☆☆☆½

I was really excited for this book and whilst it was still a good book it just wasn’t what I thought it would be.

This book grabbed my attention because of its interesting and unique angle. I can't remember reading a YA fantasy novel from the point of view of the bad guys, or in this case, monsters. Definitely an intruiging concept!
The story was also interesting and I finished the book in a day, lying to myself that I'll stop after the next chapter all the way until the last one.

Why then am I giving Only a Monster 3 stars? Well, there's a few reasons:

1. I was missing the actual scariness of the monsters. They could've been a lot more terrifying with maybe their appereance or powers. And as bad as stealing time from people is, it's not scary enough to label someone a "monster". I imagen them having a secret terrifying look that they hide behind the mask of looking like a human. Or having some evil powers that make them mortifying. Or at least harder to kill.
Maybe I'm just in the mood to be properly scared since it's Halloween when I'm writing this review but I was left dissapointed by all the mosters and their abilities.

2. I wish we got to understand more about the families and their relationships. All we got is a rhyme about what each family's power is. Yes, we delved into a few of them but it would've been interesting to know what makes the Olivers so hated and why do the Hunts are always hiding.

3. The ending... I understand that this is only the first of three books but it could've easily be a stand-alone since the ending gave no cliffhander whatsoever. There's a lot of unaswered questions and lots of interesting directions this story can take but I was hoping for a cliffhanger that'll make me want the next book as soon as possible. Instead I got a pretty okay ending with no hint at what might be coming next.

Overall, I enjoyed Only a Monster - it is a breath of fresh air, it is well written and entertaining. But the three points I made kept on bugging me when I was thinking about my score. That said, I'm looking forward to see how Vanessa Len will continue this story but can we please agree on more Aaron in the next book?

3.5 stars - thanks to NetGalley for my ARC!

What first attracted me was the tagline <i>Only a Monster... can kill a hero</i>. I really liked the idea that for a change, the protagonist would be the 'conventionally evil' monster as opposed to the hero. This played out through the book in an interesting way and the author did a great job of demonstrating how even heroes can be seen as monstrous.

Joan <i>knew</i> she was just an ordinary 16 year old, right up until she sets out for a date with Nick and somehow skips hours ahead into the future. From then it was a fast-paced plot which revealed she and her entire maternal family were monsters, and Nick is a hero fated to kill them all.

Where the book fell down a bit for me was the lack of character development. Joan felt fairly bizarrely not curious - apparently never questioning that some of her family could make objects appear or disappear out of thin air - and although her character ARC was interesting, it didn't feel fully developed. I also felt that many of the other 'main' characters felt quite 2D which again made it difficult to feel fully invested in the plot and the danger they faced.

I liked the worldbuilding and what the monster abilities were - again, I would have liked this to be fleshed out a bit more. The references to a King didn't really give enough detail about how the monarchy of monsters worked, and Joan's lack of curiosity meant the reader doesn't find out about many of these potentially interesting areas.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely try the next one in the trilogy. This one felt as though it was fairly self-contained but a future sequel will hopefully build on the world this book began to explore.

"Real monsters look like me and you"

I adored this book, it's everything I wanted it to be and more, filled with morally grey characters whom you often forget are monsters despite their actions and way they work being worthy of the description, and a unique magic system this book will sweep you off your feet.

Dealing with time travel, morality, self-acceptance, this novel plays with the question are monsters born or made, I promise this book lives up to the hype. Expect twists and turns, emotional outcomes and get ready for your new favourite read.

I need book 2 and 3 now.

https://www.instagram.com/charley.therabbithole/

The pacing and writing style was phenomenal and broke me out of a reading slump (!). The character arcs played out well and I particularly adored Nick even though he didn't appear as much as I would've liked. The romance element was a bit confusing and I hope this will be touched upon in the second book. On that note, the magic system was a bit bonkers in my opinion and I couldn't understand how anything function most of the time. To give credit where credit is due, the diversity present made me want to cry because it was SO CASUAL. Full review to come on my blog.

Only a Monster is a fun, fast-paced YA urban fantasy with enough plot twists to keep you hooked on the story. However, while I would recommend this book to younger/YA readers looking for an original urban fantasy novel with interesting world-building and characters, personally I had a little trouble getting into this book.

