I picked Monsters Among Us because I was in a mood for something dark, and although not so dark but more depressive I got.
Still, because of the writing style with all the confusing parts written in italic, jumping from present to past and story told in third person, I couldn’t get into the story nor feel for the characters as much as I wanted to.
It also feels like the author more told us about Catherine’s trauma then showed us.

The book reads slowly (at least in my experience) because most of the time it was boring.

The story follows Catherine who comes back home from college after being gang raped. The book covers such an important topic, and I wish it wasn’t overshadowed by murder in the story.
Still, I appreciate how Rodden showed us different kinds of monsters that walk among us in every society.

I have to admit that, unlike other readers, I didn’t guess the big revelation and was little shocked by it. I guess that is a good thing.

Would I recommend this book?
I would to fans of darker stories written for young adults.

Wow. This book just keeps hitting you in the gut with trauma but in the end, the ride is worth the tears and anger.

Oooh! I really liked this meaty mystery! It’s a little too YA for my middle school library, but I’m so glad I read it. I especially liked that I didn’t figure out who the murderer was until Andrew was piecing it all together. Bravo!

I enjoyed the mystery of this book and the ending was really good with so many twists and turns that I definitely enjoyed. I wish Catherine's story had a little more detail but I enjoyed the ride. I would recommend it to anyone who loves mystery books.

Como vocês já sabem, essa resenha é em parceria com a Random House Internacional, de quem recebemos esse eARC (Advance reading copy: algo como “uma cópia de leitura avançada, ou seja, o livro ainda pode sofrer alterações antes de ser publicado). Também lembrando que essa resenha terá um formato diferente: por ser um ARC, não haverão quotes, já como os livros podem sofrer mudanças em seu texto antes de serem comercializados. Gostaríamos de agradecer profundamente a Editora pela oportunidade de parceria.

[Livro com gatilhos de abuso sexual e violencia]

É na primeira semana das férias de final de ano que “Monsters Among Us” começa, com a nossa personagem principal, Catherine indo para casa passar as festas com seus pais – e ao mesmo tempo ela tenta superar um (talvez) trauma: poucos dias antes de ir para casa, Cath esteve em uma festa na faculdade na qual ela foi drogada e ela não tem certeza de nada do que aconteceu a partir dali, tendo apenas lembranças em flashes sobre aquela noite e ela tenta com força se lembrar dos acontecimentos, só o que ela sabe com toda a certeza é que ela foi abusada sexualmente e que ela deixou seu casaco para trás naquela noite, com sua identificação da faculdade, sua carteira de motorista e dados importantes sobre ela.

Já em casa, ela fica nessa situação de querer lembrar do acontecido, para seguir em frente, ao mesmo passo em que ela pensa que deve ser melhor ficar assim, sem lembrar de nada. Seus pais tem alguma ideia do que aconteceu, porque na noite que tudo se passou, ela ligou para a mãe em busca de ajuda e mesmo sem falar coisa com coisa por conta das drogas. Então eles sabem tanto quanto ela e ela não sabe como seguir o relacionamento com eles a partir dali, sempre tendo a sensação que os pais estão pisando em ovos ao tratar dela.

Mas, assim como o relacionamento com os pais parece arruinado por aquela noite, ela reencontra Henry, seu amigo de infância do qual ela se afastou depois de um verão. Os dois eram absurdamente grudados, porém em um verão ela foi para um acampamento de férias e voltou se sentindo diferente e desde então ela se afastou dele, apenas tendo falado normalmente com ele no último dia dela na cidade antes de seguir para a faculdade, se despedindo dele na noite do baile.

E além de Henry, ela retoma contato com Amy, a garotinha da qual ela tomou conta por várias vezes como babá e que toda a cidade parecia adorar, por conta dos pães que ela fazia tão bem e distribuía na época de natal.

