A review by haileyhardcover
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’ll start with what I liked. There are a lot of side characters in this story, and every time a new one is introduced, we get a short chapter with their personal backstory. Having those set apart from the rest of the book rather than trying to weave those details into what was happening present day made for a nice reading experience. I got to understand each of the characters better on a quick little side quest. Loved that. I also appreciated the real (or just slightly altered) history in the story. I was not familiar with Clara “Carrie” Minor Johnson’s story before and I’m glad to know it now. Without spoilers, I will also say that the first portion of the epilogue made me a little teary eyed, and I’m glad it was included. 

All that said, this book is about 100 pages too long. I felt like most of the time I was just slogging through so much unnecessary subplot waiting for something of substance to happen. What could’ve been a really exciting, fast paced mystery/adventure was just… meh. Picking up this book felt like a chore every time, and it’s one of those that I forced myself to finish, when I really should have just DNF’d… 
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