I’m not sure why but it took me forever to read this. It was interesting but for some reason, I found myself dreading reading it again after putting it down. Maybe it’s because I’ve read this kind of book before, many times. It unfortunately just didn’t hold my interest enough for me to care about the characters or the continuation of the story.

Koral is a Hunter, capturing monstrous beasts from the dangerous ocean with her brother to support their family. But her sick sister needs help and without money for medicine, Koral has to find a way to help: cheating her way into the Island’s Glory Race. Facing all the odds against her -including her ex-boyfriend and a class rebellion- Koral’s life depends on winning.

Conceptually, this book was good. Underdog teen rising above to help her family out of poverty and debt. But this book just didn’t follow through on what it set out promising and I was really disappointed overall.

This book really lacked world building. What you get is good: small island surrounded by murderous ocean critters, class and political rebellion, underdog rising to beat poverty and class strife. But there are continual references to events outside the book’s plot that are never explained. You keep hearing about the ancestors, but the story of them is barely touched on, despite the importance they play in how the world is designed. There just isn’t depth to the world, though I did like the South Asian inspiration. Koral is ambitious and decently written, but she’s kind of one dimensional and I didn’t see much growth as a character. None of the characters have much growth, really. I was most disappointed by then ending of the book, which was too open ended for me. There is so many storylines that just end without explanation and I felt the book lacked resolution.

This book is overhyped in my opinion. It lacked the depth that I expected from it and felt jumbled and all over the place. A decent read, but I wouldn’t rush to recommend or buy this one.

An explosive debut fantasy.

I loved this book. Koral is my favorite kind of character, one who just doesn’t give up no matter what the world throws at her. While the plot meandered a bit at the beginning, she propelled me through to the intense and climactic second half. Also, with that ending, I’m pretty desperate for a sequel.

The world was my favorite aspect of this book, and, to me, the part that stood out the most from a very crowded YA market. It was this crazy mix of brutal and breathtaking, futuristic sci fi mixed with survivalist fantasy and monsters. It felt like a mash up in the best way. As a stand-alone, I think it left some things unresolved that should have been addressed, but I am assuming this is a set up for a sequel where more of these questions will be answered.

Overall, I eagerly await for more from Berwah!

The description of this book being a cross between The Hunger Games and Fable is pretty accurate! Our young heroine, Koral Hunter faces non-stop adversity and challenges as she enters a race and tries to win her way to financial stability for her struggling family in a stratified dystopian society that is stacked against her. I don’t know if this is a standalone book or the first in a series. If it’s a standalone, beware that the ending feels like the start of a new adventure. If it’s the first book in a new series, I wish it had been listed as such so I’d have expected an unresolved/cliffhanger ending. Otherwise, I did like this story and will read the next one when it’s released.
*Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for this advance reader copy for review.

Monsters Born and Made followed the typical YA dystopian template: 16 year old girl from a poor family works very hard, her parents are basically non existent, she is forced into action when something threatens her siblings.

That basic outline was the part of the story that worked. It's a YA underdog story, we've seen it before, but we're always here for more.

Where it feel apart was the motivations:
As a Canadian I'm tired of seeing medical costs as a plot driver
It never explains why getting married as her parents suggest is not a reasonable option. Her parents are the worst so she might marry someone nicer and be able to help her sister.
The economic system doesn't hold up. If they are the only people who can capture and sell the beasts because everyone is assigned a job, yet they're still poor because there is a set sale price. What is the motivation to work this assigned job if it doesn't pay enough to support them? Whats stopping them from doing something else? What would prevent them from raising prices on certain ones and claim specialty? The race is a competition after all. Not to mention why has no one thought of breeding? They have to go out and catch them every time,
Poverty works as a plot point in the Hunger Games because everyone in town works the same job so there are no options.
Renters and Landers are the class system. Just really hitting us over the head with the point here.

Reading Monsters Born and Made felt like a breath of fresh air. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did, but it's safe to say I am obsessed with the story. The world-building, the characters, the romance- everything about this book was perfection.

Tanvi Berwah's writing is majestic and beautiful. It portrays the scale and perils of the world in which the characters reside really well. Her writing style really draws you in and makes you feel whatever is happening in the story. You immediately understand the dangers of the oceanic world and the creatures that reside in it and you know to be scared of many of them. One of the striking features that I noticed about this book was that the world-building was not confusing at all. It was explained in simple terms which made it very easy to understand.

Koral is honestly one of my favourite fantasy protagonists that I have read this year. She is strong, badass, brave and so caring. Her determination to win the Glory Race was inspiring honestly. I was basically in love with her from the start. The side characters are also done really well. I also really enjoyed reading her and Dorian's scenes together. That knife-to-the-throat scene? *chef's kiss*

AND THAT ENDING? HOLY. CRAP. I just really hope this book is not standalone because I want to know what happens next. My jaw just dropped open when I read it.

Monsters Born and Made is an incredible YA sci-fi/fantasy, one that will make its way to the top of your favourites because of its easy to understand world building and incredible cast of characters. Highly recommend this one!

Check out the aesthetic video I made for this book on TikTok & Instagram @katherinebichler. Click the link below ⬇️

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR1g6R8v/?k=1

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfRj3h...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 STARS

This is one of my favorite reads so far for 2022!! Think The Scorpio Races meets The Hunger Games in this excellent YA fantasy!

Sixteen year old Koral captures maristags in the sea to sell to the upper class Landers to compete with in The Glory Races. When misfortune comes her way, she cheats her way into the Glory Races for a chance to win and save her family from poverty.

