Dot Monster ReVolution Review Roundup
Reviews and Accolades for DotMon: Dot Monster Revolution
Dot Monster ReVolution is an anime inspired adventure novel by CJ Van. While an original piece of fiction, it is a tribute and love letter to the monster taming stories of the late 90s and early 2000s.
In its first year, Dot Monster has received thoughtful reviews and breakdowns by readers on YouTube, GoodReads, and elsewhere. This post compiles some of the DotMon reviews from 2025 available online:
VIDEO REVIEWS
baldbookgeek: Why We Don’t Get Books Like This Anymore (Indie YA & Digital World Fiction)
“An independently published novel that genuinely surprised me. Not because it was perfect, but because it reminded me of a forgotten YA genre we used to see more of. If you grew up with Digimon, Pokémon, cyber worlds, monster-taming stories, or early internet-era sci-fi, this book taps into that same DNA. Thoughtful, a little strange, and not algorithm-friendly in today’s market.”
PKPinna: Fans Of Digimon Will Love This Book
“I usually see manga or comics or cartoons that are inspired by anime, but not really novels. And so I wanted to check it out. I downloaded the sample of the e-book shortly thereafter. I read it and immediately fell in love.
“Within 24 hours I bought the e-book, and then I read that in two or three days. Any free time I had, I was reading that novel, and it was so good. As soon as I finished it, I was like ‘I definitely want to get this for my shelf one day.’ And so I recently did pick up the physical copy.”
Penguincjp Write Labs: The Next Battle Network?
“I think this book is incredible. It tackles the possible future state of the internet in a realistic way. It tackles being a social media influencer, or even just a small [creator] like me — someone posting on their downtime for fun — and what mental state that can put you in. Thoughts about inferiority, about your creations. Are your connections online more or less valid than your connections in real life? It tackles a lot of these questions in really cool ways.”
READER REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
“[Dot Monster ReVolution] commentates on imposter syndrome too. I thought that was done very well and is yet another important message. For both new generations and old. I also appreciated that, while CJ Van showed how beautiful the internet can be, he didn’t shy away from how nasty it can be too. Harassment, people trying to exploit others, these are very real threats. But like humanity as a whole, the internet should not be shunned or disregarded just from the actions of a few.”
-Jordan, 4 Star Review
“It is a pastiche of early 2000s cartoons […] and it’s quite good at that. It reads like a short season of an anime, and there were a few moments that really had me glued to the pages more than I expected.”
-Nicole, 5 Star Review
“What a time! Usually a three star book either leaves me disappointed or feeling ambivalent, but this was wonderful. If you used to spend your time as a kid wishing you could have a monster partner, if you fantasized about 90s internet , then I highly recommend this book. So much heart and I can tell Van has such a love for the monster taming genre, it’s wonderful. And I appreciate seeing a story that doesn’t demonize the internet but instead shows it as liberating, wondrous (and messy) space.”
-Christian, 3 Star Review
What might be my favourite part is how well the story handles modern internet culture. It thankfully doesn’t fall into the boring “unplug and touch grass” cliche. Instead, it embraces the real connections people form online, while also exploring the tension between your online persona and your real-world self. That balance feels current without being preachy and perfectly fits the world here.
Overall, Dot Monster ReVolution feels like a best-of remix of Persona, Digimon, Summer Wars, and even a bit of Scott Pilgrim, filtered into its own cool thing.
-Nicholas, 5 Star Review
It all adds up to an adventure which I imagine could easily engage even the younger readers with no pre-existing connections to or fondness for digital monsters. And, speaking personally, it did succeed at reawakening some nostalgic memories and emotions in an adult.
-Darthemed, 5 Star Review
“The monster taming genre is filled with stories about monsters, but these are also stories about -people-. Usually young people coming of age, learning more about themselves and the world through their relationships with their monster friends and each other. Dot Monster ReVolution really resonated with me because it captures that sense of wonder and connection beautifully.”
-Rachel, 5 Star Review
ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR DOT MONSTER REVOLUTION
“It goes beyond the basics of Shonen monster battling franchises. [CJ’s] thesis on modern commtech comes through well, without overpowering the story.”
—Matt Bobkin, In Too Deep: When Canadian Punks Took Over The World
“Brought me back to being a kid, Tamagotchi in hand, logging into my parents’ computer after school.”
—Ronnie Botnick, Warframe
“Fluid, and gives just the right amount to keep pushing you forward. I can’t decide which characters I like most.”
—Phillip Lee Green, CybrFate TCG
HOW TO READ DOT MONSTER REVOLUTION
ANNOUNCEMENT & EXPLAINER VIDEO