The plot kicks off quite quickly, which at first I appreciated. However, as the story progressed, I realised that because of this, we didn't get much time at the beginning of the story to really establish many of the characters, and Joan's relationships with them. This meant that some of the later scenes fell a bit flat to me, and I had trouble really caring about many of the characters or the stakes of the novel, because we were basically just told why these people were important to Joan, but the emotional stakes behind these connections weren't really there.

However, I did enjoy the ending of this novel, and I also liked how Joan's biracial heritage related to her being half-monster and half-human. But overall, I felt that while I liked many of the ideas the author had, in general I had trouble connecting/caring about many of the characters and the story.

I would recommend this book for younger readers though, as I think they would probably enjoy it more than I did.

Firstly, Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited for this book because the pitch WAS AMAZING. Monsters in England?? Time travel?? Enemies to lovers?? Soulmates?? Monster court heists?? Yes!! So I was really happy when I was granted an ARC for this amazing book 💖


“Olivers see. Hunts hide. Nowaks live. Patels bind. Portellis open. Hathaways leash. Nightingales Take. Mtawalis keep. Argents sway. Alis seal. Griffiths reveal. But only the Lius remember.”


Only a Monster is set in England with aspects such as time travel, monsters, heists and more! I loved everything about this book- I can’t even explain how much I enjoyed reading it!!

The writing and plot were PHENOMENAL. The writing was descriptive and rich, the plot was well paced. I love how the author expressed Joan’s biracial identity and drew parallels between her being half Chinese and half British, and her being half human and half monster. Only a Monster expressed a new take on “heroes” and “monsters” and I am here for it! The world building was great and I really enjoyed how different families had different powers, it was super cool!

The characters in this book were one of the best I have ever read about. Joan was a great character, she was kind and was willing to do absolutely anything for her loved ones. Aaron was also an amazing character, he was a bit stuck up and entitled, but I really enjoyed his character arc. Nick, well I did enjoy Nick’s character but I was not expecting the outcome that came at the end! I also loved how Joan and Aaron had to work together to survive despite their families having a hatred for each other. In terms of the romance- let’s just say I was not expecting what happened, and while it did leave me a bit confused I do expect more clarity in book two.

The various themes explored such as family and identity were extremely interesting to read about, and they were very important too. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read the next one to see how Joan’s journey continues. Vanessa Len has truly written magic! 💖

TL;DR: A magnificent contemporary fantasy debut that explores identity, monsters, heists, family, time travel, and will have any reader screaming for book two!


TW: 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 micro-aggressions, fantasy xenophobia.

I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did, but holy crap, Only A Monster turned out to be so damn amazing. Right from the start, the action picks up and pulls you into the story. I loved the concept of the powers, of the families and the whole worldbuilding surrounding the parallel world of monsters that exists in this book.

This is such a perfect book to read during the spooky season. I devoured it so quickly. And the writing is just absolutely stunning. I already want the sequel now because this book was just so damn good; I literally cannot wait for the next book.

A journey through time itself, a race to the undo what has been done. It took be a little while to get into the story and meld with the characters but once I was it was like a mystery, I had to know the solution to, a tale that's ending had to be found. I was a little addicted the plotline to say the truth. The ending...without ruining any spoilers all I can say is...my heart!

To create a brilliant book, you need several aspects as a writer but there is only one element you must naturally have; and that is the ability to create a world and characters in vivid details with a story that the reader wants to journey along and know the ending of. Vanessa Len has proven in her debut novel that she has this gift. By the end I was needing more, enraptured by the main character and yet had so many mixed emotions about that ending. I re-read the last chapter before writing this review and I still don't know what to feel. This is not necessarily the story you think you are getting when reading the title...but it is the story you will want to read until the very end and beyond.

There were a few negative aspects about this book but nothing that this brilliant debut author can't work on. Firstly, the locations of Kensington High Street and other places in London were repeated several times on the same page and once twice within two sentences....it cut the flow a bit. The flow on the writing itself was a bit choppy which I believe is why it took me a while to get into the character's shoes and see the world for it vivid images straight away, which as I said can easily be learn. As I said before there are certain qualities you must be a nature writer and the main one is the ability to create and develop a world and characters that the reader can fall into with ease. This author has that talent so I cannot wait to see what she writes and develops next.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Only a Monster is the start of a new trilogy that deals with time travel, the fear of the other, morality, self-acceptance and so much more. It is a beautiful, fast-paced tale that is a mix of Passenger and This Savage Song, and while I have not read the latter, I do believe it was better than Passenger (which says a lot as I am obsessed with that duology.)

