Fantasy

Only a Monster

Only a Monster

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-12-30 07:51:17
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Vanessa Len
  • ISBN：0063024640
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Summary

With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song， this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len， is the first in a planned trilogy。

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。

But she soon learns the truth。 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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Reviews

Belinda Grant ，

This book grabbed me by the neck （sorry， couldn't resist an in-book joke） and didn't let me go。 It's so different！ I read lots of YA fantasy and I love it- and it had all the best bits of the genre。 But it was also such a fresh take！ I loved Joan as a character， I loved seeing her wrestle with what it meant to be a monster and a human and to love her family。 I can't wait to see more of this world。 I won an ARC of this novel from Allen and Unwin Australia。 This book grabbed me by the neck （sorry， couldn't resist an in-book joke） and didn't let me go。 It's so different！ I read lots of YA fantasy and I love it- and it had all the best bits of the genre。 But it was also such a fresh take！ I loved Joan as a character， I loved seeing her wrestle with what it meant to be a monster and a human and to love her family。 I can't wait to see more of this world。 I won an ARC of this novel from Allen and Unwin Australia。 。。。more

Clarissa ，

This book was so New。 Don't get me wrong， there are the familiar tropes that we love。 Star crossed lovers， enemies to lovers。 The works。 But the worldbuilding？ The stealing time from people？？？ I absolutely love this concept。 The first bit of the book didn't suck me in， I'll be honest， it kind of felt like "it's better after the first episode I promise"。 This really is better than the first chapter。 The moment things start picking up in pace， I couldn't walk away from this book。 I needed the answ This book was so New。 Don't get me wrong， there are the familiar tropes that we love。 Star crossed lovers， enemies to lovers。 The works。 But the worldbuilding？ The stealing time from people？？？ I absolutely love this concept。 The first bit of the book didn't suck me in， I'll be honest， it kind of felt like "it's better after the first episode I promise"。 This really is better than the first chapter。 The moment things start picking up in pace， I couldn't walk away from this book。 I needed the answers。 It was in a world/magic setting I had never seen before and I loved that。 I'm intrigued for book two but something tells me I'm not going to like where this goes ship wise。 Thank you to Edelweiss for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emma ，

What a Monster piece！ I was gifted an arc of this book by Hodder & Stoughton， and I will forever be grateful， I fell in love from the first page！ I couldn't put this down I literally carried this book everywhere with me until I finished it。Vanessa Len has created such an incredible and unique world， and the magic system was just flawless， I enjoyed getting to know the twelve monster families and discovering their true powers， and how we learn all of this along with our， in the dark MC Joan。 I al What a Monster piece！ I was gifted an arc of this book by Hodder & Stoughton， and I will forever be grateful， I fell in love from the first page！ I couldn't put this down I literally carried this book everywhere with me until I finished it。Vanessa Len has created such an incredible and unique world， and the magic system was just flawless， I enjoyed getting to know the twelve monster families and discovering their true powers， and how we learn all of this along with our， in the dark MC Joan。 I also love that we discover and understand it as Joan does， there is a lot of time travel involved & she asks and argues with the other characters about certain elements of time altering rules， questions that I'm glad get answered。 It just makes it all that more impressive！Len has written some of the most lovable characters， I wasn't ready to let them go！Even the side characters you crave more of， you find yourself forgetting that they're the monsters in the story， and you want them to succeed！ they all have such unique personalities， that reflect their houses and it creates such an entertaining and gripping atmosphere， especially when they're propelled into high stakes tasks。This book had so many plot twists， there wasn't a dull moment from start to finish！ they had me totally shocked/sad/happy。。。its a true whirlwind of emotions， especially towards the end！ I become so torn between right and wrong seeing both sides of the story！ I felt so connected with both monsters and the hero， and I can't wait to read the next in the series and see more of the story unravel！Vanessa Len has without a doubt created one of my favourite YA novels this year！ and I can't recommend it enough！ If you love an enchanting anti hero， romance， found family and an incredible magic system， you can pick this up from February 17th 2022！ 。。。more

Emily ，

This description sounds like ya past。 And there's time travel？ I don't know that I'm sold yet but I realllly want to be wow This description sounds like ya past。 And there's time travel？ I don't know that I'm sold yet but I realllly want to be wow 。。。more

