I LOVE FAE BOOKS!!!! I loved this book! This was such a good gripping and haunting story! I loved every second of it!

We Shall Be Monsters was such an entertaining story that is told almost like one of those fairy tales you heard as a child. Girl meets boy and fall in love, boy has a connection to a witch who puts a spell on him and his future daughter. He has 15 years to break the curse. Alyssa Weed is such a talented writer, she kept me engaged in the story from the beginning and when I thought I figured something out, she went a different way. I would love to tell you all about the story but I don’t want to take away from any of the twists or turns. For me this is one of those books you would love to read again but as a first time read. Im excited for everyone who gets to pick this book up for the first time.

What a beautiful, haunting, lyrical story about love, fear, hope, loss, family and nature. The way everything came together was incredible. If you like dark fairy tales and lyrical fantasies, this is excellent. Alyssa Wees is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do you remember being a kid, when everything felt magical?

I know I do. I lived on a quiet, secluded property, surrounded by woods. And while I never actually discovered fairies lurking in the trees, I always hoped I would.

But with "We Shall Be Monsters," the characters don't need to hope. Because their dreams of a fantastical fairy world are real.

Everything about this book is whimsical, right from the very start. As soon as the book opens, it's clear that these characters are destined for something greater. The language itself is powerful yet lyrical, and it feels as though you're traveling to a space beyond the modern world, to a legend borne of the trees and the wind and the stream.

The basic premise of this book — a mother named Virginia and a daughter named Gemma, called to by the magical powers in the woods — is what drew me in. They know magic is real, that the woods are more than just a little patch of trees in their Michigan backyard. But at different points in their lives, they're both forbidden from entering, because the strikingly magical world is not always what it seems. Danger, ever-present, lurks just beyond the trees. Do they listen? Of course not — or we wouldn't have a plot!

From this simple premise comes a coming-of-age novel told from two perspectives that shows how magic can shape us into the people we're meant to become. With great duty set upon us, we can transform into the hero — or the monster.

The latter third of this book spent a good deal of time reflecting on what it means to be a monster, and while I think it provided a good message, I'm not sure it was in line with the rest of the narrative. I think that humanizing the villains in this story doesn't work because their motivations weren't based on noble intent. They weren't good characters who found themselves in a pickle and had to make a bad choice. They're selfish, willing to do anything to reach their goals — which felt very black and white rather than the gray area the novel would have us believe.

Even so, I don't think this takes anything away from the tale of self-discovery, of growing up and finding the true power you have inside yourself. This book shows the loving bond between mothers and daughters — stronger than even the most evil of magic — as well as the inseparable closeness between lovers torn apart. It has most of the things I love in a book — adventure, romance, horror, and of course, a hefty dose of fantasy.

On the whole, I give this book four stars. I took a star off because there was a period in the middle where both Gemma and Virginia were exploring the woods in different timelines that felt too similar — it was like they were having the same experiences, and it confused me for a while. This part dragged a bit until we finally started getting into the action, then it was a page-turner.

If you like stories about fantastical worlds like "Alice" or "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," then I think you'll like this too.

Now THIS is what i’m talking about!!

such gorgeous prose but it doesn’t linger too long and feel like the author was patting themselves on the back every sentence!

I felt the forest, I know EXACTLY what it looks like, sounds like, smells like, feels like , everything. now I could’ve connected with this so much because I grew up playing in the woods behind my childhood home and brought back fond memories of my sister and I playing magic back there but this brought the BITE.

I also love that we are following a mother daughter relationship and not a baby focus on romance (though there is a bit) in this book. I can’t remember the last book I read where we got POVs from the mother and daughter and they were both strong in their own right.


if you love sentient forests and monsters and mother/daughter relationship dynamics READ THIS NOW

“Sometimes I’m afraid and I don’t know what I’m afraid of—sometimes a shadow, and sometimes a shadow I imagined. But even if the shadow is imaginary, my fear is real. Fear is powerful, but it’s temporary. It will pass. It will always pass. Like the moon: Sometimes it’s full, and sometimes you can’t see it at all. My fear belongs to me. But I don’t belong to it.” - @alyssa_wees

Virginia and her daughter Gemma both grew up knowing the magic of the forest at the edge of their property. While Virginia held onto her memories, the heartache, and the curse of that magic- she removed the memories Gemma made each time she entered the forest. Virginia worked hard to find a magical item to break the curse, but never shared this with Gemma. Until one day she is carried off into the forest and Gemma is left to put together the pieces.

Told from a dual point of view (Gemma and her mom), this fairytale weaves a decade worth of magical history with each chapter. While Wees expertly explores the balance of fear and hope, at your feet, she lays the battle of womanhood- finding your way, growing up, making your own choices, gender roles, forced motherhood- and the age old question of whether all monsters are evil.

With every chapter I saw this story as a Grimm fairytale meets What Dreams May Come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

@netgalley and @randomhouse - thank you for this #advancedreaderscopy - pub date is 11/12/24

"How else to survive being surrounded by monsters than to become a monster yourself?"

There are honestly too many amazing quotes to pull from this book, but this one captures the spirit of the story pretty solidly.