Vanessa Len has created such a unique magic system that intertwines with fated soulmates and a battle through time. We are introduced to Joan Chang-Hunt, a half-human, half-monster who volunteers at Holland House with a boy called Nick, a monster hunter. While I am usually not the biggest fan of characters realising they are not human and have powers, Len pulled it off incredibly well. Both of these characters were extremely lovable and so human and it was an emotional read as they battled against one another.

We are also introduced to various side characters, such as Aaron Oliver and Ruth Hunt who are equally as lovable people. Everyone feels so human, even though they're not, and they all have wonderful and unique personalities. I appreciate that Len developed her side characters just as well as her main characters as it created a nice atmosphere throughout the book.

The world-building and magic system was also extremely well done, I enjoyed getting to know the twelve Monster families of London and the various displays of their power. It was also great to see the Monster Court and how it works with time - time is at the forefront of this novel as it deals heavily with time travel, which in turn creates many dilemmas and evokes the main thematic concern of morality and the fear of the other.

The book also had many plot twists throughout, many of which were very emotional and shocking. There was also a great deal of subtle foreshadowing involved which was revealed in the end, which made for a very sad ending while leaving plot threads unresolved for the sequel. I have many theories for the rest of the trilogy and I am eager to read the sequels and other books Len releases.

This is definitely my favourite YA fantasy of the year - Vanessa Len is a writer to watch. I strongly encourage everyone to pre-order this book before release: February 17th 2022. - 5*

This book is brilliant - probably the best (YA) fantasy I read this year - and deserves Every. Single. Star.

Put this at the VERY top of your 2022 fantasy TBR.

I FOUND IT. I think I found my favorite YA Fantasy of the whole year (slightly ironic since this is releasing Feb 2022).

My favorite aspect might be how open to interpretation so many different parts of the story was. For example, if you put out of context the mechanism of their powers, they don't really seem that bad and worthy to be called "monsters". However, if you actually think about the nature of it and how its meant to work… they are definitely monsters and Vanessa Len does nothing to make it sound right. Which I loved. Because she was still able to humanize the characters without compensating for the fact that what they do is harmful to people who aren't them.

To be honest, other books might have given it some redemption arc but VL said: "nope! but I'm gonna make you love them anyway."

“Real monsters look like me and you.”


This has all of my weaknesses bundled up in one book:

Unique magic system? CHECK.
Character dynamics that sweep you up? CHECK.
Themes about humanity and monsters? CHECK.
Magical underworld? CHECK.
Time travel and forgotten memories? CHECK.
(Enemy) Soulmate trope? CHECK.
and This cover? *chef’s kiss*

Also, did I forget to tell you that this is set in London…

I'm going to be honest that I still don't know who exactly Vanessa Len is referring to with the "enemy-soulmates" bit. By that I mean I don't which one of the two male leads is actually her soulmate because the "enemy" part can be interpreted in two different ways depending on how you look at it. In my case, I think one of the main reasons the story affected me a lot was because I think I assumed the wrong person in the “enemy-soulmate” trope. I only realized it more than half-way through the story and it destroyed me because I think my ship might drown.


Before reading, I was actually really curious to know if they really are monsters or if it meant something else. There is just something so intriguing reading about monsters that might not really be monsters. The fact that it was not explicitly said in the synopsis why they are considered monsters was a very smart and effective move. It made things that more surprising to me, especially given how effectively executed it was for my preferences. (I am a very big fan of fantasy that is borderline dark, is dark, or has dark themes).

There are some things to be desired in the writing style and I'm not saying it was perfect but, oh, Vanessa Len’s skills in creative writing shows. I can’t pinpoint what exactly it is about her writing style but I was affected more than I thought I would be?? There’s something about this book, I swear, it gets you a certain way. When I know that the same scenes would not have hit as hard if VL’s writing was not what it was. There were just so many parts where I thought to myself that “this could have been a boring scene” but the way VL wrote it made it feel so fresh.

