Only a Monster

Written by Vanessa Len

Narrated by Vera Chok

The sweeping romance of Passenger meets the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song in this stunning contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin.

Don’t forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.

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.

Dive deep into the world of Only a Monster: hidden worlds dwell in the shadows, beautiful monsters with untold powers walk among humans, and secrets are the most powerful weapon of all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063024670

Vanessa Len

Vanessa Len writes YA fantasy about girl antiheroes, monsters, and enemies who are maybe in love. She’s read every Diana Wynne Jones book more times than she can count. She’s a graduate of the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and she lives in Melbourne, Australia. Only a Monster is Vanessa’s first novel, and you can visit her online at vanessalen.com.

Reviews for Only a Monster

[Xiomy Santiago · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Only A Monster was an enjoyable reading experience with a fast-paced storyline and a unique concept. However, the romance was underdeveloped and needed to be fleshed out, the reader cannot be expected to fall in line just because the MC feels like "she's loved him all her life". There needs to be a built-up. Also, did not get the other interests attraction, yes there's a hint at a love triangle.

Although, Aaron is far more interesting and I wanted to understand his past a bit more. I would have loved a perspective on both him and Nick to get a feel for these characters. Because while interesting, I wanted to understand them.

[araskov-539582 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay, this was such a breath of fresh air. Adventure, unique storyline, admirable characters. I flew through this and absolutely love it. I definitely need to check out more by the author.

[maddy3point0 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Addicted. I love it. I can’t wait for the sequel.

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finally a book to break my slump! This was a very interesting world. I liked the idea of monsters as people that steal time and the unique magic that each family wielded.
Joan is a young lady who is half human, half monster. She's excited for her first date when suddenly she realizes that she jumped time and lost a whole day. **
This begins the story as Joan is thrust into the magic world she had always just been on the outside of.

[Thorn Hill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not that it wasn't interesting but it is a YA and it looks like one. Since it is a trilogy there is not a real ending but there is a basic 'for now' closure.
What I liked:
1. The story is original and seems interesting.
2. The World building.
3. The Hero's story and how he became this "hero".
4. Tom & Jamie. ❤️❤️
5. Strangely, for a YA, the female MC is not completely annoying.
What I didn't liked:
1. The constant descriptions of characters' physical appearance. How beautiful, buff and I don't know what else they are.
2. The "telling" writing style.
3. The love triangle. Always someone ends up alone, dead or with a second best option.

The narrator was ok but not memorable. 3 starts.

[Shauna Snyder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a great read and I couldn't put it down! Can't wait for the next one!

[kimberly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Super original and engaging, although with any time travel, there's always bound to be a few plot holes.

[Mariah Nguyen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 stars ? really enjoyed this book and can not wait for the next book. Curious to see where the story goes! I wonder if there will be the same 2 love interest!

[Kayla Pratt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, that was rather quick!
*
*
****************SPOILERS****************
*
*
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. From the way it started . . . But the more I read on the more I liked it, the more invested I became, and the more I didn't want it to end! I love history! And I couldn't imagine being in Joan's shoes having to choose between my moral compass of being a good and decent human being and waning to explore more of the past. In the end, Joan did what was right despite all she had to suffer because of it.

I love it!

4.5 stars

[bethyacoub · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This (audio)book was cute... nothing ground breaking or mind altering but it was a briskly paced, cute take on (not so monstrous) Monsters. This book should've been downgraded to a Middle Grade read. There was no grit... no heat... no wrecking of my soul or even the slightest of tugs on my heartstrings. In fact I didn't really attach myself, my hopes, my devotion to ANY of the characters... this is usually the kiss of death in my world... the whole cast come off as a bit thin BUT I'm a true believer that IF it was originally classified and pitched to me as a MG read then I think my whole approach (and thus my rating) would have been different. It most certainly could've been classified as an anxiously awaited book failing to live up to the mega-hype surrounding it. That, again, sounds like the kiss of death for a read for this frustrated bibliophile BUT the unique premise, some twisty twists and the audiobook's narrator went a long way.Anyway... less about my expectations and more about what the book actually delivered...There was a hint of a love triangle that was pretty tame and I'm thankful it wasn't developed enough to be nauseating... YET. Then there were some tried and true tropes like watching our FMC come of age and into her powers, a variety of differing familial powers, Good vs Evil and the like. There were some typical moral dilemmas and philosophical quandary like what makes a Monster a Monster? Is a Monster predestined to do monstrous deeds? Are monstrous deeds only done by Monsters... when is a monstrous deed deemed acceptable? Is there a Monstrosity gradient? Etc... etc...Overall:I was anxiously awaiting the drop of this book, so much so I preordered it on Audible (not a paid for endorsement) waaaay in advance. It unfortunately did not (completely) live up to its hype but few books seldomly do. I gave Only A Monster some leeway because of its unique premise, brisk pace and overall cuteness BUT be aware... if you are looking for MONSTEROUS MONSTROSITIES you will need to look elsewhere. If you're looking to attach your whole being onto a (villainous?) deeply robust character... you'll need to look elsewhere. There is a touch of Time Travel, something I usually eat up but here it was a decent/convenient plot device so if you're looking for a nicely developed Time Travel yarn... this is probably not it. I will most likely part ways with this series but I will fondly renember how I got lost in its depths for a few peaceful hours. My last 2 cents: if your looking for a Middle(ish) Grade read about (tame) Monsters with a unique premise (always a plus) then look no further!It was cute... end of story!~ Enjoy

