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A review by ashction
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
5.0
My review can truly be summed up in one word: MASTERPIECE.
This book is a true THRILL. At no point did I actually know what was coming next, and it was gloriously perfect. I am SCREAMING. STUPIFIED. I need EVERYONE to read this!!!
Joan Chang-Hunt is having the perfect summer at her Gran's house. When she isn't spending time with her odd family, she works at a local museum and swoons over Nick, a coworker of hers who just might like her back if their planned date is anything to go by. Everything is just right - until Joan accidentally uncovers a family secret. She is half-human, half-monster, with the ability to time travel by siphoning off human's lives by touch. Joan is horrified by the discovery. But when Joan and Nick are attacked by the Olivers, another family of monsters, Joan discovers she has no idea how deep her horror can go. Because the thing about Nick? He's a monster hunter, and not just any monster hunter. Nick is the hero prophesied to end monsters for good.
As if things can't get worse, Nick and his allies slaughter all monster families, including the Hunts and the Olivers, in one night. Joan's only ally is another survivor, Aaron Oliver. The Olivers and Hunts are enemies, but without many other options (and because Aaron owes Joan for saving his life), the two escape together to 1993. But not all is as it seems, and Joan is thrust into a world she's never known as she attempts to do the impossible: end Nick's life in order to bring the families back to life.
I obviously cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. The world is deeply fascinating. There are families of monsters with time-traveling abilities, and each family has their own individual power. Memory, disappearing objects, magic eyesight, to name only a few. There's also a compelling mystery threading through the narrative, and to top it off, family secrets and hidden powers. There's also a love triangle, of sorts, and a girl trying to figure out if she's more monster or human. It all boils together to be a riveting thriller you can't look away from. I didn't anticipate reading this in an evening, but once I picked it up, I was sucked in to this world!
I mainly picked it up for the love interest (a love interest, really), but by the end of it, I was heartbroken and torn and wanting more. Luckily for me, this is a trilogy, and I already need book two like I need air to breathe. One thing I especially loved about this book is that despite knowing this is first in a series, the end does not leave you with some huge cliffhanger you'll need to remember in 1-2 years. I feel confident I'll be able to pick up book two and not feel lost; there's a sense of some finality while still acknowledging that there are plenty of threads left unexplored.
I am so, so glad I picked this up. I had such a blast reading this, and I cannot wait to pick up the next installment!
I received a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to Harpercollins for providing me access!
This book is a true THRILL. At no point did I actually know what was coming next, and it was gloriously perfect. I am SCREAMING. STUPIFIED. I need EVERYONE to read this!!!
Joan Chang-Hunt is having the perfect summer at her Gran's house. When she isn't spending time with her odd family, she works at a local museum and swoons over Nick, a coworker of hers who just might like her back if their planned date is anything to go by. Everything is just right - until Joan accidentally uncovers a family secret. She is half-human, half-monster, with the ability to time travel by siphoning off human's lives by touch. Joan is horrified by the discovery. But when Joan and Nick are attacked by the Olivers, another family of monsters, Joan discovers she has no idea how deep her horror can go. Because the thing about Nick? He's a monster hunter, and not just any monster hunter. Nick is the hero prophesied to end monsters for good.
As if things can't get worse, Nick and his allies slaughter all monster families, including the Hunts and the Olivers, in one night. Joan's only ally is another survivor, Aaron Oliver. The Olivers and Hunts are enemies, but without many other options (and because Aaron owes Joan for saving his life), the two escape together to 1993. But not all is as it seems, and Joan is thrust into a world she's never known as she attempts to do the impossible: end Nick's life in order to bring the families back to life.
I obviously cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. The world is deeply fascinating. There are families of monsters with time-traveling abilities, and each family has their own individual power. Memory, disappearing objects, magic eyesight, to name only a few. There's also a compelling mystery threading through the narrative, and to top it off, family secrets and hidden powers. There's also a love triangle, of sorts, and a girl trying to figure out if she's more monster or human. It all boils together to be a riveting thriller you can't look away from. I didn't anticipate reading this in an evening, but once I picked it up, I was sucked in to this world!
I mainly picked it up for the love interest (a love interest, really), but by the end of it, I was heartbroken and torn and wanting more. Luckily for me, this is a trilogy, and I already need book two like I need air to breathe. One thing I especially loved about this book is that despite knowing this is first in a series, the end does not leave you with some huge cliffhanger you'll need to remember in 1-2 years. I feel confident I'll be able to pick up book two and not feel lost; there's a sense of some finality while still acknowledging that there are plenty of threads left unexplored.
Spoiler
A mysterious blonde woman, an unseen king, and Aaron Oliver, a boy with a debt that doesn't yet seem paid. A boy who may be more powerful than we first believe. And a boy with a family history that seems far too deep for this to be the last time we see him. I'm also wondering about Nick... something tells me that isn't the last of him, either!I am so, so glad I picked this up. I had such a blast reading this, and I cannot wait to pick up the next installment!
I received a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to Harpercollins for providing me access!