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pandafan7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
When #auslit makes it’s way to you all the way from 🇺🇸 with a glowing endorsement from @bookchew, you start reading it the day it arrives. And then you literally don’t stop until you finish 👀
Making Friends with Monsters follows 12yr old Sam, a boy living in a rural community battling his way through family dysfunction and mental health challenges - life in farming communities during drought is it’s own category of “difficult,” where the financial strains on families are just as intense and immediate as the thirsty fields blowing dust where soil and crops once flourished. This took a no-holds-barred approach to the tough topic of masculinity in these settings, the nuances of this Australian experience that might be all too familiar for many readers (not dissimilar to Jane Harper’s The Lost Man).
What I connected to most in this story was the way it navigates resilience - not with toxic positivity or a “everything works out in the end” narrative - it really jumped into extremities and how people can build themselves up to support self and community deal with whatever life confronts them with. The emphasis on community and open lines of community make me think this is a novel that would be helpful in the hands and minds of young readers, and it reminded me a lot of the way these stories can tell important lessons, similar to the vibe I got from Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks.
Thanks for sending me this, Julie! I loved it 👏🏻 and I know just the young readers to send this on to next 💌
Making Friends with Monsters follows 12yr old Sam, a boy living in a rural community battling his way through family dysfunction and mental health challenges - life in farming communities during drought is it’s own category of “difficult,” where the financial strains on families are just as intense and immediate as the thirsty fields blowing dust where soil and crops once flourished. This took a no-holds-barred approach to the tough topic of masculinity in these settings, the nuances of this Australian experience that might be all too familiar for many readers (not dissimilar to Jane Harper’s The Lost Man).
What I connected to most in this story was the way it navigates resilience - not with toxic positivity or a “everything works out in the end” narrative - it really jumped into extremities and how people can build themselves up to support self and community deal with whatever life confronts them with. The emphasis on community and open lines of community make me think this is a novel that would be helpful in the hands and minds of young readers, and it reminded me a lot of the way these stories can tell important lessons, similar to the vibe I got from Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks.
Thanks for sending me this, Julie! I loved it 👏🏻 and I know just the young readers to send this on to next 💌
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Mental illness
georgia_sara93's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kirstycarson1's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
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