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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I just don't care. Two hours in and I already know that. Even worse, it's a series. So even if I finished it I know I wouldn't read the second book, or the third.
Actual rating 3.5 stars
I took away one star because I am not smart enough for this book. This book should come with a time travel parallel universe warning and handbook explaining some of it in generalized English for Dummies kind of language. I truly understood some of it but it was difficult to follow in others. The other half star was taken off because there are so many characters to keep track of with different abilities, pronouns and circular relationships I was lost.
That being said, I am truly appreciative of the platform this book delivers on with shape shifters and magic, cultural heritage and lineage in the formation of a person and their abilities. I absolutely adored the history of the background as to how some of the characters came to their abilities. I loved the character development, hell, I loved almost all of the characters. I didn't like Harry. He seemed very unlikable and a bit desperate and nonsensical. There's just something about Harry....I was and still am a bit confused about who was the main narrator and who was time traveling or in parallel universes and time frames. I'm trying to figure out what role he played and in what manner did he come upon this. Anyway, sounds like there will be a #2. Maybe that will explain more than I understand too.
I took away one star because I am not smart enough for this book. This book should come with a time travel parallel universe warning and handbook explaining some of it in generalized English for Dummies kind of language. I truly understood some of it but it was difficult to follow in others. The other half star was taken off because there are so many characters to keep track of with different abilities, pronouns and circular relationships I was lost.
That being said, I am truly appreciative of the platform this book delivers on with shape shifters and magic, cultural heritage and lineage in the formation of a person and their abilities. I absolutely adored the history of the background as to how some of the characters came to their abilities. I loved the character development, hell, I loved almost all of the characters. I didn't like Harry. He seemed very unlikable and a bit desperate and nonsensical. There's just something about Harry....I was and still am a bit confused about who was the main narrator and who was time traveling or in parallel universes and time frames. I'm trying to figure out what role he played and in what manner did he come upon this. Anyway, sounds like there will be a #2. Maybe that will explain more than I understand too.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is maybe a book I admire more than I really liked? It starts with the day first Laina and then the world learns that werewolves are real when she sees bodycam footage from the cop that killed her brother. Then we learn there are various factions of supernatural beings, as we learn, some malevolent and some benevolent, but also the whole issue of monsters among us becomes a stand-in for civil rights talk, a la Claremont-era X-men.
The story is broken into sections with different characters focalizing the story, which works and doesn't, at different times. And sometimes the narrator reveals himself, which was something I didn't expect, and gets a section that seems to suggest grief x physics = multiverses? It's all a lot, and it kicks off something called the "convergence saga." This section of that does build to a kind of climax that ups the stakes for the sequel.
There are some cool parts here, and I liked the way it was grounded either in suburban Boston or the Virgin Islands. I thought at least some of the monsters were cool. I like the talk of co-ops and the anarchist politics. But I didn't find the stories and characters themselves compelling enough to make me feel like I need to read more.
The story is broken into sections with different characters focalizing the story, which works and doesn't, at different times. And sometimes the narrator reveals himself, which was something I didn't expect, and gets a section that seems to suggest grief x physics = multiverses? It's all a lot, and it kicks off something called the "convergence saga." This section of that does build to a kind of climax that ups the stakes for the sequel.
There are some cool parts here, and I liked the way it was grounded either in suburban Boston or the Virgin Islands. I thought at least some of the monsters were cool. I like the talk of co-ops and the anarchist politics. But I didn't find the stories and characters themselves compelling enough to make me feel like I need to read more.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Supposedly the first in a trilogy but I’ll stop here, thanks. This is disjointed and confusing on purpose without a satisfying ending and without leaving the reader wanting more. I could see threads linking this to other movements in our past but not strongly enough to teach the reader anything either. Pass.
