardian making sure the promise was kept. I missed Faust and a lot of characters from the first one. Still interested in where the series is gonna go but not one I’m ready to jump into.
• 
  Cujo

  2nd installment to the 24/7 Demon Mart series and I think it's just as good if not better than the first 0ne.
  
  Pissed off Pixies, pregnant man-eating hell plants, his helicopter mom, and both living and undead zombies are just some of the obstacles lovable loser Lloyd Wallace must face within 2 weeks of the dairy mart reopening. Add in a malfunctioning gate, his night manager getting hooked on the new fast food place next door, hints of maybe a re-occurring antagonist, and the continued sexual tension between Lloyd and his female co-worker and this was next to impossible to put down.
  
  Really, really loved the mention of the classic zombie movies and books of the early 20th century. For what its worth, White Zombie with Bela Lugosi, really is worth a watch
• 
  JESSICA M

  So fun! Although I did just realize the author's name is Guay and not Gray. Time to edit some searches.
• 
  Ziggy Nixon

  Additional notes from re-read after release of "Angel Trouble (24/7 Demon Mart #3): so much fun, even the 2nd time around!! I had forgotten (not really but I'm old dammit!!) just how clever - yes clever - the climatic scene wound up being when the food zombies had to be subdued! This is a fun fun story... noting in just the past 4 weeks alone I've now read 11!!! full-length zombie novels (including the entire "the Tide" series) and as such am sequestered in my fall-out shelter. Don't knock, I've wired the place to blow...
  ---------
  OK, that was fun. "Monster Burger" struck a chord with me that was almost but not quite there with "Graveyard Shift" from both a literary as well as humor stand-point. True, that happens IN GENERAL sometimes when part 1 of a series has to introduce a lot of stuff - which leads to a result where the individual chapters read more like an anthology of mini-stories than a real, fully plotted and connected, um, plot. But in this one, I really felt like we hit stride and had more of a 'I want to get from point A to point Z' (pun intended) by the time we ride off into the sunset. I also liked the well-contained "ok the end of the world is happening AT THIS CORNER" vibe and that we were able to truly connect all the dots to that little neighborhood in Ohio.
  
  It also doesn't hurt that I adore zombies and this is one of the plethora (yes, I keep count) of this genre that I'll put in the 'yay' pile. I really liked that Guay also kept the number of weird things that appeared to a manageable level (see above) and that we weren't necessarily overwhelmed (+/-) by Lloyd's Lloserness either. OK, I must admit I was a bit surprised by what I found to be occassionally unnecessary trumpian levels of sexist language and behavior in parts but I'm not sure what the rules are when a female writer does it. So that was just a tad uncomfortable like not realizing the movie you took your mom to see has a pretty hot and heavy sex scene. Yeah, I went to get popcorn is my point...
  
  This could be a fun series to follow for sure. I'm not sure how I'll approach the shorter stories (that's cheating on your yearly targets, kids... my magick 8-ball told me so!). But all kidding aside: I definitely hope DM is continuing to rock the getting well thing and I will keep my eyes peeled for other full-length books! Enjoy!
• 
  Andrew Rowe

  Preamble
  
  I previously read and loved The Graveyard Shift by D.M. Guay. I was very much looking forward to getting into this, as I laughed quite a bit at the first book in the 24/7 Demon Mart series. This did not disappoint.
  
  A note about my reviews: I consider myself an appreciator, not a critic. I know first-hand what goes into the creation of art – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the risk. I also know that art appreciation is subjective and lernt good what mama tell’t me – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m not a school marm grading a spelling test – I’m a reader who enjoys reading. If a book is entertaining, well-written, and I get absorbed into it, five out of five. It’s either five stars or nothing these days – if I don’t like it, no review. Regardless, I wouldn’t even put a star rating system on my reviews but for the reality of storefronts like Amazon.
  
  Take from that what you will.
  
  Review – 5/5
  
  If you’ve ever seen Return Of The Living Dead, the kind-of sequel to Night Of The Living Dead written and directed by Dan O’Bannon, based on a book written by John Russo, one of the co-writers of Night’s script, you’d probably get a kick out of Monster Burger. Aside from the movie having the best opening scene I think I might have seen in any movie, ever, Return Of The Living channels 1980s Americana, hilarious scenarios, excellent jokes, and plenty of zombies.
  
  It didn’t really surprise me to learn through reading D.M. Guay’s notes at the end of the novel that her introduction to the zombie genre came in the form of Return Of The Living Dead. The 24/7 Demon Mart books are mythologically American, with a capital ‘A’. The whole shtick of the series is that it features a fat every-nerd named Lloyd, who somehow manages to bungle himself into saving the world by the end of every book (at least the two I’ve read). This time round, he’s helped along by an angelic magic eight-ball that reads his mind and a supervisor cockroach named Kevin is back for round two. The love of his life, the kick-ass Dee Dee, whose life he manages to save and ingratiate himself towards, is back and is looking past his self-described faults at all times. And maybe even towards loving him?
  
