It’s rare that you don’t like a single character in a book but this was one of them. Egotistical people, emotionally wounded, the best part of the book for me was the location and the description of the location. A painful read that has won lots of accolades. A family of secretive people who are wounded. A tough read. Although I’m interested in reading the authors memoir after hearing an interview with her on Fresh Air.

I found this an intriguing story about the need to be loved and adored and the lengths some people will go to bury or alter their memories and actions to protect themselves and their families. The author did a lovely job of highlighting and weaving in storylines and thoughts from a variety of characters, and although there may still be some questions at the end of the book, it will leave you with lots to think about.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹you like stories about complicated relationships
🔹 you like characters who are trying to learn more about themselves
🔹you are interested in the ocean and sealife

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.

I was super excited to get my hands on this book. I loved her first book so much. However, this one fell flat. I got 60% through it and found myself skimming. I just didn’t care. I normally love a functional dysfunctional family but this one was boring to me. I ended up not finishing it.

Next!

Having read WILD GAME by Adrienne Brodeur I was excited to read LITTLE MONSTERS. Ms. Brodeur is a master of writing about family dysfunction. This book is a win!! Ms. Brodeur handles sensitive subjects in an insightful, witty entertaining way.

This book has a little bit of everything and is spot on in it's portrayal of it's characters. One of my favorite books of the year.

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur


Adrienne Brodeur writes with vivid detail, enabling the reader to submerge in the story that is surrounded by the Cape Cod landscape. This story investigates the complex relationships dark secrets and emotional turmoil surrounding the Gardner family. The exceptionally developed characters in this story are all complex, and they all hold secrets. The problem with secrets is when someone decides to tell the truth.
This was an exceptional read that I had a hard time putting down.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Adrienne Brodeur, and Avid Reader Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have complicated feelings towards this complicated book. Little Monsters wasn't quite the story I expected it to be, in both good and bad ways. Brodeur writes a compelling family drama, and I really enjoyed the character dynamics found within the book. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the women, especially Abby and Steph, in the book and thought the themes of motherhood were interesting. I thought the multiple perspectives worked really well here, and I was very drawn into the Cape setting. This was a great "darker" summer read, as there were a lot of complicated issues addressed in the book with it being set in 2016 right before the election. However, I think this was my personal downfall for the book. The chapters where Adam or Ken were featured were absolutely abysmal for me to read. I personally have no interest in reading from the perspective of misogynistic men, even if the book is a critique about their actions. Adding to the fact that their actions are set pre-Trump election is even worse reading it in a post-Trump world, especially given the hope that all the characters have that Hillary will be elected. I also found the trauma between Ken and Abby bizarre and quite frankly unnecessary for that to be included. I'm really puzzled by my thoughts about this book as I both really enjoyed it in parts and really despised it in others, so it will sit as a mediocre read.

Little Monsters balances the local charm and propulsive story of an easy beach read with literary allusions and psychological depth. The plot centers around two adult siblings, Abby and Ken, and their aging father, Adam, a patriarch whose intellectual success and interpersonal failures are the source of some of the novel's strongest tragicomic moments.

This is a beautifully-written novel. The writing isn't showy, but it's vivid and haunting. The several points of view are handled adeptly, showcasing each character's unique personality while also preserving a strong sense of the author's viewpoint. Despite the story being small - a few people, a baby, a birthday party - it felt big, and I had a strong sense of mounting tension as the novel approached its climax.

... But that climax never quite came. Every one of the plot's many threads was left unresolved, and I was left wondering both what would become of the characters and what I was meant, as a reader, to take from their story. A more decisive ending could have been powerful in any one of a number of ways and could have made this interesting and evocative story truly memorable.

I was hooked into Brodeur's dark Wild Games so I was excited to read this- thank you for the ARC!