Emily Thiede ，

A fantastic debut from an author to watch！ From the opening scene， Only a Monster is an exciting ride into a magical underground society of monsters secretly living in our world。 Joas's journey into the realm of monsters feels fresh and different while also tapping into the nostalgia I （and I know many others） have for stories we grew up loving， the kinds of stories that let us believe there might be something thrilling， magical， and a bit dangerous around us all the time， that we can almost。。。 A fantastic debut from an author to watch！ From the opening scene， Only a Monster is an exciting ride into a magical underground society of monsters secretly living in our world。 Joas's journey into the realm of monsters feels fresh and different while also tapping into the nostalgia I （and I know many others） have for stories we grew up loving， the kinds of stories that let us believe there might be something thrilling， magical， and a bit dangerous around us all the time， that we can almost。。。 but not quite perceive。 I was captivated and I can't wait for book two！ 。。。more

Luchia Houghton ，

100% can’t wait for more of this world， 100% would like to be a “monster” too， as long as it didn’t hurt anyone 🥲Full review to come soon ❤️

Carly ，

4。5/5 stars rounded up。Sixteen-year-old Joan Chang-Hunt is nervous-excited。 She is spending the summer with her family in London and volunteering at historic building， Holland House。 She is preparing for a date with Nick， her co-volunteer at Holland House， who she has been drawn to since they first met。 But on the day of the date， an accident with a neighbour leads her to discover that she and her family are monsters with powers that can harm humans and more。 Soon after， she finds out that Nick 4。5/5 stars rounded up。Sixteen-year-old Joan Chang-Hunt is nervous-excited。 She is spending the summer with her family in London and volunteering at historic building， Holland House。 She is preparing for a date with Nick， her co-volunteer at Holland House， who she has been drawn to since they first met。 But on the day of the date， an accident with a neighbour leads her to discover that she and her family are monsters with powers that can harm humans and more。 Soon after， she finds out that Nick isn't all he seemed either。 Only A Monster is an explosive start to what is going to be a fantastic YA fantasy series。 It had so many elements I loved: the hidden monster world-building， the system of powers， the hierarchies of the monster families and the Court， the historical elements and the time travel。 The time travel element deserves special attention。 Vanessa Len wove it into this story with what feels like such ease but must have taken a heap of work。 Time travel is notoriously derided in many narratives as being nonsensical or lazy。 But it's described so effectively in Only A Monster， with clarifying details on its mechanics showing up as a natural part of the story。 I thought this was so masterful。 I'm really， really glad this is going to be a series because （view spoiler）[ I am fully a Joan-Aaron shipper！ （hide spoiler）]If I have small bugbears: I would have preferred the monsters to be called something other than monsters。。。I'm not really sure why。 （view spoiler）[ Also， I would have liked to have explored Aaron's reveal about monsters going through a trial as children to determine their family powers more deeply because I thought this was a really fascinating concept。 But it came too late in the book to dive into any further。 I'll greatly look forward to that in the coming books。 Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Only A Monster。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Billie ，

Only a Monsterby Vanessa LenI received an ARC copy of this book through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。#OnlyaMonster is a YA fantasy， about a girl， Joan， who finds out that she has a gift， but her family and those like them call themselves monsters because of it， and while the blurb sounded good， it didn't match up with the story。 （Let alone to the comparison on Goodreads to “This Savage Song”。）The story was supposed to be about monsters， but they weren't monsters to me， the hero wa Only a Monsterby Vanessa LenI received an ARC copy of this book through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。#OnlyaMonster is a YA fantasy， about a girl， Joan， who finds out that she has a gift， but her family and those like them call themselves monsters because of it， and while the blurb sounded good， it didn't match up with the story。 （Let alone to the comparison on Goodreads to “This Savage Song”。）The story was supposed to be about monsters， but they weren't monsters to me， the hero was the monster， he slaughtered people。 Maybe that was what the author was trying to say， but it didn't work for me。 Joan wasn't a monster， though Aaron Oliver， his family， and others were evil people， murders without a care， but I still don't feel as if their powers made them monsters。 They had a gift， but that didn't make them monsters。 Mobsters， but not monsters。 And their main power isn't that terrifying， but the extra different gifts the families have， are a little more intimidating， but the MC， her extra gift is scary， good thing she is a goody-goody。It was a good story， but with the characters calling themselves monsters， when I didn't feel as if they were， I kind of stopped caring for them。But a big eye roll was at the beginning of the book when there was enough time for a room full of bad people to gasp and ask questions after the killing of three members of their family while the killer still stood in the room holding the weapon。And since this is the first book of a series， （this book not ending in a cliffhanger） I already have a few guesses of where it's going。3 stars 。。。more

