Review: Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss.  This is my honest review. 

I'm so mad at how much I loved this book.  I'm mad cause now I have to wait for the rest of the series to be released!!!  I am a binge reader, so this wait for book 2 and 3 is going to end me, I just know it!

I'm honestly surprised (in a good way) at how much I enjoyed this series.  I've been reading A LOT of YA fantasy books as of late to get through my older ARCs, and haven't loved them quite as much as I love this one.  I think because it's so unique from anything else I've read.  To read the book through a villain, a monsters, eyes but have that character not be as monstery as you would imagine.  To see the hero, but see them as the villain.  

It really makes you step back a second and think, how can one judge who is a villain and a hero?  Because depending on your viewpoint, your standing, it makes a huge difference.  Sure, the monsters that Joan hasn't met yet COULD be evil.  But what we saw Nick to do people he doesn't know?  To people Joan loves?  That seemed pretty darn evil to me.  Though if we had read this book through Nick's point of view, I'm sure we would have felt the complete opposite.  It's really fascinating to think about. 

Joan.  I love her, honestly.  She's literally a fish out of water.  She's been thrust into this world after watching her family disappear and she has questions.  We, the reader, have questions.  But to see her perspective, as essentially a human viewpoint, she is very quick with the change and learns very fast.  Though she definitely makes mistakes and asks questions to the wrong person at the wrong time.  

Aaron.  Can I say that I adore him?  I really do, even though I'm not sure I'm supposed to.  The way he slunked off at the beginning was a bit unsettling, which makes me wonder what will happen in the upcoming novel.  But the way he's personality changed the longer he was with Joan was amazing and I'm sad that will be gone. 

Nick is just....Ugh.  I have feelings.  I like him, but then again I don't.  And I think that's how I'm probably supposed to feel, but his whole origin story is just sad and makes me feel like I should like him more.  Maybe it's because we didn't get a lot of great interaction with him in the novel.  I honestly don't know what Team I'm on yet. 

The only thing I wish was a bit different was the explanation of the monster world.  Especially the monster family.  I know they all have gifts, and that it was explained, but I still feel very distant from what family does what and how and what they benefit from it, etc.  So maybe when book 2 comes out, I'll reread this one and try to get a better understanding of that first before diving into what I think will be an amazing book 2!

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