I feel the helplessness of the characters and it shouldn’t hurt this much! I really hope no one gets to experience such hard times because of a person we all care about becomes someone we hardly know.

The story is quite realistic and the characters so damn convincing! It is so well written!

This is the story about a twelve year old whose accident makes his “monsters” wake up. His family is struggling with a secret regarding his brother Ben.

It’s the writing that impresses me the most. Each character stands out and they are as real as it gets. Each chapter analyses our dark side and the ranges of emotions we experience. I say again, I am quite impressed.

I love the parents. They are not the usual fictional parents who are either too interested/ know it all or not that interested or barely present. They are just like our own not so perfect parents who are trying their best but feel too helpless when their kids grow up.

The writing is mesmerising if I have to explain it in one word. The book is a great representation of mental health conditions and family dysfunction.

A must read recommendation.

Thank you, Pinkus Books, for the advance reading copy.

Themes include Mental health, suicide, and family dysfunction.
YA novel about the “monsters” of depression and family dysfunction. Sam, a 12-year-old is the narrator of the book. parts are just utterly heartbreaking and parts that will show Sam as the funny boy he was, The monster of depression and family dysfunction. Every young adult could learn and see how Sam tries to change the monsters in his own world. Such a special read.

The cover of this book and its title immediately pulled me in and then I was sold on requesting an ARC when I read the description. Whilst the target audience for this book is Young Adult, I think it is equally valuable for adults, parents, teachers etc to read also to understand the challenges facing today’s adolescence with regards to mental health. I thought portraying the mental state as ‘monsters’, characters almost, was a really clever way of giving meaning to certain struggles. I will be recommending this book to friends and family.

Making Friends with Monsters is active and inviting prose, and a book I would gladly share with my students. I love the way the author uses the text as a space for dealing with real-life questions with thoughtfulness.