Monstrous by Jessica Lewis was an astonishing story.

This was such a fantastic read, I loved the characters and storytelling aspect was so well done.
Latavia, was a great character. I enjoyed following this journey with her and being in Sanctum, Alabama.
Jessica Lewis has woven a tale that is engaging, atmospheric, and so stinking bingeable!
The atmosphere is thoughtfully crafted, and truly spellbinding.
I was completely addicted to this book and couldn’t stop thinking about it whenever I wasn’t reading.
This book did not disappoint!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When Latavia is forced to spend the Summer with her aunt in a creepy small town, she discovers that this town has secrets, and that something is living in the woods. Will Latavia make it out of this town alive?

This author’s previous novel, Bad Witch Burning is one of my favorite books of all time! And I have been waiting on Monstrous for so long! I loved the characters! Our main character Latavia was incredibly relatable and she really deserved better! And I also LOVED the monster that was living in the woods. He was such a sweetie pie when he wasn’t eating people! I also loved the puppies! One thing about Jessica Lewis, she’s gonna add lovable animals to her books and I love her for it! I also appreciated that this had mental health representation!

I did expect this to be darker and more intense though. From the description I was expecting horror and it definitely feels more fantasy with some murderous elements. Also, the story picked up really quick in the beginning but it got slow after that. I think either more should’ve happened in the amount of pages it had OR it should’ve been a shorter book. And based on the way this book ended, I feel like this might become a series and I was expecting a standalone. It didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, but a large part of the conflict wasn’t handled at the end and it was alluded to that that conflict would be handled later. I would definitely be interested in reading the next book if this becomes a series, but I still feel unsatisfied with the ending, especially if it really is a standalone.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot! There were some things I would’ve changed, but it was definitely enjoyable and I can’t wait to read even more of Jessica Lewis’ work!

Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for this arc! All opinions are my own.

TW: parental abandonment, domestic abuse, child abuse, homophobia, fatphobia, suicidal thoughts

I was so excited for this book after having read Bad Witch Burning and as soon as I saw the premise of Monstrous I knew I needed to read it.

And I hate that I’m a little disappointed in this ending. Overall this is a really great book examining how often humans are the real monsters and a young girl who keeps getting hurt finally finding her power in being monstrous. There are so many great emotional beats and complex bonds between the characters,

The ending, though, has the kind of open-endedness that can work really well but mostly in a series (which this may turn out to be, but also it felt like a conclusion). I think I’m especially sad about how the bonds Latavia has with Jade, her cousin, and Allison, her crush, end up working out. This doesn’t end with any kind of HEA/HFN, and I think that disappointed me in big ways because Avie and Allison worked so hard to get together, but in the end it can’t be. I think in the end, the ending doesn’t feel hopeful to me. And I know this is a horror book! But it’s more an exploration of what makes a monster than something creepy and dreadful, so the ending just didn’t end up working for me.

I’d still recommend this book and I love the characters and Latavia’s personal development, and I cannot wait to see what Jessica Lewis will write next, but this is definitely not my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The plot itself was really good and the story pulled you in. I did think the dialogue and a lot of the character interactions were very akwardly written and forced, but that improved a bit as the book went on. There were also a surplus of dividing comments and character descriptions, which was unpalatable. Side note: that was the most awkward "getting together" scene ever. Very cringey and not how I was expecting it to go, especially after the nice build up. The story picked up very quickly and was action-packed and twisty. Once it got moving, it pulled you in and had fast pacing throughout, which was great. The story itself was really great and I didn't want to put it down. I liked the blend of realistic scenario and fantasy, as well as the sapphic aspects and cult vibes.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this e arc in exchange for a honest review.
Latavia has been sent to Sanctum to live with her aunt right before college starts. However she must follow 3 rules while there. 1. Don't go outside after dark 2. Come straight home from church and 3. Most importantly don't ever go into the Red Woods.

After attending her 3rd funeral after only living there for 3 weeks, Latavia start growing suspicious on what is really happening in this town and it doesn't take her very long to find out. But who side is she is truly on. The residents of the town or the creature from the Red Woods.

This was a great read. While some YA Horror/Thriller I feel are easily predictable, this one kept me second guessing myself a few times. I was hoping for a better ending, but I feel maybe it leave it open enough for maybe a second book.

Latavia is living a strange small town with her aunt and cousin. She only has a few weeks until her first semester in college and starting a new chapter. Since there have been 3 mysterious deaths in the last 6 weeks, she can't wait to leave. Latavia, nicknamed Avie, is curious about the deaths and that only builds when nobody will answer any questions. The town has always seemed strange but it can't be anything Avie can't get through for a couple weeks, right?

I absolutely loved this book!!! I completely devoured this in almost one sitting! The characters are wonderful and I completely understand Avie's inner struggles. The entire book was perfection. The writing is so spectacular and the author really challenges you to ask yourself some hard questions too. I highly recommend this book! It's a wonderful mystery mixed in with fantasy, lore, and some romance as well!

This was very weird in a way that I really loved, and in a year full of YA horror it stands out to me as one of the most enjoyable ones. However, it definitely is going to be hit or miss for people - some people are going to find it too bonkers lol.