Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book, and my apologies for not reading it sooner!

While I can appreciate what this story was trying to do, I really struggled to understand what was going on. The desert setting was done well and I was intrigued to discover what was going on and why people were disappearing, the pacing felt off and there were a ton of characters to keep track of. The twist at the end was both interesting and complicated and I wish a bit more time would have been spent exploring that.

I'll recommend this to my students who enjoy science-fiction, Stranger Things, etc.

**Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and the author for the free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

With No Beauties or Monsters being touted as a young adult novel I definitely didn't anticipate it being so complex and twisty!

This book surprised me in the best way, with the main character returning home to confront the things that have haunted her. This one explores complicated family dynamics, and the lies that we tell our children to try to protect them.

While this story takes place in a desert, the world-building impressed me and I felt fully immersed in the town of Twentynine Palms. Definitely check this one out!!

Twentynine Palms, where nothing and everything happens. For Rylie it's where she made bonds with friends and a mystery of her grandfather lurks. No Beauties or Monsters explores the humanity of individuals and how memory can change over time and between people. The desert was a perfect back drop for this atmospheric suspense thriller. With every new development a new twist is revealed and even the readers memory is challenged. Where this fell short was the depth in history of the characters. It would have added to the over gravity of the situation if some of the secondary characters had time to breath and expand.

This book took me months & months to finish- I just could not connect to any element of it. Once I pushed through, I did enjoy the concepts present… the execution just wasn’t a fit for me personally.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Delacorte Press.

NO BEAUTIES OF MONSTERS is a story about coming home. It started off strong enough. We're instantly thrown into a story filled with mystery, murder and family secrets. I was intrigued by what was going on with Rylie and the mystery surrounding her recently deceased grandfather and her missing friend. Goedjen is really good at keeping the reader guessing and this whole story had that true crime kind of vibe to it. I really liked seeing Rylie's relationships with her brother, stepbrother and her best friend and just how well-formed those relationships are. My favorite part about this book had to be the setting. Goedjen did such a great job bringing the natural beauty and air of mystery of the Mojave Desert with all of the Joshua Trees to life. That was something I couldn't get enough of. Unfortunately, while the book really does start off strong, as it goes on it really lost steam for me, and the big twist just didn't do it for me. I honestly am unsure that I understand it, honestly, and my enjoyment of the book went down pretty significantly as the book came to its conclusion.

Great YA read.
I could not put it down.
Paranormal, check.
Fantasy, check.
Great Characters, check.

Thank you to Delacorte and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy for review.

No Beauties or Monsters is fast-paced, suspenseful and very easy to read. I thought the author did a wonderful job of setting up the mystery right from the start. Rylie moves back to Twenty-Nine Palms, California and even as she’s arriving to town, things begin to happen. Rylie is uneasy about her return, tries to reconnect with old friends, and discovers that one of her old friends is missing – just one of several disappearances that have taken place in the area. Add to that the fact that she’s also suffering from memory loss and blackouts. It’s all so confusing at the beginning, but in a good way that keeps you turning the page to figure out what’s going on and how the various threads connect.

I will say that I didn’t necessarily connect to Rylie and her struggle. I didn’t dislike her, but she felt like a plot vehicle. Maybe because everything seemed to be moving us through plot points and to the reveal so fast that there wasn’t a lot of focus on character and relationships. For that reason, some of the emotionality felt a little thin to me. I’m not sure I understand her as an individual outside of this immediate mystery that she’s facing.

I loved that this was set in Twenty-Nine Palms and Joshua Tree. I spent a summer working in Joshua Tree and the desert there is so amazing. It’s part of what drove my interest in this book. I would’ve loved to have seen richer descriptions of setting and place because there were times I had difficulty seeing what was around the characters.

