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A review by conjurerachel
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah
4.0
It is rare that I see a book live up to its comp titles. Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah is the perfect companion to The Scorpio Races and The Hunger Games, weaving both an immersive atmosphere and a high-stakes tournament where only the strong survive.
Koral comes from a family of renters on a deadly island where monsters roam the sea and sky. As her sister gets sicker and her family is threatened with losing what little status they have left, she cheats her way to join the Glory Race, a tournament that has competitors race on maristaggs, one of the most dangerous creatures on the island. But a lifetime of training these monsters cannot prepare her for what's inside the Dome and the fracturing socio-politics that threaten to devour everything.
Berwah draws on her South Asian background, grounding this dystopian fantasy with real and current issues about caste systems and abusive powers. Koral is more than just marginalized, she's isolated from a number of support systems, a community that could help her rise. This is, in my opinion, what many dystopian novels lack, characters who are truly outcasts who have no good choices left. Even the rebellion and rogues are shown in shades of gray, twisting on the usual YA tropes. It's rare that I've seen this kind of portrayal since The Hunger Games.
Monsters Born and Made is a book that needs a sequel. I want to see more of Dorian and Koral's relationship develop, what happens to her family, the mysteries of the world – please, Sourcebooks! This book got me through a heatwave in the city!
A copy was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Koral comes from a family of renters on a deadly island where monsters roam the sea and sky. As her sister gets sicker and her family is threatened with losing what little status they have left, she cheats her way to join the Glory Race, a tournament that has competitors race on maristaggs, one of the most dangerous creatures on the island. But a lifetime of training these monsters cannot prepare her for what's inside the Dome and the fracturing socio-politics that threaten to devour everything.
Berwah draws on her South Asian background, grounding this dystopian fantasy with real and current issues about caste systems and abusive powers. Koral is more than just marginalized, she's isolated from a number of support systems, a community that could help her rise. This is, in my opinion, what many dystopian novels lack, characters who are truly outcasts who have no good choices left. Even the rebellion and rogues are shown in shades of gray, twisting on the usual YA tropes. It's rare that I've seen this kind of portrayal since The Hunger Games.
Monsters Born and Made is a book that needs a sequel. I want to see more of Dorian and Koral's relationship develop, what happens to her family, the mysteries of the world – please, Sourcebooks! This book got me through a heatwave in the city!
A copy was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.