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zoeelora's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Stalking, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Physical abuse
thaliareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
I loved the concept and the premise of the book. The entire lore and development of monsters was very well done and I found it incredibly interesting.
I enjoyed the majority of the plot with the exception of the ending. While I understand why it had to end the way it did, the whole ending just felt off.
I enjoyed the majority of the plot with the exception of the ending. While I understand why it had to end the way it did, the whole ending just felt off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Confinement, Blood, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
The book does start with the death of everyone Joan cares about, and leaving her injured. We also find out that Nick does have a tragic origin story involving the death of his parents and the corresponding torture he endured. Finally, on their mission the group does encounter the location where a friend of theirs had been held after essentially being kidnapped.scorbunneh's review
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
kirstenf's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Racism and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ONLY A MONSTER engages with difference, family, belonging, and monstrosity as Joan, a half-human, half-monster girl witness the massacre of her family by a hero.
The narration focuses on Joan's reactions to various events, often returning to pieces of already-known information as her feelings change in light of new circumstances. It has the cumulative effect that very few things actually happen during the story, and long stretches of time are about processing those events and deciding how to proceed. Aaron's initial disdain transforming into patient support is one of my favorite parts of the book (and is why the ending particularly devastates me). I also like how Tom is a more complicated character than he first appears to be.
This dwells in long stretches of worldbuilding, specifically on snapshots of monster society within human society. Joan marvels at their various waystations, safe places they control for long stretches of time and can get food or supplies for the time where they've arrived. I enjoyed the descriptions as they didn't get bogged down in picky details, but included Joan's thoughts about what she was witnessing. The way the monster powers work is pretty cool, and I enjoyed the various facets of that world. One of my favorite simple details is that they call themselves monsters and that's the end of it. There's no complicated other label for themselves, as they're unashamed of how they live their lives. It's a detail that makes them truly feel like a group whose lives don't revolve around what humans think of them (since humans are little more than fuel to monsters).
I have very mixed feelings about the ending. It uses a trope I've loved at the conclusion of long series, but it leaves me unsure of the direction for the next book. It generates a feeling of immense work that's extremely important but completely invisible to everyone around Joan by the end. The most important thing at the end of the book is how the experience changed Joan, and the specific goal she was able to achieve. The relationships that are built up the most (between Joan and her fellow monsters) are not the ones with the weight of destiny behind them, and I'm nervous for what a sequel could bring.
The narration focuses on Joan's reactions to various events, often returning to pieces of already-known information as her feelings change in light of new circumstances. It has the cumulative effect that very few things actually happen during the story, and long stretches of time are about processing those events and deciding how to proceed. Aaron's initial disdain transforming into patient support is one of my favorite parts of the book (and is why the ending particularly devastates me). I also like how Tom is a more complicated character than he first appears to be.
This dwells in long stretches of worldbuilding, specifically on snapshots of monster society within human society. Joan marvels at their various waystations, safe places they control for long stretches of time and can get food or supplies for the time where they've arrived. I enjoyed the descriptions as they didn't get bogged down in picky details, but included Joan's thoughts about what she was witnessing. The way the monster powers work is pretty cool, and I enjoyed the various facets of that world. One of my favorite simple details is that they call themselves monsters and that's the end of it. There's no complicated other label for themselves, as they're unashamed of how they live their lives. It's a detail that makes them truly feel like a group whose lives don't revolve around what humans think of them (since humans are little more than fuel to monsters).
I have very mixed feelings about the ending. It uses a trope I've loved at the conclusion of long series, but it leaves me unsure of the direction for the next book. It generates a feeling of immense work that's extremely important but completely invisible to everyone around Joan by the end. The most important thing at the end of the book is how the experience changed Joan, and the specific goal she was able to achieve. The relationships that are built up the most (between Joan and her fellow monsters) are not the ones with the weight of destiny behind them, and I'm nervous for what a sequel could bring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Confinement, Medical trauma, Racism, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
Reread 10/11/2023 - Second time round reading this and it is still a great time. I did read this with a friend who was reading it for the first time and it was great to see the same moments that hit for me was hitting for them too.
I was in a reading slump and it was good to just had a familiar book to read.
Original read 07/08/2022
I absolutely loved this book. It was so much fun to read and unlike anything I have read in a long time.
This book is so unique that it grips you and pulls you right into it's world that Vanessa Len has crafted and you just go with it because why wouldn't you? All the character presented felt different, they had their own stories and feelings about the insinuating event and history of the world. They exceeded my expectations and I fell in love with Joan, Aaron and Ruth. They had great moments of growth and vulnerabilities together as well as some great banter and bickering.
The plot is set at a fast paced as everything hits the fan within the first few chapters. I loved every moment of chaos that raised from it. Without spoiling the book each twist, turn, and reveal were really well plotted.
This book breaths life into an over saturated market. I cannot wait to for the next book and see where this series goes from here onwards. I just know it is going to be great.
I was in a reading slump and it was good to just had a familiar book to read.
Original read 07/08/2022
I absolutely loved this book. It was so much fun to read and unlike anything I have read in a long time.
This book is so unique that it grips you and pulls you right into it's world that Vanessa Len has crafted and you just go with it because why wouldn't you? All the character presented felt different, they had their own stories and feelings about the insinuating event and history of the world. They exceeded my expectations and I fell in love with Joan, Aaron and Ruth. They had great moments of growth and vulnerabilities together as well as some great banter and bickering.
The plot is set at a fast paced as everything hits the fan within the first few chapters. I loved every moment of chaos that raised from it. Without spoiling the book each twist, turn, and reveal were really well plotted.
This book breaths life into an over saturated market. I cannot wait to for the next book and see where this series goes from here onwards. I just know it is going to be great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gaslighting and Injury/Injury detail
introverted_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Blood, Torture, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Violence, Alcoholism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
thehushedearth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
In this book Joan is a half human half monster girl who volunteers with a boy named Nick who she really likes. After a series of events that occur when she is supposed to go on a date with him, she learns that she time traveled. When she goes to explain it to him, they run into more monsters from a rival family and end up in a life or death situation. Joan learns that Nick is the “human hero” from all of the monster children stories and there is a massacre killing Joan’s entire family leaving only Joan and the son of her rival family, Aaron, alive. Joan and Aaron are then forced to time travel again while they run for their lives so that they can try to save their families and end up on a wild adventure full of more monsters and monster slayers and royal courts and monster balls. It’s a wonderful world that Len built full of culturally diverse characters. I understand Joan’s need to have her family back, but I feel like it was a stab in the back toward Aaron and Nick didn’t deserve her love with all that happened. I feel like this story isn’t close to complete and can’t wait for the next book to see how the gang gets back together and what happens in the monster world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Classism, Gore, Grief, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Kidnapping, Torture, Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and War