Only a Monster

Romance plays a key part in this book though it doesn’t overwhelm the plot so if love stories aren’t your favorite there is more going on here than that, family is really Joan’s priority. However, if you do like a romantic triangle, this is the kind I appreciate, where there is enough chemistry on both sides to leave me somewhat torn (though I did lean towards Aaron and his snobby banter), and just as important both potential relationships feature plenty of conflict, there are legit reasons Joan shouldn’t get emotionally involved with either of these guys which makes it all the more juicier that she does exactly that.

There were moments where I questioned why Joan didn’t ask more questions, where it seemed convenient to the show more story that she was so woefully under-informed, plus I did wonder about the person with the least knowledge automatically being the leader of the group, but I didn’t spend too much energy dwelling on those things since the dynamics between the characters, the intrigue, and the creativity (like how the monsters time travel) kept me plenty entertained and engaged. show less

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
From the author’s website:

On and offscreen deaths of parents and guardians
On and offscreen deaths of family members
Threats of violence
Violence
Blood
Murder
Weapon use
Brainwashing
Interrogation
Involuntary drug use
Real-world racist microaggressions
Fantasy xenophobia



Only a Monster turns the hero genre on it’s head in so many ways, and goes beyond the simple premise of she’s the monster, he’s a hero, and they’re in love. Way, way beyond. As another review I read stated, this is one of those books that takes a bunch of nice sweet tropes, like star crossed loves, and then takes a massive sledgehammer to them. That doesn’t mean there is no happiness or love in this show more book, it’s just not a fairytale type of book.

Len has woven a masterpiece of fantasy and emotion, taking readers on a journey through time and this is a love letter to adult YA fans if I ever saw one, especially 90s children like myself. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the powers of the monsters, so I’m just going to leave it as time travel. Naturally, it’s not as simple as that because why would they be considered monsters and hunted down otherwise.

Joan is forced to use her powers to escape Nick and stay alive, doing the one thing she never wanted to do. She ends up in 1993 with Aaron Oliver, the heir of a monster family that hates her family. Some things are bigger than family feuds, and a legendary hero who can kill monsters as easy as can be is most definitely one of them.

It was so strange for me reading about the 90s from a modern 16-year-old’s perspective, and it was also such a nostalgic moment too. The novel is set in London as well, so there were a lot of things that were particularly relevant to my childhood. When Joan was remarking about the London Eye being missing from the skyline, I remember it being built. There was also a nice personal connection for me when a Crystal Palace football kit turned up because I grew up five minutes away from Crystal Palace. That is actually my home team although, in a fit of teenage rebellion I always refused to support them along with the rest of the family because “they sucked”.

I struggled to find a rating I was happy with for this one, and I realised that it was wholly depending on whether Only a Monster was a standalone novel or not. The book ends in a way that it could be either a part of a series or an open-ended standalone. It is a part of a trilogy, so it’s a solid four stars for me, otherwise it would have only been a three because it definitely felt like it wasn’t completely wrapped up. I’d have liked to have given it more, however, I don’t feel like everything was as solid as it could have been in a few places.

For more of my reviews please visit my blog! show less

A monster girl and monster hunter boy fall in love before they figure out what the other is. Plus, lots of time traveling? Sign me up.

I'm afraid I'm not rooting for the love interest I'm supposed to be so I really want to see what's going to happen from here. I mean, he got on his knees to fix her outfit and I am a total floozy for that particular move.

With the way this ended, I'm really excited to see where it goes from here. The lore and the families powers were really interesting so there are so many ways this could go.

Thank you to Harper Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

This (audio)book was cute... nothing ground breaking or mind altering but it was a briskly paced, cute take on (not so monstrous) Monsters. This book should've been downgraded to a Middle Grade read. There was no grit... no heat... no wrecking of my soul or even the slightest of tugs on my heartstrings. In fact I didn't really attach myself, my hopes, my devotion to ANY of the characters... this is usually the kiss of death in my world... the whole cast come off as a bit thin BUT I'm a true believer that IF it was originally classified and pitched to me as a MG read then I think my whole approach (and thus my rating) would have been different.

It most certainly could've been classified as an anxiously awaited book failing to live up to show more the mega-hype surrounding it. That, again, sounds like the kiss of death for a read for this frustrated bibliophile BUT the unique premise, some twisty twists and the audiobook's narrator went a long way.

Anyway... less about my expectations and more about what the book actually delivered...