Annette ，

For authors it must be frustrating sometimes。 All those posts on Twitter and they never actually know if they actually sell the book。 Well， in this case I requested this book on Netgalley BECAUSE I saw an awesome graphic on Twitter。 I think it was a retweet。 And every word in that graphic screamed my name。 All the tropes listed， every sentence used to describe this book， screamed my name。 I'm therefore really thankful that Hodder & Stoughton granted me this arc。I have to admit that I needed quit For authors it must be frustrating sometimes。 All those posts on Twitter and they never actually know if they actually sell the book。 Well， in this case I requested this book on Netgalley BECAUSE I saw an awesome graphic on Twitter。 I think it was a retweet。 And every word in that graphic screamed my name。 All the tropes listed， every sentence used to describe this book， screamed my name。 I'm therefore really thankful that Hodder & Stoughton granted me this arc。I have to admit that I needed quite a few chapters to truly get into this story。 However， it's so worth it to read through。 With every page I turned the story got more exciting， thrilling and interesting。 New characters were introduced， new families and powers were thrown into the game， new twists and turns were revealed。 In some ways this book reminded me a little of Kerstin Gier's Gem Stone Trilogy， but this story focussed on the drama and didn't contain that much humor and much less romance。 And this story being mostly a more modern drama is what I loved most about it。 Of course， there were quite some action scenes， it only took the book a few chapters to present us with a massacre， and yet this book was not so much about that action。 All the action and the bloodshed was serving the characters， their emotional development and their growth。 And it all leads to a heartbreakingly intense finale that will haunt me for days to come。Because even though I needed a few chapters to truly click with the story， I really started caring about Joan。 I think it's because usually in Fantasy settings the 16 year olds act older than their age。 Mostly because circumstances forced them to grow up way too soon and way too fast。 With Joan it's different。 She's quite innocent and pure at the start of the story。 She doesn't know anything about her family and the world she's a part of。 And it makes her journey all the more amazing！I can't wait to hold a physical copy of this book in my hands。 。。。more

bia ，

Thank you so much Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review。First of all I was REALLY hyped up for this book， it had all of my favorite tropes and I have to say I was left a little bit disappointed。 The plot was good and I couldn't predict most plot twists， especially the last one and I'm still a little bit angry with how the book wrapped up。 The characters were all right although some of them felt a little flat for me and I just coul Thank you so much Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review。First of all I was REALLY hyped up for this book， it had all of my favorite tropes and I have to say I was left a little bit disappointed。 The plot was good and I couldn't predict most plot twists， especially the last one and I'm still a little bit angry with how the book wrapped up。 The characters were all right although some of them felt a little flat for me and I just couldn't connect with them。 Overall I think this book just wasn't for me even though it had all my favorite tropes and I think that was probably why I was able to finish it and somewhat enjoy it but I would still recommend if you enjoy reading YA enemies to lovers。 。。。more

kat ，

just let it be known that if it has the enemies to lovers trope in it i'm going to want to read it。 just let it be known that if it has the enemies to lovers trope in it i'm going to want to read it。 。。。more

Riss Neilson ，

This was one of my favorite reads of the year。 I think it’s actually on my list of all time favs。 Joan is brave and smart， she has flaws that are both monster and human， but she’s the type of character that makes it easy to follow around for a whole book。 I love the pacing and the plot。 It’s an adventure that kept me invested and turning the pages， and it’s so very different than anything I’ve read lately because of the incredible magic system。 And oooh， I love every single character 。 Especiall This was one of my favorite reads of the year。 I think it’s actually on my list of all time favs。 Joan is brave and smart， she has flaws that are both monster and human， but she’s the type of character that makes it easy to follow around for a whole book。 I love the pacing and the plot。 It’s an adventure that kept me invested and turning the pages， and it’s so very different than anything I’ve read lately because of the incredible magic system。 And oooh， I love every single character 。 Especially a certain grumpy monster。 I cried for them and with them， and the ending was so powerful。 It caught me off guard， and it was devastating， but in the best of ways。 Vanessa Len crafted a masterpiece with this one and I can’t wait to have this book on my shelves。 I don’t re read a lot of novels， but Only a Monster has the potential for it。 I’m going to be anxiously awaiting book 2！ 。。。more

Jemma Amanda ，

Wow！ What a book！Joan is a monster！ There is a hero who’s job it is is to rid the world of all monsters。 They can’t survive。 They can’t be allowed to keep taking from humans and not be punished。 The 12 families of London will suffer like they have never suffered before。 This book is amazing！ The writing has you hooked from page one; the descriptions of the characters， the powers， the rules it’s so good。 There are so many characters that you grow to love the more their traits and characters are u Wow！ What a book！Joan is a monster！ There is a hero who’s job it is is to rid the world of all monsters。 They can’t survive。 They can’t be allowed to keep taking from humans and not be punished。 The 12 families of London will suffer like they have never suffered before。 This book is amazing！ The writing has you hooked from page one; the descriptions of the characters， the powers， the rules it’s so good。 There are so many characters that you grow to love the more their traits and characters are unwound through the book。 Aaron has my heart！ I really hope there is more to come from this world！ I already want to dive back in！ Phenomenal！ 。。。more

rosie ，

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but i was so pleasantly surprised！！ I was glued to the story from beginning to end and what a ride it was。The story was paced really well which never left you bored and well the story itself was just so good！