No Gods, No Monsters opens with a video of a police shooting that reveals to the world that monsters exist. Through multiple characters, we learn how the human world is responding and how these monsters operate within it. The mention of the monster shadow society and secret groups was fascinating. I will say that there are MULTIPLE character shifts with each section. If you are not a fan of having multiple points of view within one story, it can get a bit confusing. I usually do not mind that but, in this book, it threw me off with so many characters. One of the main issues that I had with this story was that it felt that the characters were not fully developed. Readers learn some information as the story goes on but for me it was never enough to dig deep into the character or made me care about the characters significantly. The characters felt almost vague, especially in the beginning of the book. It was a bit of a struggle for me to get into the flow of the story. However, in the second half, it did pick up. I just wanted to know more about who I was reading about with maybe less characters.
I will say that the inclusion within this novel is outstanding. The diversity of the characters made me round up from what would have been a 3-star rating to a 4-star. Regardless of the issues I had with the flow of the story, the overarching message of the book is powerful and worth paying attention to. Having “being a monster” as a part of these characters identities the reason that makes them othered from society is a creative and effective premise by Turnbull. The fear and prejudice around monsters reflect a lot about our own society. This novel strongly recognizes the theme of humanity with a compelling message that these characters, regardless of their “monsterness”, still bled and feel like human beings. Turnbull is a gifted writer with a talent of beautifully creating a world that shows the uglier side of our own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC.
I will say that the inclusion within this novel is outstanding. The diversity of the characters made me round up from what would have been a 3-star rating to a 4-star. Regardless of the issues I had with the flow of the story, the overarching message of the book is powerful and worth paying attention to. Having “being a monster” as a part of these characters identities the reason that makes them othered from society is a creative and effective premise by Turnbull. The fear and prejudice around monsters reflect a lot about our own society. This novel strongly recognizes the theme of humanity with a compelling message that these characters, regardless of their “monsterness”, still bled and feel like human beings. Turnbull is a gifted writer with a talent of beautifully creating a world that shows the uglier side of our own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I got an ARC copy from Netgalley after reading about how this was one of the most anticipated books of 2021. I love the premise of this book-it essentially examines the age-old question of who is the real monster? And, what makes a monster? And all this is told through a contemporary lens with characters of many ethnicities, and across the gender and sexual spectrum.
The world is built over an anthology of interconnected stories. We find out how these stories interact with each other as more characters are included, and they're either related, work with, or are involved with the others.
I think horror fans will love this modern perspective on these monsters. But I felt that the book was overlong, and hence struggled to connect some of the characters and their backstories. Some stories are in there just because of an incident that is pertinent to the plot. They were thin on plot, character development, and even world-building. I wished those stories had been eschewed for the more compelling ones-characters like Laina and Rebecca had great voices and fleshed out characterizations. I wanted more of them and how they navigated this world, instead of Melku and Dragon.
I hate gore, so there were chunks of some stories that I skimmed. I don't think we needed those.
Honestly, given the climax of this story, we deserved a build-up that was more relevant, topical, and allegorical. The fanciful stuff just didn't interest me, because those stories felt like they were painting over a much more interesting facade.
For a new age and diverse look into a favorite genre, this book is a recommended read. But, keep in mind that not all the horror is to many readers' liking.
The world is built over an anthology of interconnected stories. We find out how these stories interact with each other as more characters are included, and they're either related, work with, or are involved with the others.
I think horror fans will love this modern perspective on these monsters. But I felt that the book was overlong, and hence struggled to connect some of the characters and their backstories. Some stories are in there just because of an incident that is pertinent to the plot. They were thin on plot, character development, and even world-building. I wished those stories had been eschewed for the more compelling ones-characters like Laina and Rebecca had great voices and fleshed out characterizations. I wanted more of them and how they navigated this world, instead of Melku and Dragon.
I hate gore, so there were chunks of some stories that I skimmed. I don't think we needed those.
Honestly, given the climax of this story, we deserved a build-up that was more relevant, topical, and allegorical. The fanciful stuff just didn't interest me, because those stories felt like they were painting over a much more interesting facade.
For a new age and diverse look into a favorite genre, this book is a recommended read. But, keep in mind that not all the horror is to many readers' liking.