Moving forward with life after going through unfortunate events
A significant theme in Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist is moving forward with life after going through unfortunate events. In Yancey's novel, Will's parents are killed after a strange fire engulfs their home. After his parents' deaths, Will is an orphan. And as a result of Will being an orphan, he is taken in by the enigmatic Dr. Pellinore Warthorpe, who adopts the young boy. Will’s life is certainly dramatically changed by the death of his parents, but his life does not stop. Rather, Will moves forward with his life and begins to survive and thrive with Dr. Warthrope, despite the difficult circumstances he lived through.
Fighting hard to save a person's home
An important theme in the novel is fighting hard to save a person's home. In The Monstrumologist, Will and Dr. Warthrope enlist the help of several people to rid their town and their home of the scourge of Anthropophagi, or demonic cannibalistic creatures. Will and Dr. Warthrope work hard to save their home. After all, they love their home and they expend their own money and a lot of time—risking life and limb along the way—to save the place they so deeply care about.
Facing your fears head on
Another central theme in The Monstrumologist is facing your fear head-on. Throughout the novel, Will must contend with the various monsters his caregiver, Dr. Wathrope, studies, and fights. Despite some of the early troubles that Will faced in his life (like the death of his parents and his adoption by Dr. Wathrope), Will learned that facing your fears head-on is one of the most important and healthy things a person could do in their lives.
