A tale of two sisters, deeply psychological thriller. I enjoyed this book despite the slow start. The tension built up gradually but I felt the ending left me very confused.

Took a bit to get into this novel however once it gripped me I really did enjoy it. Loved the cover artwork to this book. Very enjoyable dark fantasy full of fantastic dark gothic imagery can't wait tp read more of Amelinda's books because she really excels in creating a dark, gothic, fantasy atmosphere that really pulls the reader in.

A touching but dark mystery, the story of sisters and how far they'll go to save one another. Moody, mysterious, lush, and descriptive. Perfect for fans of A Room Away from the Wolves.

Here There Are Monsters was AMAZING. It was thrilling, suspenseful, and unique. I couldn't put this book down. It was horrific and fantastic and I'm in love.

Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Berube- What a wild trip. It’s like Bridge to Terabitha turned nightmare. 16 year old Skye finally has a chance to start over. At her last school she was known as being the weird girl’s older sister...always having to protect her from bullies until she became “weird” by association.. That’s not what any teen wants to be known for. At her new school she has actually made some friends since distancing herself from Deirdre, her younger sister with a wild imagination. Deirdre has created a whole new world complete with castles, scary creatures, and brave knights. Skye is the most courageous knight in Deidre’s imaginary world, but is ready to grow up and let Deidre fend for herself, since she chooses to live in that world. Deidre becomes more and more detached from the real world, until one day she disappears. Her disappearance tears the family and community apart. Skye realizes it is up to her to become a knight once again and save her sister, no matter the cost. #NetGalley #HereThereAreMonsters

First off, this cover is stunning and quite fitting. Second, this book is quite creepy and if you don't like creepy children, maybe I don't recommend this? We follow Skye as she looks for her sister Dierdre who has gone missing. Throughout the book, it alternates between the present and the past which I really liked because you get a feel for Skye and Deirdre's relationship, and let me tell you I absolutely LOVED that. I love books that have a sole focus on sibling relationships, so that was a winner for me.

However, I found my feelings for this to be quite similar to Dark Beneath the Ice. Where it starts off strong, and it all goes down from there. It's like there is this huge amazing idea when it comes to the horror/creepy element, and then the author doesn't know what to do and then rushes it to end it. If that makes ANY sense.

Another thing I didn't really like was Skye and Deirdre and how people (especially skye) acted towards Deirdre. Yes I know it's normal and typical, and entirely realistic, it just rubbed me the way and if you've read this (or when you do) you will understand. And Skye? I'm sorry, but she was a bitch to everyone, especially her family, and especially to Deirdre. I get how little sisters are annoying, but how she was... was too much for me.

Now with the horror element, again like Dark Beneath the Ice, I wish it was done so much better because the idea is there, and it's great, but the execution was poor.

Moving across the country is exactly what Skye needed to break away from her tainted reputation. She is done playing knight in shining armor for her younger sister Deirdre but when Deirdre disappears, Skye finds herself back in a very familiar role and soon learns that she will have to choose between herself and her sister.

I liked the book and I would put it in my library but it seems like there is a lot of bad language that wasn't necessarily needed. I think the book would have had the same effect without the profanity. I would love for my daughter to read this story but I can't because of the language in it. The story line is something that will appeal to middle grade students 4th-7th grade but the language makes it an upper level book that I don't think high school kids will find interesting.

Spooky, atmospheric, and a pacing I enjoyed - while it was a teeny bit slower in some parts it kept my interest all the way through. I know Amelinda on Twitter, and to me this screamed her personality all over the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Fire for my eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Here There Are Monsters presents a spooky premise which weaves itself into Skye's reality and past.

Skye has always been up for playing make believe with Deirdre, her little sister. Deirdre has always been the author of whatever worlds her and Skye play in, giving names an titles to places and people. Skye has always stood up for her sister when others would find Deirdre as an easy target to pick on. After moving across the country, 16 year old Skye sees this as a chance at a new beginning, time to leave the world of make believe behind in exchange for real relationships with friends, and even possibly, a boy. Deirdre does not have such an easy time adjusting, sinking into the woods behind their residence. She disappears for hours on end, coming home drenched in mud with strange stories to tell about Skye's new friends...until she doesn't come home at all.

