Scan barcode
A review by molly_blackburn
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up!
I really enjoyed this debut, it was interesting, engaging and full of action. I loved the fantasy/sci-fi element and the plot was fun and fast-paced. I've already got the sequel, Never a Hero ready to read!
Only a Monster is a young adult low fantasy which follows Joan, a girl who is fascinated by history and spends her summer at her Nan's house in London. However, Joan’s summer holiday quickly goes from bad to worse when Joan discovers that not only are monsters real, but that there are several monster families across London and her family is one of them!
I liked the use of time travel as the fantasy/sci-fi element of the story, it was unique and nothing like I've read before. I do have some slight confusion around the logistics but overall that didn't affect my rating. The story worked with what we were given and I enjoyed the historical aspects and the monster world as a whole.
The writing and FMC are both very YA but the story is on the darker side which I think worked well. There are some graphic scenes in the book but nothing too squeamish. The book had some great plot twists and I'm excited to see how some of these might come into play later in the trilogy.
I liked the characters in the book, while Joan is your typical naive 17-year-old YA FMC, I grew fond of her through the read and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing more of her coming into her own in the next book. Aaron is a particular favourite of mine, he gave me major Aaron Warner vibes!
I listened to most of the story via audiobook which I initially really enjoyed but the further into the book I got the more the narration became hit-and-miss.
What to expect:
* Young Adult
* Low Fantasy/Sci-Fi
* Time Travel
* Chosen One
* Love Triangle
* 2 x Enemies-to-Lovers
* Dual-Heritage FMC
* Incomplete Trilogy
I really enjoyed this debut, it was interesting, engaging and full of action. I loved the fantasy/sci-fi element and the plot was fun and fast-paced. I've already got the sequel, Never a Hero ready to read!
Only a Monster is a young adult low fantasy which follows Joan, a girl who is fascinated by history and spends her summer at her Nan's house in London. However, Joan’s summer holiday quickly goes from bad to worse when Joan discovers that not only are monsters real, but that there are several monster families across London and her family is one of them!
I liked the use of time travel as the fantasy/sci-fi element of the story, it was unique and nothing like I've read before. I do have some slight confusion around the logistics but overall that didn't affect my rating. The story worked with what we were given and I enjoyed the historical aspects and the monster world as a whole.
The writing and FMC are both very YA but the story is on the darker side which I think worked well. There are some graphic scenes in the book but nothing too squeamish. The book had some great plot twists and I'm excited to see how some of these might come into play later in the trilogy.
I liked the characters in the book, while Joan is your typical naive 17-year-old YA FMC, I grew fond of her through the read and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing more of her coming into her own in the next book. Aaron is a particular favourite of mine, he gave me major Aaron Warner vibes!
I listened to most of the story via audiobook which I initially really enjoyed but the further into the book I got the more the narration became hit-and-miss.
What to expect:
* Young Adult
* Low Fantasy/Sci-Fi
* Time Travel
* Chosen One
* Love Triangle
* 2 x Enemies-to-Lovers
* Dual-Heritage FMC
* Incomplete Trilogy