Indian mythology meets Frankenstein

As a long time fan of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I had to request We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim since it's being comped to it. Sim delivers an exhilarating tale full of adventure and horror elements.

Kajal’s world is upended when her sister Lasya dies. She finds herself teaming up with a pair of rebels who want her to resurrect the ousted prince in exchange for helping her get her sister back.

At the heart of this story was Kajal's love for her sister and how far she was willing to go to get her back. I enjoyed reading about this angry girl that resisted letting others in. I can relate. Kajal was a wonderful and complex MC that I easily rooted for. She has an inquisitive mind and a determined heart.

The mythological creatures were so interesting to read about. The world building was stellar in its complexity and its incorporation of Indian mythology.

The characters were so strongly written that I fell in love with each of them. (Even ones I don't think I was supposed to 🤫). It really speaks to Sim's mastery at creating characters that I was able to connect with each one.

The pacing was perfect for me. I love a book that reins me in from the start and doesn't let up. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I couldn't read it in two sittings like I tend to with stories like this one. But I did read like half of it in one evening.

I want more of this world and these characters! I recommend it to anyone who likes light horror and mythology.

Out June 25th 2024

I really liked this book. The wordbuilding was amazing and same goes with the writing. I fell in love with it on the first page. I also really loved reading about Indian mythology and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one. I loved the author’s take on Indian mythology and the story itself was compelling and emotional. I’m a sucker for sibling stories and I appreciated that those relationships took center stage. Having said that, I also really enjoyed the complex characters and the way their relationships developed naturally (whether platonically or romantically). I also just really enjoyed the writing style overall and I am excited to read more of their work.

Absolutely stunning! Frankenstein is my favorite book of all time and I love fantasy books inspired by Indian mythology. Tara Sim is an excellent writer who knows how to craft interesting characters and an engaging world. Loved it!

This is a sweeping and imaginative tale and I had such a good time.

The entire vibe of this book worked so well for me. These characters are wonderful, and each with so much that they bring to the book. And the dog?!?!? Perfection. Animal companions in fantasy are always a huge treat and Kutaa was perfection!

Kajal is determined to bring her sister back from the dead, no matter the cost. But, when her sister’s soul becomes a killing monster, Kajal is blamed for the destruction and is locked up.

Freedom comes at the hands of rebels, needing Kajal to resurrect the crowned prince and save the usurped throne, but the one she resurrects is not the prince…

Now, Kajal is even farther away from being able to reunite her sister’s soul and body. She must work with the boy she resurrected to find the prince so she can get back to saving her sister… before her sister kills her.

This has some great action, some dire situations and wonderful world building. I can’t wait for more!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC, As always my opinions are my own and are 100% true,
This wasn't what I was expecting however I didn't dislike it,
its a fun read for young adults. good concept.

ARC provided by publisher— Penguin Young Readers Group— in exchange for an honest review

Wait, what a banger???? I need the second book?? Now please??? I love love love when authors include their culture- specially the mythology involved! The Frankenstein aspect of it is there but not in the gothic fashion that the original book had, majority was involved with the mythology. The beginning of the story was so vibey I loved it, and while I got worried when it became a more common academic setting, it immediately moved away and continued its originality. I’ve never read anything like this but I’m so glad I did.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this novel! YA Mythology never fails to hit, and this was absolutely a hit. I really enjoyed how there were horror elements to the novel, I feel like a lot of the time with YA and mythology authors keep the plots quite safe, but with the inclusion of a Bhuta, a violent, wraith-like spirit hell-bent on murdering those who wronged it in life, there are higher stakes. It explores vengeance, fury, and questions of loyalty and learning to trust. I can't wait to see how this series unfolds and am excited to read a final copy when it debuts, and I highly recommend this to everyone.

I was eager to embrace this book, being a devoted fan of South Asian novels and horror. 📖 However, the first chapter posed a significant hurdle due to the e-arc's problematic formatting. The presence of broken or mis-hyphenated words, along with spelling errors, hindered my reading experience. The absence of a glossary left me uncertain about whether certain words were typos, formatting issues, or intentional creations by the author. Regrettably, I've decided to place this on my DNF pile for now and plan to revisit it in June upon its official release. Nonetheless, I'm considering giving it a second chance when it officially releases in June, perhaps borrowing it from the library for another try.

This book was well done as a horror book. That is NOT normally my jam, but I wanted to take a chance on this one. Even though some of the darker parts I am not personally a fan of, I think it was well done for the genre. The world building and mythology were super interesting and kept me reading. The characters are messy and imperfect and real.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for the arc!
Pub date: 6/25/24

What would you be willing to do to bring a loved one back to life?Part fantasy, part political intrigue,and part horror, We Shall Be Monsters is steeped in Indian folklore which focuses on a young necromancer on a quest to revive her deceased sister. This book will capture you from chapter one. While gruesome in some spots, I would say this is a cozy horror, if that term exists. This book would be a great bridge for teens who love fantasy but are interested in toeing into horror. I look forward to the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Where do I even start?

