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seraphiina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
berryydiaries's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An interesting exploration of “monsters”. It was heartbreaking & heavy at times, but it felt like one of those fables that teach a lesson at the end (in a good way). Jam goes on a journey with a seeming monster called Pet to hunt monsters in a place built on having no monsters, but that’s because no one wants to look. It also breaks down the classic conflict of good vs evil. What is good? What is evil? What is a monster? Pet looks like a monster, but he is a savior.
TW: child abuse, S.A, violence, pedophilia
TW: child abuse, S.A, violence, pedophilia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
chrisb913's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Pedophilia
sydapel's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Floored by how much depth and feeling Emezi can pack into a YA novella. My suggestion would be to pick this up without a prompt or reading the blurb and revel in what it makes you think about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Child abuse, and Violence
hpachay's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was an amazing YA novel. I read the whole thing in one day I couldn't wait to find out what happened to utopic society and how Jam was going to keep a violence/punishment out of the equation for justice. The ending could've been stronger for me, like the part where Pet just magically solves the problem (and is still hella violent) was kinda Disney /deus ex machina/ hand wavey and was the only part of the story that felt particularly YA for me (as in, the rest of the book felt very universal audience whereas that ending felt packaged only for children) which is not necessarily a bad thing but was imo the book's only weak spot. I loved the pacing and world building of Lucille and the librarian lmao I loved the creature and its magic. Anyway highly recommend this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol and Blood
galaxies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia
jvonne24's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
james1star's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was very excited to start this book and it most definitely didn’t disappoint. The story follows a teenage black trans girl called Jam living in the city of Lucille. After a revolution, the angles apparently got rid of all the monsters but when a creature called Pet comes into her life through the strangest of circumstances, she starts to think differently. With the help of her best friend Redemption they set out to hunt a monster.
At first I thought the subtleties around the revolution, ‘monstering’ someone, statues of monsters and references to the mainland and island were possibly alluding to slavery and the civil war. Which they could be and I think with an older mind and some historical context these parallels are apparent. But then the idea of what a ‘monster’ is broadens with there being (at least) one in the current timeframe. That’s because the monsters are lurking in plain sight and because the government and adults are so convince they’ve been eradicated, their monstering is allowed to continue. Tackling it head on, not being afraid to admit your wrong because no matter how much you want something to be true won’t make it true and talking to children about bad things is the real message of the book and overall I think Emezi does a great job of portraying this.
The characters are really great, Jam, Pet and Redemption have a lot to them and so too Jam’s parents Bitter an artist and Aloe a paramedic. I would have maybe preferred more (but this will likely come when I read the prequel) and to get to know Redemption’s family a bit more too, his brother Moss, parents Malachite and Beloved and their non-binary lover Whisper. I enjoyed the outward queerness present which was great to see. Jam is selectively mute but we don’t really get much context on why this is which is a bit of a shame. I’d also say as the book went along I didn’t exactly lose interest but it didn’t go in the direction I had initially thought but was still good. Overall I’d for sure recommend giving this a read no matter what age you are and I’ll definitely be reading more Emezi books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
goodthingsread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 rounded up to 4, because I like the author and think there's plenty here of worth, I just have a particular viewpoint and taste.
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I was confused by it. Several have labeled this as "middle grade," which seemed to make sense when I started the book. The story is set in a near future where it seems all the bad people in the world (abusers, racists, etc.) have been removed, those who suffered have been healed, and the people in charge are those who helped cleanse the world. The world's terminology for all of this is "angels" vs. "monsters." The angels who are in charge now helped get rid of all the monsters and there are no monsters in the world. (Of course this is not true and the story will revolve around hunting a monster.) The problem is this choice of wording and the way it's been taught to the children of the world, including our narrator Jam, makes the narration all sound and feel very childish. There's no nuance, which would make sense in a MG book. But quickly Jam is shown to be at least 16? So the simplistic narrative feels very off.
Jam's mother, Bitter, is an artist, and she paints a monster (a real monster, a creature of monstrous design) who escapes its canvas. It bonds with Jam and informs her that it is here to hunt a monster in her world. Initially, Jam cannot believe that any monsters exist in her world, but when the creature -- Pet -- informs her that the monster is related to her best friend, Redemption, she chooses to join the hunt.
What confuses me about the world building is that if the angels were wise enough to realize that rehabilitation was necessary for some monsters and that the victims needed therapy and care to recover, then it seems to me that they should have built a society that focused enough on mental health that it would still recognize the signs of abuse and unhealthy mindsets. Instead it's a world that simply says, "Once there were bad people. But we tore down that world and rebuilt it and there's no evil anymore." They were smart enough to see the evil in the system in the first place, but apparently too arrogant to allow for the possibility that it will come back in the future?
Unfortunately, that's not the focus of the story, so I'm not sure what the author's intention there was. The focus of the story is Jam and Pet, as well as Redemption. I'm also unsure what the moral of the story was exactly. The story hints at the idea that being too focused on the hunt, on eradicating monsters, can make one a monster. But instead a literal <i>deus ex machina</i> comes in to save the day, so... I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to be taken from the story other than monsters are everywhere and we can never stop looking for them.
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I was confused by it. Several have labeled this as "middle grade," which seemed to make sense when I started the book. The story is set in a near future where it seems all the bad people in the world (abusers, racists, etc.) have been removed, those who suffered have been healed, and the people in charge are those who helped cleanse the world. The world's terminology for all of this is "angels" vs. "monsters." The angels who are in charge now helped get rid of all the monsters and there are no monsters in the world. (Of course this is not true and the story will revolve around hunting a monster.) The problem is this choice of wording and the way it's been taught to the children of the world, including our narrator Jam, makes the narration all sound and feel very childish. There's no nuance, which would make sense in a MG book. But quickly Jam is shown to be at least 16? So the simplistic narrative feels very off.
Jam's mother, Bitter, is an artist, and she paints a monster (a real monster, a creature of monstrous design) who escapes its canvas. It bonds with Jam and informs her that it is here to hunt a monster in her world. Initially, Jam cannot believe that any monsters exist in her world, but when the creature -- Pet -- informs her that the monster is related to her best friend, Redemption, she chooses to join the hunt.
What confuses me about the world building is that if the angels were wise enough to realize that rehabilitation was necessary for some monsters and that the victims needed therapy and care to recover, then it seems to me that they should have built a society that focused enough on mental health that it would still recognize the signs of abuse and unhealthy mindsets. Instead it's a world that simply says, "Once there were bad people. But we tore down that world and rebuilt it and there's no evil anymore." They were smart enough to see the evil in the system in the first place, but apparently too arrogant to allow for the possibility that it will come back in the future?
Unfortunately, that's not the focus of the story, so I'm not sure what the author's intention there was. The focus of the story is Jam and Pet, as well as Redemption. I'm also unsure what the moral of the story was exactly. The story hints at the idea that being too focused on the hunt, on eradicating monsters, can make one a monster. But instead a literal <i>deus ex machina</i> comes in to save the day, so... I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to be taken from the story other than monsters are everywhere and we can never stop looking for them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Child abuse