A review by readlexread
Monstrous by Jessica Lewis

I am a bundle of emotions after reading this. Omg. Jessica Lewis did it again. So good. I loved it.


Full review:
When I saw that Jessica Lewis was releasing a horror novel with a Black queer girl whose murderous and vengeful and teams up with a giant snake monster to enact said revenge, I was sold!! I absolutely loved Bad Witch Burning and had high hopes and expectations for this one – I was not disappointed. 

We have Latavia, a teen girl who is spending the summer with her aunt and cousin in small town Alabama before she heads to college (you’ll also find out why it is that she has to stay with her aunt). However, the catch is that this town is creepy, strange, and full of secrets that everyone but Latavia (affectionately known as Avie) knows. She feels like an outsider and quickly learns that they see her as an outsider when she is presented as a sacrifice to a monster in the woods. But Avie is resilient, clever, and determined to survive so she strikes a deal with the monster to both get her revenge on the folks who tried to sacrifice her and also help the monster achieve his goals as well.

So that’s a quick overview of the book. Now here are my thoughts. First, it jumps right in to the action, almost abruptly so particularly because it then slows down a bit but when it picks back up…it picks back up! My jaw legitimately dropped. I was shook. Also, the snake. The monster. Sorry not sorry but I loved him, haha. He was funny and caring and incredibly bloodthirsty, lol. He somehow managed to be funny, sweet, and caring even in the midst of the killing (because yes, many people are unalived in this one.). In addition to the Monster, the two doggie sidekicks were the best! 

I also loved that I didn’t quite know who to trust in this one, which I think is the best part of a good horror/thriller. Avie had her cousin and another friend in the town that she ran with but again, I found myself not knowing who to trust but hoping that I could at least trust those two. Regarding side characters/ensemble cast of characters, this was a great example of letting the romantic subplot stay a subplot. This was done so well!

And like all Jessica Lewis books it seems, I am bound to get all choked up and teary at the end, mainly because found family is so near and dear to me. 

Avie was so dear to me because she had been through soo much and had been betrayed and her trust broken by many people – people that she thought or should have been able to rely and depend on. I was glad to see her find comfort and trust in unexpected places (and things? teehee). And the very best part is that she was vengeful – unapologetically so which I loved. 

Overall, I loved this so much. The pacing at the beginning was a little rocky but it more than made up for it once the story started because once it picked up, it was a ride until the end! I will say that it’s not a gory horror but definitely has horror/thriller themes.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!