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So many plot holes and loose threads, plus the world-building, while unique, had a very weak foundation.

[the_literary_jedi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this enough that I'll be purchasing a copy for my classroom library.A unique story that has good POC/LGBTQIA+ representation.The main character has always grown up loving the monster stories her grandmother told her. Eventually, she discovers there is an entire world out there that she is a part of but never knew.This is a fast-paced adventure involving time travel, time-crossed lovers, cat-and-mouse, and magic.The characters are all in their twenties or so. There is a love story but it isn't the focus. There's more of a "chosen one" vibe to this story.The characters don't develop too much and I think that is the worst part of this story. There's a little bit where they understand something larger is at stake than they once thought but overall, there was so much potential for them to really gain an understanding of how their world works and look at things from a different point of view but they didn't. I hope to see more in the next book if there is one.*All thoughts and opinions are my own. Read on my Libby app as an audiobook.**

[sjgirl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Romance plays a key part in this book though it doesn’t overwhelm the plot so if love stories aren’t your favorite there is more going on here than that, family is really Joan’s priority. However, if you do like a romantic triangle, this is the kind I appreciate, where there is enough chemistry on both sides to leave me somewhat torn (though I did lean towards Aaron and his snobby banter), and just as important both potential relationships feature plenty of conflict, there are legit reasons Joan shouldn’t get emotionally involved with either of these guys which makes it all the more juicier that she does exactly that. There were moments where I questioned why Joan didn’t ask more questions, where it seemed convenient to the story that she was so woefully under-informed, plus I did wonder about the person with the least knowledge automatically being the leader of the group, but I didn’t spend too much energy dwelling on those things since the dynamics between the characters, the intrigue, and the creativity (like how the monsters time travel) kept me plenty entertained and engaged.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a riveting and complex tale we have here. The story bookends interactions between Joan and Nick with her feelings for him as strong in each instance, but what happens in between is lush, intriguing and bloody. This is a terrific first book and I'm very eager to see where the author takes this tale.

[choirchik · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would have never guessed this was Vanessa Len's first book. It was really good and it had my attention from the very beginning. There were some aspects that were a little rough for me though. After Ruth time travels and finds Aaron and Joan, it is constantly repeated that it has only been one night for Joan and 2 years for Ruth. Its almost condescending in a way, like the reader can't comprehend the timeline so it has to be repeated 100 times. I'm still really confused about the Oliver families powers, especially Aaron's. He was being all cryptic at the end and I couldn't figure out if he was saying that the weird eye power was just his? Things I loved about this book are FRANKIE AND HER BOW TIE, Frankie and her stub legs and Frankie falling asleep swaddled in Tom's jacket like a baby. I really liked all of the main characters, even the 'bad' one; I did find Joan annoying at the beginning, but she matures throughout the book. Aaron was my favorite and like Joan, I wonder which era he grew up in, and I hope we get to learn more about him in the subsequent books. He is so fascinating to me. There were some historical sites used in the book which for a history buff like me was cool because I got to look the places up, look at pictures and learn the history of them. According to Goodreads, there are 3 books in the series, the next one not slated to come out until 2023!! I'm not sure how I'm going to last that long. I do hope we get to explore more of the character's backgrounds, powers, and maybe the different families. Things I need: Aaron, Frankie (obvs), Tom and Jaimie, and since it's a wishlist, I'll take some Nick too, lol.