Ashley Reynolds ，

omg， this book was amazing！！！ I cannot wait until it's released so I can see what others think about it too！ this book was something I don't think I have ever read about！ the ending did make me cry and I really don't know what the next book is going to be about but I cannot wait！！！！ Vanessa Len， you writing this as your debut novel。。 impressive！ I cannot wait to see what else comes next out of your head！！！！！ this is pitched as Dark Duet and Passengers。。。 i can totally see Dark Duet but i haven't omg， this book was amazing！！！ I cannot wait until it's released so I can see what others think about it too！ this book was something I don't think I have ever read about！ the ending did make me cry and I really don't know what the next book is going to be about but I cannot wait！！！！ Vanessa Len， you writing this as your debut novel。。 impressive！ I cannot wait to see what else comes next out of your head！！！！！ this is pitched as Dark Duet and Passengers。。。 i can totally see Dark Duet but i haven't read the passengers duology。。。 but i think Dark Duet and Romeo and Juliet would have fit so much better！！！！ Forbidden Love， Star-Crossed Lovers， in a harsh and cruel world！！！ I EAT THAT SHIT UP！！！ This is probably my most favorite trope。。。 and i hardly ever see it anymore！ 。。。more

Pixie's Book Den ，

I've grown pretty weary of all the generic YA fantasy I've read this year， so I really didn't see coming how much I would like this。 I'm not gonna lie， the blurb sounded totally cliché YA to me - all the more to my delight the book really surprised me with originality and great writing。 I was just planning to read the first couple of pages into it to see if it was for me， not expecting much， but somehow I found myself incapable of putting it down。 It really drew me into the story right from the I've grown pretty weary of all the generic YA fantasy I've read this year， so I really didn't see coming how much I would like this。 I'm not gonna lie， the blurb sounded totally cliché YA to me - all the more to my delight the book really surprised me with originality and great writing。 I was just planning to read the first couple of pages into it to see if it was for me， not expecting much， but somehow I found myself incapable of putting it down。 It really drew me into the story right from the start and I ended up reading all of it in two sittings。It has so much going for itself that I enjoy in a good fantasy novel: lovable morally grey characters， unlikely reluctant companions teaming up for a heist， a really cool time travel magic system， a diagon alley-esque parallel space in London， yearning， betrayal and fast-paced action。 Best YA book I've read in a while。I'm not one to give out 5 stars easily， but honestly I loved it from beginning to end and can't wait for the next book。 。。。more

starryarcher ，

the more I read the more I fell in love。

Megan ，

“In a way， Joan had always known what she’d have to do。”Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 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。 But she so “In a way， Joan had always known what she’d have to do。”Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 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。 But she soon learns the truth。 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。Joan is someone who has been kept in the dark before suddenly being thrust into the light and expected to cope。 Her family have kept secrets from her and now she must deal with the consequences of that。 Seeing her slowly understand the monster side of herself is great as she doesn’t just jump in with both feet and accept everything。 She questions actions and motives and considers how these new monstrous actions will affect others which I liked getting to see。 It was a fresh perspective。 Sure， there were moments where she frustrated me with some choices she made but it felt like a realistic journey and I was glad to go along with her。 Aaron has gone through a lot in his life and I just wanted to wrap him up in a hug and tell him it would be okay。 He’s snarky yet gentle， brash yet kind。 In other words， he’s rather perfect and I wouldn’t mind getting an Aaron Oliver in my life… There’s definitely never a dull moment when he is around。 We don’t see a massive amount of Nick throughout the story， though he is mentioned a lot。 Appearances are certainly deceiving with him as he is not so sweet and innocent as we first believe。 In the moments we do see Nick， I feel like we could have gotten a bit more from his character - just to see him really pop。 He’s multi-faceted but we sadly only really see glimpses of this when he pops up。 I would have loved to understand his motives just a little more so I could connect with him further。 Now this story gave me big LOKI vibes。 Protecting the timelines， jumping place to place， seeing the implications of such a thing？ Genius。 Absolute genius。 Len’s writing style is engaging and I found myself enjoying what I was reading each time I picked this up。 I liked that the romance was a steady undertone throughout the course of the story before popping up a bit more at the end。 It never felt like too much。 There was a bit of a love triangle moment and whilst I usually roll my eyes a little at that （before enjoying it anyway because I’m a sucker for that sort of thing） I didn’t feel that way at all reading this as it was subtle and not too in your face。 I’m looking forward to seeing what is next to come - especially after that ending！Overall， Only a Monster is a thrilling story that pulls you in and traps you in the best way。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more

