Pinke Monster

Frank is in the midst of puberty and is slowly but surely realizing that he is gay. The shy 14-year-old gains recognition primarily through his drawing talent – his monsters are sought after by the cool boys around him. Meanwhile, to help her husband who is suffering from depression, Frank's mother seeks assistance from an esoteric healer. The charismatic Thea not only gives Frank's parents new hope, but the emotionally insecure Frank also finds security in her "secret knowledge." However, when Thea makes Frank's monsters partially responsible for his father's illness and soon after confronts the boy with heavy feelings of guilt regarding his sexual orientation, Frank must risk his relationship with his parents in order to emancipate himself. Claus Daniel Herrmann's debut novel presents a nuanced coming-of-age story about the influence that ideologues can have over seemingly rational people when given the space to do so.