Bookseller Reviews
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In every story there is a hero and a monster.
It should have been an idealistic, beautiful and memorable summer. It was not meant to be this way.
Sixteen-year-old Joan is sent to stay with her late mot... READ MORE
Really good book
This book was really original and showed the major grey areas for life, how a hero can seem to do evil and a monster good all depending on what side you ar... READ MORE
A hero is made.....
An incredibly creative tale which kept me hooked. The characters were well developed and the plot was well planned. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and am ... READ MORE
Synopsis
In every story there is a hero and a monster.
'Mind-bending, heart wrenching, and unputdownable!' STEPHANIE GARBER
It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her eccentric family in London, Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her job at the historic Holland House, and when her co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place. Then Joan 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.
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, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin: hidden worlds dwell in the shadows, beautiful monsters with untold powers walk among humans, and secrets are the most powerful weapon of all.
** Praise for Only a Monster **
'Darkly delicious fun' Natasha Ngan
'What a fantastic, immersive read - I couldn't stop turning the page!' Naomi Novik
'A captivating new voice in fantasy' Hafsah Faizal
'An absolute page-turner' Chloe Gong
'A fabulous start to a phenomenal new series' Adalyn Grace
Publisher information
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
- ISBN: 9781529380101
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 26 mm
- Weight: 260g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allReally interesting and gripping
Joan loves her family and when they are attacked, she turns everything she knows upside down to make things right. Although they are monsters, she knows th... READ MORE
Very entertaining
I couldn't put it down. There isn't a boring or dragging page in it. Scared to finish it because I will have to wait too long for the next book...
You NEED to read this
'Only A Monster' by Vanessa Len tells the story of Joan, a half-monster and half-human girl, who has only recently discovered her family's hidden secret-- ... READ MORE
Fun, original and full of morally grey goodness
This book was a great balance between familiar and new, giving me all the vibes and fast pacing I want from a YA fantasy with some really fresh and intrigu... READ MORE
Interesting!
This was a great start to a series, a fun good time. Interesting characters, with a unique plot. The story did feel a little like it was moving at a very f... READ MORE
3.5 STARS
A cute YA with characters that acted authentically to their age, a fast-paced plot, a slightly underdeveloped soulmates romance (but well-developed enemies... READ MORE
A book to be devoured. Pure YA Fantasy class.
Drop everything you are doing, because you need to read the outstanding Only A Monster, debut YA fantasy from Vanessa Len. In a book world where we are del... READ MORE
An exciting YA fantasy debut full of high stakes, a dash of doomed romance and time travel shenanigans!
Only A Monster introduces us to an all new version of our world and an unconventional take on monsters which absolutely blew me away!
Vanessa your loved o... READ MORE
A Great Book!
A fun, enjoyable read! Finally a book set in London! It seems like I never find any! I loved the entire concept with them being "monsters" and the journey ... READ MORE
Not a middle grade
I absolutely loved this book, Len has created an incredibly clever premise and really blues the lines between good and bad and heroes and monsters.
Wat... READ MORE
Amazing story
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley.
4.7 stars
*Spoiler alert!*
I was curious about the book since the moment I've read... READ MORE
What a journey
Wow.. I knew from the moment I pre ordered this book that I would love it & I'm completely obsessed!
I love the magic, the mystery, the different monster... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Best YA novel I read in a while
I've grown pretty weary of all the generic YA fantasy I've read lately, so I really didn't see coming how much I would like this. I'm not gonna lie, the bl... READ MORE
Beautiful story with a shocking but truthful ending.
Characters:-
Joan Cheng-Hunt - the "half-human, half-monster"
She comes from a long line of monsters who take on a human appearance and time travel. Joan w... READ MORE
Aaron will have my heart forever
Okay, where do I start?
This story is such a treat for someone like me who, like the Lius, has apparently a thing for tragic love stories. However — The fr... READ MORE
A Tale That Needs to be Explored
4.5/5 stars -A journey through time itself, a race to the undo what has been done. It took be a little while to get into the story and meld with the charac... READ MORE
Are monsters truly villains?
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... READ MORE
One for all sci-fi/fantasy fans
I’ve read quite a few sci-fi/fantasy books recently, and this is definitely one of the better ones. The theme is so different to the normal, about monsters... READ MORE
Marvellously refreshing take on the ‘Hero vs. Monster’ Trope
Brilliantly enthralling and unputdownable, debut author Vanessa Len masterfully blurs the lines of good and evil in this vividly immersive tale of time tra... READ MORE
A brilliant debut!
Only A Monster is the debut fantasy novel by Vanessa Len and I am completely addicted. I read it in two days, finding it very hard to put it down. Not only... READ MORE
a truly fresh concept
Headlines:
Families, rivarlty and time
Complex plot
So clever and twisty
I'm really impressed with this story that kept me gripped in a work week. I was e... READ MORE
Interesting Concept
Oh, what a book. What an interesting concept!
Joan is half-English, half-Chinese. She is also half-human, half-monster. The Hunt family, like all monster ... READ MORE
Fantastic story! Can't wait for the next book in the series.
Oh what a well thought out plot!. The main character.Joan finds she is a monster who has the power to travel, but to do this she must steal time from human... READ MORE
“You're a hero and I'm a monster. There's only one way that story ever ends.”
“You're a hero and I'm a monster. There's only one way that story ever ends.”
This was my second time reading Only a Monster, and I might have enjoyed it ... READ MORE
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