Scan barcode
syren96's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The characters were interesting and I was very quickly drawn into their stories. However, I wasn't a big fan of the ending and the loose threads left behind. But definitely interesting and dark.
The characters were interesting and I was very quickly drawn into their stories. However, I wasn't a big fan of the ending and the loose threads left behind. But definitely interesting and dark.
bellatora's review against another edition
3.0
An ARC was provided by GoodReads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
I was super excited for Kuehn's Delicate Monsters. I have a soft spot for villainous protagonists, especially of the unabashedly cold, calculating, manipulative variety ([b:Gone Girl|21480930|Gone Girl|Gillian Flynn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432019852s/21480930.jpg|13306276], [b:The Talented Mr. Ripley|2247142|The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley, #1)|Patricia Highsmith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388335047s/2247142.jpg|1817520], etc.) This is not something you often find in young adult, especially not an aptly done villainous protagonist. The book started out perfectly as well - Sadie Su is a deliciously aloof, cruel narrator. But then it felt like the book lost itself, and never picked back up.
Sadie Su is the half-Chinese, half-Caucasian daughter of rich vineyard owners in Sonoma, California. She has been kicked out of multiple expensive boarding schools, the last one for nearly killing a classmate in a “prank.” It's never really explained why she did what she did to her friend/classmate, except maybe that she just felt like it.
Because she has burned through all her other options, Sadie winds up at her local public high school in her senior year. There, she reconnects with her childhood buddy (?), Emerson Tate. Emerson is a boy from a poor family whose father committed suicide when he was young. Sadie knows all of Emerson's dirty little secrets, which are dirty indeed.
This sets up well some kind of manipulative, villainous duel between Sadie and Emerson. Sadie is poised to mess up Emerson's life, just because she can and it would be fun. Sadie is a girl who appreciates cruelty and never feels guilty. She's cold and uncaring. Emerson, meanwhile, feels very guilty about his actions, but at the same time takes sickening pleasure in barbaric acts. He does things unthinkingly because they feel good, while Sadie pointedly does bad things because it's interesting.
Unfortunately, Sadie and Emerson rarely interact and their shared history goes nowhere. Instead, Emerson's sickly, bullied younger brother, Miles, becomes the plot driver. Miles (who I often mixed up with Emerson in their Point of View chapters, because they sound so similar) thinks he can see the future. It's debatable whether he can, but he is obviously messed up. Whereas Sadie and Emerson are predators, Miles is prey. And he's cracking.
The ending was...strange. And I felt like it undermined Sadie's character. She was weirdly selfless and compassionate for no reason I can discern. She helps out Miles when it is decidedly not in her own best interests.
Kuehn created two compelling characters in Emerson and Sadie. There was so much potential there. And I definitely stayed intrigued - I finished the book in one short sitting. But in the end, I was disappointed. Emerson and Sadie never have a show down. They mostly ignore each other, except for Sadie occasionally playing with Emerson's head. Instead, Sadie interacted mostly with Miles (who for whatever reason she seemed to have a soft spot for) and via text with the boy she almost killed in her last boarding school.
I was super excited for Kuehn's Delicate Monsters. I have a soft spot for villainous protagonists, especially of the unabashedly cold, calculating, manipulative variety ([b:Gone Girl|21480930|Gone Girl|Gillian Flynn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432019852s/21480930.jpg|13306276], [b:The Talented Mr. Ripley|2247142|The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley, #1)|Patricia Highsmith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388335047s/2247142.jpg|1817520], etc.) This is not something you often find in young adult, especially not an aptly done villainous protagonist. The book started out perfectly as well - Sadie Su is a deliciously aloof, cruel narrator. But then it felt like the book lost itself, and never picked back up.
Sadie Su is the half-Chinese, half-Caucasian daughter of rich vineyard owners in Sonoma, California. She has been kicked out of multiple expensive boarding schools, the last one for nearly killing a classmate in a “prank.” It's never really explained why she did what she did to her friend/classmate, except maybe that she just felt like it.
Because she has burned through all her other options, Sadie winds up at her local public high school in her senior year. There, she reconnects with her childhood buddy (?), Emerson Tate. Emerson is a boy from a poor family whose father committed suicide when he was young. Sadie knows all of Emerson's dirty little secrets, which are dirty indeed.
