Scan barcode
firestorm2343's review against another edition
5.0
I am DISRAUGHT!!!!
This book gave every IOTA it was supposed to give. I could (and might) spend years breaking down all of the things it did amazingly especially with the double edged sword of the complex reasons people do horrible things against the fact that victims have every right to be mad they were hurt and that bystanders didn't save them.
Or how people's perspective on how to handle something can change when they've been through it but because they've been through it they're dismissed or devalued.
The only thing I didn't like was early on there were a few moments of Allison showing some insecurity about her weight and Avie's response to was pretty harsh even thinking something along the lines of "nobody cares about your size.". And IRL, that's just not true, fat phobia is alive and well. But also in the book we learn that she was abused and her size was a part of it. There is a general "I was so rough on her" statement, but with the way it was written I would've either preferred an explicit "Damn, I was gaslighting her about this" or Avie could have simply had a more empathy about the topic to begin with if she had to have strong feelings about it at all.
Luckily that's only an issue that briefly comes up twice early on. Otherwise.
Phenomenal book. I can't recommend it enough!!!
This book gave every IOTA it was supposed to give. I could (and might) spend years breaking down all of the things it did amazingly especially with the double edged sword of the complex reasons people do horrible things against the fact that victims have every right to be mad they were hurt and that bystanders didn't save them.
Or how people's perspective on how to handle something can change when they've been through it but because they've been through it they're dismissed or devalued.
The only thing I didn't like was early on there were a few moments of Allison showing some insecurity about her weight and Avie's response to was pretty harsh even thinking something along the lines of "nobody cares about your size.". And IRL, that's just not true, fat phobia is alive and well. But also in the book we learn that she was abused and her size was a part of it. There is a general "I was so rough on her" statement, but with the way it was written I would've either preferred an explicit "Damn, I was gaslighting her about this" or Avie could have simply had a more empathy about the topic to begin with if she had to have strong feelings about it at all.
Luckily that's only an issue that briefly comes up twice early on. Otherwise.
Phenomenal book. I can't recommend it enough!!!
jazzyjbox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am NOT a fan of snakes by any means, yet this book managed to make me sympathize with a giant one.
Avie is staying with her aunt and cousin in the small town of Sanctum before she can escape on her track scholarship to college. But things in Sanctum are weird. When Avie ends up a sacrifice for a giant snake, she'll do anything to survive. Including making a deal with a monster. She won't die for anyone. Not the town, not her aunt, not even for the cute girl Avie likes.
Jessica Lewis takes morally gray to a whole new level! Avie is an incredibly strong protagonist who finds herself torn between revenge and saving the ones she cares about. She's written as having PTSD, but I think what she experiences falls more under Accute Stress Disorder that could have developed into PTSD.
This is my first time reading this author but definitely won't be the last!
Avie is staying with her aunt and cousin in the small town of Sanctum before she can escape on her track scholarship to college. But things in Sanctum are weird. When Avie ends up a sacrifice for a giant snake, she'll do anything to survive. Including making a deal with a monster. She won't die for anyone. Not the town, not her aunt, not even for the cute girl Avie likes.
Jessica Lewis takes morally gray to a whole new level! Avie is an incredibly strong protagonist who finds herself torn between revenge and saving the ones she cares about. She's written as having PTSD, but I think what she experiences falls more under Accute Stress Disorder that could have developed into PTSD.
This is my first time reading this author but definitely won't be the last!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
readlexread's review against another edition
I am a bundle of emotions after reading this. Omg. Jessica Lewis did it again. So good. I loved it.
Full review:
When I saw that Jessica Lewis was releasing a horror novel with a Black queer girl whose murderous and vengeful and teams up with a giant snake monster to enact said revenge, I was sold!! I absolutely loved Bad Witch Burning and had high hopes and expectations for this one – I was not disappointed.
Full review:
When I saw that Jessica Lewis was releasing a horror novel with a Black queer girl whose murderous and vengeful and teams up with a giant snake monster to enact said revenge, I was sold!! I absolutely loved Bad Witch Burning and had high hopes and expectations for this one – I was not disappointed.
We have Latavia, a teen girl who is spending the summer with her aunt and cousin in small town Alabama before she heads to college (you’ll also find out why it is that she has to stay with her aunt). However, the catch is that this town is creepy, strange, and full of secrets that everyone but Latavia (affectionately known as Avie) knows. She feels like an outsider and quickly learns that they see her as an outsider when she is presented as a sacrifice to a monster in the woods. But Avie is resilient, clever, and determined to survive so she strikes a deal with the monster to both get her revenge on the folks who tried to sacrifice her and also help the monster achieve his goals as well.
So that’s a quick overview of the book. Now here are my thoughts. First, it jumps right in to the action, almost abruptly so particularly because it then slows down a bit but when it picks back up…it picks back up! My jaw legitimately dropped. I was shook. Also, the snake. The monster. Sorry not sorry but I loved him, haha. He was funny and caring and incredibly bloodthirsty, lol. He somehow managed to be funny, sweet, and caring even in the midst of the killing (because yes, many people are unalived in this one.). In addition to the Monster, the two doggie sidekicks were the best!
I also loved that I didn’t quite know who to trust in this one, which I think is the best part of a good horror/thriller. Avie had her cousin and another friend in the town that she ran with but again, I found myself not knowing who to trust but hoping that I could at least trust those two. Regarding side characters/ensemble cast of characters, this was a great example of letting the romantic subplot stay a subplot. This was done so well!
And like all Jessica Lewis books it seems, I am bound to get all choked up and teary at the end, mainly because found family is so near and dear to me.
