Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Len has written an interesting take on the traditional monster novel, complicating the ideas of 'hero' and 'villain' by turning them on their heads and focusing on what would usually be termed the villain characters. The taking time, time travel concept is a welcome new twist on time travel and allows Len to flip her story between the present day and a more nostalgic view of the 90s. Joan, Aaron and Nick are all interesting characters and I'd definitely want to read the next book to see what happens.

This book.... Twilight meets Harry Potter and they are off on a hell of an adventure.

I am not an expert on YA fantasy but I know when I read a great book. The story, the characters, the twists - everything is carefully planned and clicks. You are swooped up by this novel from page one, and it doesn't let you go until you are done with the last word of the epilogue. I feel like 18 again, and cannot wait the next book in the series to know what happens to Joan, and of course, the hero!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this amazing ARC.

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 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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This book confused me. I sort of don't know how to feel. It has an interesting concept, but for so much of the book, I felt annoyed.

I really like the idea of a book from the "monster"'s perspective, but the book frames Joan as the ultimate do-gooder who's so guilty all the time. It's not exactly an examination of a villain or antihero's psyche.

There is a lot of exposition through "a vague memory came to Joan" and then she gets the exact, specific answer she needs, which I felt was a cop out. And also, very at odds with Joan not believing her family to be what they say they are. Nothing is hidden from her, she literally sees her aunt hide mugs of tea in another dimension apparently, but also is so shocked when her family isn't human?

I also hate Nick. I'm sorry, I'm sure someone people enjoy a soldier boy-type with super morals, but he just really annoyed me, and Joan annoyed me when she was with him. He literally <spoiler> kills her entire family, and tries to commit a genocide </spoiler>, but she's like "hmm, I knew him for a month and we kissed, so...." I'd believe the angst more if they'd had some sort of actual relationship but they didn't. They were coworkers and kisses once. That's it.

At the end, when they start getting into <spoiler> the romance and the hero's girl </spoiler>, I knew exactly where they were going with it and I hated it. I didn't believe it and I didn't care. All I saw was a sad backstory for Nick which is somehow supposed to absolve him of <spoiler> attempting genocide </spoiler>. I dont get it, Joan, I really don't.

Especially when someone who is morally complicated, struggling with a sense of self, interesting, and YOU'VE SPENT MORE THAN 10 SECONDS WITH is right there. That's right, Aaron. I would have at least understood that one. It just made me think Joan was an idiot, which is a feeling I hate in books. I don't mind a naive or misunderstanding character, but willfully blind is so annoying.

What did I like you ask? Jamie and Tom. Oh my god, what a beautiful, tragic, and in depth love story. Why was this book not about them? They were far, far more engaging than Joan faffing around with murder boy. I also really liked the lore and the idea of family powers. Seriously, if there's a spin off about Jamie and Tom, I would be so down.

Two and a half stars, rounded to three for Goodreads.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

You know the stories, the fairytales and fables. You know the Hero saves us from the Monsters. You know how the tale ends.
But what happens when the Monsters tell the story, do you know how this story ends?

4.5 Stars

“I mean it,” she said. “You’re dead.”
He gave her his familiar solemn smile, the one that he’d given her all the time at the house. “Aren’t we all,” he said. “Somewhere on the timeline.”

Only A Monster, by Vanessa Len (Quote from an eARC copy and is subject to change.)
Synopsis: Joan is a Hunt, and the Hunts are Monsters. Joan is sixteen, has a pending date with coworker Nick, and is determined to enjoy every moment of her summer. Nick is a Hero, and Heroes slay Monsters.

So, Only A Monster, by Vanessa Len is a YA fantasy that, on it’s surface, seems to be a enemies-in-love tragedy sprinkled with monsters and magic. Now while this is what the book is, it’s also so much more than that and the synopsis does not do it justice. We get some very seemingly cliched tropes that you think you know where its going but OH NO you don’t because you get swept up in something so much richer and even more enthralling.

A lot happens in this book and is very easy to spoil so I’ll try to keep it brief as to avoid spoilers.

Vaness Len writes a very beautiful book. The prose is captivating, easy to read and beautifully detailed. It’s incredibly easy to find yourself absolutely absorbed in this book, and before you know it you’re already halfway through. Len doesn’t sacrifice any imagery with the ease of the prose either, the settings are rich and vivid, the pacing is well balanced and the dialogue is active and engaging. The book is told from the MC, Joan’s, POV which aids the plot, pacing and prose perfectly. Joan’s perspective is limited so we get a lot of mysteries and secrets that are wrapped up in the story slowly unravelling as Joan learns more about the Monster world and what it means to be a Monster. Overall, there is just something special about Len’s writing, it really sinks into you and makes you feel emotionally connected with the characters and the story.