Skye tries to find what has happened to Deirdre, looking for a way to bring her home to keep up the normal facade that she has created with her new friends. Not much progress is made in the search; until one night when a strange creature, like the ones from Deirdre's stories, taps on Skye's window and tells her that it is up to her to find Deirdre, no matter the price.

This book had me at a five star rating up until the last 50 pages or so. The ending was so rushed that it left a foul taste in my mouth and, even after re-reading the last few chapters to make sure I didn't miss something, am left a bit confused. We spend so much time getting to know Skye and her friends without truly understanding Skye and Deirdre's relationship that it's a bit off putting. Skye seems to resent her sister for the majority of the book, so the fact that she's so willing to go to any length to find her sister is a bit hard to believe. Overall, a great story, I just with the author would have taken a few filler chapters out in order to fully explain the ending.

I love, love, loved this book! The relationship between the two sisters felt so real and true to life-- it was like remembering so many conversations my own sister and I had while growing up. The atmosphere and world building Bérubé created was quiet and lovely and so beautifully dark. The perfect read for a rainy afternoon!

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.

I had high hopes for this book, as I’m a huge fan of horror. The cover is amazing. But the book was certainly missing something. The first few chapters kept me hooked( but about half way through I was bored and had a hard time finishing. ;/

Blog review link: https://www.thepagewalker.com/2019/04/book-review-here-there-are-monsters-by.html
Publication date: April 22, 2019; 7:00am CST

I should like this - it is horror- but I can’t for good reasons.

I was instantly hooked by the book cover; it’s an absolute eye-catcher. The writing started off really good. The choices of words are pleasantly invoking and creepy enough. But then, the plot started going sideways in the middle. There are more than enough “sort of” scenarios that are difficult to picture. I cannot take hold of what exactly is going on and where it’s actually moving. I never abandon a book, so, I plowed on and read it to the end.

I have to admit, there is plenty of substance here. The book’s premise is absolutely interesting; the setting could be perfect, and the character foundations are there. In other words, the backbone for a good horror book is present, but not fully developed.

Really not into this one. DNFing at 48%. I've been really bored for the past little while. The characters are whiny and the whole imaginary fantasy world thing feels really childish, as if it was meant for younger YA readers. I could see 12-14yo enjoying it maybe. I decided to move on..

I was lucky enough to be able to read an early copy of this. This is outside of my normal genre but the cover called to me. It is so well done that anyone who sees it will want to pick it up and see what it entails. It definitely fits that vibe of the cover. It is dark, spooky, and so goth.
When a bone monster of Skyes making tells her how to get her sister, whom she lost on her watch, back it all goes to heck. You jump right in only to be smacked by a brick wall. That wall is six months in the past. I dislike books that jump you forwards and backwards between chapters. It jarrs me and kind of ruins the continuity. The two main characters, the sisters, are little jerks. Neither of them really has any redeeming qualities. They are hard to like and I did not enjoy the fact that neither of them grows.
While it says horror it has more story than straight horror.

Thank you for letting me read an early copy on Netgalley.

This is a good YA paranormal story that has a strong creepy factor along with a strong female heroine. This book forces a sister to put it all on the line to try to save her sister from a paranormal force. It’s hard to know how to battle it when it’s something you’ve never experienced it before.

Skye and her younger sister Deirdre are very different and Skye spends most of her time hanging out with Deirdre and protecting her from bullies. But Skye is ready to move on and make friends, so when they move across the country Skye knows that this is her chance. She makes friends, but Deirdre isn't happy about it. She feels like Skye is abandoning her. Deirdre starts making her own "friends" out of sticks and bones and when she goes missing, Skye soon finds out that there is more to Deirdre's friends than just sticks and bones.
Skye tries so hard throughout the book to be a good sister to Deirdre and I couldn't help but feel bad for her. Deirdre is very manipulating. She uses her mental state to guilt Skye into staying with her. I can understand Skye's need to get away. I also felt that Skye's parents were always more on Deirdre's side than Skye's. Well, her mom was as least. Her dad tried. The friends Skye makes are an interesting bunch, but I only ever trusted William. He seemed the most honest.
The story itself is unique and intriguing. It gets very dark at times and some of the decisions made were hard for me to comprehend. The "monsters" were so freaky and well described that it wasn't hard to feel fear along with Skye. They were definitely something I would not want to encounter. This is a well written story with some psychological aspects that will keep readers wondering.

"I've done my best to bury that person, to forget the roots winding down into the dark. I don't want to follow them. I'm afraid to find out how far down they go. But they were there all along, underneath."

