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pwbalto's review against another edition
4.0
Just shy of that last star because I found the ending pretty anticlimactic. I felt like we were being set up for a sequel, which in a way fits because sibling relationships never really end, they just boil up periodically and then simmer down again. But still - the book sets up extremely strong characters who don't seem like they'd settle for anything less than a knock-down drag-out fight.
cuckleberryfins's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly loving these brutal YA Horror heroines
rodeorocks13's review against another edition
5.0
Here there are monsters is not what I expected and I mean this in a good way. This novel is suspenseful, creepy and intriguing.
Once you start reading you won't want to put it down. I loved every part. The story has a medium to fast pace that just picks up a quicker pace as the story gets deeper. There are a lot of twists and a good amount of mystery.
I honestly can only think of one thing that I didn't like about this novel. And that one thing is that I wanted more after I finished it. It left me with a book hangover feeling. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger but it makes you want more from this authors writing. And even this is not a bad thing.
I highly recommend this book if you want a dark, creepy young adult thriller. It also makes the perfect October read for those of us who like reading creepy books right before halloween.
I received an advanced copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Once you start reading you won't want to put it down. I loved every part. The story has a medium to fast pace that just picks up a quicker pace as the story gets deeper. There are a lot of twists and a good amount of mystery.
I honestly can only think of one thing that I didn't like about this novel. And that one thing is that I wanted more after I finished it. It left me with a book hangover feeling. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger but it makes you want more from this authors writing. And even this is not a bad thing.
I highly recommend this book if you want a dark, creepy young adult thriller. It also makes the perfect October read for those of us who like reading creepy books right before halloween.
I received an advanced copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
someonetookit's review
4.0
ACTUAL RATING 3.5 STARS
Where to start with this one. I absolutely adored this cover, its simply divine and I requested solely based on the cover. Well, the cover and kind of the blurb, mostly the cover though.
This tale for the first 40%-ish was really enjoyable; it was spooky and had great ambience with the reader able to guess what was happening but never really knowing what was going on. But then around the half way mark it quickly devolved and turned into an indescribable cacophony of clashing story points. I liked the slow burn, once things started talking to her it got really weird. By the end, I had more or less switched off with the final pages feeling just a little unnecessary – I understand why to include the ambulance but not why the school… A note about pacing too, the blurb says something knocks and asks her for a task – this is almost half way into the novel…
So, the characters were a little loopy and I swear her little sister is one of the most co-dependant characters I have ever read. She doesn’t stop until she disappears (well she disappears and then is dependant but that’s a timeline skipping thing soooo). And Skye is just mean once they move - I had older siblings who didn’t want to play with me, they were never this cruel. At first, I felt a little sorry for her and the backstory helped with this, but by the end, I just thought she was a crazy person and wondered if the whole thing was just a hallucinogenic fever dream.
Now this book wasn’t a complete loss, as I said earlier, the first half did its job in being creepy and atmospheric. The secondary characters all seemed genuinely fearful for their own safety after Psycho Skye arrives and were written in a relatable way. It was a very fast paced novel with a lot happening in a short period of time. I also enjoyed the few background chapters that were included prior to their move. The actual premise of the story was amazing, I just feel like it needed a little bit different execution to make it really hit home
Where to start with this one. I absolutely adored this cover, its simply divine and I requested solely based on the cover. Well, the cover and kind of the blurb, mostly the cover though.
This tale for the first 40%-ish was really enjoyable; it was spooky and had great ambience with the reader able to guess what was happening but never really knowing what was going on. But then around the half way mark it quickly devolved and turned into an indescribable cacophony of clashing story points. I liked the slow burn, once things started talking to her it got really weird. By the end, I had more or less switched off with the final pages feeling just a little unnecessary – I understand why to include the ambulance but not why the school… A note about pacing too, the blurb says something knocks and asks her for a task – this is almost half way into the novel…
So, the characters were a little loopy and I swear her little sister is one of the most co-dependant characters I have ever read. She doesn’t stop until she disappears (well she disappears and then is dependant but that’s a timeline skipping thing soooo). And Skye is just mean once they move - I had older siblings who didn’t want to play with me, they were never this cruel. At first, I felt a little sorry for her and the backstory helped with this, but by the end, I just thought she was a crazy person and wondered if the whole thing was just a hallucinogenic fever dream.
Now this book wasn’t a complete loss, as I said earlier, the first half did its job in being creepy and atmospheric. The secondary characters all seemed genuinely fearful for their own safety after Psycho Skye arrives and were written in a relatable way. It was a very fast paced novel with a lot happening in a short period of time. I also enjoyed the few background chapters that were included prior to their move. The actual premise of the story was amazing, I just feel like it needed a little bit different execution to make it really hit home
sausome's review
4.0
Frankly, I'm surprised at how many people found this disappointing or boring ... I thought it was quite good! Definitely a dark horror tale, somewhat fantasy, more Ancient-Dark-Unbending-Things-Live-in-the-Woods. This isn't a fluff tale where everything gets put in a neat package, or things seem to work out and there's love, blah blah blah. It's decidedly NOT that, and I fully appreciate that in the YA universe, where things are syrupy and sappy and dramatic and cloyingly "For-the-Kids."
The creepiness was subtle, then unwavering - kind of "The Craft" in an ancient-dark-woods-fairy kind of way, if that makes any sense at all? People are hurt; people disappear; bad things are required, and are not forgiven. The imagery is fantastic. The writing put me in the woods, in the cold and the damp. I even felt a misty kind of air in those crunching, creaking woods.
The book doesn't really gallop or even trot along, so much as slither and slip beneath a leaf-covered ground. That's what this book is like. Dark and anciently so.
The creepiness was subtle, then unwavering - kind of "The Craft" in an ancient-dark-woods-fairy kind of way, if that makes any sense at all? People are hurt; people disappear; bad things are required, and are not forgiven. The imagery is fantastic. The writing put me in the woods, in the cold and the damp. I even felt a misty kind of air in those crunching, creaking woods.
The book doesn't really gallop or even trot along, so much as slither and slip beneath a leaf-covered ground. That's what this book is like. Dark and anciently so.
sandstorm23's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alceriniel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It was interesting enough to keep me interested, but I hated 9/10ths of the characters and the ending was meh.
bluebeereads's review
4.0
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed it. The writing and the atmosphere were excellent. I loved the creepy vibes, the messy relationships and flawed characters. I did feel like there's some things unresolved in the end. I'm left with so many questions, but I don't mind it so much?
But I did enjoy it a lot and it was hard to put down.
I really enjoyed it. The writing and the atmosphere were excellent. I loved the creepy vibes, the messy relationships and flawed characters. I did feel like there's some things unresolved in the end. I'm left with so many questions, but I don't mind it so much?
But I did enjoy it a lot and it was hard to put down.
theoutdoorlibrarian's review
4.0
When I started this book I was unsure about it. However, as the story progresses I found myself desperate to find out what was going to happen. I think for a YA horror story this book has exactly what you're looking for. There are many nuances to The Blair Witch Project, which I really appreciated. And yet the book still has a feeling of newness and follows a story that I don't think I've actually read. Here There Are Monsters kept me guessing until the very end, and left me reeling from what had actually happened. I will absolutely recommend this book to friends and family, and patrons that come into my library.
silencia167's review
3.0
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
https://therealityofbooks.wordpress.com/2019/07/23/here-there-are-monsters-by-amelinda-berube/
https://therealityofbooks.wordpress.com/2019/07/23/here-there-are-monsters-by-amelinda-berube/