Review by geekmom - The Monsters We Defy

geekmom 's review for:

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I read this novel with a book club, and we all enjoyed it, especially as we started looking up the various locations, people, and terminology that some of us were unfamiliar with and learning about elements of Black history that are woven into the book. I think the biggest strength of this novel is that it is incredibly well-researched -- but the author never resorts to infodumping (ironically, in the afterword, it sounds like Penelope found the research to be very challenging because she was writing at the height of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns). Clara Johnson, the main character, was based on a real person, and the story features people and locations that tell the story of Black history in Washington, D.C., some highly influential. The characters in this book (both fictional and based on real life) are likeable, strong, and working hard in their own unique ways to overcome societal restrictions and oppression.

I wish I could have felt a bit more invested in the characters and the story, though, because while there was so much to like in this book, it felt like there were elements of the story that felt a bit hand-wavey; sometimes people's motivations were left unexplained, and many actions characters took (or failed to take) were a little too convenient in moving the plot forward. Having said that, I'll look for Penelope's other work because there was so much she did well in this novel, and I'm very glad I read it because I learned so much.

Content Warnings