Monsters Under the Stairs

Helga Wojik (Helga Vodzhik) is a creative pseudonym of a popular illustration artist. She is known mainly for creating collectible cards for Western publishers, including famous companies such as Marvel and DC Comics. Over time, Helga Wojik decided that creating her own original graphic-novel worlds wasn’t enough—and she started not only drawing, but also writing. That’s how the book “Abbar. Ash and Wings” was born, published by Eksmo with the author’s illustrations.

The novella “Monsters under the Stairs” was written by Helga Wojik for the children’s and teenage science-fiction literary contest “F Territory” and brought her victory. The hero, Max, is not quite eleven, but he is smart beyond his years. Still, life turns out not to be the best.

The boy has no father: he once disappeared mysteriously, leaving no trace. Max also has almost no friends, because he and his mother constantly move from place to place. Max’s mother is a doll maker; she makes do with occasional jobs, and money is chronically scarce.

Unexpectedly, Max and his mother inherit an old house in a remote town called Amberton. There, the hero spends the summer. Life in Amberton turns out not to be as boring as it seemed. The city holds many secrets, and some of them are directly connected to Max’s fate and the whereabouts of his missing father.

And besides, a real monster starts living with the boy—not scary at all, but with a very good appetite. Listen to a fantastic children’s novella with time travel, exciting adventures, and puzzles whose answers you’ll have to uncover.