This sets up well some kind of manipulative, villainous duel between Sadie and Emerson. Sadie is poised to mess up Emerson's life, just because she can and it would be fun. Sadie is a girl who appreciates cruelty and never feels guilty. She's cold and uncaring. Emerson, meanwhile, feels very guilty about his actions, but at the same time takes sickening pleasure in barbaric acts. He does things unthinkingly because they feel good, while Sadie pointedly does bad things because it's interesting.
Unfortunately, Sadie and Emerson rarely interact and their shared history goes nowhere. Instead, Emerson's sickly, bullied younger brother, Miles, becomes the plot driver. Miles (who I often mixed up with Emerson in their Point of View chapters, because they sound so similar) thinks he can see the future. It's debatable whether he can, but he is obviously messed up. Whereas Sadie and Emerson are predators, Miles is prey. And he's cracking.
The ending was...strange. And I felt like it undermined Sadie's character. She was weirdly selfless and compassionate for no reason I can discern. She helps out Miles when it is decidedly not in her own best interests.
Kuehn created two compelling characters in Emerson and Sadie. There was so much potential there. And I definitely stayed intrigued - I finished the book in one short sitting. But in the end, I was disappointed. Emerson and Sadie never have a show down. They mostly ignore each other, except for Sadie occasionally playing with Emerson's head. Instead, Sadie interacted mostly with Miles (who for whatever reason she seemed to have a soft spot for) and via text with the boy she almost killed in her last boarding school.
stenaros's review against another edition
1.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
I'm not sure just what Kuehn was trying to do with this (thankfully short) novel. Show us that evil people have good sides? Examine degrees of ill-will? Flesh out teenagers who do bad things? I was not charmed by the author's previous work Charm & Strange, so it may be that she and I are not compatible. Regardless, I look forward to the discussion.
I'm not sure just what Kuehn was trying to do with this (thankfully short) novel. Show us that evil people have good sides? Examine degrees of ill-will? Flesh out teenagers who do bad things? I was not charmed by the author's previous work Charm & Strange, so it may be that she and I are not compatible. Regardless, I look forward to the discussion.
alex4ecs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heykellyjensen's review
This is a dark and deeply disturbing psychological read. I wouldn't say it's a thriller -- it's not -- but it's a look at three broken, aching, and complex characters. This is about the power of doing good, of being angry, of regret, and of redemption. It's expertly crafted and tightly written. But it's not a quick read by any means. It's extremely uncomfortable at times, but that discomfort is what makes this so damn good.
If challenging, uncompromising characters and stories are your thing, this is a must-read. Kuehn is a master.
If challenging, uncompromising characters and stories are your thing, this is a must-read. Kuehn is a master.
jsbj2u's review against another edition
3.0
This book would have gotten four stars from me, but I found the ending unsatisfying. A complex tale with mostly unlikable characters. I kept hoping for redemption for the main characters, and I don't think that happened.
jennyrbaker's review against another edition
4.0
Delicate Monsters is a YA book that shows the dark side of mental illness. I’m not talking about teens with depression and anxiety. I’m talking about three very troubled teens. There's also sex, alcohol, poisoning, and animal killing thrown into the story. This is a disturbing novel that will take you on a very dark journey.
Seventeen-year-old Sadie loves cruelty. She has a sense of euphoria after she’s committed a cruel act against someone. Here’s one small example. She made her mother cry about her sick grandfather who was on his death bed and afterwards, Sadie felt all warm and fuzzy about it. Part of that warm fuzziness was because she had been drinking. Afterwards, her father lectures her about her love of cruelty and how it’s a bad thing. Then, he reminds her of a fantastic and famous quote from St. Thomas Aquinas:
Sadie knows Emerson’s secrets and loves taunting him about it, but she’s done things much worse than that. Her cruelty almost got another teen killed and she was kicked out of three boarding schools.
Emerson is cruel, but he’s different than Sadie. He has secrets he wants to forget, but his constant guilt is eating away at him. He feels tormented by the horrible things he’s done. He’s in love with May, but he does something heinous that someone would never do if they truly loved someone. He does something horrible to his brother and his mother gets blamed for it. He cuts the legs off of frogs and then watches them die. You have to be a sick bastard to do that. Actually, I know of somebody in high school who did that. He laughed hysterically when he finished his story. I had a crush on him until that very moment. I was devastated when I learned how much I misjudged him.