I didn’t love that some of this mystery was propelled on by interrupted or cut-off conversations and/or a lack of really digging with people you know have more information. It felt frustrating and like Rylie could’ve known more sooner if she would’ve pursued questioning people further, most especially with her mom but also her stepdad. This isn’t to say that people won’t try to hide information, but we don’t see the tensions that emerge from situations like that here – Rylie just doesn’t question what more people around her know until late in the game. I would say I prefer my mysteries where characters get available information more quickly, they run-up to the limits of what can be known and have to figure out new and creative ways to search for the information they need. But not being thorough in questioning the people around you (not even in your own head) seems a bit lazy.

In terms of the overall plot, I think this is where the book’s strength lies – the author did a great job weaving together multiple threads and connecting them in the big reveal. I thought that reveal was unique and interesting. It didn’t wow me - it had a lesser sort of Stranger Things vibe to it - but it was still fun and satisfying to finally discover what was going on.

Overall, it’s so quick that I’d say definitely worth a read!

I read this book for a blog tour.

http://ramblingmads.com/2021/10/27/blog-tour-no-beauties-or-monsters-tara-goedjen/

Sci-fi type mystery in the desert that I just couldn't stop reading. Very interesting concept and I was drawn into the story.

Like Stranger Things readers are trust into a world that isn't as it seems. Riley must discover secrets about her family and herself to unlock her past and save her future. For fans of science fiction thrillers this coming of age tale is about the bond of families and pursing the truth at any cost.

Tara Goedjen’s No Beauties or Monsters, as its title and book cover suggest, is compellingly creepy. Unlike many classic creepy tales, however, this story unfolds in a small town on the edge of the Mojave Desert rather than a tiny cabin enshrouded by New England woods.

As the story and all its mysteries unfold in this stark landscape, we follow Rylie, a 17-year-old high school senior who moves with her family back to Twentynine Palms, the aforementioned town in the Mojave Desert where her distant and sometimes-cruel grandfather lived right up until his recent death.


Rylie’s memories of the town are tied up with tragic events that occurred when she lived there four years ago. And when she returns, tragic events continue to happen: People are going missing, including her friend Lily; there are creatures in the desert that are coyotes but not coyotes; and if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a deranged killer on the loose. To make things even more mysterious, Rylie is also experiencing gaps in her memory, making her a very unreliable narrator as she tries to unravel the truth about the town and, ultimately, about herself.

The mysteries in No Beauties or Monsters are many and complex, but they all revolve around the secrets people keep and how others deal with various losses in their life. Rylie’s mom, for example, works for the military on hush-hush projects. The king of secrets, however, is Rylie’s grandfather, who had a whole side to him that Rylie never knew about. Rylie gradually unearths her grandfather’s secrets as the story progresses with the persistent help of her step-brother, who of course has secret motivations of his own. [rest at link below]

This is a really cool book full of great twists. There was some great foreshadowing while the story also kept you second guessing what you thought you knew. Combined this made for an absolutely riveting ending. The characters were also well written and I enjoyed how complex they were, they all felt pretty well rounded and real. All around I really enjoyed this book.

This book totally had me in the first half!

I was hooked from page one and totally page-turning the eerie storyline. What was happening in Twentynine Palms? What was happening TO Riley? What are those dark monsters she keeps seeing? For several chapters it had me immersed and intrigued.

But then, halfway through...it lost me? I feel like it just tried to make too much happen (monsters, amnesia, multiple dimensions, cults, etc.) and it just wasn't really making sense to me anymore. I had to slog my way to the end, which was a bummer, because I was totally engaged in the first half. The last half was a let-down after the spooky start. I think the pacing was much better in the first half.

Still an enjoyable read, but not a winner. (But a seriously gorgeous cover!)

A thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

*DNF @ 17%*
This just didn't grab me like I had hoped. I had seen reviews that this was a genre blend YA book set in the desert so it sounded like it had promise. But with how the first person is written, I got confused about who was who when it came to the side characters and the fact that her brother was blind didn't feel like it was done well. The writing, to me, made me feel like it was going back and forth to telling you he was blind but then he acted like he wasn't? Plus after reading 7 chapters, it was too plainly written and uninteresting that I just gave up. I have limited reading time these days, so if something doesn't keep my attention, it's not worth continuing. Another bland YA book to skip...

This was an interesting and unique story. This was similar to Stranger Things and Veronica Mars, which are some of my favorite shows so I was hopeful for this, and I wasn't disappointed.
Rylie and her family move back after being away for a while to Twentynine Palms and right away as they're on the road there some weird things start happening. This is a good YA mystery with some sci-fi genre/vibes. There are quite a few twists and turns I didn't see coming when reading this book that kept me guessing, but with what happened at the end, it felt like a bit of a letdown. This book also reminded me of a kind of dystopian vibe and has similarities to Ally Condie's Matched series. There was also a cute and sweet romance with Rylie and her childhood friend that I enjoyed too.
If you like mysteries/YA mysteries, Veronica Mars or Ally Condie's Matched series, or stories of the sort then make sure to pick this one up and read it. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Delacorte Press for letting me read and review this fun and interesting book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one's a little rough for me. On one hand, I adored the writing. It was not clunky and it really pulled me in and the pace was great. Not overly flowery or descriptive. The Goldilocks of writing for me, I think.

The ending was disappointing, though. I...didn't really know what was happening until it was all clearly laid out at the end. And it was. And...I could not have guessed that that was what had been happening the whole book, so there was....no shock factor?

Instead, there's all this delicious mystery and chemistry and you don't know who to trust and then BOOM. Here's why that happened. THESE are the good guys. THESE are the bad guys. THIS is what we need to do to win the day. And then it's over.

I just...don't know how to feel. I'd love to read something else by this author as her words very easily captivated me, which I very much enjoyed. I did not enjoy the late info-dump that neatly tied everything into a bow. I would have loved, maybe, to try to figure it out for myself? Plus, I've seen this ending before and if you've watched [Stranger Things (hide spoiler)], you have, too.

So, I'm upset that the mystery aspect was non-existent, except as a way to build suspense, as I enjoyed everything else about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say, this book was freaking weird, but in a good way, I think. The story follows Rylie just after her family has moved back to Twentynine Palms (a military base in California). Weird things are happening here and Rylie can’t be sure if she’s remembering things from the summers she spent staying with her grandfather, or if she’s just losing her mind.
I want to say that the mystery of this story was a good one, but I don’t know that it was. I was incredibly confused for most of this story and not in a fun, slowly putting the pieces together kind of way. I just genuinely had no clue what was going on. Rylie is having weird gaps in her memory, trying to remember with hypnosis, but remembering even weirder things that just don’t make any sense. I will say that when we find out what the big twist is, all of the confusion and weird puzzle pieces absolutely make sense. So it’s a well constructed mystery, I was just incredibly confused until the absolute last piece was revealed to the reader.
I think the setting of the desert was an interesting one. I feel like I don’t see much outside of the fantasy genre with a desert setting. But I think it worked really well for this story.
Overall, this story was absolutely bizarre. But I found myself unable to put it down until I learned what the heck was actually happening to these characters. Despite my confusion for most of the book I was compelled to continue. The pace of the story felt quick even though things happened pretty slowly. The characters were interesting, but I didn’t feel any special attachment to them. I do think they were well developed with interesting personalities. I believe this is labeled at a horror story, but I don’t think it totally fits there. I think if anything this would be more science fiction than horror. But, I want to know if anyone else has read this. If you have, leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it.

Very good! Super intriguing, and kept me on my toes! Absolutely looking forward to seeing more from this author. Highly recommend!

I feel like I did this book a bit of a disservice by reading it slowly. And I will say that reading books slowly often makes me enjoy them less (it's a character flaw), so keep that in mind as you read my review.

