Only a Monster (ARC): a review

Dec 15, 20214 min read

D E T A I L S

- Title- Only a Monster

- Author(s)- Vanessa Len

- Genre(s)- Fantasy

- Age rating- 14+

- Publication date- 17/02/2022

- Publisher- Hodder & Stoughton

P R E M I S E

In every story there is a hero and a monster.

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother's eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

Then a Good Samaritan attempt gone wrong sends Joan spinning through time, and her life quickly begins to unravel.

Her family aren't just eccentric: they're monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.And Nick isn't just a cute boy: he's a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She'll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

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R E V I E W

// Content Warning: Blood / Death (of family) / Death (of parents) / Drug use (involuntary) / Murder / Racism / Violence / Xenophobia (fantasy) //

Thank you, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

ONLY A MONSTER follows Joan who doesn't realise she's a monster until she goes on a date with a cute guy and finds out he is a monster hunter (must have been a really fun date tbh) and the rest of the book consists of them hopping back and forth in time trying to avoid each other while also trying to find each other?

The one thing that drew me in from the beginning was the phenomenal writing. To provide some context, I've been in a terrible reading slump because school is a bit stressful at the moment (read as: mechanics is fucking up my shit).

Since ONLY A MONSTER is a planned trilogy, I do expect a better explanation for the magic system. What were the limitations? And if there were any, how did the system ensure they were being stuck to? Law? Who administers the law? Or does the magic drain you until all your magic has been sucked out? A lot of questions as you can see and I hope they'll all be answered soon!!

Joan, I swear, was a literal child. Like I make stupid decisions every single day but it's safe to say I haven't endangered anyone's life. Yet. Joan, on the other hand, could set the Buckingham palace on fire alongside calling war on Russia and reviving Abraham Lincoln and inviting him to a tea party with Hitler. She didn't do any of this, BUT SHE COULD.

Aaron Warner (character from SHATTER ME) is that you? Let's run through a little checklist, I hope you're following:

- his name is Aaron (check)

- mum out of picture (check)

- shitty dad (check)

- arrogant and conceited as fuck (check)

I rest my case; this is Aaron Warner but ✨English✨

Ruth's character was completely unnecessary (for now) and felt like a third wheel rather than a character. This is only the first book so I hope she's given more prominence in the next.

Noah was and always will be my favourite out of the lot. Yeah, he's got issues but I'm not complaining (and neither is he). Even though he didn't make as many appearances as I would've liked, he fit his character so well. I'm not very sure of his ethnicity (another point to discuss; the representation in this book was so casual that it almost reduced me to tears) but I picture him as this person I've seen one time but have no memory of.

Romance was my least favourite part in this book because a) ew love triangles and b) Joan can gaslight gatekeep girlboss by herself thank you very much. There was something off in this aspect that made me want to poke out my eyeballs and roll them in bleach because I get this weird vibe off Aaron that I can't place my finger on.

4/5 stars

T R O P E S

- Chosen one

- Love triangle

- Soulmates

S I M I L A R B O O K S

- Everless by Sara Holland

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

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