I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was so cute. It had such a huge fairytale vibe. I loved every ounce of it and had such fun reading it.

I kept wanting to like this book but after getting about half-way through I decided this
wasn't for me and dnfed it. Sorry about that I really wanted to enjoy this book!

we shall be monsters by tara sim follows kajal, who is trying to bring her dead sister back to life by making a deal to rescue the kingdom's fallen crown prince, but when she finds the person she resurrected is not, in fact, the crown prince, she desperately tries to find the real crown prince, with the help of tav. (and her undead dog!!)
i don't quite know how to feel about this one, i was quite confused while listening to it, but i guess that may be due to my lack of attention or the fact that audiobooks seem to not be working for me at the moment (which i figured out way after forcing my way through this one...) with the possible effects of those considered, i suppose this was an okay fantasy, but not anything near life-changing.in fact, i probably will not think of this book ever again... except for the cover maybe.
i did, however, quite like the characters. i liked kajal's determination and perseverance, and the dialogues between her and tav created for some funny moments that actually made me laugh just a little. i loved kajal's animal companion, her undead dog kutaa. honestly you can make any fantasy quest-type book better with the simple addition of an animal companion...
i was quite confused by the magic system, to be honest, but i don't know if that's because of the reasons i mentioned above or because it was actually confusing?
overall, i'd probably skip this one if i wasn't someone particularly interested in resurrection and a quest to get a sister back. but i can see this working for other people!
thank you to the publisher nancy pulsen books and netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. Unique and all the things I love in a fantasy story. Perfect for the spooky season as well.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the earc!

Undead best friend dog, need I say more? This is a fantastic novel that is immersive, beautiful, and enchanting.

4/5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

When books market themselves as “a ---- retelling” or a mix of “A plus B”, I always take it with a grain of salt. Something about describing an original work using other well known pieces of literature / media creates an unrealistic expectation, in which the actual story falls short because I’ve already crafted a picture of an alternate version. We Shall Be Monsters manages to assuage my apprehensions with a flair.

As written in the book blurb, this is a Frankenstein x Indian Mythology fantasy. And surprisingly, it really is. Throw in some sugar and spice and everything nice and you get a feisty zombie x rebellion x other shenanigans à la anime style. This is a great balance of fun and interesting, with well developed characters that play off of each other to build a dynamic world.

My only gripe that keeps this from 5 stars is the mid-novel identity crisis of the narrative atmosphere. The story started out with a fog of light horror, but the curtain lifted to reveal a plotline that existed independent of that undertone. In a way, this didn’t have to involve Frankenstein elements after a few chapters, which may be a reflection of the story drawing initial inspiration from a work but eventually taking flight. Is this a good thing? Absolutely – originality is always great. Should this have been noticeable in the writing? Probably not. Regardless, the story itself remains an enthralling read and a great Halloween-time treat.

Kajal is alive…but at what cost? With an experiment gone wrong that left her sister dead, Kajal is determined to find a way to resurrect her sister. Thinking she had enough time, Kajal has been meticulously trying to find a successful way to bring her sister back, but not too long after her first real successful attempt, a buhta—violent spirit bent on killing—shows up that just so happens to be her sister. With everyone, more and more convinced that she’s a witch and that she’s the one to blame for the demons and the blight, Kajal finds herself locked up. Offered help to escape, but at the cost of resurrecting a prince, what other choice does she have? It isn’t until Kajal resurrects the wrong person does things start to take a turn.

There’s a lot to unfold with this story, especially with the characters. I enjoyed the exploration of good vs evil with them. This book had a lot of reveals, some more shocking than others. At the 70% mark is when for me, things took an interesting turn and really kept my attention. There is information in this book that is hidden from the reader and isn’t revealed until later on and some of the characters like Kajal will start to make more sense then. This just makes the ending even more shocking with how certain things in the book are connected to each other even from the beginning!

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Penguin Teen for the gifted copy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Knowing nothing of Indian Mythology I entered this title with little to go on. It certainly sparked my interest in exploring the folklore some more. I loved the “mirror” sibling relationship and the depths one would could and choose to overlook for the love a brother/sister. Of course I LOVED our Frankendog Kutaa. This was a fun blend of horror, family, fantasy, and politics. I’m excited to see what comes next!

