Reviews with content warning for Violence - De hombres a monstruos

This one wasn't great. The first book in the series was so good, and the next was ok, but this one was hard to finish. It was super slow, had little or no characterization, had bland writing, and didn't have a satisfying ending. The characters claimed to have morals but were just selfish brats. I didn't care for anyone, and the stakes, despite technically being high, didn't feel high at all. A lot of out-of-character choices were made too. It was a struggle, and I didn't enjoy reading it or the outcome of the trilogy.

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eloise__'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Quite infuriating at times although overall a pretty satisfying ending for the series.

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sneha_m's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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wendleness's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My biggest gripe with this book would be the length. It did not need to be 600 pages long. There wasn’t enough plot or action to warrant the amount of words. It was only really the last 150-200 pages where things really picked up. Most of the book sees Todd and Viola having the same conversations over and over again. No one trusts the Mayor but they’ve got to keep an eye on him. No one trusts Mistress Coyle but they’ve got to get the truth out of her. Everyone wants peace but some people want glory to go along with it. Yadda, yadda, yadda. As much as it was easy to read, a large chunk of the book felt like a bit of a slog. I’d read 40 or 60 or 80 pages but the plot wouldn’t have moved forward much at all.

Despite some issues there were a lot of things I loved. I loved the Spackle—the Land—finally being fully involved and learning more about them. I loved the parallels between Todd and the mayor, Viola and Mistress Coyle, and the Return and the Sky. The parallels weren’t exactly subtle, but seeing all these characters, ostensibly from different groups and culture and backgrounds, all going through the same struggles and learning the same lessons was really quite powerful.

Of course the best thing about the book, the driving theme of the entire story, and the thing I’m still thinking about, is summed up nicely by the title. Throughout the book the overwhelming message from the several groups of people is a desire for peace. A desire to live a simple life without fearing for their lives or having to take up arms. Yet it is the actions and desires of a few—the few in charge, the few with power and influence, the few with selfish personal motivations—that dictate the course of action. That create monsters out of people and drag them into a war they’d rather not be fighting. It is a depressingly accurate account, I think, of power and how those who have it often choose to wield it.

A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.

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ashfantastic98's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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leonormsousa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

REPRESENTATION

gay SC

QUOTES

“Worst is the one who knows better and does nothing.”

“You're never more alive than in battle. Never more dead after.”

“Usually when a man calls a woman a bitch (…) it's because she's doing something right.”

“What a sad thing men are. Can’t do nothing good without being so weak we have to mess it up. Can’t build something up without tearing it down.”

THINGS I ENJOYED

The exploration of the concepts of good and evil and everything in between and how they’re perceptions that can vary according to your perspective. Also the way Patrick Ness makes you have such contradictory feelings towards the “bad” characters.
The approach to war that covers both sides of the fight through multiple POVs. I usually don’t really like books about war, but this one was a clear exception!
The different writing styles for different POVs, that make us feel more “inside the skin” of the characters. I especially love the Spackle POV, which in this book, we see added to Todd’s and Viola’s.
The formatting on this book/series really adds on to the experience (different POVs have different fonts, as does the “noise” from different people).
The final resolution of the book and the series was so satisfactory.

THINGS I DIDN'T ENJOY

The book is a bit slow at points, and, in my opinion, didn’t need to be this long.

MY OPINION ON THE WHOLE SERIES

Great escalation throughout the series - from a personal adventure to a war between species.
The second book was definitely my least favourite, but the first and third definitely compensate for it!
Overall, an amazing YA dystopian series!
Be sure not to miss the novellas as well.
FINAL RATING: 4⭐

READ THE SERIES IF YOU ENJOY

Stories set on a different planet with new sapient species
Young protagonists in unfamiliar circumstances that are forced to grow and that fight to the end of the world to be together
Manipulative, intelligent and unscrupulous villains
Exploring different sides of the same conflict
Delving into the concept of evilness
Books without romance
Crying (:

Content Warnings

_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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