Aisha Y., Monarch Global Academy
Vanessa Len’s Only a Monster follows the main character, Joan. She’s the archetype of the girl-next-door trope; the antithesis of a rebel. A string of unfortunate events sends Joan and the reader on a journey through time.
The author does an exceptional job of making the reader feel the same emotions as Joan and the people around her. You become bridled by grief, satisfaction, and betrayal as you continue reading the book. At times, the book makes you wonder who truly has the moral high ground. It makes you question your own ethos and what you would have done if you were in the same situation as any of the characters. And that is what I find so peculiar about the book. It keeps you pondering. The book makes you think below the surface level.
The dialogue of the book is the most captivating thing, along with the third-person narration. It just makes everything seem a little more ominous and downright real. It keeps you from putting yourself in the shoes of one character. Rather, it makes you envision yourself as all of them.
Even though I can sing praises of this book day to night, nothing is ever perfect. At times the book is quite tedious. Certain chapters just feel like limbo, but I suppose it is only that way because of how action-packed the other chapters are.
Only a Monster seems suitable for all Young Adults, graphic-wise but it seems to be catered to audiences who enjoy fantasy fiction. The book is highly imaginative, and Len does a wonderful job creating a bubble of a fantasy world.
Click here to check out Only a Monster by Vanessa Len.