In terms of the magic system, I don’t know what I thought it would be but it wasn’t what I thought it was gonna be with the title and premise. It was slightly more magical but still had hat tinge of dark if you give it more than a second's thought. Given that I’ve read a great deal of fantasy with their fair share of magic systems, I get extra excited whenever one still manages to surprise me, especially in urban fantasy.

I do admit that there were times Joan frustrated me and annoyed me a little bit with her decisions but we're not going to get into that. I just want Aaron, my cinnamon bun, to be happy.

“We believe that if people belonged together...then our timeline tries to repair itself by bringing them together. Over and over and over....”
"Like soulmates?"
"Yes. If you believe in fairy tales,"


If you’re losing faith in YA Fantasy, I hope this helps give that hope back to you. This was definitely more The Last Magician than Passenger to me though, but it was definitely This Savage Song. I am so destroyed right now. I actually teared up when I finished this T_T

I was so affected by this story and it ended on a very destroying, heart-throbbing, and fulfilling note but also, I need the second book, like, yesterday.

↣ Highly recommended if you want some YA Time Travel Fantasy with ~maybe morally grey characters~ that is easy to get into but still holds the serotonin rushes that you are craving for. Especially one that holds aspects that are open to interpretation as of this first book. ↢

*ARC received from the publisher -Hodder & Stoughton- for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

— 4.5 —
⇢ content warnings// 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
⇢ representation: diaspora Chinese-English main character

'Good thing we're not likely to get invited back, huh?'
'We weren't invited this time.'
'Oh yeah,' Joan said 'Oops.'
Only a Monster was a book I hadn't realized I had been craving. It had the perfect blend of mystery, humour, and adventure that made the book such a great reading experience. The monster system was quite interesting to read about and the setting of the book made it all the more better.

What could make it more interesting-
(This is a personal opinion.)
Character development- Whenever I read a book, I like to get to know the backstory of as many characters as possible and know the characters better. But, in some situations, I felt like I didn't know Joan at all. I like how she went from being timid and shy to confident and fierce but the change seemed a little too abrupt.
Overall, I liked the way the book was written and how the characters worked together. I also loved the bond between Joan and her cousin which is not seen in many books.

as a malaysian, i absolutely loved seeing a half-malaysian main character. especially one in a story that i know i would've loved when i was younger. i hope the theme of cultural diaspora gets revisited in the other books.

this book is fast paced and incredibly easy to read. despite being a fantasy book, it does have a sci-fi twist with the incorporation of time travel. when i started the book i was a bit worried it would read too young for me, but i genuinely found myself sucked into the story and the characters despite that.

i also enjoyed how the romance played out over the course of the book and was left devastated by the ending. it definitely made me wish we were getting the next one soon (even tho this book isn't even out yet). my only criticism is that i wish we had more scenes developing nick and joan's relationship. despite that, i think both ships had good chemistry and i found myself rooting for both couples.

the only part where the book really lacks for me is in the world building. we're told pretty on that joan and her family are monsters but there is little explanation about what makes them monsters, why they look human, etc. right now, to me, they still just feel like people with powers so i wish that was elaborated more.

Let me tell you all a little story before we get into this review 😂
The release of Only A Monster is still a little while away, so when I received this Arc, I had fully intended to pick it up closer to release day - Until one night I decided let's just read a chapter, since I was so intrigued by the premise! Well friends you can imagine how well "let's read this closer to release day" played out since I'm posting my review now😂

Only A Monster was an absolute delight!! I had been in a little bit of a slump after my last read so this book had to work twice as hard to grab my attention and folks it did just that!!

Vanessa Len has such a fantastic way with words, I was quite literally sucked in from the very first page. The premise of this book is so brilliantly unique and it did not disappoint one bit.

The world building, magic system and characters were so well written, I have nothing but praises to share with you today.

The story follows Joan who discovers her family are monsters and she herself is half monster.
We have morally grey characters and magical rival families set in modern day London (need I say more😂) This was honestly such a treat!

