Nya Reads

Nya

I’m an avid reader, a hobbyist writer, a professional designer, and I blog for fun!

I read a little bit of everything, from mystery/thriller to romance, but my true passion is being immersed in fantasy and magical worlds!

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“Only a Monster” by Vanessa Len is only the beginning

The beginning of something with great potential


Personal Experience:

Quote: 

“She said monster like being a monster was as special as being an elf.”

Who should read it? Fans of action-packed YA and time travel

Would I recommend it? Yes

Trigger Warnings (source): Abuse (child abuse and emotional); Blood; Corpse; Depictions (including an animal); Death; Death of family members; Emesis; Grief; Massacres; Murder; PTSD; Racism (microaggressions); Torture

Tropes:


** What is this book about? You can check below first **

Only a Monster was a refreshing YA read full of twists! I confess I felt somehow tricked in the beginning, misled even: “What’s happening? Why?” (and where’s the romance that I was promised?)

But the more I read, the more I loved it. The book surely didn’t waste any time, you’re thrown into a mix of emotions and events right away. Perfect for mystery-driven and action-packed story lovers!

Here are some things I LOVED about the book:

🧡 The twists

I want to say I love a twist as much as the next person, but most of the time, I feel incredibly disappointed. Not with this book! Not much is revealed right away, but when the plot surprises us, even if it’s something rather unexpected, it still makes sense somehow, it keeps adding to the story. It enrichens it. I was always excited about the big reveals which made me curious to keep reading the book.

🧡 Time travel

So there’s a lot of time travel in sci-fi books, but not as much in fantasy. I thought the concept (without revealing too much) was quite intriguing. Also really liked how it defied the time travel trope by putting a new spin on the whole “butterfly effect” concept.

And this is what I didn’t like as much:

🌧️ Romance, please?

So obviously this is something personal. I love a good romance in a fantasy setting. In my defence, the blurb made it sound as if romance would be an important part of the plot. There’s literally a “soulmates” trope. Not saying romance didn’t play a role here, but it just felt undeveloped (in so many ways). In fact, if it was about the romance aspect, I’d probably feel nothing for the characters. Luckily, there were other things that made up for this. Plus, I’d like to believe this first volume is just the beginning…

Overall I really liked Only a Monster. It was unpredictable, action-packed, entertaining and addicting! Somehow, it felt incomplete, which is understandable, as this is Monsters #1 and it successfully leaves you with a “this is only the beginning” taste.

Only a Monster (Monsters, #1)
by Vanessa Len
Publication date: February 2022
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

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.

 

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

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