Thank you for the opportunity to read 🤗

I'm sorry.... but books like this are allowed to EXIST? Books with amazing South Asian inspired magic, lore, and fantastical beasts? Books with resurrection plotlines (ala Frankenstein), sister bonds, and plot TWISTS?! The romance was so subtle but obvious at the same time. I loved how much time it was given in the book (not a lot, but enough to be realistic). This was just one of the best young adult fantasies I have read in a long time. I really enjoyed all the callbacks to Frankenstein but also how this story stands on its own. Read it!

Such a fantastic mesh of Frankenstein and Indian myths.

What happens when you find that you came back but your sister doesn’t? You do everything in your power to save her. What seemed like a straight forward adventure turns into much more after Kajal is captured and sent on a side quest to help a long dead prince to try and help save the country.

I received an ARC of this book and was really intrigued by the cover and description.
Life happened and it took me awhile to get through it. I did borrow the audio from Libby and actually enjoyed it. I was a bit confused on parts of it but overall I enjoyed the “Frankenstein” with the rich reference of Indian culture.

- WE SHALL BE MONSTERS is Frankenstein by way of Indian mythology, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
- The characters are all multilayered and morally gray, each chasing their own goals and giving us a few good plot twists along the way.
- I enjoyed how the further we got into the the book the more detailed the world of the story became. More information and backstory was unspooled at just the right rate, and the ending left me excited for the sequel.

Special thanks to Penguin Group Randomhouse and NetGalley for the ARC for this book.

This book is so excellently written and extraordinary, ì definitely enjoyed it and really cannot wait for the second book to come out.

A LOT of Indian mythology which I really enjoyed and learned a lot. This book was really well written and it enthralled me to no end. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a really unexpected fantastic book! 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me intrigued from the description "Frankenstein meets Indian mythology" and it did not disappoint.

I loved all it: the world building, the magic-science hybrid, the complex characters, the murderous spirits, the tyrannical ruler, the fallen prince, and an resurrected dog who is such a good boy!

I knew I would love this book but didn't know that it would immediately become my new obsession. It's spooky, funny, and action packed. It reminded me a little of a T. Kingfisher book, but was even more enjoyable. Can't wait for the rest of the series!

Thanks to Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Although she was surrounded by death, she'd never wanted to be the cause of it. Yet it seemed that, in her presence, death was not merely a threat but something inevitable."

We Shall Be Monsters begins an ambitious new series from Tara that is filled with Indian mythology, symbolism and necromancy worthy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I mean the main character, Kajal, wakes up in a coffin, is there a better way to start?!! Kajal is distraught to find that her sister Lasya is dead beside her and vows to do whatever is necessary to bring her back before her soul is lost forever. And so begins a story filled with magic, alternate dimensions, demonic beings and demigods. If you are like me and unfamiliar with Indian myths, it can feel like a lot with all the new vocabulary and ideas. I think this is why the first part of the book felt a bit slow and tough to get into, as I had to get to learn and understand the different beings, and creatures that Kajal encounters on her journey. But once she raised a few more people from the dead and the politics and secrets started to come to light, the story really solidified. I liked that this was a fantasy where no orcs, elves or wizards are in sight, and you really get immersed in the culture that Tara does a wonderful job in laying out for you. Oh, there's also an undead animal companion and Gutaa is bestest undead dog, I love him!!! I listened to the audio book and very much enjoyed the narration and will definitely be waiting impatiently for the next installment of the series!!

RATING: 2.5/5 STARS

I loved the idea of a fantastical Frankenstein retelling but the plot of this book never truly grabbed me unfortunately.

A new twist on the Frankenstein's monster, this darky fantasy will have you gasping at each deadly twist and turn.

I absolutely loved this book and had so much fun reading it. I really enjoy Tara Sim's other books so I just knew that this one would be amazing too. I thought the world and the characters were interesting. There is some inspiration from Frankenstein- but this is not a retelling!