The plot is just fantastic and not at all the simple YA story I was expecting. Len takes all those expectations and flips them into something so unique and fun and compelling. We get a Hero v Villain dichotomy but from the Monsters perspective, we get enemy soulmates, but again this isn’t your typically tragic soulmate story, and we get SO much more that plays out in a way so much more complex and captivating than what you expect. Joan is a half-human, half-monster teenager – the Hunt family is her monster family and is who she is with over the summer. Her human family is Chinese (our MC is biracial) but are not with her for the summer. Joan works with Nick (the Hero) and is supposed to go on a date with him at the start of the book, but when Joan realises who he truly is things get very messy very quickly. I absolutely LOVED the plot, it’s so much more than a battle between Monster and Hero, we get intrigue, action, stealth, magic, history, and so much more – that it actually pains me that I cannot tell you what you will be getting into because that is the beauty of this book. But, overall, the plot is brilliant – it is such a wild ride that will keep you tearing through the pages wanting to know what happens next.

The book is, I believe, part of a series (or trilogy) but the way this book ends is excellently done. It’s not a cliffhanger, per se, but it leaves you with a lot of questions and even more excitment for what comes next. I particulary love how the end plays out and words that were said – one element really showed the core of this story. Such a well crafted and executed plot, I cannot wait for the next book.

The magic and worldbuilding is exquistie. It is simple and easy to understand but also incredibly dynamic and intricate. I’ll only touch on this because spoilers, sweetie! But, firstly, I loved the Monsters – or specifically I loved what makes them monsters. Len does an incredible job of showing how and why the Monsters are monstrous and yet it doesn’t take away from the characterisation of them, and the humanisation of them. Similarly, as much as some of them come across as so human, they are always still monsters and what they do is never seen as anything but monstrous. This is such a fine balance to create and Len does it so so well. The actual setting we mainly get is London, but we get a lot of monster dynamics that fit in or around the human world and I loved how it was structured and how it worked. We get different Monster families, different magic – and I found it so interesting to see how the Monster’s magic worked – it was clever and intriguing. We learn about the magic and monsters through Joan, so we learn in bits and pieces but it feels natural and compliments both the plot and the narration. I loved this magic system it was unique and easy to understand but so dynamic and intriguing – a perfect balance.

The characters are also fascinating! Joan is biracial and is half-human half-monster, some parallels are drawn and some racial issues are explored both in the human and monster worlds. Joan is sixteen and pretty headstrong, but she is quite a realistic character who, while clever, does make mistakes – but ones expected of a 16-year-old teenager. I really liked Joan as a character and loved watching her grow over the course of the book. Nick, the Hero, is also very much a teenager. He is a complex hero who feels real as an antagonist. I enjoyed his dynamics with Joan, the tension and angst played out incredibly well throughout the book.

Then we get Aaron – Monster from the Oliver family, enemy of the Hunts. Oh oh but he is also forced into a situation where he must help Joan and so we get a begrudging pairing here too. I actually adored this dynamic between him and Joan, and I loved slowly getting to know Aaron’s character. He is a Posh boy from a cruel family, but there is something beneath that harsh and cold exterior.

We also get some other characters that join later on! There is also an m/m side pairing in the book that is touched on over the course of the story, and we get some great group dynamics with the addition of these characters too. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will let you meet these characters yourself!

I really loved the cast of characters, they were all so well crafted, time had clearly gone into each of them – and they all felt very real and complex.

There is SO much more I want to tell you about but I’ll leave the review here. I do, however, heavily recommend this book to fantasy lovers who want a book that is so close to teetering into something truly dark. If you love monsters, heroes, tragic fates and magic – you will love this. The secrets and intrigue are enough to keep you reading, but the characters, the world and the magic will have you utterly captivated.

If you want to know what happens when the Monster tells the story, I’d recommend giving this book a shot.

*I recieved an eARC from #Netgalley/Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review – thank you!*

I keep a scarf wound tightly around my neck after having read this book.
I've indulged in books before that rethink the idea of what or who monsters are but Len's book provides a whole new scenario that is captivating, heartbreaking and cataclysmic.

Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read the ARC of Only a Monster. This was a wonderfully fun, fast paced read that I finished in a day. I loved the premise, the leads, and the monster mythology/ time taking antics. I do however, wish the characters were fleshed out a bit more, there was high stakes but I wanted to know more about all the feuds/ Monster Court in general. It felt like there was a lot more to come.

This book will appear on 2022s best seller lists and books of the year lists. It grabs you by the throat and takes you on one heck of a ride.

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len is the first book in a planned trilogy. The book is about 16-year-old Joan who realizes her family has more going on than what meets the eye. It turns out they are what people would call "monsters" and they have powers like no human. Her ordinary summer gets interrupted when her crush, Nick, is revealed to be a legendary monster hunter who is after Joan's family. Joan has to work together with a rival of her family's, another monster called Aaron, to right the wrongs that happened along the way.