Avie was so dear to me because she had been through soo much and had been betrayed and her trust broken by many people – people that she thought or should have been able to rely and depend on. I was glad to see her find comfort and trust in unexpected places (and things? teehee). And the very best part is that she was vengeful – unapologetically so which I loved.
Overall, I loved this so much. The pacing at the beginning was a little rocky but it more than made up for it once the story started because once it picked up, it was a ride until the end! I will say that it’s not a gory horror but definitely has horror/thriller themes.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
chrliesangel28's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The concept of this book was great. The snake was definitely my favorite character. I struggled with Avie who couldn’t decide about if she was ok with killing or not. It was a fun and campy book.
charleighfred's review against another edition
5.0
Living at her Aunt's in Alabama for the summer before she can start college, the main character of this tense novel uncovers a dark secret that leaves her in grave danger, tied to an altar. The book is full of suspense, mystery, and intrigue that makes it hard to put down. I fell in love, especially with the romantic aspect of the book and watching the main character deal with cults, snakes, and her new love interest. This book is one of the best slow burn romances I've read. The balance of serious and lighthearted wonder offset perfectly without tipping too far in either direction. This book is an absolute joy and terror to read. Don't get this book if you have a phobia of snakes! I'm really hoping there are more books in this story because I can't get enough of this world.
magentabyfive's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I read an eARC of Monstrous by Jessica Lewis. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s Press.
This horror book starts fast. Like that synopsis? Yeah, that mystery is solved really fast. When Latavia (Avia to her friends), she’s already attending the third funeral that summer, she’s extremely weirded out by the town, and by all the rules not only her aunt has, but that people in the community that also enforce that rule. She can’t go in the forest and she has to go straight home after church. Then when going to the candy store, one of the locals talks about making sure that she has the essentials for the full moon, that she should at least take the silver talismans for protection if nothing else.
This all happens so fast, I was wondering how the book would draw out the big reveal, and then it didn’t. Within 20 to 30 pages, we’re knee-deep in the thick of it, and the plot is ready to happen. The only thing is, we have a lot of pages to cover, and not nearly enough to do. This means, in my opinion, the plot drags from this point. I understood some of it, but honestly, I felt like there was enough to fill it. This meant a little too much time with Avia with her friends, and way too much time with Avia apparently being extremely thick about certain “reveals” later that are not revealed at all to those reading the book. Like, the information was already given to her, and one thing had already been told to her in an indirect fashion, but one she should have more quickly figured out in order to move on to what was going on with her
At the end, I did enjoy the book. When it’s at it’s horror moments, that when I really started to have fun with the book, but it did end up dragging despite its quick start.
debussy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Difficult to rate this one. It’s very gripping, and the plot kept me engaged, but I kept wanting more Bad Witch Burning and less giant snake. The world felt sketchy and the ending wasn’t super satisfying. I kept getting pulled out of the story because it felt so ridiculous at times—like it would be perfect for younger YA, but also I don’t think that’s the right audience for this book, which left me feeling odd about it throughout.
Still looking forward to more of this author’s work.
Still looking forward to more of this author’s work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
bookrecsanddnfs's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot itself was really good and the story pulled you in. I did think the dialogue and a lot of the character interactions were very akwardly written and forced, but that improved a bit as the book went on. There were also a surplus of dividing comments and character descriptions, which was unpalatable. Side note: that was the most awkward "getting together" scene ever. Very cringey and not how I was expecting it to go, especially after the nice build up. The story picked up very quickly and was action-packed and twisty. Once it got moving, it pulled you in and had fast pacing throughout, which was great. The story itself was really great and I didn't want to put it down. I liked the blend of realistic scenario and fantasy, as well as the sapphic aspects and cult vibes.
The plot itself was really good and the story pulled you in. I did think the dialogue and a lot of the character interactions were very akwardly written and forced, but that improved a bit as the book went on. There were also a surplus of dividing comments and character descriptions, which was unpalatable. Side note: that was the most awkward "getting together" scene ever. Very cringey and not how I was expecting it to go, especially after the nice build up. The story picked up very quickly and was action-packed and twisty. Once it got moving, it pulled you in and had fast pacing throughout, which was great. The story itself was really great and I didn't want to put it down. I liked the blend of realistic scenario and fantasy, as well as the sapphic aspects and cult vibes.
_tomeraider's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booktribe's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
When Latavia is forced to spend the Summer with her aunt in a creepy small town, she discovers that this town has secrets, and that something is living in the woods. Will Latavia make it out of this town alive?
This author’s previous novel, Bad Witch Burning is one of my favorite books of all time! And I have been waiting on Monstrous for so long! I loved the characters! Our main character Latavia was incredibly relatable and she really deserved better! And I also LOVED the monster that was living in the woods. He was such a sweetie pie when he wasn’t eating people! I also loved the puppies! One thing about Jessica Lewis, she’s gonna add lovable animals to her books and I love her for it! I also appreciated that this had mental health representation!
I did expect this to be darker and more intense though. From the description I was expecting horror and it definitely feels more fantasy with some murderous elements. Also, the story picked up really quick in the beginning but it got slow after that. I think either more should’ve happened in the amount of pages it had OR it should’ve been a shorter book. And based on the way this book ended, I feel like this might become a series and I was expecting a standalone. It didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, but a large part of the conflict wasn’t handled at the end and it was alluded to that that conflict would be handled later. I would definitely be interested in reading the next book if this becomes a series, but I still feel unsatisfied with the ending, especially if it really is a standalone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot! There were some things I would’ve changed, but it was definitely enjoyable and I can’t wait to read even more of Jessica Lewis’ work!
Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for this arc! All opinions are my own.
TW: parental abandonment, domestic abuse, child abuse, homophobia, fatphobia, suicidal thoughts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse