A review by abookwormwithwine
It Takes Monsters by Mandy McHugh

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What the?! Clearly, I put off reading this author for much too long, and now that Mandy McHugh blew me away with It Takes Monsters, I definitely need to go back and read her debut ASAP. From the very beginning, I had no idea where the story was going to go, and it took me places I didn’t expect at all. The story is told completely from Victoria’s viewpoint, and I almost feel like that heightened the suspense even more for me. The climax is bold and completely wild, and while you will have to suspend some disbelief, it is totally worth it. One part especially shocked me and all I can say is hold on to your hat’s folks, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

I also have nothing but praise to sing about the audiobook which Alex Picard narrates. She made this an incredible listening experience and even if I hadn’t loved the book as much as I did, I still would have loved her. Her tone, pacing, and emotion were all perfectly on point, so you can’t go wrong by listening to It Takes Monsters. I also highly recommend going into the book as blindly as possible as that will just up the suspense and curiosity factor. It was truly a mind-blowing read that kept me guessing, and I can’t wait to see what McHugh will write next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.