Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

40 reviews

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

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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. 

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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.

lena_correia's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death

Moderate: Death of parent

katiemcgregor's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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

3.5

To be honest, I've always had a difficult time wrapping my head around time travel stories so I'm, by no means, an expert. But I do think that Only a Monster is well done and clever. It delivers more than I've come to expect from YA and I'm a big fan of the morally grey dilemmas Len incorporates into the story.

Maybe it's my lack of time travel understanding or the fact that this is only the first in the series, but I do wish a few things had a little more explanation behind them. I'm going to assume that my questions will be answered in the next books.

For the most part this was fun. It didn't completely command my attention, but I did enjoy picking it up and immersing myself into the interesting world Len created.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Racism, Death of parent, and Classism

gssll_lpz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, and Murder

maryannc's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Murder, Violence, and Racism

Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Blood, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, and Abortion

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

marareading's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

2.75

The premise is great, but the ending is flat. I loved the hidden magic. One of my favorite tropes is generational magic as well. Fueding families definitely gave that Romeo and Juliet vibe. There was a lot that was left lacking with Nick and Joan in the end. I wanted more explained about the royals, the court, her magic, the magic world. The ending felt too abrupt and convenient. Even now knowing there will be a sequel it still felt too quick and unexplained.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Death, and Forced institutionalization

odeer's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

lizgriffinwords's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Twisty and tense, Only a Monster sets a girl’s love for her family against the whims of the True Timeline!

If you like the time-travel wildness of Umbrella Academy or the concept of Variants in the MCU, this one might be for you! I was mildly confused at times, but so was the protagonist, and more is revealed in the third act. Also wasn’t thoroughly convinced by either prospect in the love triangle (but romance altogether is often a hit or MISS for me).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Torture