A review by brecox
We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book left me so wonderfully conflicted: Content but upset with the ending, in awe of the story telling but mad that it had to end, and craving more but satisfied with what I read. 

Tara Sim borrows bits of Frankenstein in an amazing retelling of Halahala. Infused with Hindu mythology (and some Buddhist), the story follows Kajal’s quest to bring her sister back to life. Every bit of Hindu lore was explained in a way that even someone with little background knowledge of Hinduism could follow. I only know the basics and could keep up- though I did constantly look up pronunciations. A pronunciation guide would be the cherry on top. Plus the typical tropes (one horse, for example) were done in a different way- understated but definitely a trope. 

The writing style is beautiful. The prose is not overly flowery. The horror aspect was well done. The horror scenes were scary without being over the top. There was definitely some Walking Dead vibes! Even with the horror, the banter was really amusing. The small snippet of romance was cute and believeable- no falling head over heels immediately. 

The characters were so relatable. Kajal is witty, strong-willed, and perceptive. I really enjoyed her character’s growth, especially at the end. Tav was tragic and almost underdone- I wanted more of him! But I like how his actions make more sense by the end. 

The pacing was different but not bad. Youre thrown into the story fast paced with a hundred questions. The pacing slows down, but never to a point where it gets boring. When I thought I was in a lull there would be a wild twist that had me audibly gasping (or yelling or screaming “no no no!”). 

This is definitely a book I will re-read over and over. I’m surprised it’s not blowing up on social media.