Books0507_Ashley ，

Only a Monster is a YA contemporary fantasy that follows Joan who comes from a family of monsters but she was never told until she suddenly discovered she could time-travel。！！！The first 10% of this I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy and got a little worried， it felt like it was written in a much younger voice than I was expecting but after the 10% mark I lost that feeling and got immersed in the story telling。 I liked this was from the 'monsters' pov， she wasn't what I'd call bad and barely mora Only a Monster is a YA contemporary fantasy that follows Joan who comes from a family of monsters but she was never told until she suddenly discovered she could time-travel。！！！The first 10% of this I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy and got a little worried， it felt like it was written in a much younger voice than I was expecting but after the 10% mark I lost that feeling and got immersed in the story telling。 I liked this was from the 'monsters' pov， she wasn't what I'd call bad and barely morally grey but the power to time travel did come at a price that was costing time off a humans life。 I liked this perspective and it was different from the usual protagonist。 The pace flowed really well and I enjoyed the magic system and the background of the families of monsters。 I really liked the aspect of having these 12 families that had their own speciality power and all kind of stuck to themselves， it had a whole secret society aspect and would have loved to have known more about it。 Aaron was my favourite character， I loved his smart suits and his dry humour and wish there had been a little more of him in the ending。 I liked the reveals that I didn't find it predictable which is a big plus for YA story。 The ending I was really happy with， I didn't see it playing out that way， I guess for a YA I was expecting the usual happy ending， girl overcomes all， girl and boy live happily together。 So I was really pleased this was different and was a great way to wrap up the story。 I'd definitely read more of this if it does turn into more books。 。。。more

gauri ，

only a monster is a solid debut！i was intrigued as soon as i read time travel and monsters with terrifying powers。 suffice to say i really liked how len played with the interpretation of monsters here， the balance between their human nature and the reality of their powers。 the worldbuilding is easy to understand though there are aspects i would love the story to explore in the sequels。 this book is fast paced， with an easy flowing writing and good reveals to keep me hooked throughout。 the descri only a monster is a solid debut！i was intrigued as soon as i read time travel and monsters with terrifying powers。 suffice to say i really liked how len played with the interpretation of monsters here， the balance between their human nature and the reality of their powers。 the worldbuilding is easy to understand though there are aspects i would love the story to explore in the sequels。 this book is fast paced， with an easy flowing writing and good reveals to keep me hooked throughout。 the descriptions of the times the characters traveled through were visualised so well， the writing is probably my favourite thing about the book。while this was a good 4 star read i'm sad that the "enemies-to-lovers/enemy soulmates" trope did not deliver。 the build up with nick had SO much potential but the execution falls through which made me feel nothing for their so called romance。 and consequently the ending felt too convenient。 joan's。。。 feelings （？） for aaron weren't convincing either because he's way too in his head and didn't bother explaining anything at all to joan or the reader。 also， joan marching into the monster side of the world， trying to change timelines and save her family seemed kind of stupid considering she didn't know literally *anything* about monsters and their powers。 hopefully she's on the road to character development for the next books。this is in no way a bad book！ i'm very impressed that this is a debut and i'm so excited to see where the story goes in the sequel。 （which won't be out for another year omg） i really hope we see more development in every aspect and i enjoy it just as much as this， if not more！thank you harper collins and netgalley for the arc 。。。more