There was a hint of a love triangle that was pretty tame and I'm thankful it wasn't developed enough to be nauseating... YET.

Then there were some tried and true tropes like watching our FMC come of age and into her powers, a variety of differing familial powers, Good vs Evil and the like. There were some typical moral dilemmas and philosophical quandary like what makes a Monster a Monster? Is a Monster predestined to do monstrous deeds? Are monstrous deeds only done by Monsters... when is a monstrous deed deemed acceptable? Is there a Monstrosity gradient? Etc... etc...

Overall:
I was anxiously awaiting the drop of this book, so much so I preordered it on Audible (not a paid for endorsement) waaaay in advance. It unfortunately did not (completely) live up to its hype but few books seldomly do. I gave Only A Monster some leeway because of its unique premise, brisk pace and overall cuteness BUT be aware... if you are looking for MONSTEROUS MONSTROSITIES you will need to look elsewhere. If you're looking to attach your whole being onto a (villainous?) deeply robust character... you'll need to look elsewhere. There is a touch of Time Travel, something I usually eat up but here it was a decent/convenient plot device so if you're looking for a nicely developed Time Travel yarn... this is probably not it. I will most likely part ways with this series but I will fondly renember how I got lost in its depths for a few peaceful hours.

My last 2 cents: if your looking for a Middle(ish) Grade read about (tame) Monsters with a unique premise (always a plus) then look no further!

It was cute... end of story!

~ Enjoy show less

I liked this enough that I'll be purchasing a copy for my classroom library.

A unique story that has good POC/LGBTQIA+ representation.

The main character has always grown up loving the monster stories her grandmother told her. Eventually, she discovers there is an entire world out there that she is a part of but never knew.

This is a fast-paced adventure involving time travel, time-crossed lovers, cat-and-mouse, and magic.

The characters are all in their twenties or so. There is a love story but it isn't the focus. There's more of a "chosen one" vibe to this story.

The characters don't develop too much and I think that is the worst part of this story. There's a little bit where they understand something larger is at stake than they once show more thought but overall, there was so much potential for them to really gain an understanding of how their world works and look at things from a different point of view but they didn't. I hope to see more in the next book if there is one.

*All thoughts and opinions are my own. Read on my Libby app as an audiobook.** show less

I would have never guessed this was Vanessa Len's first book. It was really good and it had my attention from the very beginning.

There were some aspects that were a little rough for me though. After Ruth time travels and finds Aaron and Joan, it is constantly repeated that it has only been one night for Joan and 2 years for Ruth. Its almost condescending in a way, like the reader can't comprehend the timeline so it has to be repeated 100 times. I'm still really confused about the Oliver families powers, especially Aaron's. He was being all cryptic at the end and I couldn't figure out if he was saying that the weird eye power was just his?

Things I loved about this book are FRANKIE AND HER BOW TIE, Frankie and her stub legs and Frankie show more falling asleep swaddled in Tom's jacket like a baby. I really liked all of the main characters, even the 'bad' one; I did find Joan annoying at the beginning, but she matures throughout the book. Aaron was my favorite and like Joan, I wonder which era he grew up in, and I hope we get to learn more about him in the subsequent books. He is so fascinating to me. There were some historical sites used in the book which for a history buff like me was cool because I got to look the places up, look at pictures and learn the history of them.

According to Goodreads, there are 3 books in the series, the next one not slated to come out until 2023!! I'm not sure how I'm going to last that long. I do hope we get to explore more of the character's backgrounds, powers, and maybe the different families. Things I need: Aaron, Frankie (obvs), Tom and Jaimie, and since it's a wishlist, I'll take some Nick too, lol. show less

After a slow start this book got much better. Joan comes from a family of Monsters - one of 12 families that can time travel by stealing the "time of life" of humans - but she is only half monster and her family keeps the Monster part a secret from her because they think she doesn't have the power to time travel , until she accidentally does! From that point on, Joan is faced with the bitter truth that she is one of the bad guys and that the love of her life, a dreamy guy she met over Summer called Nick is actually hell bent on killing her! That's because she is a Monster as he is the Hero of the Story - he has made it his quest in life to stop all Monsters stealing time from humans.
Parts of the book can get a little confusing but when show more I worked out towards the end that this was going to be the first in a series of books, I just succumbed to whatever the author threw at me and kept reading. Needless to say, the book ends with a few loose plot threads to be picked up in book number 2. There's a bit of coarse language in the book which stands out as otherwise I'd say it would be suitable for younger readers if that wasn't there. show less