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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: (provided by the author) childhood sexual assault (off page, some details discussed), childhood physical abuse (corporal punishment, off page, described), childhood physical abuse (confinement punishment), childhood neglect, gaslighting, grooming, suicide (off page, mention), death of an animal (off page, described), discussions of fatphobia, body horror/gore, violence, death
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury is a standalone YA horror that was absolutely excellent. This book has me in a vice grip the entire time. I think this is the first horror book I've ever given five stars to. This is what I want from the horror genre.
We follow two perspectives: Daisy, a troubled girl who can see ghosts and whose mother inherits a huge mansion in northern Ontario. Daisy is looking forward to being out of Toronto to escape the thoughts of being dumped by her boyfriend, but she quickly finds out that there is something up with the house, and her mom is keeping some major secrets. And Brittany ten years later, who helps run a popular web series called Haunted. She is desperate to get out from under her own mother's thumb and the fame her mother has garnered with her book, "Miracle Mansion." She gets wrapped up in her pursuit of what really happened in that mansion with Daisy and to expose the monsters that hide in plain sight.
There is so much I loved about this book. The feeling of dread and suspense was executed perfectly, and made me want to keep reading past my bed time. The complicated mother-daughter relationships. We see two very different (but in some ways similar) relationship dynamics between Daisy and her mom and Brittany and her mom. I love that Brittany's focus for the web series was Forgotten Black Girls. It really makes it clear that the public doesn't like seeing our faces on the news. How many true crime documentaries are there about white women and girls, and how many are about Black women and girls? The answer is almost none.
We also get a heartbreaking story about abuse, and the people who let it happen and turn a blind eye. There were a few reveals I guessed pretty early on, but there were plenty of other twists I didn't see coming until the two timelines converged. The back and forth of Daisy's story and Brittany's was a great way to do that. We also get some really great plant imagery (where my plant people at?!) and creepy birds. The house itself was its own sinister character that would have had me running.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Liselle Sambury is amazing. I already love her Blood Like Magic duology, but now I will actively be looking for her other books.
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury is a standalone YA horror that was absolutely excellent. This book has me in a vice grip the entire time. I think this is the first horror book I've ever given five stars to. This is what I want from the horror genre.
We follow two perspectives: Daisy, a troubled girl who can see ghosts and whose mother inherits a huge mansion in northern Ontario. Daisy is looking forward to being out of Toronto to escape the thoughts of being dumped by her boyfriend, but she quickly finds out that there is something up with the house, and her mom is keeping some major secrets. And Brittany ten years later, who helps run a popular web series called Haunted. She is desperate to get out from under her own mother's thumb and the fame her mother has garnered with her book, "Miracle Mansion." She gets wrapped up in her pursuit of what really happened in that mansion with Daisy and to expose the monsters that hide in plain sight.
There is so much I loved about this book. The feeling of dread and suspense was executed perfectly, and made me want to keep reading past my bed time. The complicated mother-daughter relationships. We see two very different (but in some ways similar) relationship dynamics between Daisy and her mom and Brittany and her mom. I love that Brittany's focus for the web series was Forgotten Black Girls. It really makes it clear that the public doesn't like seeing our faces on the news. How many true crime documentaries are there about white women and girls, and how many are about Black women and girls? The answer is almost none.
We also get a heartbreaking story about abuse, and the people who let it happen and turn a blind eye. There were a few reveals I guessed pretty early on, but there were plenty of other twists I didn't see coming until the two timelines converged. The back and forth of Daisy's story and Brittany's was a great way to do that. We also get some really great plant imagery (where my plant people at?!) and creepy birds. The house itself was its own sinister character that would have had me running.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Liselle Sambury is amazing. I already love her Blood Like Magic duology, but now I will actively be looking for her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Death, Fatphobia, and Suicide