Genevieve ，

4。5 stars！Thank you to Hodder&Stoughton for the ARC💞Before I begin， I just want to mention that I felt like the start of this book was WAYYYY better when you don’t read the blurb because the blurb just gives it all away and it’s so much more fun to *gasp* at the start then to know what’s happening already and wait for the next twist。~I am so glad we know this is a series because that ending left me totally needing more information on what’s going to happen next！ If this were a standalone， the en 4。5 stars！Thank you to Hodder&Stoughton for the ARC💞Before I begin， I just want to mention that I felt like the start of this book was WAYYYY better when you don’t read the blurb because the blurb just gives it all away and it’s so much more fun to *gasp* at the start then to know what’s happening already and wait for the next twist。~I am so glad we know this is a series because that ending left me totally needing more information on what’s going to happen next！ If this were a standalone， the ending would have been a bit lacklustre but WOOOOO there’s more books coming I can’t WAIT。 I can see the pain of reading ARCs now…you have to wait EVEN LONGER for others to read it and for the sequel to come around。 TORTURE。Anyway I loved the concept for this story。 The hero vs the monster but who is the hero and who is the true monster？ The underlying romance was really sweet too （but not the romance they describe this book to be， unless it develops more in the next few books）。The world building and magic was so in depth and well written that I have no complaints。 The time travel was super cool to read about and I enjoyed every aspect。 Every question you may have about time travel is answered and cleared up pretty quickly。 （Hint: everything you have ever learned from Back to the Future is WRONG）。 Usually I get confused with time travel but don’t worry， Vanessa Lee made it perfectly complicated in such a simple way *chefs kiss*I also loved how there were different powers for each of the different families and how they were showcased slowly throughout the book rather than all at once。 They are all so creative and unique。 I can’t wait to see the other families “show their hand （power？）” in the next book！ I really loved Joan。 Dreaming to be a hero even though she was born a monster。 She was conflicted and confused but also knew exactly what was the right thing to do。 Nick…。breaks my heart…I won’t say anything more。 But the ANGST and CONFLICT is heartbreaking。 Aaron was also such a sweetie。 I need more scenes with him。 His story and everything just gimme moreeeeee。 Ruth was also deserves a mention for being so badass。Also yay to the LGBTQ representation you see towards the end of the book 🙌 。。。more

Jules ，

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this mesmerising new YA Fantasy！Imagine you could travel in time， what is the cost you are willing to pay？ In a world full of Monsters， everything has a price。 A deep， charismatic plot line set in London。 Our protagonist Joan， has her life drastically altered in one night。 Can she manage to restore everything to how it was or will the cost be too great？Only a Monster is a stunning， well-structured fantasy novel。 The book is superbly paced， and well thought o Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this mesmerising new YA Fantasy！Imagine you could travel in time， what is the cost you are willing to pay？ In a world full of Monsters， everything has a price。 A deep， charismatic plot line set in London。 Our protagonist Joan， has her life drastically altered in one night。 Can she manage to restore everything to how it was or will the cost be too great？Only a Monster is a stunning， well-structured fantasy novel。 The book is superbly paced， and well thought out。 The book navigates through love， loss， betrayal， humanity in a captivating series of events。 I found myself truly torn， alongside Joan， as to what she should do next and whether it was worth the cost to herself and others。 I cannot wait for the next book in this series， as I am sure it will follow in Only a Monster’s footsteps。 Definitely a must read of the year！ 。。。more

Chloe Louise ，

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review When I saw this book being was for fans of This Savage Song by V。E。 Schwab， I instantly picked it up since TSS has been a 2021 favourite read， and Only a Monster did not disappoint。Oh my god I loved this book so much。 I was hooked from the beginning。 I loved the characters， the setting。。。 everything。 I was a bit confused with a couple of things， but that confusion was easily resolved w Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review When I saw this book being was for fans of This Savage Song by V。E。 Schwab， I instantly picked it up since TSS has been a 2021 favourite read， and Only a Monster did not disappoint。Oh my god I loved this book so much。 I was hooked from the beginning。 I loved the characters， the setting。。。 everything。 I was a bit confused with a couple of things， but that confusion was easily resolved with further reading and the odd re-reading of a passage。 I absolutely loved everything between our MC and the love interest（s） and our MC and the enemy（/enemies）。 It was just ugh， both frustrating and everything I wanted at the same time。This is a solid debut and yes， I will be making everyone read it when it comes out。 。。。more

