Ken Dahl is back and as miserable as ever in Monsters, a fraught-filled, deeply personal memoir of his "relationship" with the herpes simplex virus and how it has affected his personal life as well as his physical and psychological health.  The brutal honesty on display here may make uncomfortable reading for some, while others will find it welcome.  There is, however, no debating the artistic authority which Dahl brings to this project.  How the events transpired; what his feelings and thoughts were as they did; how he dealt with the repercussions; the reactions of others, how he responded to them and what he felt as he did – all are conveyed clearly and effectively along with a healthy dollop of educational information about the science behind the virus, leaving the reader with a newfound appreciation for the complexities involved in navigating the physical and emotional minefield of carrying this omnipresent germ.