Então o pior acontece e, em uma manhã, o corpo de Amy é encontrado na rua, com ela tendo sido morta – estrangulada. E Cath não sabe o que pensar sobre isso. Como se não bastasse, um garoto aparece em sua casa – Andrew, trazendo de volta o casaco que ela perdeu naquela fatídica noite, com algumas histórias sobre aquela noite – e sobre a data em que ele chegou ali, tão próximo da morte de Amy e ela não sabe mais no que acreditar, mas está disposta a descobrir quem está por trás daquele crime tão horrível e trazer a justiça pela pequena Amy e também por ela mesma.

Cath é aquele tipo de protagonista que eu gosto com força. Eu sempre digo que eu adoro quando as protagonistas correm atrás das respostas e buscam o que precisam para entender os mistérios que as cercam e Cath não fica atrás nesse quesito. Além disso, ela ainda está enfrentando o próprio trauma que fica passando na mente dela de forma recorrente, em flashes da noite e ao mesmo tempo ela está lá, buscando por respostas e investigando para saber tudo que aconteceu com Amy.

Eu gostei bastante dos outros dois personagens que aparecem bastante nesse livro que é o Henry e o Andrew, eu achei eles personagens bem feitos e com a dose certa de suspense em cima deles quando era o ponto de vista deles que tínhamos, para que ficasse aquela sensação de não saber em quem podemos confiar ou não, assim como a própria Cath.

O tempo todo que eu li o livro, eu só ficava imaginando como ele seria adaptado nas telas, porque eu acho que ele é aquele tipo de suspense que faz a gente realmente ficar grudado, querendo saber o que virá pela frente e cada página que passa deixa aquele gostinho de quero mais.

Agora nada no mundo me deixou mais satisfeita do que a conclusão do livro. Sinceramente, eu estava com um tanto de medo do que poderia acontecer no final: mesmo que a revelação do que aconteceu tenha sido magnífica, eu tinha ficado com medo que acontecesse uma certa “romantização” do fato, mas é tudo tão perfeito e tão bem explicado e termina exatamente no ponto certo para ser perfeito.

Se você gosta de livros de suspense e com um certo terror psicológico, dê uma oportunidade a esse livro (apesar de tomar cuidado com os gatilhos que eu mencionei acima), tenho certeza que não vão se arrepender!

Thanks for the free book, Penguin Random House International.

I actually thought I liked it pretty much.
The story was well written, the characters got developed and I got two mysteries.
Even though I guessed the twist pretty early, I did enjoy it.
My biggest problem tho was: The murder mystery overshadowed the sexual abuse/sexual assault - and it ended in this kinda important story line falling short. Which was a shame and left a bitter taste, because you could just erase this part and the book would have worked too. So it felt kinda forced and Luke: Oh, let’s tackle a topic, without sensitive tackling it - just to have it for the thrills. And that felt not good at all.
So I’m kind of conflicted - I liked big parts of the book, but had this bad taste because of the pretty badly handled sexual assault storyline.

This is a story about a girl named Catherine.

A YA mystery inspired by Wuthering Heights? Yes please! The story itself was interesting, but what really stood out to me was the writing. It was a book that managed to make a suburban neighborhood feel atmospheric, and the sense of impending doom was real. My only *minor* complaint was a particular plot point that felt overtly convenient; however, I found that at the end I wasn’t as bothered by it as I might have been in another book, because the other elements were so well executed.

Thank you Netgalley & Random
House Children’s for this e-Arc!

Catherine's story as a survivor of sexual assault was relatable, well-told, and compelling. I felt for her as she tried to put the pieces of what happened to her on her break from college, both with her old childhood friend, and a new stranger in her life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the topics of sexual assault, violence against women, and empowerment.

A compelling novel that tells two stories, one about Catherine, a college freshman who was raped and returned home after Christmas break, and the murder she is trying to solve. This book pulls no emotional punches as Catherine deals with the trauma of her assault and the world where such terrible things can happen to young women.

Catherine is a victim of sexual assault. While dealing with her own trauma she is set on trying to solve the mystery behind the death of a neighborhood child she babysat and was close to. While the author does a good job at keeping the reader guessing about whodunit, there are so many frustrating elements about the Catherine and the way she behaves.