  There are uncooperative heroes, and then there is Lloyd Lamb Wallace. He is such a schlub, it is painful at times to read. But he made a promise to God to get his stuff together. Too bad his mother is sure that he’s on drugs after showing up with mad scrilla after the events of the first book. And too bad he works right next to Monster Burger, the fast-food joint beloved by both Lloyd and Kevin.
  
  I am an avowed buff of zombie fiction, and it was pretty exciting to see all of the references to zombie video games, old movies, new movies. This book is truly a love letter to a genre that is something all of its own. Whereas fare like The Walking Dead is serious business, this is pure horror comedy.
  
  The jokes are funny, largely American culture based, and they come a mile a minute. I feel like Guay really stepped it up a notch with this book, and I loved The Graveyard Shift. The series has a bit of a picaresque feel, in that the plot is not really much beyond ‘save the day’ and it doesn’t really get going until the second half of the book, but I view that as a feature, not a bug. Sure, the eight ball talks about a Hero’s Journey but really, Lloyd doesn’t grow all that much, except to avoid taking a gift from his demonic boss that would have seen him lying to his mother (and to himself).
  
  Self-deception is really the name of Lloyd’s game, which is common among nerds of all stripes. We tend to imagine ourselves lesser than what we are, we are fairly hard on ourselves, and sometimes we are lured by the easy way of burgers and fries and no exercise whilst playing Call of Duty with fellow nerd Big Dan.
  
  I don’t expect Lloyd to grow significantly, as that is part of the charm of these books. It seems he’s not supposed to become the hero who steps perfectly in order to save the world. He’s the schlub like the rest of us, meandering and muddling his way through life, using his heart (or angelic magic eight ball) as a guide to doing what’s right.
  
  And still he bones it up. So much of the plot could have been avoided if he had just read the employee’s handbook he’s been avoiding, or if his boss Kevin (yes, the roach is his supervisor) wasn’t such a dingus himself. But as much as he has to deal with homicidal defecating pixies or demonic plants or giant shrimp eating up the boner pill display and becoming ‘full body boners,’ he still manages to come through alright.
  
  With a traditional hero, with a traditional saviour of the world, we would not have this story. And that would be a shame.
• 
  Michael Carter

  I don't read as much as I'd like anymore, often because I find it difficult to make the time to dig into a good book (and don't care to waste my time on books that aren't worth it). So I get really excited when I come across one that is so good it takes priority over nearly everything else.
  
  Monster Burger, like the two previous books in the series, did that for me. I eagerly anticipated getting it, and barely took a break (I had to sleep after all) when reading it.
  
  Writing comedy is hard. The vast majority of comedic books I find funny or amusing, but they don't actually make me laugh as I read them. The 24/7 Demon Mart series is an exception - I find myself laughing out loud while reading it, and rereading some sections to my wife.
  
  It isn't all jokes though. The action sequences are well crafted, and it does a great job of hitting the horror tributes, fitting right in with the books and movies that provided inspiration. It takes a deft hand to make the reader go from haha to ewww in just a few sentences, and back again.
  
  It isn't just a string of jokes and gore though, the characters are growing and developing in the series as well. And not just the main trio of heroes (Lloyd, Dee Dee and Kevin) but others like Lloyd's overly-concerned mother or even Caroline Ford Vanderbilt (who must be important because she has two full last names).
  
  The story is more connected than the first book, flowing a bit better. My one criticism is in the big reveal at the end, which felt a bit like it came out of the blue, some stronger foreshadowing might have been nice. The story picks up quickly after the first book in the series, which was a little disconcerting as this is before the holiday special that came out at Christmas (and I know that is not part of the 'series' (thus having no number), but it threw me off for a little bit).
  
  Overall a very funny, enjoyable read, and I am already looking forward to the next one!
• 
  Ruth

  Hilarious tale of where not to go after midnight. Poor Lloyd, a rather chunky sized young adult with a tendency to lack motivational achievement. His family is pushing him to get out of the house, get a better job, and do something! Lloyd works the night shift at the local all night mart with some interesting rules. Read the management book! Dee-Dee the shapely co-worker, Kermit the disc jockey of old vinyl's, incidentally he is also a cockroach and manager of the night shift. A freezer full of maintenance/ cleaning company zombies, and the Hell Gate portal located at the back of the store complete the layout. A magical ban on humans after midnight keeps the problems down to a somewhat dull night. Enter the Monster Burger across the street and its' customers ,wandering clientele, pixies, live and dead zombies, plants from Hell giving birth, Lloyd's Mom visiting from the bar next door after a girls-night-out, and a demon succubus. Boy the snorting, giggles, and downright anatomical mishaps make this a place for Lloyd to prove himself. What a rush! Love these characters and hope they keep reappearing.
• 
  Panda

  Book 2 of man baby working in demon 7/11.
  