Anyway, Emerson’s brother, Miles, is “haunted.” He hears voices, sometimes from dead, mutilated animals. He sees into the future, especially anything violent. Miles is terrified of Emerson and for good reason. Some of the things he does to his brother are revolting. The only peace he gets is when he’s hospitalized. As a result, Miles is sick a lot.
I’m just giving you little snippets, but there’s a lot more to the story. There were a few lines that I thought were deep and it got me thinking. I love when that happens, because in unexpected moments, I read a line that applies to my own life in some bizarre way.
One of the three teens brings a gun to school. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t tell you who or what happens.
Also, get ready to hear about Connell’s Zaroff and Rainsford. Seriously. It actually fits into the story, though.
The title Delicate Monsters is perfect. That’s the best way to describe Sadie, Emerson and Miles.
At the end, you’ll be wondering if you’re a lamb among wolves or a wolf among lambs. I already know which one I am.
If you love YA novels or novels that have characters with mental illnesses, you’ll love this one.
Seventeen-year-old Sadie loves cruelty. She has a sense of euphoria after she’s committed a cruel act against someone. Here’s one small example. She made her mother cry about her sick grandfather who was on his death bed and afterwards, Sadie felt all warm and fuzzy about it. Part of that warm fuzziness was because she had been drinking. Afterwards, her father lectures her about her love of cruelty and how it’s a bad thing. Then, he reminds her of a fantastic and famous quote from St. Thomas Aquinas:
”The things that we love tell us what we are.”
Sadie knows Emerson’s secrets and loves taunting him about it, but she’s done things much worse than that. Her cruelty almost got another teen killed and she was kicked out of three boarding schools.
Emerson is cruel, but he’s different than Sadie. He has secrets he wants to forget, but his constant guilt is eating away at him. He feels tormented by the horrible things he’s done. He’s in love with May, but he does something heinous that someone would never do if they truly loved someone. He does something horrible to his brother and his mother gets blamed for it. He cuts the legs off of frogs and then watches them die. You have to be a sick bastard to do that. Actually, I know of somebody in high school who did that. He laughed hysterically when he finished his story. I had a crush on him until that very moment. I was devastated when I learned how much I misjudged him.
Anyway, Emerson’s brother, Miles, is “haunted.” He hears voices, sometimes from dead, mutilated animals. He sees into the future, especially anything violent. Miles is terrified of Emerson and for good reason. Some of the things he does to his brother are revolting. The only peace he gets is when he’s hospitalized. As a result, Miles is sick a lot.
I’m just giving you little snippets, but there’s a lot more to the story. There were a few lines that I thought were deep and it got me thinking. I love when that happens, because in unexpected moments, I read a line that applies to my own life in some bizarre way.
One of the three teens brings a gun to school. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t tell you who or what happens.
Also, get ready to hear about Connell’s Zaroff and Rainsford. Seriously. It actually fits into the story, though.
The title Delicate Monsters is perfect. That’s the best way to describe Sadie, Emerson and Miles.
At the end, you’ll be wondering if you’re a lamb among wolves or a wolf among lambs. I already know which one I am.
If you love YA novels or novels that have characters with mental illnesses, you’ll love this one.
bookclaire4eva's review against another edition
It's not often that I wish a book were longer. I think the last time was with Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin. Oh, I wanted so much more detail and to spend more time with the characters. Fortunately, it's the first in a series. But I digress.
Delicate Monsters is another one of those young adult books where I hope that young people really aren't that cruel and messed up. I have a feeling they are, at least to a certain extent, but I still hold out hope. I mean, Sadie is one crazy bitch. For the first half of the book I pretty much despised everyone. With the shifting perspectives, I got to know just how terrible these people were. Like no redeeming qualities. Well, one guy was just kinda pathetic, but... Meh. Seriously awful people. I was ready to call it quits.
But then Sadie started to grow. Started to see that other people in the world were not just there for her awful amusement. And that's what I wanted more of. I wanted to get to know the new, less nasty Sadie. And I wanted to see the other awful people, including Sadie's former sadistic sidekick, experience the karmic repercussions of their actions. I mean, he did end up paying a small price, but I really wanted to see him suffer. What was especially interesting was how the people who appeared normal were actually the nastiest monsters. And Sadie, who was the most awful person at the beginning of the story was the person I ended up liking the most.