Catherine is sexually assaulted but she can barely remember what happened that night after the party. She remembers leaving someone's dorm room with her dress on backward and blood dripping down her legs. It's haunting her but she refuses to talk about it. She heads home for the holidays to be with her family and friends. She is reunited with Henry, her childhood friend and Amy, a young teenage girl she used to babysit. Few days later, Amy turns up missing and is found dead. On the same day, a guy named Andrew shows up with Catherine's stuff that she left while leaving the stranger's door room. She feels responsible for solving Amy's murder so she makes her own investigation together with Henry and Andrew.

I liked that this book is written in mutiple perspectives but it took me awhile to get used to the writing. Both storylines are equally important but I thought the sexual assault was overshadowed. Catherine is going through a really serious matter and having a hard time so reading her perspective was hard. Her story felt unfinished and it could have been much better. One of the characters I found really interesting to read about was Andrew. I was able to identify the perpetrator early on but it didn't ruin my enjoyment. This book is inspired by Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights which I haven't read yet so I wasn't able to see the similarities. Overall, this was still an entertaining read. It kept me intrigued throughout the end.

TW: rape/sexual assault, murder of a teen, PTSD
Disclaimer: Huge thanks to PRHInternational and NetGalley for my free e-arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

I struggled a bit with Monsters Among Us, the early chapters promised a unique read, but the further in I got, the more I felt as though I'd read the book before. There are two 'mystery' storylines that run alongside each other, but the serious sexual assault ends up really overshadowed by the murder plot, and I felt that was a shame as it almost seemed to be thrown in there for no real reason. I also guessed the 'twist' super early on, within the first 10% at least, and I always find that ruins my enjoyment of books like these. Not a new favourite for me.

In Monsters Among Us, we follow two storylines: Catherine at college, leading up to her being raped, and after when she is home and a girl in her town has been murdered.

Unfortunately, I felt like this was a pretty generic thriller story. The two timelines didn't flow together very well and I had trouble connecting with the writing and the characters.

An excellent addition to the YA mystery/thriller genre. A recommended first purchase for YA and high school fiction collections.

Monsters Among Us is an emotional thriller, centering on a college freshman, Catherine. There are multiple mysteries happening concurrently during the novel, and several red herrings for each mystery, so it feels chockablock full of action. There was one or two characters that I felt were too unbelievable, but it did not detract from the overall storyline. There are triggers, especially concerning sexual assault and emotionally abusive relationships.

Monsters Among Us is not an easy book to read. I knew going into it that it dealt with sexual assault, so that wasn't a surprise. However, the main character, Catherine, understandably has internalized a lot of the misogyny that society imparts on women who have been raped, and this and some of the other feelings of Catharine's that pop up early on in the novel compound the emotional impact of the story. Keep this in mind if you're interested in YA thrillers with a focus on gender-based violence.

While it is hard to read at times, there are characters who offer a voice that dissents against the status quo in really important ways. Some of these characters are fully on Catherine's side from the get go, and they're exactly what not only Catherine needs, but also what the reader needs in that moment. Some of the characters may make mistakes at one point in the story and don't behave or act in the best way because they ignore their intuition or are afraid of acting to protect others. However, if you stick with the novel, you'll realize that they may do their best to rectify the situation later. Even Catherine's parents, who clearly love her, find their own feelings about what happened to Catherine at college get in the way of really being there for their daughter in the way she needed them to be at first, but as with many of the other flawed characters, they do overcome these setbacks and offer a more positive environment for their daughter when things go from bad to much worse. In other words, there are many bright spots in this dark and moody novel, so keep a lookout for those moments.

While, overall, I had a good experience reading this novel, there were also some aspects that might be a downside to readers of thrillers and I would be remiss if I didn't mention them. On the good side, I found the story compelling. It's the kind of book that you want to read to the end to see how the author weaves all of the details together and ramps up the tension until it reaches the climax. By the time you get that far, you'll be so invested, you'll be unable to put the book down until all of the storylines are wrapped up in a neat bow. Moreover, while the subject matter is kind of dark and even gets darker the further into the novel you get, it is handled sensitively. Also, Catherine's character arch demonstrates growth and strength, which could definitely be aspirational for other survivors who pick it up. At the same time, it could help quiet a lot of the misogyny that some readers will have internalized from their family, friends, significant others, and society at large just by being who they are. While there is a lot of good, I would be remiss if I didn't share that from the first moment one of the characters was introduced, I suspected him for being responsible for one of the crimes, and I was right. Some thriller readers may be disappointed that they could see the perpetrator a mile away.

