New Adventure Novel Explores a Young Man's Rite of Passage from a Bug's Eye View

PARIS, FRANCE, April 10, 2013 (Press-News.org) P.C.R. Monk weaves an adventurous tale about a boy who faces a difficult crossroads - he has to choose between a scholarship at a renowned Parisian technical college and an apprenticeship at a country manor, which will allow him to follow his late father's footsteps. He later wrestles with himself for the answer as a mutated creature fighting for survival as he seeks the antidote to his unusual transformation and fulfill his destiny.

Monk, a scriptwriter and entomology enthusiast, tackles issues surrounding a boy's rite of passage and quest for self-discovery. He reveals the dynamics of such a critical period in a young man's life through the protagonist in his novel, Marcel Dassaud.

The boy is torn between the known path and one that requires a leap of faith, with an outcome that is not accompanied with guarantees for success. He also has to deal with his thoroughly citified friend Julia, who wishes him to choose the scholarship that will take him to Paris. This premise is weaved through a backdrop that also features wildlife and the fascinating transformations insect creatures go through.

"I wrote the book for my three sons as an adventure story with an underlying meditation on the rites of passage," said the author. "But I also wanted to write a fictional story involving fantasy and entomology to bring awareness to the tiny but all-important part of wildlife that all too often gets overlooked."

Monk also said that his own eldest son's current passage through adolescence, which is filled with change and uncertainty, also inspired the author to focus on the subject.

In "Strange Metamorphosis", he blends the human aspect to the entomological by associating Marcel's gradual metamorphosis as a bug with the real-life transformations of various insects such as dragonflies and gallflies. This premise is a departure from the growing number of printed works that involve unnatural elements such as witches, wizards, or dragons.

Aside from the aforementioned winged characters, a great ancient oak tree is also included in the story as the creature that offers the protagonist the adventure-packed experience that will help him make the best decision and learn to trust and follow his heart's desires. The consequence of failing the quest, however, is death. Thus the frenetic scramble by Marcel the Bug across a meadow in order to reach the royal jelly that will help him return to his human form before his time runs out.

"Strange Metamorphosis" is a 276-page novel that teens/young adults and entomology enthusiasts will find insightful, entertaining, and fascinating.

To get a copy or read excerpts of the book, visit Amazon online.

Press Contact:
patricia@bloomtree.net

About the Author
Paul Colin Richard Monk is a qualified linguist and has been writing scripts and storyworlds for videogames for ten years now and has written three fantasy titles during that time. Influenced by the works of French naturalist Jean Henri Fabre, Monk has been an entomology enthusiast for many years. A former resident in France and the house of Villeneuve where his novel is set, Monk has three young sons.

Website: www.strangemetamorphosis.com