This book was so well done! From the world building to the creativity, it had everything you could want in a YA fantasy.
Friends to enemies to lovers trope that is action packed with a fierce female MC.

Add this to your TBR for sure!

Thank you Fire Reads at Sourcebooks for the advance reader copy! 💚 🌊🦌

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! A stunning debut novel. I saw several negative reviews that said Koral lacked depth, but as a teenage girl, I would have made many of the same decisions she did. She had a goal in mind, which was protecting her family. And we all know that teenagers often make mistakes or don’t have the same life experience as adults, so we can’t expect her to be perfect. I think her rage and protectiveness of loved ones was clear, so I don’t consider her to be a bland character at all. The “Hunger Games” was also such a creative idea to do it with mythical creatures. I also enjoyed the relationship between Koral and Dorian, though I wish it could have been developed more. I wish that the next book could be more about this story, rather that world building like the author mentioned in her newsletter.

This book felt all over the place.

If I had to describe this, it's basically a hybrid of ‘The Scorpio Races,’ the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and ‘The Hunger Games.’ So a lot going on and not the most original content, but hey. Tropes work for a reason, right? The thing is, there's so much happening that nothing really feels fleshed out. It's all very superficial, or just lacking, and nothing hooked me enough to actually care.

This is also being pitched as a South Asian inspired fantasy, but none of the actual fantasy elements are from South Asian mythology?? It's very much classical mythology. The only thing used that is actually inspired by South Asia is the caste system and some of the characters' last names. Everything else is very Greco-Roman, which feels out of place in the setting/world the author is trying to create.

It's not a terrible book, I suppose, but it just didn't feel cohesive enough for me to massively enjoy it.

This book started off real good. Then started to lose me in the middle. I felt that it ended a strong note and I think my student will love it. The world building was really good and I enjoyed the fact that their was competition with deadly chariot races!

This is a story about the monsters we are & the monsters we make.

This was so much fun! The world building is fast, but so enjoyable. I loved the exploration of classism in a fantasy world- and the monsters! I’m hoping for fan art once this is out in the world, because @tanviberwah somehow created them from scratch (which I love!). This was an action filled, delightful ride & there NEEDS to be a sequel.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @sourcebooksfire for the eArc!

The first chapter doesn't leave you waiting, it plunges right into the action and leaves you wanting more. Existing as a Hunter near the bottom of a societal caste system on a brutal world, teen Koral struggles to find her place. Circumstances out of her control force her to make a life changing decision, one that will certainly put her and possibly her family in danger. With preparations for the Glory Race underway, a race in which higher society members enter to become charioteers in the race for a chance to win glory and riches, Koral takes a chance. The race is deadly and dangerous for many reasons, the biggest reason being the unpredictable bipedal, dragon-like creatures known as the Maristags, who draw the chariots. On the brink of the Glory Race Charioteer registration, Koral's name is smuggled into the final drawing...entry into the Glory Race is something one in her position has never dared to do.

I really enjoyed the concepts in this novel, but I had difficulty with the way it was written sometimes. I also think the POV was occasionally awkward. 3 stars bumped up to 4 because of the concepts and creativity.

Monsters Born and Made
by Tanvi Berwah
Pub Date: 06 Sep 2022


Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl's chance to change it all.

Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.

In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, 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.

When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family's financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can't afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral's only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.

But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against contenders―including her ex-boyfriend―who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister's―before the whole island burns.

Look, the only thing I want to say about this book is READ IT.

And also — it is one heck of a cliffhanger ending. I NEED MORE.

This story comes out of no where with a slow roll and a sock to the jaw. The characters and their relationships delve deep and touch on so many issues that all seem to culminate into almost everyone is out to get everyone else including those that seem to be ultimately loyal to each other. However, with that being said there are also the few main characters that actually seem to remain true to each other even when they appear otherwise. Berwah captivates and weaves a story that the characters traverse through and her world building is just as masterful. Not only is this a must read, it is a MUST HAVE on your shelf to read again and again and again. I am simply captivated and cannot wait to see what comes next.

I wasn't sure whether to rate this a 3 or 4 star, but figured I'd round up. There was a lot I liked about the book and some things I wish were more clear. Even after reading the entire book, I found some things confusing (such as why everyone was fighting everyone - Renters, Landers, Hunters, Rebels - there was a lot going on). The main plot of the book, the Glory Race, was almost lost in the middle of the other conflicts, and some of the other contestants seems a little cliche (hating the MC just because she was not from their area of the island). A unique premise and lots of interesting elements, but I was left wanting more.

I wish this was better. It seemed like it was going to be amazing. I worry sometimes that there is a balance between world building where it either overwhelms the book or isn't enough. Unfortunately, this falls into the latter. It felt like _The Hunger Games_ but I wish the author was able to keep true to their own ideas.

From the start to finish Tanvi Berwah's Monster Born and Made held my attention and I was immersed in the story. The main character of the story, Koral, is a monster hunter who is put in the unfortunate situation of trying to save her family and get life-saving medicine for her younger sister. In order to do this she needs to enter into and win a hunger games style competition. Koral and the supporting cast of characters are well developed but I did initially struggle to keep the characters straight. Also I felt that a little more time could have been spent on world-building. For example, the book mentions nine islands but aside from mentioning a few characters that come from other islands we learn little of them. Overall, I rated this book five stars and I am looking forward to future books by Berwah.

Book received for free through NetGalley

Oh my goodness. This book was so good once I got into it. Can’t wait to follow the story some more