Shijia ，

I didn't think I'd give another book five stars before the end of 2021， but here we are！Initially I picked this up because I was in the mood for some fantasy， and when I saw that this was enemies-to-lovers I was bursting to start this。 Although I have to say I thought the enemies to lovers was sort of done twice？ But one done better than the other…We begin when Joan accidentally travels in time and finds out who （or rather what） she really is。 A monster。 Part of twelve powerful families in Londo I didn't think I'd give another book five stars before the end of 2021， but here we are！Initially I picked this up because I was in the mood for some fantasy， and when I saw that this was enemies-to-lovers I was bursting to start this。 Although I have to say I thought the enemies to lovers was sort of done twice？ But one done better than the other…We begin when Joan accidentally travels in time and finds out who （or rather what） she really is。 A monster。 Part of twelve powerful families in London， Joan must now team up with a rival family's shunned heir to solve a mystery that puts every monster at risk。I just fell into such a deep， addictive state when I started reading this book。 The pace started off so well and only got better。 The banter between Ruth and Aaron was hilarious！ I didn't like Aaron at the beginning- I felt like we didn't get much from him， except the obvious issues with his father and that he isn't as hateful of the Hunt family as his father is。 I really started rooting for them， until I realised her sort-of-ex was still in the picture？？ And then I started shipping Joan with Nick instead， because damn their chemistry was just so sizzling- I was hooked and sadly there was no going back。 I forgot the synopsis of this book， so it was a shock to find out Nick was actually a monster-slayer and at such a crucial time too！ Joan was a really flawed and intriguing protagonist。 I really started loving her the more I read。 She does make some questionable decisions and she's not one of those girls who's automatically good at every new task， which was refreshing to read。 The fact that she's supposed to be a monster did seem a little underwhelming though。 I expected monsters in this book to be darker than they were。 Other than that， I did really like the mechanics of time travel and the magic system。The writing was great！ I did think that sometimes it jumped from one scene to another too fast， and it took me a while to get my bearings， but once I did， I was drawn in so deeply， it was hard to put this book down。 The author actually shows her grieving and doesn't just brush it off as the book progresses。 No spoilers， but when I hit the 80% mark， I quite literally couldn't look away from the page！ So much was happening， and I still don't know how I feel about that ending… The monster families each have different powers， and it was so cool reading about them！ This was more like a sci-fi fantasy blend， and wow the time travel aspect is one of the best I've ever read （and I'm not just saying that！）。 The travelling in time， paired with the 'meet my younger loved ones' was just beautifully done。 The author really knows how to keep a scene tension-filled， enough that you're actually holding your breath and can't read the words fast enough。 I did like the romance， although it wasn't a massive part of the book… or was it？ This is one of those stories where you want to go into it knowing as little as possible！ So， choose your poison:t1。 Friends to lovers to enemies to maybe lovers？ORt2。 Enemies to friends to maybe lovers？I honestly cannot wait for the next book！！ Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc :）--------------------------AFTER FINISHING THIS BOOK:umm。。。 i am NOT okay？？？ excuse my language but。。 what the fook？？ 。。。more

Whitney Christy ，

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC！ Like the monsters in this book this story is something unique！ I love the twist of a monster and hero not being good or bad。 The main characters eyes was a perfect view for the reader！ I was heartbroken at the ending but felt like it was justified。 Can’t wait to read the continuation of the story！

Madison ，

Only A Monster is AMAZING！！！ Seriously。 So good。 By the first quarter of the book all but two of the characters we have met have been gloriously， brutally murdered。 （Not lying！）。 It’s dark but funny， placed so well within the world that has been created and yet we get to journey across time。 It’s unique and delicious。 Here’s what I loved:Australia author。 Debut （holy wow！！）。 Paranormal。 Monsters （not like strange creature monsters， more like scary people monsters who do bad things）。 Monster slay Only A Monster is AMAZING！！！ Seriously。 So good。 By the first quarter of the book all but two of the characters we have met have been gloriously， brutally murdered。 （Not lying！）。 It’s dark but funny， placed so well within the world that has been created and yet we get to journey across time。 It’s unique and delicious。 Here’s what I loved:Australia author。 Debut （holy wow！！）。 Paranormal。 Monsters （not like strange creature monsters， more like scary people monsters who do bad things）。 Monster slayers。 Time travel。 Humour。 Star-crossed love。 History。 An almost love triangle that just doesn’t go there。 And did I mention monsters？Joan spends every summer with her mother’s family in London。 She knows they’re a little strange but they’re family。 She also loves the time she spends volunteering at the historic Holland House。 Doesn’t hurt that her co-worker Nick is gorgeous， charming and， maybe， as into her as she is him。 But when she accidentally travels herself a day into the future， Joan realises that her family isn’t just a little strange， they are gifted with the ability to steal time from others and use it to time travel。 And that makes them， and her， monsters。 And， it turns out that Nick， a legendary monster slayer， will do everything in his power to wipe out monsters for good。 I’m going to be putting this book in our school library’s paranormal collection and I just know that I won’t be able to keep it on the shelf。 It is fabulous and perfect for readers who enjoyed the work of Cassandra Clare and Alexandra Bracken。 There is something very deliciously dark about this book。 Maybe it’s the amount of bloodshed and death。 Maybe the underlying theme。 Maybe it’s that our protagonist is not the hero of this story。 And yet， she is so the hero。 Joan rebells against what being a monster is， but when Nick draws the battle lines， Joan jumps in to do anything and everything she can to save her family。 She teams up with Aaron。 Son of one of the legendary monster house family leaders。 Also， son of the guy who tried to kill Joan （lots of people trying to kill Joan in this book。） I thought maybe， maybe their partnership might turn into a love story， but the book doesn’t go there。 Instead， the romance is saved for a historic， love of the ages connection between Nick and Joan and it’s surprising， fated and epic。 This book surprised me in so many ways。 It feels nostalgic and fresh and new all at the same time。 It’s fun but serious。 And the twists at the end were awesome。 Epic but also the little moments and connections with incredible characters are what makes this book shine。 I can’t wait to see where Vanessa Len takes this series。 I will definitely be along for the ride。 The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes。 All opinions are my own。Find more reviews， reading age guides， content advisory， and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library 。。。more