The main character, Kajal, was so fun to read. And though I found certain lines in their inner monologue a bit cringey, overall I liked her. She’s a pretty unique heroine, and I love her so much.

The imagery of bhuta Laysa was very well-written, and being someone who had no knowledge of Indian mythology going in, I still understood what was going on relatively easily. The author’s note at the end was also very helpful to let me know what was made up for the book & what’s in actual mythology.

Honestly I was lowkey hoping for some rivals-to-lovers with Vritika & Kajal, but Tav won me over. He’s so sweet and I love him.

Humor is incorporated into this book in a similar way that Leigh Bardugo writes in Shadow & Bone, which I liked. The characters are teenagers afterall, and are bound to crack a multitude of jokes.

A girl who can revive the dead, her sister turned demon, an accidental resurrection, and a cute undead dog. Did I mention this is inspired by Frankenstein?

I loved the premise. You get thrown into the action from the very beginning, it was great. Yes, I did pick this up because of the Indian mythology inspiration, and the necromancer-like ability was a great bonus. I will say, while I did love many of the characters, especially Kutaa, I didn’t care for the main character. I found her impulsive and selfish, almost hot headed in her actions. She did move the plot through these actions though, so take my criticism with a grain of salt.

I love seeing all the Asian and Middle Eastern mythology inspired stories coming out recently. They are an insta-read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for this ARC.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

Wow. This was good. The writing, the STORYTELLING was phenomenal. It was exciting and well paced and impactful. Rich with mythology and intrigue, I want more and more from this world. I'm hoping the sequel will give me a deeper look into the world, as well as its characters.

The characters themselves, and the relationships between them, were actually the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read. Our MC spent the majority of the book being rude with every other person in the book, which got pretty frustrating and annoying the more it went on. She didn't start to adjust until 70% into the book, which sacrificed the reader really getting attached to any of the other characters and created no impactful relationships between them all. Especially since she was the sole POV. It all sort of hindered any emotional and deep connection the reader could have with the story.

I really anticipate the next book, though, and hope to see more character development and a deeper insight to all the characters.

4.5 Stars

This was such a unique and interesting book. The beginning is a little slow so it took me a while to get into but it was so worth it! I really enjoyed the magic/mythology aspects and thought the characters were really well developed.
There were a few plot points that I saw coming but others took me completely by surprise. I loved Kutaa the dog and thought he was a good addition to the story - adding a little bit of lightness in some of the darker parts.
If you're looking for a fantasy with great characters, world building, and plot I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC!!

This is a well written book. It has some fine lines, a few well conceived set pieces, a fair share of perceptive and insightful observations, and some lean dialogue. Atmosphere and setting is top drawer. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for my arc!

i really wanted to enjoy this but this didn't end up being up my alley.

I loved Tara Sim’s Timekeeper trilogy and as soon as I heard about We Shall Become Monsters, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. Frankenstein is one of my favorite classics and seeing it through a new lens is always an experience, especially when it delves more into ideas of monstrosity and good and evil. I loved the world of this book so much and found it so hard to put down. Kajal is definitely a character who falls under unlikeable characters, because she regularly makes selfish choices that hurt others, but that’s what really makes her shine. I love her growth and development over the course of the book, her making decisions to try being better, especially after the loss of Lasya who she sees as always having been the good one of the two of them. The mythology and world building are also all excellent and I cannot wait to see how the series is going to continue with the changes developing in the world as ripple effects of things happening. Just, truly, all around I adored this book and I cannot wait for the sequel!

This is the first book that I’ve read by Tara Sim but definitely won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this book.

I was intrigued from the beginning and then once Kutaa was introduced, I was HOOKED. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. My only complaints are that it was a little confusing sometimes with all the different terms and I could’ve really used a glossary. & the formatting of the eARC was a little off so it kept throwing me out of the story.

But overall, I really enjoyed this and I look forward to see where the story goes in the next book.

First thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC in exchange for my review!

This is the third book by Tara Sim I’ve read, and she has quickly become an author that I will read whatever she writes because it is so GOOD! The worldbuilding is immaculate, the way she weaves Indian mythos with the familiar narrative of a creator terrified of their creation (or the power they wield in that ability to create) is brilliant.

The characters are complex and messy and they though they try to make the right decisions, what is right is not always easy and we see them wrestle with the consequences of choices they make throughout the story. I loved the way there were pieces called back to from the beginning that we see wrapped up in the end, we find our identities and histories that I didn’t see coming.

I desperately need to know how this story ends, it’s gonna be a wild ride!!