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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Scary Monsters is two stories in one and they can be read in either order. I had this on audio and simply listened in the order presented. The first story featured Lili, an Asian-Australian who in the 1980s is teaching in France. She sometimes fears for her safety, has issues with her downstairs neighbour, and is well aware of the killings of young women around the world. She also notes the attitudes towards and treatment of North African migrants in France and connects those to her experiences being Asian in Australia. Lyle is also an Asian migrant to Australia. His story is set in a very believable near future, one where the government is obsessed with “Australian values”, assimilation is crucial for migrants, Islam is banned, and the effects of climate change are clear. We watch Lyle dealing with his feelings of vulnerability in the political and social environment, alongside dealing with issues connected to other members of his family.
I enjoyed each of these stories separately, Lyle’s more so than Lili’s. I loved the title Scary Monsters, especially as the themes of racism, sexism and ageism played out against it. While few readers would have trouble considering the serial killers in Lili’s story to be “scary monsters”, most would struggle applying that title to themselves or those they know, ordinary people who “aren’t really racist/sexist/ageist” but in reality are to at least some degree. Lyle’s story all too clearly highlights what could happen if we don’t deal with those and other “scary monsters” in our midst, and let them gain control. The two stories definitely were definitely in conversation with each other even if together they don’t necessarily conform to traditional expectations regarding a novel. They did deliver a satisfying, thought provoking read and that is what mattered to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Islamophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
aseel_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a genius novel, i loved the premise of two interwinning stories, one set in the past and one set in the future. my sister wrote an essay for her uni english class, so i know all about the themes of the stories. really impactful for something so short.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia, Murder, Xenophobia, Stalking, Death, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, Ableism, and Death of parent
ayah_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
5.0
A reread (2023) of what has now become one of my all time favourite novels. I'll be presenting at an academic conference on this book and so to be fully prepared for it, I reread this brilliant novel and loved it all over again.
Rereading this through, Lyle's story hits so much more emotionally than the first time round. First time round it felt like a dystopian horror story and it definitely still is, but the way in which he has to break himself and become a person "with missing pieces" hurt more. He killed the only connection he had left to his home, to his true self, Ivy is like the dog they put down at the beginning of the novel, he's all about the future and yet he cannot imagine this post-Ivy future, he's pulled back into the past now, remembering what he believes he should leave behind. Rereading had me understanding and appreciating different aspects of the story, the way in which Lyle is such an unreliable narrator, he can't be trusted on his opinion/perspective on anyone (everything he says about Ivy?? Absolutely cannot be trusted), how we only ever get glimpses into his truth. There other parts I want to discuss and analyse - what is the meaning of Lyle misreading/mishearing words, why is Chanel the way she is, and what of the character of their children?
My reread of Lili's story has me feeling an instant emotional connection to her. I don't know if it's because we're now the same age, both immigrant women, but so much of her interior thoughts hit. The first time round I was figuring out what she meant, now I feel like I understand it so much more easily and I'm able to slip into her slice life story like I read it yesterday. Everything from "it counted for something but not enough", what it means to be a WoC, the threat of violence, the white feminism, "What might be the consequences of that?", "Why didn't the Arab have a name?", "ce n'est pas normal", "some people had history and other people had lives" - I feel and understand it all. While I love both stories, I think Lili's story has a special place for me because of that. I always thought I didn't like slice of life stories or more literary contemporaries, turns out when it's written by a BIPOC about BIPOC people it makes all the difference in the world. And then - knowing her ending from Lyle's story will never not hurt.
I could write essays on essays on this novel and I'm so excited to get to be part of a conference to celebrate the brilliance of this novel and the rest of Michelle de Kretser's work!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First read 2022, 4.5 stars.
That was horrifying and brilliant and I kind of have no words.
I read Lili first, Lyle second. While Lyle's story was more impactful as Lili's was very slice of life, finding out what happened to Lili in Lyle's story was gut punching.
I'm glad I read them in the order I did.
This is a read for my Australia Fiction course and I'm so glad to read this book for uni because I NEED to analyse the hell of this. I think I want to write my essay on this but I also have no idea where to start.
Rereading this through, Lyle's story hits so much more emotionally than the first time round. First time round it felt like a dystopian horror story and it definitely still is, but the way in which he has to break himself and become a person "with missing pieces" hurt more. He killed the only connection he had left to his home, to his true self, Ivy is like the dog they put down at the beginning of the novel, he's all about the future and yet he cannot imagine this post-Ivy future, he's pulled back into the past now, remembering what he believes he should leave behind. Rereading had me understanding and appreciating different aspects of the story, the way in which Lyle is such an unreliable narrator, he can't be trusted on his opinion/perspective on anyone (everything he says about Ivy?? Absolutely cannot be trusted), how we only ever get glimpses into his truth. There other parts I want to discuss and analyse - what is the meaning of Lyle misreading/mishearing words, why is Chanel the way she is, and what of the character of their children?
My reread of Lili's story has me feeling an instant emotional connection to her. I don't know if it's because we're now the same age, both immigrant women, but so much of her interior thoughts hit. The first time round I was figuring out what she meant, now I feel like I understand it so much more easily and I'm able to slip into her slice life story like I read it yesterday. Everything from "it counted for something but not enough", what it means to be a WoC, the threat of violence, the white feminism, "What might be the consequences of that?", "Why didn't the Arab have a name?", "ce n'est pas normal", "some people had history and other people had lives" - I feel and understand it all. While I love both stories, I think Lili's story has a special place for me because of that. I always thought I didn't like slice of life stories or more literary contemporaries, turns out when it's written by a BIPOC about BIPOC people it makes all the difference in the world. And then - knowing her ending from Lyle's story will never not hurt.
I could write essays on essays on this novel and I'm so excited to get to be part of a conference to celebrate the brilliance of this novel and the rest of Michelle de Kretser's work!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First read 2022, 4.5 stars.
That was horrifying and brilliant and I kind of have no words.
I read Lili first, Lyle second. While Lyle's story was more impactful as Lili's was very slice of life, finding out what happened to Lili in Lyle's story was gut punching.
I'm glad I read them in the order I did.
This is a read for my Australia Fiction course and I'm so glad to read this book for uni because I NEED to analyse the hell of this. I think I want to write my essay on this but I also have no idea where to start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
lynleybidlake's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Infidelity and Vomit
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