This story was very fascinating in many ways, mainly in the framework it operated in. Joan is complex as a main character, as she is technically a monster, the 'bad guy' in any other story, but not in this. She is compassionate and caring, and her relationship with her family made her into a character that the reader could relate to. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy YA books but are looking for something darker, more complicated than the usual girl-meets-boy, something that makes you think about morality and perspectives on good and evil.

My favorite aspect of the book was Joan and Aaron's reluctant partnership and how because of the circumstances they had to work together and grew closer in the process. Cannot wait for the next book in the series, especially with how the book ended.

Huge thanks to the publishers for this advanced eARC.

Sadly this book was not for me but that may well be due to my current circumstances and not the book itself. I really struggled to get into it, despite the excellent writing. I may well pick it up again in the future as the premise really intrigues me.

Three stars given for the writing.

Only a Monster is undoubtedly a perfect recommendation for YA fans of anything and everything morally grey. The whole concept of the book was quite thought provoking, especially with the decisions Joan has to make regarding the chance she has to save her family… but at the expense of taking time from others.

The world building was quite complex yet I found it really immersive, and there was a lot of information given alongside the fast moving action of the story. Whilst this helped the book maintain a fast pace which made it hard to put down, sometimes it felt like a lot of information was given at once and I found myself getting confused at parts. This confusion I feel is linked to how even once finishing the book there are still a lot of questions surrounding the nature of the world and how the monster society works, but I’m hoping this will all be cleared up in the second book.

The concept of the story was really cool and original, and aside from the main plot I really loved the development of the romance filtered in between Joan and a certain love interest. I will not be saying which love interest I liked (you can make up your own mind about them!), but between Joan and the other love interest I really did not see the connection between them and I feel like there was no build up in contrast to what shared with the other character. Again though as this is only the first book, there is still time for things to progress and I’m really interested in seeing how things turn out.

Up until maybe the last 30% of the book, in my mind I had already decided this would be a solid 3* debut. However, the last few chapters COMPLETELY blew my mind and changed my feelings towards this book entirely. This really was an explosive conclusion to the book and I have no idea how I’m going to wait for the release of the next one. This is definitely a book which lingers in your mind days after finishing and I fully recommend everyone gives it a try !!

This book will appear on 2022s best seller lists and books of the year lists. It grabs you by the throat and takes you on one heck of a ride. Almost stayed up all night reading it !
Buy this book, you won't regret it.

This was a masterfully written book, I had so much anticipation for it and it definitely lived up to my expectations. A very different take on monsters and humans and the deception within was written perfectly. I was so upset that our main gal Joan had two heartbreaks, they were so so sad. It does set up for a sequel if there is ever one but the ending itself was quite satisfying as well.
The characters had development along the way and I loved the world building - traveling between times.
Definitely a recommended read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this eARC.
This was an amazing story and I nearly couldn't put this book down. My sleeping schedule did suffer a lot because of that.
Only a Monster is an amazingly written book full of twists and turns. And it has an original plot. I have never ever read anything like it. The ending left me in shock and I can't wait where, or better when Joan is going next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Joan has just learned the truth: her family are monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.
And the cute boy at work isn't just a boy: he's a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to destroy her family. To save herself and her family, Joan will have to do what she fears most: embrace her own monstrousness. Because in this story...she is not the hero.

I really enjoyed Only A Monster and finished it quickly. The concept of the book is so unique and I haven’t read anything like it. When I read in the synopsis that it‘s about monsters I imagined something completely different. But the book really surprised me! The synopsis reveals enough to make you interested but you‘re just as clueless as Joan at the beginning of the story. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I‘m just going to say that the book includes a magical element I really like in books and it has to do with her being a monster. 🤫

I immediately liked Joan and grew to like Aaron and Ruth. Additionally, I liked the concept with the rival families and I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of the story. The relationship between Nick and Joan is fascinating too but I think some things could’ve been explored in more detail. All in all, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

*rated 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5*

CW: violence, death of family members, murder, injury detail, grief, racist microaggressions, fantasy xenophobia

OMG!
I wasn’t prepared for this.
No one prepared me for this!

This story is just a piece of art. It felt so real and raw and wonderful. My breath caught, my heart ached and I enjoyed it immensely!

The characters were so inspiring and interesting. The monster world was smartly immersed in the real world that made this believable and possible. The writing capabilities and the talent of the author can be seen right away in the book.

It’s dark, deep, fast-paced with complex bonds and enemies-to-lovers vibes.

A MUST READ 💫

Only A Monster follows Joan, a teenage girl who is from a family of monsters, thrown into a brand-new world of monster families rivalries, newfound enemies, guttering betrayals and a journey of self discovery that promises her life will never be the same again.