I'm not entirely sure what the title means. Maybe that monsters aren't always what they seem? That their monstrosity is not necessarily permanent? The skin of the monster they live in is delicate enough to fall away in the right circumstances? I have no real idea. I do know that I wanted more.This review was originally posted on LeilaReads
Delicate Monsters is another one of those young adult books where I hope that young people really aren't that cruel and messed up. I have a feeling they are, at least to a certain extent, but I still hold out hope. I mean, Sadie is one crazy bitch. For the first half of the book I pretty much despised everyone. With the shifting perspectives, I got to know just how terrible these people were. Like no redeeming qualities. Well, one guy was just kinda pathetic, but... Meh. Seriously awful people. I was ready to call it quits.
But then Sadie started to grow. Started to see that other people in the world were not just there for her awful amusement. And that's what I wanted more of. I wanted to get to know the new, less nasty Sadie. And I wanted to see the other awful people, including Sadie's former sadistic sidekick, experience the karmic repercussions of their actions. I mean, he did end up paying a small price, but I really wanted to see him suffer. What was especially interesting was how the people who appeared normal were actually the nastiest monsters. And Sadie, who was the most awful person at the beginning of the story was the person I ended up liking the most.
I'm not entirely sure what the title means. Maybe that monsters aren't always what they seem? That their monstrosity is not necessarily permanent? The skin of the monster they live in is delicate enough to fall away in the right circumstances? I have no real idea. I do know that I wanted more.This review was originally posted on LeilaReads
lukenotjohn's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really engrossing read that sucked me in in a way that few books have, and while it wasn't necessarily fun given the subject matter, it was definitely an exciting ride. I thought that Kuehn did an exceptional job of pacing the plot and slowly developing each of the characters and the secrets and mysteries they were tangled up in. She also pulled no punches when it came to the boundaries she was willing to push, and I was surprised at multiple times by how graphic and gruesome some of the details she included were, as well as how utterly dark the inner lives of the characters were. Of course, that's also what the book is ultimately about, and a huge part of what made it such an engaging, don't-want-to-stop-reading book was how twisted and disturbing it was.
My major complaint, and what kept this from being higher rated given how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it, is that all of the characters fell a little flat for me. One of the things I'm always hoping for in YA (and rarely find) is well developed secondary characters, and unfortunately that was far from the case here. Trey, May, and the two mothers all seemed like shallow one-note figures to me, although the boy from Sadie's school was interesting. Of the three protagonists, Sadie often came across almost campy in her misanthropy, and while I know she's (most likely? partly?) a sociopath, a lot of her narration just came off as a spoiled supervillian. While I appreciated the juxtaposition of her total carelessness towards others with Emerson's haunting guilt, I still think she could have been explored more seriously and made more complex in that process.
The ending seems to have frustrated a lot of people but actually felt really good to me. It was interesting to see one character embrace the monster within their self for the first time, another resist it for likely the first time, and the third finally submit to theirs entirely while still trying to care for others. There are some frustrations I had around the logistics of it all, but it made for a satisfying and intriguing conclusion to this gripping, twisted story.
My major complaint, and what kept this from being higher rated given how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it, is that all of the characters fell a little flat for me. One of the things I'm always hoping for in YA (and rarely find) is well developed secondary characters, and unfortunately that was far from the case here. Trey, May, and the two mothers all seemed like shallow one-note figures to me, although the boy from Sadie's school was interesting. Of the three protagonists, Sadie often came across almost campy in her misanthropy, and while I know she's (most likely? partly?) a sociopath, a lot of her narration just came off as a spoiled supervillian. While I appreciated the juxtaposition of her total carelessness towards others with Emerson's haunting guilt, I still think she could have been explored more seriously and made more complex in that process.
The ending seems to have frustrated a lot of people but actually felt really good to me. It was interesting to see one character embrace the monster within their self for the first time, another resist it for likely the first time, and the third finally submit to theirs entirely while still trying to care for others. There are some frustrations I had around the logistics of it all, but it made for a satisfying and intriguing conclusion to this gripping, twisted story.