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criticalbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence
maple_dove's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse and Violence
Minor: Drug use and Emotional abuse
Dating violence (minor)dalmavatai's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
Wow, this book completely took me by surprise and if I'm honest, just totally stole my heart.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, and War
beckycarter97's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
pitythechild's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, Child death, Murder, Suicide, and Hate crime
Minor warnings mostly apply to backstory/worldbuilding information provided early on. Child abuse (emotional, physical, and implied sexual) is heavily discussed and thematically relevant but not actually shown on-page, nor is it described in explicit detail.gem114's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
This is the best book I've read so far in 2021.
Pet is a rather friendly name for a 7 foot fall, horned and clawed monster hunter, but this creature is not as scary as the real monster who lurks unseen in the town of Lucille.
When Pet arrives in Lucille with the help of 15-year-old Jam, the two go on the hunt together along with Jam's best friend, Redemption.
The novel is about the quest for a monster, but the lesson below the surface is that our refusal to see the unseen, our preference to live in blissful ignorance, makes us complicit with the monsters themselves. Like Jam, Redemption, and the people of Lucille, we need to be willing to shed our comfort and our denial in order to better our society.
I really can't say enough about this powerful novel. Now I just have to find a way to sneak it into my curriculum!
Pet is a rather friendly name for a 7 foot fall, horned and clawed monster hunter, but this creature is not as scary as the real monster who lurks unseen in the town of Lucille.
When Pet arrives in Lucille with the help of 15-year-old Jam, the two go on the hunt together along with Jam's best friend, Redemption.
The novel is about the quest for a monster, but the lesson below the surface is that our refusal to see the unseen, our preference to live in blissful ignorance, makes us complicit with the monsters themselves. Like Jam, Redemption, and the people of Lucille, we need to be willing to shed our comfort and our denial in order to better our society.
I really can't say enough about this powerful novel. Now I just have to find a way to sneak it into my curriculum!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Vomit
spiritedfaraway's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
What does a monster look like? Jam asked.
Her mother focused on her, cupping her cheek in a chalky hand. "Monsters don't look like anything, doux-doux. That's the whole point. That's the whole problem.”
Evil takes many forms and shapes and monsters don't look or seem like monsters, until suddenly they do. Monsters are people and can be anyone: your neighbor you say good morning to, the little old lady you sit next to on the bus, a favorite family member.
And in Lucille, where it is taught that there are no more monsters? Where the adults refuse to believe that there are any bad people left?
What do you do when you have to reconsider everything you’ve ever been taught? And that, in fact, there is still a monster and it’s in your friend’s house.
“The problem is, when you think you’ve been without monsters for so long, sometimes you forget what they look like, what they sound like, no matter how much remembering your education urges you to do. It’s not the same when the monsters are gone. You’re only remembering shadows of them, stories that seem to be limited to the pages or screens you read them from. Flat and dull things. So, yes, people forget. But forgetting is dangerous.
Forgetting is how the monsters come back.”
Jam is horrified when Pet, a being of colors and claws, tells her there is a monster lurking near her best friend. She's determined to figure out the truth, no matter what any of the adults have to say on the matter. Because the adults are sure that there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong.
But as Jam discovers, refusing to look and see the truth doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t mean something isn’t happening. Denying the truth doesn’t make something any less true.
“A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not.”
This was an absolutely riveting and reflective read that truly packed a punch. I honestly have so many thoughts and feelings about this book, but not the words to describe how amazing this book was. I will definitely be thinking about this for quite a while.
Her mother focused on her, cupping her cheek in a chalky hand. "Monsters don't look like anything, doux-doux. That's the whole point. That's the whole problem.”
Evil takes many forms and shapes and monsters don't look or seem like monsters, until suddenly they do. Monsters are people and can be anyone: your neighbor you say good morning to, the little old lady you sit next to on the bus, a favorite family member.
And in Lucille, where it is taught that there are no more monsters? Where the adults refuse to believe that there are any bad people left?
What do you do when you have to reconsider everything you’ve ever been taught? And that, in fact, there is still a monster and it’s in your friend’s house.
“The problem is, when you think you’ve been without monsters for so long, sometimes you forget what they look like, what they sound like, no matter how much remembering your education urges you to do. It’s not the same when the monsters are gone. You’re only remembering shadows of them, stories that seem to be limited to the pages or screens you read them from. Flat and dull things. So, yes, people forget. But forgetting is dangerous.
Forgetting is how the monsters come back.”
Jam is horrified when Pet, a being of colors and claws, tells her there is a monster lurking near her best friend. She's determined to figure out the truth, no matter what any of the adults have to say on the matter. Because the adults are sure that there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong.
But as Jam discovers, refusing to look and see the truth doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t mean something isn’t happening. Denying the truth doesn’t make something any less true.
“A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not.”
This was an absolutely riveting and reflective read that truly packed a punch. I honestly have so many thoughts and feelings about this book, but not the words to describe how amazing this book was. I will definitely be thinking about this for quite a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Torture
Minor: Rape
A character does dissociate in a scene and thinks about it a couple times as well.moeckles's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I don't know if I have the proper words, but I can tell you this is one of the best books I have read in a long while. The pacing, the characters, the everything was just. so. good. Please please pick this up if you are at all interested. I am absolutely going to find and read everything Akwaeke Emezi has written now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, and Body horror
that_bookworm_guy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5*
I struggled to rate this as either a 3 or 4, so I went for the middle.
Pet is a short book at just over 200 pages. I originally found it when searching for middle grade books with LGBT+ characters, but this is definitely not MG. It’s YA, but minus the swearing and the overall theme, kinda reads like MG.
It’s a fairly quick read and the story’s pace is fairly quick. I did enjoy the story overall, but I just would have loved for it to be a bit longer and maybe include more world building. The concept is very interesting but isn’t really developed further than finding the monster in Redemption’s house
I struggled to rate this as either a 3 or 4, so I went for the middle.
Pet is a short book at just over 200 pages. I originally found it when searching for middle grade books with LGBT+ characters, but this is definitely not MG. It’s YA, but minus the swearing and the overall theme, kinda reads like MG.
It’s a fairly quick read and the story’s pace is fairly quick. I did enjoy the story overall, but I just would have loved for it to be a bit longer and maybe include more world building. The concept is very interesting but isn’t really developed further than finding the monster in Redemption’s house
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse