I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. Which is why I gave it three stars. The storyline is a bit like Hunger Games, but With a new spin and I’m OK with that. The characters flawed, but in a way that made them relatable. I love the setting, the dangerous island with all the sea creatures. But I felt that I had missed something somewhere,, because it all felt very chaotic and like they were too many for me to keep track of. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that I had missed some thing and the chaos of the creatures was just part of the story, maybe even an element because the world is chaotic, I was able to enjoy the storyline a bit more. I do feel like this is the start of a series though, there were a lot of side story lines that didn’t get wrapped up at the end. I feel like it could’ve been flushed out a little bit more if this is supposed to be the only book. And I’m not sure I love the ambiguous ending if this is the only book. If it’s the start of a series it was a great way to end. Overall this was an OK book, if it is part of a series I will definitely read the next one. I I did recommend it to my 13-year-old son to read, I think he will really enjoy the rich setting of the book.
*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

Sorry, I really tried with this one and gave it a good attempt. But it's a DNF for me. The world building was all over the place, and I couldn't get past the writing. It's in a first person, present tense. It did not flow, and simple statements like "touched a door" didn't have any merit on the story or setting of the story. All it did was flop me around. I'm giving it two stars though for the potential. I did like the concept of the story. I think those that can get through the writing will enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book. I found the story easy to get caught up in and the characters intriguing. The blend of drama, action, intensity, emotion, danger, angst and thrills is smartly crafted and had me deeply invested and highly entertained. I'm excited to see what happens in book two.

Tanvi Berwah's Monsters Born and Made is the authors debut novel and what appears to be the first in an unknown named series. The author herself has called this story The Hunter Games meets The Scorpio Races which is appropriate. The story takes place on the Island of Sollonia where 6,000 people call home. It is a place surrounded by the Ocean and it is also separated by Landers, Renters, and Hunters. The story is told by 16-year-old Koral Hunter who along with her elder brother Emrik, capture maristags, breed them, train, them and sell them to the upper cast.

On the final day of hunting, Emrik is hurt trying to catch the last maristags before they disappear for Ten months and blames Koral. Thanks to some unfortunate incidents in the recent past which has cost them nearly everything they own, Koral's family is in dire straights. It is also dire because of Koral's younger sister's failing health which they don't have the money to pay for. The Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral's family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class.

The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they're lucky―survive. In an act of desperation and rebellion against her father, Koral takes her maristag Stormgold, and sneaks into the The Glory Race which could change Koral's family's fortunes for the best if she wins, or the worst if she doesn't survive against the brutal competition. The competition includes Dorian Akayan, the boy she helped train to race with his own maristag and who is getting abused by his own father to ensure that he wins, and that Koral doesn't get the chance to either entire, or finish the race.

The Glory Race is the islands biggest event that takes place every 4 years. There is betting, and killing, and only Ten chosen will start the race. The race features chariots and three stages, and a variety of dangers, including monstrous sea creatures. Thankfully for Koral, she's been training with maristags all her life. She has known all her life that if she doesn't Hunt, her family doesn't eat, and they have no money to live on, and no medicine for Liria. She is scoffed at, she is abused, and pushed around, yet is her love for her sister and Stormgold's determination, that guides Koral throughout the story and the race.

Fans of dystopian action-packed adventures will definitely enjoy this tale of a high-stakes competition with mythical creatures in an oceanic world. Danger lurks everywhere and the odds are stacked high against Koral in this world where your place in the caste system means everything and no one can be trusted. Even though Dorian tries hard to get Koral to bow out of the race for fear she will be killed by one of the contestants, it is the group Freedom's Ark who might be the one to make Koral's life unbearable.

When I finished this story, there was a huge, twisted cliffhanger ending. I said to myself, well that sucks! There's nothing that indicates that this is part of a series, but allegedly, others have told me that yes, this is a series. In that case, I would request that Goodreads librarians discover if that is true or not, and update the posting for this book so others don't get upset by the ending.

Monsters Born and Made follows Koral, a girl who is determined to save her family at all costs. Koral lives in a dangerous world on the precipice of a sea filled with monsters. When her brother is injured and requires medicine, along with her chronically ill sister, she is forced to imagine a way out of dire circumstances. With experience as a maristag hunter, Koral enters a chariot race where she could win or lose everything. Only Koral was never supposed to be able to enter…

Monsters Born and Made is action-packed! It has a great focus on sibling bonds and an important examination of power and politics. Berwah tackles real-world issues of climate change (and how this impacts people with less power) and hoarding of supplies by people in power. There is so much action, but I would have liked to see the characters a little more fleshed out. However, I really appreciated how strong the sibling bonds were. I also loved the maristags!! What an incredible creature! It was beautiful to see Koral bond with and earn the trust of her maristag.

If you enjoyed The Scorpio Races, competitions with sky-high stakes, and important environmental messages then you should check out Monsters Born and Made. I look forward to seeing what Tanvi Berwah writes next and how the story continues! Thank you to Tanvi Berwah, Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

Back in the early 2010s, the dystopian craze hit me HARD. Monsters Born And Made is a YA fantasy that reminds me of the early days of the dystopian boom, before the market got oversaturated with authors who didn't really get it and just wanted to capitalize on the popularity.

Koral's family has a very particular job on their island. They are the Hunters— The family responsible for hunting and taming vicious, deadly beasts called maristags. The beasts are a vital piece of the ruling class's annual Glory Race, a cruel competition that offers its winner fame and riches beyond compare. After a disastrous failure during the hunt, Koral's family is on the brink of destitution and her chronically ill sister is close to death. To save them, Koral does the unthinkable: Cheats to enter herself in the Glory Race. The ruling Landers despise her gall, including her ex crush who's also competing, and her own societal tier feels she's betrayed them. Koral must get up close and personal with monsters, both creature and human, and defy death to save the people who matter most to her.

Let's get this out of the way: The book's description calls it South Asian inspired, but reviewers are getting caught up on the chariot race element and essentially calling it "Not South Asian" enough because of it. The author IS FROM South Asia and has described the novel as Greco-Indian. I saw those South Asian influences in the descriptions of everyday life— clothes, food, cultural mannerisms, etc. But if these (let's face it, mostly white) reviewers want to tell an Indian author that she is not being South Asian enough because she's not constantly throwing stereotypes in their faces… Go off, I guess?

That being said, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. The cultural divide between the haves and the have-nots is strikingly shown as Koral bounces between worlds. Every new place brings different tensions that clash deliciously. Yes, Koral has to navigate wealthy Lander society, but she also has to out-battle giant mythological creatures while led by an unreliable maristag who may change its mind and murder her. She may have to avoid the wrath of rebels, but she’s also got to keep her family together. You know from the start that she can't perfectly balance it all, but watching her try leaves a delicious sense of foreboding.

Koral is a great character in her own right, but she's spurred on by a solid cast of supporting characters. I especially liked Emrik and Crane, who are trying to balance the fine line between being Koral's support system and diving headlong into rebellion. I was intrigued by Dorian and Koral's relationship as ex-friends/crushes turned reluctant enemies. I'm simultaneously glad the novel doesn't overdo the romance element and disappointed that we didn't get to see more unfiltered interactions between them. We've also got a rare YA fantasy that ACTUALLY EXPLORES family dynamics!

The action is strong and really consistent. It's interjected in unexpected ways that add layers. Many such scenes involve fascinating creatures that feel so original and horrific. Of course, the other characters cause equal amount of chaos and things can get brutal very quickly in pretty much any scenario.

Finally… THAT ENDING. It's both incredible and infuriating when a novel's final scene practically begs you to pick up the sequel immediately, but you then have to WAIT for the sequel. I will be (im)patiently waiting!

I don't know who decided on these comps, but I did not get vibes from either The Hunger Games or These Violent Delights . I did, however, get many vibes from The Sco rpio Races . I mean, it's a book about sort-of-horse races by the sea, come on.

I digress. Comps aside, I had some mixed feelings about the story overall. I liked some aspects, but I had some problems too, so let's dive in!

What I Liked:

►The concept was intriguing. Look, I enjoy a competition! Especially when one is kind of desperate to win the thing. (Hey, maybe that is the point of the THG comps? Actually, I think it was maybe the political bit, but we'll get to that.)

►I enjoyed the family focus. I mean, I mostly hated Koral's dad, but I loved that family was such a huge focus of this story. Koral was constantly considering her family's welfare, even when her plans didn't exactly work out as she'd hoped for them. Her heart seemed in the right place, at least.

►The commentary of the political/social system was on point. I mean, obviously it was telling that Koral couldn't even participate in the race to begin with, and how poor her family was despite doing basically everything they could to provide a service for their community. And then there is the whole "let's pit all the poor folks against each other so they don't come after us" but, which of course the wealthy love to do. So yeah, it certainly tracked! I figured by the end, the whole "hope is stronger than fear" schtick was what led to the THG comps. Still, no.

What I Had Trouble With:

►Some of the plot points just seemed way too easy. Obviously I can't get into it too much because spoilers, but even one instance in the beginning felt this way. When Koral joins the race, even though no one of her social class ever had dared try before, it was just sort of... explained away in a way that didn't feel quite authentic, or earned? And this wasn't the only instance, just the only one I can get into without spoiling stuff.

►To that end, it often felt safe and rather predictable. Because I figured everyone would worm their way out of any dire situation, I didn't feel the sense of urgency that such a story should compel.

►I wish I understood the world better. I mean what even is a maristag? I mean okay so it can swim but... I kind of want more details. I was also really unsure of when/where it was all supposed to be too. I thought maybe some sort of dystopian or post-apocalyptic world, but then it could have been a fully fantasy world too. Was there anything outside this town? What I am saying is, I just wanted more information.

Bottom Line: I was underwhelmed a bit by the easiness of some of the plot and the lack of information, but the premise was strong and races are fun.

Although I've been stepping away from YA recently, this book was a nice reintroduction to it! I'm glad that young readers are getting more diverse stories than when I was a kid and get to see themselves represented more. This book had a nice pace of action and plot to keep me interested, and our main character was distinctive enough that I felt she was nicely fleshed out.

3.75 ⭐️. This book definitely gave Hunger Games and Gladiator vibes. The world building was descriptive and clear. Obstacles during each race was very intense. The pace was fast. There are parts that drag a bit. The characters were relatable although I was frustrated with the FMC, Koral, during each race. Let’s just say she’s no Katniss Everdeen.

It does end in a cliffhanger so I am looking forward to the sequel.

Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah takes the idea of heroes and heroines and turns it on its head. Koral is so bitter, so angry, and so traumatized that you find her slightly abhorrent even as she tugs at your heartstrings. At the same time, Ms. Berwah shows the insidious nature of power in a world that is nothing like current-day America but certainly has a lot of similarities when it comes to the haves and the have-nots. Monsters Born and Made is a difficult read not only because of the raging emotions swirling within Koral and fueling her actions but also because it is bloody and raw, violently brutal, and ruthless. I loved every minute of it.

I'm having a really difficult time rating this book. But I think I'm giving it a 3.5

Note: I take issue with the marketing. I saw this art posted by the publisher, and in the caption it said: they were lovers, then exes and now rivals, or something like that. But I explicitly remember it saying lovers, which is extremely weird to me. The synopsis states that she's 16. In my understanding, they hadn't been around each other for a few years. So saying that children were lovers doesn't sit right with me. I was even more surprised when I went to check the author's page and found the exact same post. I guess she's trying to market to the “enemies to lovers” fans, but it just does not seem appropriate.

On to the review.
I quite enjoyed the story. Action definitely came through during the races. Koral wasn't my favorite, but I guess she'd appeal to a younger audience. Suffered from self-sacrificing heroism. It wouldn't really be that much of an issue if she weren't a huge hypocrite and got mad every time someone else did the same. I loved the strong sense of family. Look, a ya protagonist with parents 👀. Sike. Anyway, I just wished her friendship with Crane was shown more, rather just told. The hatred Koral had for Dorian seemed a bit forced at the beginning. Only a bit later did we find out the reason for it. Basically, she was upset he didn't hang out with her like when they were younger. He, on the other hand, was doing the “being a dick to drive her away to protect her” act. Because, boy, does he have an abusive pos power hungry father. Also forgot to mention Dorian is from a powerful, important lander family, so there's also that. But I'll admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for romance, and it's not terribly done so… 😏 When he calls her my star, I was gone.

It took me a while to realize it wasn't just a fantasy world, but rather a dystopian/post-apocalyptic one. The history was not explained. I'd love to know what happened for the world to end up the way it is currently in the book. Also, a map would be quite helpful, I don't remember there being one. Which leads me to the biggest fault of the book. The worldbuilding. I could not wrap my head around it at all. Now, I'm not one to usually be bothered by this because I speed through everything. But with this book, I was really trying and still couldn't figure it out. I'm hoping the sequel clears things up. History and world building-wise. I have numerous questions. Why was Koral the first renter to enter the glory race? If technically it's not forbidden, and she got in easily. Did no one before her try? Furthermore, what is the renter/lander thing? I'm assuming the landers are those who live on the (main) land. But why renters and for what reason are they inferior? A considerable detail I could not understand at all were the maristags. I gathered they're water creatures, but sometimes they read as horses. They had stables… (filled with water? Or like an aquarium?), also the races themselves were confusing. Do they swim? Or run through the water? Because at some point it was described how it's feet hit the ground. And occasionally they attack people. But the people aren't in water? Do they survive on land? Furthermore, gills/lungs, how do they breathe? I need a picture of this maristag. And a lot of explanations. The cover is stunning, though. Can't wait for my pre-order to arrive.

Koral is a Hunter. She hunts the dangerous maristags with her brother. If they don't get one soon, her family will starve.
The only other option is for Koral to enter the Glory Race, a competition reserved for the elite. The competitors have a chariot and a maristag and compete in a series of challenges. Even though it's usually the rich competing, there are no rules that state Koral can't.

This book was pretty bad. There is nothing fresh or new. I didn't like the writing style. It was just all over the place and didn't flow well. I disliked the mc very much. She was either whining or saying she was going to win the tournament. Blah, blah, blah. 2 stars is generous.

Koral Hunter was an intense character to follow in this book. Her anger is what fuels her and Berwah doesn’t shy away from that in the way her the character behaves. Her desperation at her family’s financial ruin, her hostile relationship with her father and her fear over her sick sister all culminate in her decision to join the race — which only puts her and her family in more danger. With each challenge she faces, she grows stronger and more ambitious, ignoring the warnings of those around her to get what she wants. Though she doesn’t know it for most of the book, this ambition also drives her character arc during which she learns to care about more than just her family.

Though Koral overshadows most of the secondary and background characters, they don’t blend into each other. As her brother, Emrik, is driven by the same desperation when it comes to his family and, though he doesn’t like it, he helps Koral in any way he can. Dorian longs to break free of the role of Lander Heir under his abusive father’s watchful eye. Crane is Koral’s best friend whose life has taken a darker turn, whereas the Landmaster is a ruthless politician holding the island in an iron grip, and whose favour is often in question.

Tanvi Berwah builds a brutal island world where giant creatures rule the sea and the skies, and the sun is a dangerous thing. Having escaped a dying homeworld, the Elders established a civilisation on a dangerous but survivable land where it all worked until a small group of people got greedy and managed to divide the people into the Landers — the wealthy ruling elite who can afford to live in caves and away from the dangers — and the Renters who are forced to live above ground and grapple with the monsters, often just to benefit the Landers. Berwah doesn’t shy away from the brutality of this world — not in Koral’s everyday life nor during The Glory Race itself.

In fact, her writing even reflects the world as it’s characterised by short, rapid sentences and a lot of action. The pace is fast and barely lets up throughout, reflecting Koral’s desperation to win. The descriptions always err on the side of danger, or worse, while her action scenes are ruthless and often bloody. Through Koral and her cast of characters, she paints a bleak existence where surviving is a painstaking process or navigating the dangers of the land around them as well as the politics of those in power.

Overall I flew through Monster Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah. She sets up an interesting dystopia and a desperate character willing to do anything to save her sister that then grows to care for the Renters beyond her family in this cutthroat world. This book is certainly not for the faint of heart on account of the death and destruction throughout, but it is a worthy debut that delivers on what the blurb promised.

Oooooh THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED.

This world! The race! The romance! HERE. FOR. IT.

Yes, the world may have been a whole lot to just be thrown into, BUT it was worth it. I didn’t have to know what all the words meant that the MC was using to describe things, because I FELT it! It was rich and combined the past and future seamlessly.

Now the romance… I’ve never read a redemption romance before! And I guess it was kinda good? Personally, not a believer in the circle back ‘cause why you even break up in the first place?! But this was sweet and painful and *swoons*

OH THERE BETTER BE A SEQUEL!

Koral and her older brother Emrik are hunters who live on an island. They need to capture maristags, a dangerous species that lives in the water, and breed them in order for their family to survive. When Emrik gets stung by a maristag, he needs an antidote that they don't have money for. Faced with the fear of starvation, Koral decides to participate in the Glory Race with her maristag Stormgold. If she wins, her price would be gold, which would keep her family from starving and could offer treatment for her sick younger sister.

I liked that the story was very action-driven, while also focusing on the relationship between Koral and her family. However, the plot didn't grip me like I thought it would. Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, though.

I truly enjoyed this book. It had a good mix of everything I love in a good read. A main character that is easy to connect to and pull for, a love interest, drama to battle, people to dislike and monsters.

The main character, Koral, is a determined young woman who is trying to prove herself in a society that wants everyone to follow very specific "rules." If you aren't in a specific group, you are automatically cut out from certain opportunities. Koral realizes that to help her family rise above their overwhelming poverty, she's going to have to buck the system and not back down. When she does so, it risks everything she values. People go after her and her family.

I have to say that the title of this book couldn't have been more appropriate. This book had numerous monsters and the author did a great job of describing them. and helping the reader envision them. She also helped to create people who behaved like monsters....to me, those were the monsters that were "made." Hence, the very word perfect title.

I read the ebook version and listened to the audio. Both were equally enjoyable. The narration of the audiobook was well done and kept me engaged. I would recommend it to those who enjoy listening to audios. (4 stars for the audio)

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ARC and audio ARC. I voluntarily chose to review these and the opinions contained within are my own.

Monster Born and Made was a wild read. The story was a bit all over the place. It was an okay read overall.

I can't begin to explain how I feel after this book, specially because I feel that I forced myself to finish it. We have our main character, Koral, who is very desperate at the moment. She's posed as a very strong and smart character, yet she trust EVERYBODY. Any person who smiles back at her? She trusts. She trusts a person who has already disappointed her, she trusts a person who nobody is supposed to trust.

She is participating on this race where people like her are not supposed to participate, right? Well, you expect others to make some noise and all. But NO! The biggest authority accepts her really fast. In that moment, I knew something was gonna go wrong. But here, Koral trusts everything again, because of course she's our main character and everything should be perfect for her to go on. And this is another thing that bothered me a LOT. Koral is a hunter, she has never trained for this race in her life, but suddenly she's AMAZING at everything? please, at least give us something believable.

And here we get into the writing, which was definitely not for me. I can't begging to explain how messy and all over the place it felt. One minute we are reading someone's introduction, and suddenly Koral (because it's a first POV book) goes on and on about other stuff. And this happens a lot, not only with characters' descriptions but with some critical moments. She's supposed to be stressed or sad but here we are seeing her talk about the walls or the color of something. You might think, so was this book too descriptive? No, it wasn't. It descibed the things that weren't important at all, and never really gives you a calm explanation about what is going on. I could never picture the place where things happen, I couldn't even imagine the faces of the main characters. This book might have given some descriptions, but as I said, they're really everywhere and anywhere at the same time.

And don't get me started on the characters. I couldn't stand Koral, but what bothered me the most was the romance, because it really didn't show any chemistry AT ALL. Was I suppose to believe these two had a tragic past and now were back to falling in love? The only interesting character was the best friend and sometimes the brother, and also some of the other charioters. There was one girl who was in the competition too who had some good reasons to hate Koral, and honestly? I was rooting for her.

I'll give it some extra points for at least writing some interesting competitions, that is what kept me reading.

Monsters Born and Made features a teenager (Koral) struggling to break out of her caste and improve the lot of her family. She manages to tame an "untamable" maristag - a sea monster used in races. Her sister is chronically ill and the family owes a lot of money for her care.

Koral does the expected thing in these types of stories - she enters the Glory Race. This race is only for nobles - not poor commoners. Koral has to battle her way through to survive the race, while revolution is happening all around her.

South Asian inspired fantasy perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable - Yes please!

Especially when it has a group of elites living within the walls and those less fortunate living outside the walls that risk their lives to the monsters that roam. The conflict is greater and the stakes higher. 

Koral was such a bad-ass character and she was doomed to fail from the beginning. Being forced to make the decisions she did just so that they could payoff the credit for the medicine to treat their sister was eerily familiar to a horrible real social construct that we have.

Where the people inside the gate don't suffer from any medical issues but those outside are always sick with horrible scars and injuries. Hmm, this all sounds so intriguing.

Koral dared to rise above her station and since she was an actual Hunter who captured the beasts and trained them instead of a fancy noble who had everything handed to them she was way more talented then they expected. They expected her to fail immediately.

I'm still trying to figure out Dorian.

But look at this amazing cover!! Those beasts sounded amazing!

Read if you like:
✨ Monster games/trials
✨ Political intrigue
✨ The Underdog


Thank you sourcebooksfire and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.