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire. Trigger warnings: death, child death, animal death, abduction, some blood/gore, violence, drowning, mild body horror.

Skye and her younger sister, Deirdre, were always close, bonding over the imaginary worlds they created together. Deirdre was the queen of the kingdoms, and Skye was her protector, both in the the real world and otherwise. At sixteen, Skye is done playing pretend, and all she wants is to start over in their new home. While Skye is cautiously making friends with the popular kids at school, Deirdre is still failing to fit in or even try. She becomes increasingly obsessed with the woods behind their house and in building creatures out of sticks and bones. When Deirdre disappears, Skye realizes that there is something monstrous in those woods, and she may be the only one who can save her sister.

I adored Bérubé's debut novel, The Dark Beneath the Ice, and Here There Are Monsters was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. They're both slow-burning, atmospheric novels with plenty of scares and an emphasis on character, but otherwise, Monsters falls somewhat short of the mark. A major part of the problem is the pacing since nothing much happens for nearly half the book. Other than Deirdre going missing, there's nothing creepy going on, or even the hint of anything supernatural. The chapters also move back and forth between present-day and Deirdre and Skye's relationship before they moved, which drags at the pace of an already slow novel. What happened before isn’t nearly as interesting as what’s happening now, and there was probably a better way to streamline that.

For a story that's so heavily focused on its characters, I wanted more from Deirdre and Skye's sister relationship. The flashbacks do more to show how their bond was toxic and co-dependent than it does to show what they have in common or why they love each other. Present-day Skye is never anything but openly disdainful to her sister or outright wishing that she would change. It's difficult to like either of them, and I'm very fond of unlikable characters. Skye is casted as strong because she can physically defend herself, but there's little indication that her strength is internal as well. She rarely attempts to fight back against the monsters of the woods and instead spends a lot of time dragging her feet on things she agreed to. There’s a trace of romance with a neighbor, but like most of Skye’s relationships, it’s hugely twisted. Deirdre is almost never on-page except in Skye's memories, and she's part imaginative, fascinating character, and part manipulative, spoiled brat.

The plus side is that, once the horror kicks in, it's compelling and original. Bérubé's many-voiced monsters made of animal bones are top-notch creepy and, unlike a lot of monsters, they don't get less creepy the more we see of them. I wish the novel had delved deeper into the source of their power, since it's clear they're only one manifestation of whatever horror lurks in the woods. In contrast to the rest of the book, the ending is a little rushed and far less impactful than it should have been. Skye's development is too little/too late, so we don't get a chance to see whether she's truly changed or how, and the magic seems boundless and without consequences. There’s an emphasis on humans being as monstrous as any monster, but it’s not a very satisfying theme. All in all, the conclusion doesn't provide an adequate payoff for the rest of the book. Love the overall concept, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

I really tried to get into this book but I couldn't. It was very slow going and there was a lot of emphasis on past events. It did pick up its pace towards the end of the book and wow did it get wild. I enjoyed the crazy sister aspect and creepy woods setting. This book was just not for me.

First off, Very interesting read. I don't think I can quite compare it to anything I have read before. Quite an eerie vibe to the story as well as intriguing. I had no idea where the story was going to go which is brilliant, left me guessing! I struggled reading the first 50% of the book as it was a really slow build up. Only issues I had is I wish the ending could have been fleshed out a little more, I would have liked to have seen how the relationships with the main character and her friends turned our further in time. Thanks for the opportunity!

Here There Are Monsters is about family ties, fitting in, teenage angst and the supernatural. Skye is burdened by the strangeness of her sister Dierdre. She loves Dierdre, but Dierdre is strange and causes Skye to bring out parts of her personality that she'd rather keep hidden. When Dierdre goes missing, these mixed feelings bring up all sorts of issues for Skye.

I enjoyed the mystery of Dierdre's missing persons case and of the push pull of Skye's relationship with her. I really enjoyed the relationships with the other teens in Skye's life. The relationships seemed genuine and the progression of Skye's relationship with William was interesting to follow.

Beyond those points I did not enjoy this novel. Dierdre's and Skye's activities seemed unrealistic for girls of their age. I did not feel the parents' reaction to having a missing child was believable, mostly though I just did not like the main plot or the ending. I will not get into specifics of why I did not like the ending, because I do not want to provide spoilers.