The main action in the book doesn't take place until about 80% in. It feels, instead, like we get pulled off into strange tangents and red herrings where no one says what they mean and the MC has no good reasons for doing anything she does. It also felt like some ideas were presented only to be almost immediately discarded, at which point, it's better not to suggest if you can't really dig into the aftermath (this happens twice in rapid succession near the end). Also... There were some very pressing answers we didn't get in the flurry of rapid-fire answers at the end, though for about three chapters there I thought this was going to fill the very specific Fringe-shaped hole in my heart.

The writing and pacing at the sentence level is phenomenal. Each chapter is a perfect length and the desert comes alive with Goedjen's descriptions. I just wanted more from the MC, in particular, and a lot more openness and support from the rest of the cast

4/5 stars, this was a lot more complex than I was anticipating but very creepy

I am not sure what I expected going into this book, certainly the dark and mysterious atmosphere that was created. But there was a lot more to this book than simply what was on the surface, and I had a lot of fun uncovering all of it. It was a slower read but it took it's time luring you farther and farther into this nightmare story in the desert.

Rylie hasn't been back to the military base Twentynine Palms since her dad died, but her mom's new work assignment means coming back. It also means facing all the memories buried in the sand, memories about her dad, old friends, and her grandfather who cut ties with her family before he recently passed. Rylie has to live in the one place she never wanted to return to, and not all of her old friends are around anymore either. Lily has vanished into the desert, and around town, there are whispers of a mysterious killer on the loose. When Rylie starts seeing visions of things she cannot explain she follows clues that hint it's all tied to her grandfather, and what he was really doing out there in the desert....if Rylie can trust the truth she sees.

For starters, this story is for fans of Stranger Things, completely. I have not even seen the full show, or particularly want to, but this just gives off those same vibes. It's very mysterious and doesn't reveal anything too quickly. When important plot twists are revealed it feels a bit crazy, and hard to wrap your head around, but it ends up being really interesting. I didn't love all the plot twists, but I honestly can't complain because the author did a really excellent job of putting them in at the right times. I felt that the end was just slightly jumbled and I would've liked to see a bit more of what actually happened before the book ended, but I still think the author did an excellent job overall.

The setting being in a desert, military basecamp no less, sounded really intriguing to me at the start. Being in a military base camp doesn't really have a ton to do with the plot, but being in the desert certainly does. Because of how isolated everyone is in this desert, even including the little town, it really makes each piece of the puzzle more shocking. It definitely feels like you are there with the characters and experiencing this loneliness and fear if you read it at night, which I recommend doing.

Rylie is a fine main character, she doesn't really have a lot going for her but there is nothing particularly bad about her either. She is back in the one place she never wanted to enter again, so it's obviously hard for her to be in the desert. Weird things start happening almost immediately to her and it's really interesting to see how she handles it. There's a lot going on surrounding her story, some of which barely gets tied up in the end, but it honestly felt like the story went the way it should with her plotline.

Her family is probably my favorite part of the whole story. Each of them has different quirks and it's obvious to see that they each care about her in their own way, besides her mom because we barely see her. Her stepdad is a goofy sort of guy and is really understanding of Rylie. He is also a psychologist and dabbles in hypnotizing. Her brother O is younger than her and really rather sweet. He experiences some things in the desert as well and at times it is hard to watch. He really loves Rylie and you can see it in how both of them interact. Kai is my favorite probably, he is her stepbrother and honestly the brains of the story, although it takes a while to realize that. He was really fun to see evolve little by little throughout the story and help Rylie.

Overall, it was a pretty fun story once I got into it. The story is laced with desperation, darkness, and mystery set on a backdrop of a desolate desert. It sets up for a really unique story that constantly throws twists and turns at the reader, until the very end. It might get a bit too twisty at times, but it was actually pretty fantastic.

[TW: death of a friend, death of a family member, murder, missing persons, injuries and blood, drugging, amateur hypnosis, PTSD (mentioned)]