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A review by abookandchai
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
only a monster is a solid debut!
i was intrigued as soon as i got to know of time travel and monsters with terrifying powers. suffice to say i really liked how len played with the interpretation of monsters here, the balance between their human nature and the reality of their powers. the worldbuilding is easy to understand though there are aspects i would love the story to explore in the sequels. this book is fast paced, with an easy flowing writing and good reveals to keep me hooked throughout. the descriptions of the times the characters traveled through were visualised so well, the writing is probably my favourite thing about the book.
while this was a good 4 star read i'm sad that the "enemies-to-lovers/enemy soulmates" trope did not deliver. the build up with nick had SO much potential but the execution falls through which made me feel nothing for their so called romance. and consequently the ending felt too convenient. joan's... feelings (?) for aaron weren't convincing either because he's way too in his head and didn't bother explaining anything at all to joan or the reader. also, joan marching into the monster side of the world, trying to change timelines and save her family seemed kind of stupid considering she didn't know literally *anything* about monsters and their powers. hopefully she's on the road to character development for the next books.
this is in no way a bad book! i'm very impressed that this is a debut and i'm so excited to see where the story goes in the sequel. (which won't be out for another year omg) i really hope we see more development in every aspect and i enjoy it just as much as this, if not more!
thank you harper collins and netgalley for the arc!
i was intrigued as soon as i got to know of time travel and monsters with terrifying powers. suffice to say i really liked how len played with the interpretation of monsters here, the balance between their human nature and the reality of their powers. the worldbuilding is easy to understand though there are aspects i would love the story to explore in the sequels. this book is fast paced, with an easy flowing writing and good reveals to keep me hooked throughout. the descriptions of the times the characters traveled through were visualised so well, the writing is probably my favourite thing about the book.
while this was a good 4 star read i'm sad that the "enemies-to-lovers/enemy soulmates" trope did not deliver. the build up with nick had SO much potential but the execution falls through which made me feel nothing for their so called romance. and consequently the ending felt too convenient. joan's... feelings (?) for aaron weren't convincing either because he's way too in his head and didn't bother explaining anything at all to joan or the reader. also, joan marching into the monster side of the world, trying to change timelines and save her family seemed kind of stupid considering she didn't know literally *anything* about monsters and their powers. hopefully she's on the road to character development for the next books.
this is in no way a bad book! i'm very impressed that this is a debut and i'm so excited to see where the story goes in the sequel. (which won't be out for another year omg) i really hope we see more development in every aspect and i enjoy it just as much as this, if not more!
thank you harper collins and netgalley for the arc!