Bee Loves To Read ，

Thank you to Netgalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for the arc。Sixteen year old Joan finds her world turned upside down when she discovers that she's a 'monster'。 Not the kind of monsters that live under your bed - these are people， immortals， who are able to take time from mortals， thus keeping themselves alive。 Joan first discovers her secret after she accidentally steals time from her neighbour and from there everything spirals out of control。 She finds herself involved in a war between monster Thank you to Netgalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for the arc。Sixteen year old Joan finds her world turned upside down when she discovers that she's a 'monster'。 Not the kind of monsters that live under your bed - these are people， immortals， who are able to take time from mortals， thus keeping themselves alive。 Joan first discovers her secret after she accidentally steals time from her neighbour and from there everything spirals out of control。 She finds herself involved in a war between monsters and the 'hero' who is destined to kill all monsters。 If that isn't the kicker， the hero turns out to be the boy she's been crushing on。 Forced into hiding with another monster from a rival family， Joan has to quickly learn what it means to be a monster if she's to save her family and the fate of every monster living in the world before Nick can destroy them all。 All while battling her feelings for him and her budding friendship with Aaron。 I really enjoyed the book。 It was fun rooting for the 'bad guys' and hoping the hero failed。 。。。more

Alyshia ，

This story is INCREDIBLE！ I love a realistic magical world， enemies to lovers， star crossed lovers， secret identity， and a love triangle and Only a Monster had it all。 The story is so fresh and original， it’s nothing like I’ve read before。 The second I was done reading it， I was googling to author to find out if there will be more to the story。 This book is a 5/5 for me and I’d recommend it for readers who enjoy Sabaa Tahir， Victoria Aveyard， and Leigh Bardugo。 The writing was great with excelle This story is INCREDIBLE！ I love a realistic magical world， enemies to lovers， star crossed lovers， secret identity， and a love triangle and Only a Monster had it all。 The story is so fresh and original， it’s nothing like I’ve read before。 The second I was done reading it， I was googling to author to find out if there will be more to the story。 This book is a 5/5 for me and I’d recommend it for readers who enjoy Sabaa Tahir， Victoria Aveyard， and Leigh Bardugo。 The writing was great with excellent imagery and the plot and story were engaging and captivating。 。。。more

Emma Durphey ，

Joan grew up on stories of monsters told by her grab， never truly believing they're real， until one day she accidentally activates her power。 In a turn of events， Joan unknowingly puts her family in danger when she falls for the boy she thought was a simple， sweet boy， Nick， who turns out to be the very hero she heard about in her gran's stories。 Teaming up with the son of an enemy monster family， Joan tries to right the wrongs of what happened。Woah， talk about a refreshing， different sort of st Joan grew up on stories of monsters told by her grab， never truly believing they're real， until one day she accidentally activates her power。 In a turn of events， Joan unknowingly puts her family in danger when she falls for the boy she thought was a simple， sweet boy， Nick， who turns out to be the very hero she heard about in her gran's stories。 Teaming up with the son of an enemy monster family， Joan tries to right the wrongs of what happened。Woah， talk about a refreshing， different sort of story。 I dove into this book unsure of what to expect in terms of monsters。 I absolutely loved the concept that Vanessa Len spun into this story though。 It's such an interesting idea and she wrote it well， I loved the writing style; I loved how there was a perfect amount of a little bit of everything in this book that I truly enjoyed。 Its got a beautiful cover， some romance， morally grey characters， mysterious powers， adventure and more。 I loved Joan's character and how it developed throughout the storyline， the choices she made and how they affected her。 All of the other characters had their own compelling aura of mystery and vulnerability to them as well。 Although Joan is a monster， throughout the story it's hard not to question whether or not she's truly monstrous or if the humans， like Nick， are the real 'monsters' in a sense that we know monsters to be。 It's what I love about the concept of the book。 It's the power and how it's used that makes them monsters。 If you love urban fantasy thats unique and well written， I highly recommend reading this book when it releases。 It's soooo good。 You won't be disappointed。 Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins。 Childrens Books for the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Only a Monster

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Only a Monster&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Only a Monster&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0