Beyond the theme of sexual assault, I knew that Monsters Among Us is a retelling of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë before I picked it up. Even though this classic is my least favourite Brontë novel and it's been some time since I read it, I still was interested in reading Rodden's debut. From my memory of Wuthering Heights, I would say that it's more of a loose retelling than one in which the contemporary characters, plot, and themes in Monsters Among Us line up exactly with the original. In other words, if you weren't a huge fan of Wuthering Heights, then I wouldn't necessarily let it dissuade you from picking up this YA retelling.

There were a few things I didn't expect but rather enjoyed. First, I liked how Rodden incorporates other literary allusions and themes throughout the novel. In particular, the allusions to various fairytales was something that I appreciated, and if you also have a few books of fairytales on your bedside table, then you, too, might be happy for this inclusion. Second, the dedication to this novel hit me right in the feels. I don't want to say anything more so it can have the same effect on anyone who does decide to pick it up, but just know that it's the kind of dedication that will sing for survivors of sexual assault and those who know someone who was sexually assaulted. And with good reason.

While there are many positives to Monsters Among Us, at least for me, you might want to pass this one up if knowing the the identity of the perpetrator will ruin it for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit when I saw this book was in the same company as Sadie and You, I couldn’t hit the request button fast enough. So, I initially thought I was going to rate this pretty highly. However, I finished it over a week ago and really didn’t want or know what to write about it. It just wasn’t a book I was overly excited about nor was it something I totally disliked.

This story has two different storylines going on. The first of which, the main character, Catherine is raped after a college party. She has no recollection of it happening and she only knows that she wakes up in a stranger's dorm room and tries to make her way home without her coat, her ID, and with her dress on backwards and blood dripping down her legs.

And then there is the second story. Catherine comes home for Christmas break and her neighbor, a young girl (Amy) she used to nanny for, goes missing and is later found dead. Catherine then takes on a “Veronica Mars” persona and decides to investigate the case with an old friend from middle school.

Individually each story seemed as though it would’ve been compelling all on its own. However, they did not flow well side by side. It was as if two different novels were being crammed into a single story. Instead of making the book enjoyable and more interesting it became more of a distraction leaving me constantly wondering if one story would have been better than the other. There sure was enough in both storylines to warrant two different tales.

I would not say reading this was a total waste of my time. It did have promise. Unfortunately, it just didn’t come together.

Catherine was celebrating the end of her first semester at college when a night out turns violent. She wakes up in a strange room, bleeding and disoriented and obviously a victim of rape. Catherine rushed home to her parents, the safety of her small town, and familiar rituals. As tries to cope with her new reality, a bigger tragedy strikes her small town. Amy, a twelve year old who Catherine babysat for years, is found murdered, and Catherine's personal struggles take a backseat to the loss of this much loved child in the neighborhood. This novel is a YA read, but is comparable to any adult thriller with well developed characters and a strong plot twist.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved Catherine, and I was so intrigued by her story. The murder mystery was excellent, and I was guessing right up until the very end. I also loved how the story ended. Highly recommend for anyone whom lives a good YA mystery!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this chilling book! Monsters Among Us is the story of a girl who gets raped in college, and how she deals with that, while also investigating the death of a child in her community. The story is mainly told from Catherine's perspective, but there are small parts told from the perspective of other characters as well, which I felt overall worked very well, and gave some more depth to all the characters in the book. The plot takes many twists and turns, and there were several moments where I was sure I knew who had committed the murder, just to be completely surprised by the ending. I love mystery stories that are unpredictable, and this one did not disappoint. It also dealt with some very heavy themes, and I think that overall those themes were handled very well and with utmost sensitivity. This book is extremely dark and chilling, so although I would definitely recommend it, I would also say that it's probably not for everyone. Overall, a great read!