  Zombies. This book is about zombies. That is all.
  
  A problem I noticed from book one gets highlighted here. The Character's motivation.
  
  The set up is that MC is flat broke and between student loans and a failed relationship had over $10,000 in debt. His motivation for sticking to such a dangerous job (even though man-baby) was money. Pure and simple.
  
  This was resolved way too early and the author was forced to contrive another reason to leash him to the job... well, until Stockholm's kicked in anyway. It's shown clearly in this one as with the financial problem resolved there is nothing forcing him to stay and it seems a bit contrived.
  
  Had the author herself not harped on it I wouldn't have cared but she keeps highlighting that long gone plot thread. The fact is the book is just stupid fun with a lot of cartoon-ish tropes and logic, and that's fine.
• 
  Justin Sylvia

  The only real reason why I’m ranking Monster Burger (a part of the 24/7 demon mart series) I’d be because of 2 good reasons. First in order to be 4 or even 5 star worthy, you have to come with something special & powerful enough to make me not want to put it down. Second, as decent as it was, this didn’t feel like a huge departure from the 1st book. Maybe D.M. Guay intended it, to have 1 particular vibe or aesthetic, but either way.. it was enjoyable enough & I just hope Lloyd mans up & “grows a set” before book 3, etc. a whiny down on his luck loser trying to “Save The World” while the real ass kicker is incapacitated in some form, doesn’t give you the biggest sense of hope that stuff won’t go completely belly up.
• 
  S.R.

  I cannot wait for the next part of this series to come out. My husband and I absolutely adored the audiobook. Angel 8 Ball is quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of this series.
  
  If you love good snarky comedy with a large dose of horror, this series is a must. I cannot recommend it more highly.
  
  I will be counting down the days to the next installment of Demon Mart. This is exactly the kind of thing I need more of!
• 
  Julia Barthe

  Lloyds off on another half assed adventure this time maybe going on a diet could actually save him.... but try convincing him of that. Kevin and dee dee join Lloyd on another need to save the world mission and see how many times they can ask this kid if he has read his employee manual yet. Just maybe Lloyd will get his act together..orrrrr... he will hide behind the donut stand throwing hotdogs. Read to find out
• 
  John E

  Crass humor, zombies and devilish monstors
  
  A series i might continue reading. The humor is juvenile and at times graphic and still funny. As a teenager I probably wouldn't have put the book down. Who can't enjoy zombies, a wimpy hero and a talking roach. I really enjoyed the different zombie types but have to admit that for me, I lean more to pg13 type humor.
• 
  Kat

  Better than the first
  
  I read the first of the series and liked the premise but not the main character. But in this book, not only does Lloyd grow as a person, he's starting to grow on me. No, seriously! His face is growing out of my shoulder and he steals all my fries. If he doesn't stop that soon, I'm gonna have to crochet him a muzzle.
• 
  Bryan Rosengrant

  didn’t get into this one as much as book one. i guess i wanted more hell spawn and so the zombie plot wasn’t enthralling. also the audiobook narrator has easily the worst zombie impression ever. have you ever seen a zombie movie my dude? he sounded like a cartoon sound effect of an upset stomach. i’ll still read book 3.
• 
  Julie

  This second installment by D.M. Guay is just as hilarious as the first. I couldn't put it down. I absolutely love Lloyd, Deedee, Kevin, Bubby, Morty, and the rest of the gang at Demon Mart. Although Lloyd always comes off as a clueless loser, he always manages to save not only the day, but the world.
• 
  Margarita Rose

  Mmm brains
  
  People have a voracious appetite for monster burgers. You can't eat just one. Yet something is going on with the people in town. Eating the burgers begin turning them into living zombies. Lloyd has to figure what's going on and how to not become everyone's dinner. Hmmmm brains is all they want but will they be changed back or continue wanting to eat and eat?
• 
  Johnny

  Book two
  
  Mistakes: Nothing found in this book.
  
  Plot: Problems with zombies at the Demon Mart.
  
  Characters: Book one was funny because the Mc was a bumbling fool doing his best. Book two wasn’t as good because the Mc didn’t learn anything and is just willfully ignorant.
  
  8/10
• 
  Damien Casey

  Another great demon mart book. This is my third read in the series and so far I haven’t read a page that didn’t make me smile. I would recommend these books for anyone who’s into fun b-movies and Spoofy monster movies.
• 
  Nicholas Lewis

  Book two in this series. I think this book started out very strong, and I liked it much more than the first book. When the action started at the end of the book it seemed to drag on a bit to me though. Overall a solid and very funny book.
• 
  Veronik Durocher

  Excellent!
  
  I'm definitely in love with that hilarious series! Every page of it is like having your favourite dessert along with a friday night horror movies marathon on VHS, back in my teenage days!