I so wanted to love this book! Morally grey characters, modern day London, rival magical families… everything sounded great! Unfortunately, this book didn’t click for me personally for a few reasons. Firstly, we get basically no worldbuilding throughout and are very much discovering the “monster” side of things as the MC does. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just makes it hard to become connected with the story, which leads me to my main gripe. I found the characters, especially the MC Joan, to really lack in personality and characterisation which made it hard to root for her or become overly interested in her story. I became more invested as the plot thickened, but the story, characters and writing style just never really clicked for me. I believe this book would better suit a younger audience than most YA. Only a Monster is perhaps geared more towards an audience who doesn’t expect more nuanced plots or prose, which again isn’t necessarily a downfall just something to bear in mind for more advanced readers who still enjoy YA. 3/5 stars from me!

Brilliant, This storyline is unique and Im looking forward to seeing how it unfolds in the subsequent books, longer books please!

I loved the characters and I hope in the next book we will see a little more depth to the story and characters develop,, I wanted to know more about Aaron and his backstory and will we see him again? If Nick is unmade will he be reincarnated as Aaron therefore becoming her new soul mate? This book peaked my interest as quickly as the Sarah J Maas books did yrs ago., I think this author is going to go on to be very very successful.

I’m super excited to read book 2 and I will definitely buy this when it’s on sale.

Good Luck with the launch x

P.s Do you really need to stop at a trilogy?

Only a Monster, as of my writing this, does not release for another five months. I didn't actually mean to read it right now. I was just going to sample the arc, read a few pages, see if it was something that might interest me down the line... then somehow I seem to have ended up here at the end, a little bleary-eyed and disoriented.

I burned myself out on YA urban fantasy some years back, but it looks like I'm ready to get back in the game because I inhaled this. It contains some tropes of the genre-- teen girl comes into new powers, hints of a love triangle, heroes vs villains --but it subverts some too. In this book, you find yourself on the side of the monsters: moral dilemmas, grey areas, and all.

“Monsters look like giant spiders,” Joan said. “Or like robots.” She’d seen enough cartoons to know. Gran sometimes told jokes without smiling. Maybe this was one of those times.
But Gran’s eyes weren’t shiny with a held-in joke. They were serious. “That’s pretend monsters,” she said. “Real monsters look like me and you.”


The protagonist, Joan, comes from a family of time-travelling monsters on her mother's side. They can leech time from humans, essentially shortening their lifespan, in order to travel through time themselves. But there's long been rumours and myths about a hero who will come along and slaughter them, saving humans from their life-sucking powers.

As luck would have it, it turns out said hero is much closer to Joan than she could ever have guessed, and his presence causes a horrible tragedy that threatens everyone Joan cares about. She is forced to travel back in time to try and right some wrongs before they even happen.

I found a lot of this story thrilling. The stakes were high, the potential losses catastrophic, and the secrets mysterious and exciting. Different monster families have different powers and discovering them all is an adventure in itself. I also loved the references to British history and the strong sense of place I got from all the different settings. I am very glad to see we can expect two more books, though, because I still have SO MANY QUESTIONS. Not in a bad way. I can't wait!

“You’re a hero and I’m a monster,” she whispered. “There’s only one way that story ever ends.”


As for the romance(s), I didn't mind it. To be fair, while there were some flirty elements, the romance mostly waits in the wings until the end of the book. Unless the author is my kind of evil, I think it's pretty obvious what the endgame is on this front. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going for the main ship. Partly because star-crossed isn’t my jam, and partly, I think, because I’m a masochist who likes to hitch myself to sinking ships. (view spoiler)

The ending wraps up this chapter, but it is FAR from over. Now, I wait.

Everyone who said they couldn’t put this book down was right - I literally could not put it down. The concept was brilliant and refreshingly different. I loved the world of the monsters and their powers, and while time travel can be a real hit and miss, Only A Monster executes it extremely well. Also, a bit of 90s nostalgia never goes amiss.

Having said all that, the ending was … really not my favorite. It all happened so quickly and I thought it was going to go in a different direction and what actually happened was not the closure I wanted, but that’s a me problem 🤷🏼‍♀️

BUT I am looking forward to the next book - I still have so many unanswered questions and I can’t wait to return to this world.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read via Netgalley.

I devoured this book in one sitting (: I have so many questions, little snippets of information that wernt expanded on or characters we briefly glimpsed, looking forward to seeing how they will be answered in the sequels.

Would love to see more of the other families and their powers, more background on their rivalries, and the wider monster world!