Little Monsters did not disappoint- set in Cape Cod in 2016 and reminiscent of Paper Palace, a fav from last year. Little Monsters is a family drama that ties in mental health and politics- a must read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this complex family drama set exquisitely in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts, a place I've long been intrigued by though I have never been there. Everyone in the family turns out to have secrets as they struggle in their own ways with the complications of life and their individual perspectives and family histories. I especially appreciated the subjective details related to the father's mental illness, how he experienced things.

The writing and pacing of the story is wonderful, as is the character development and the connections between them. I could not stop reading and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I look forward to reading the next book Ms. Brodeur produces.

Many thanks to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an advance eARC of this great story.

This was my first book my Adrienne Brodeur, although I have heard really good things about her memoir! I will start by saying that Little Monsters is extremely well written. The author takes her time thoroughly explaining each of the characters and their stories. The setting of the story in coastal Cape Cod is gorgeous. Some of the characters are just awful though and I really disliked reading their parts of the story. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, but didn’t love it. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I love this book! 5/5! The writing is beautiful, brilliant; Adrienne Brodeur transports readers to Cape Cod in a vivid, almost urgent manner - every page saturated with the sounds and smells of the sea, the dunes, the colorful characteristics that set Cape Cod apart from other coastal areas. And the characters! These characters come alive on the page - to say this is a dysfunctional family is putting it mildly. The Gardeners might just be the ghost pepper of dysfunctional families. Brodeur knows how to set a scene, and she knows how to build momentum, culminating in an inevitable train wreck outcome you see coming, while still managing to throw in surprising twist or two you didn't see coming. Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for allowing me the opportunity to read an eARC of this truly remarkable book.

A family with secrets is the only family they know, or is it? In Little Monsters, Brodeur pieces together a familial story of lives, loves, and secrets that could bring them all together or tear them completely apart. Told from multiple points of view, the plot unfolds with each character expertly and the final climax is revealed. One of the better books I've read so far this summer.

Little Monsters was one of those books that when it ends the story sits on your heart for days. I loved the story and the development of the characters as the plot came to life. Definitely a testament to how people carry their childhood trauma into adulthood and their relationships.

This book packed a punch. A family drama set in a small east coast town. Dysfunctional at best.
Superior writing and character development. I will now have to go back and read the authors m memoir, which I’m sure will be great.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4⭐️

This novel is best as a summer beach read. I found the story uninspiring, . Abby and Ken are twins and with Ken’s wife Jenny they spend the summer of 2016 preparing for the twin’s father Adam’s 70 th birthday party and retirement. During the preparations, we get to know a little more about each of the characters in alternating chapters. Abby was the only protagonist I could sympathize with, the others felt flat to me. Some secrets are revealed, some are hinted at , but never developed. Had I not received this book in exchange of an honest review, I probably would not have finished it. At best 3 stars.
I received a free copy, opinions are y own.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! A family drama set on Cape Cod with multiple perspectives and deep secrets!

Wow!!! Talk about a dysfunctional family.

As the Gardner children prepare to celebrate their dad’s 70th birthday the secrets and lies and mental health issues that have followed them their entire life come to the surface. What follows is a riveting look at family and relationships and trying to navigate life.

This is a huge 5-star read from me!!!

This story takes place in the year 2016 and revolves around a family that lives on Cape Cod. There are family secrets, mental health issues, secret relationships and politics. I would call this literary fiction because it is just a short period of time in the life of this family, and when the story ends not all issues have been resolved, but it was an enjoyable journey to go along with them. (Although there are a few characters that I’m glad are not in MY family!)
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

Sadly, a miss. The setting was solid and I generally love complicated family dynamics. However, I couldn't get past my distaste for the father and the brother. I also felt that the father's storyline was unresolved- though, I guess with aging disorders, there's generally no coming back? I liked the unknown sister element but really didn't care for the brother's actions, obviously. She can write, though, and I would definitely come back for more of her fiction.

I was excited to read this book because I loved Adrienne’s memoir. I couldn’t put this book down. The characters are well developed and interesting. The storyline pulled me in and I rooted for the main character, Abby. I loved the way the story played out. This is a good story about love, loss, redemption, and the power of friends that become family.