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kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.75
I am ✨ speechless ✨ that was amazing. The frozen feeling that I love so much when I figured out who Jaimie is to Tom, the moment I realized Aaron had feelings for Joan, the connection between Joan and Nick. I still have SO many questions and there ABSOLUTELY has to be more to this than this book but my GOODNESS. The tears, the loss, the SACRIFICE holy shit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Genocide
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Bullying, and Confinement
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
p_gonza2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, and Cursing
sunlit_music's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.25
This book was so intense, oh my god. The world building is incredible - so well thought out and creative. I loved the way the book explained the magic system, time traveling, how monsters steal years off people's lives, and the differences and similarities between the monster world and the human world.
The romance is absolutely heartbreaking. I would say the ending is bittersweet, because the main character Joan manages to save her family members, but she is never able to see her love interest ever again. The choices that Joan has to make to save the people she loves are gut wrenching. There are no truly good choices that save everyone. She has to choose between letting her family die, or taking years off strangers' lives to save her own family.
I like how the book makes you sympathise with Joan and other morally grey characters, even when you don't always agree with them. That's the sign of a truly great writer.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes fast paced action, morally grey characters, main characters with supportive loving families, and characters who grow and evolve over time.
The romance is absolutely heartbreaking. I would say the ending is bittersweet, because the main character Joan manages to
I like how the book makes you sympathise with Joan and other morally grey characters, even when you don't always agree with them. That's the sign of a truly great writer.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes fast paced action, morally grey characters, main characters with supportive loving families, and characters who grow and evolve over time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Child death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
4.5
4.5 stars! THIS BOOK! This book deserves as much hype as Iron Widow got last year, it is my Iron Widow of 2022, that is how much I loved it. This is YA fantasy at its absolute best. I could not stop reading this as soon I picked it up, why do humans need sleep?! It is wild and dark and absolutely incredibly plotted, the pacing was so excellent. There is a tragic romance between a monster and a monster slayer, a kind-of-maybe-possibly-love-triangle-ish with a monster/monster potential relationship? The ending was truly impeccable. (We know I love tragedy 🥲) My only small thing that docked half a star was that I wished we’d had more on page time between Nick and Joan so their relationship hit just that little bit harder. Otherwise, this was absolutely stunning!
Thank you so much to A&U for sending my an ARC of this one! This has not affected my review.
Content warnings: blood and gore, violence, murder, torture, death of parents and family members, forced drug use, confinement
Thank you so much to A&U for sending my an ARC of this one! This has not affected my review.
Content warnings: blood and gore, violence, murder, torture, death of parents and family members, forced drug use, confinement
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Violence, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Torture
Moderate: Drug use and Confinement
soozn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Well, this was a crazy ride. Monsters (literal and figurative), time travel, superpowers, a heist, first love. There’s a LOT going on. It’s very much its own kind of fairytale, with its morality lessons and the simple language Len uses. She could have started it with “Once upon a time” and it wouldn’t have felt out of place.
Joan has grown up being told that she’s a monster. She didn’t know that it was meant literally. She clearly has a strong moral compass and a conscience and always tries to do the right thing. It’s important to her to be a good person. But Joan’s mother’s family have a particular kind of supernatural power that allows them to take time from another person’s life and use it for themselves to travel in time. Joan sees this as a heinous, monstrous, unforgivable deed, to steal time from a person’s life. Time they won’t get back. Time that shortens their lifespan. So no matter who or what they are, and what they do with that extra time, they are literal and metaphorical monsters.
To me, the moral dilemma Joan finds herself in was the most intriguing part of the book. (Which is saying something, considering everything that happens.) It tackles the perennial issue of the nature of right & wrong/good & evil. It turns everything on its head. The good guy is the bad guy? The bad guy is the good guy? Or maybe a little bit of both? Or neither?
This is a horror scifi fantasy adventure thriller that takes off right out of the gate and never stops. I’m giving it 4 stars even though this ended up not really being my kinda thing because, well, it was just really well done. It’s a page turner, for sure. I enjoyed the characters and the resolution and everything it made me ponder. I can see this being a big YA Fantasy reader favorite!
Joan has grown up being told that she’s a monster. She didn’t know that it was meant literally. She clearly has a strong moral compass and a conscience and always tries to do the right thing. It’s important to her to be a good person. But Joan’s mother’s family have a particular kind of supernatural power that allows them to take time from another person’s life and use it for themselves to travel in time. Joan sees this as a heinous, monstrous, unforgivable deed, to steal time from a person’s life. Time they won’t get back. Time that shortens their lifespan. So no matter who or what they are, and what they do with that extra time, they are literal and metaphorical monsters.
To me, the moral dilemma Joan finds herself in was the most intriguing part of the book. (Which is saying something, considering everything that happens.) It tackles the perennial issue of the nature of right & wrong/good & evil. It turns everything on its head. The good guy is the bad guy? The bad guy is the good guy? Or maybe a little bit of both? Or neither?
This is a horror scifi fantasy adventure thriller that takes off right out of the gate and never stops. I’m giving it 4 stars even though this ended up not really being my kinda thing because, well, it was just really well done. It’s a page turner, for sure. I enjoyed the characters and the resolution and everything it made me ponder. I can see this being a big YA Fantasy reader favorite!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: Torture and Confinement
tigerlilliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.75
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
I’m still trying to recover from this book to be honest but will do my best to give it a review.
This book focuses on the main character of Joan, half of her family are monsters and half human. However, in fairy tales the mo stars are always defeated by the hero… monsters are seen as all bad and heroes all good… that is until you read this book. A magnificent time travelling, tense and mysterious adventure that has wonderful work building and flash backs to the 90s … but also explores the idea of morality, the grey areas that are between the black and white fairy tale caricatures we are taught as a child. It explores the idea of sacrifice, but also what it means to really be a monster or a hero.
The book feature really dark themes and leaves you constantly on the edge of your seat wanting to read more. The ending… devastating and shocking! But I don’t think I wanted this to end, an amazing book and can’t wait to read more from this author!
I’m still trying to recover from this book to be honest but will do my best to give it a review.
This book focuses on the main character of Joan, half of her family are monsters and half human. However, in fairy tales the mo stars are always defeated by the hero… monsters are seen as all bad and heroes all good… that is until you read this book. A magnificent time travelling, tense and mysterious adventure that has wonderful work building and flash backs to the 90s … but also explores the idea of morality, the grey areas that are between the black and white fairy tale caricatures we are taught as a child. It explores the idea of sacrifice, but also what it means to really be a monster or a hero.
The book feature really dark themes and leaves you constantly on the edge of your seat wanting to read more. The ending… devastating and shocking! But I don’t think I wanted this to end, an amazing book and can’t wait to read more from this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
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