This was a rollercoaster experience! It’s a fast paced YA debut packed with time travel, mysterious magic, an ominous overlord that gate keeps time and star-crossed lovers.

My favourite thing about Only A Monster was the juxtaposition of, just maybe, it can be monsters who are good of heart, and the heroes of our beloved tales being a villain in disguise. It makes you question what makes someone a hero and what makes someone a villain. The story has so much going on, it feels high-stakes, it feels exhilarating yet remains a light read with good humour throughout.

And the romance! I don’t know who I’m supporting for endgame. We definitely have a team Nick and team Aaron situation here. On one hand there is the starcrossed lovers, and on the other hand, there’s the delightfully sarcastic but a true soft boy, who definitely appears to habour deeper feelings for Joan. I can’t wait to see how everybody else reacts to this possible triangle… Either way, it’ll be fun to see how it all works out.

Towards the end, it reminded me of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, which I don’t want to expand on for fear of spoilers, but there’s a good chance fans of that series will like this. All in all, Only A Monster is a fun debut and the world Vanessa Len has created is exciting - I can’t wait to learn more in the sequel!

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

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len gave us it ALL...then took it all away.

This is the story of a girl who is a monster, that is, she has magical powers. But what makes magical powers monstrous you ask? Well, in order to time travel the girl has to steal time or years from humans. The girl meets a boy, a handsome boy who has model good looks and a pretty quirky personality but it turns out the boy hunts and murders monsters because he was conditioned to do so by someone not yet revealed. We find out that the girl and her monster hunter were fated to be together but in the present timeline it doesn't occur, yet they are consistently drawn to each other, despite the fact that the boy murders her entire family.

Then we have Aaron someone from another family who is equally as handsome and has a pretty great redemption arc. Btw there are different families of monsters and each has its own family power. I was rooting for Aaron at the same time I was rooting for Nick (monster hunter guy).

When I say the author gave us it all, that's what I meant...except in the end it was taken away because Joan (our monster girl) did the most horrendous thing ever in a moment of trust. And let me tell you I hated that part so much and also the part when she basically erases Aaron's redemption so so so much I was tempted to four star this book! But alas I have not only because I know its a series and I hope all the characters make a return. I would absolutely detest to see Aaron play the part of the villian again but I suppose that is where the author is headed.

The story is really about an innocent being pushed to do horrible things that she would never have done if not for the actions of another. Its the butterfly effect.

The ending of this book broke my heart. Really, Vanessa Len...just why?

All in all a great book!!! The writing style was fairly juvenile in nature but I suppose that was to be expected being that this is a YA novel. I do expect it to change as the books progress, if not that's quite fine as it was an easy and pleasurable read.

Only A Monster is a book I knew I just needed to read as soon as Hodder announced it. It immediately sounded like something I would absolutely adore. I love books that challenge the ideas of hero and villians/monsters and having a book that is told from the perspective of the monster just sounded perfect for me. I saw so many bloggers and bookstagrammers raving about this one early on and I was so excited when the amazing Kate at Hodder gave me an eARC. I had such high expectations for this book and it surpassed each and every one.

Only A Monster follows our main protagonist Joan. Joan has always been told since she was small that she was a monster, but she didn’t really know what they meant. Until she suddenly comes into a power she knows nothing about. She suddenly finds herself alone in a world she knows nothing about with Aaron, a member of another monster feuding family, as her only ally. Can they put aside their differences to save both their families? And what about Nick, the boy Joan was falling in love with who happens to be the hero destined to kill all of the monsters?

I absolutely loved this book. It is a little slow to start with as the author is building up this world of monsters. There are so many different monster ‘families’ and they all have a slightly different power. I really loved this concept of different kinds of monsters. The beginning of the book seemed a bit like a lesson of learning the world and the different monsters, as I have come to expect with fantasy books. Once the events take a huge turn, it picks up and I loved every single second of it. I ended up devouring this one in a day.

Vanessa Len has done such a phenomenal job with this book. It’s honestly such a stunning book and a pleasure to read. One thing I loved was the fact that she really challenged the idea of the ‘monsters’. She doesn’t for a second romanticise them or make you believe they’re really the good guys. It’s so obvious they aren’t as they are hurting people for their own gain… but somehow she makes you love them and root for them anyway. And I loved that! Our main protagonist goes through an internal struggle as she comes to grips with being a monster, and I thought that struggle was done so well and really just made me love the monsters all the more.

Only A Monster has everything. Morally grey characters, an enemies to lovers romance (or two!) and a little twist of fate. I loved everything about this book and I am dying to read more in this world and with these characters. Already I am dying to get my hands on book two. If you’re looking for a new YA urban fantasy to fall head over heels in love with, then look no further. I promise you won’t be disappointed with this one. It is an absolute must-read!