It took a few chapters for me to vibe with the style, and I really wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but once I got into it.... I LOVED IT. This had everything: mothers and daughters, generational trauma, FAIRY PRINCES, quests, secret powers, childfree rep (in a roundabout way), and so much introspection about fear and the power it holds.

Five absolutely GLOWING stars!

“There is nothing more human than curiosity.”

We Shall Be Monsters / Alyssa Wees

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and publishers: Random House Publishing - Ballentine | Del Rey, for the opportunity to be able to read this e-ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end - a story that blends mundane life with a mysterious magic in the woods. I became a Mom this last January, so this book was very meaningful to me, since it touched on the mother/daughter relationships of 3 generations of women: grandmother (Clarice), mother (Virginia/Gigi), and daughter (Gemma). I especially loved the references to innocence/goodness and pure curiosity in youth, the reasons why mothers nag (lol), the strength of fear, and the downsides of hope.

While I find the main plot of literal found family to be the main essence of the story, I truly felt that this story highlighted the love mothers have for their daughters and that they will do whatever they can to protect them no matter the cost. I find that Alyssa Wees’ writing was absolutely beautiful in this lyrical novel, and the way it was structured in a dual POV between Gigi and Gemma was superbly done.

I will say that there were times when the plot was a bit all over the place which had me a little lost, but it still kept me interested to keep on reading to find out. True definition of “one more chapter” (aka ended up finishing the book…)

We Shall Be Monsters by Alyssa Wees is an enchanting and lyrical fever dream, brimming with dazzling prose and dark romance.

A beautifully, haunting novel, told in two povs, about the darkness and beauty that the forest possess. Just be careful going in and what, or who, you may encounter.

What's not to love about a magical forest?! Answer is nothing, they're the best! Fairies, witches and Monsters oh my! I like Gemmas Character, I do wish her quest into the woods were more difficult for her to find a way out. The world building is fantastic, I have a vivid imagination and I felt like I was seeing everything with my own eyes. I really enjoyed my time reading this book, I love books with a bit of darkness to them.

We Shall Be Monsters is a dark fairy tale with vivid and descriptive language painting a movie in your head. This eerie novel delves into family bonds/dynamic as you follow both Gemma and Virginia’s journeys.

4/5 stars
Engaging and Enchanting with a Few Surprises

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The storyline is immersive, and the author does a wonderful job of blending fantasy with heartfelt moments. The main character is well-developed, and I appreciated the layers of personality and growth they showed throughout the story. The writing style is vivid, bringing the setting and magical elements to life. There are some great twists, too, which kept me hooked and made the book hard to put down.

While I loved the overall pacing and world-building, there were a few sections that felt a bit slower or slightly predictable. Still, these moments didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. If you’re looking for a story that mixes adventure, magic, and a touch of introspection, this is a great pick! Highly recommended for fans of fantasy looking for something unique.

Fairies and witches and magical quests, oh my! Enter the woods if you dare, but know that you've been warned!

We Shall Be Monsters is the story of a mother, a daughter, and the magical woods outside their back door. After a witch takes her mother into the woods, Gemma goes on a quest to save her. Along her journey she meets fairies, monsters, and a handsome prince, but nothing about the woods is as it seems. The story is told in dual timelines between mother and daughter, but the atmospheric and richly drawn woods is a character in both timelines. This dark fairy tale kept me riveted and I was never sure what was going to pop out of the darkness or from behind that tree next!

Some of the resolutions along Gemma's quest were a bit anticlimactic, but overall this was a very well told adventure story that made me question exactly what defines a monster and mulling over the nuance between good and evil.

This story was a unique reading experience and I'm so grateful that Random House and NetGalley gave me the opportunity to tag along through the forest in exchange for my honest review.

We Shall Be Monsters – Alyssa Wees. Gemma's mother has always warned her away from the neighboring woods, because of the monsters she claims live there. Victoria's own mother had warned her away from the same woods, where she met Gemma's father, who was turned into a monster by a witch. When the witch takes Victoria, Gemma has to find a way to save her mother. 3.5 stars rounded to 3.

Sigh. I'm going to be the odd one out because I know, I KNOW there's a large readership for this modern fairytale but it just wasn't for me. There's a curse, there's fairies, there's a witch, there's a monster-all the elements. And the atmospherics are good. I liked the relationship between Gemma and her mother Virginia and how Gemma, who Virginia tried so hard to protect, is the one who rescues her mother. The world building and storytelling are good but it just didn't, somehow. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

This book transported you into the enchanted woods next to the character's house. We get enough travels into the woods to keep us interested. One has to love Gemma who is clever and is just beginning to come into her magic. I would enjoy reading more of her story.

The story is enchanting but has it's cruelty as most fantasy stories have. I thought this story was paced well and kept our with the premise. I did love the magic that unfolded and the minor characters who showed Gemma her magic. I loved how she waited and planned for saving her mother, Virginia.

The family home was an antiques shop. I would have liked to have known a bit more about the shop and some of it's history. I do hope the story will continue. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

This is a whimsical tale about a magical forest and the family that lives on the edge of it. We hear the story from the point of view of the daughter, Gemma, when she is 12 and then 15, and her mother, Virginia. Gemma's parts read as YA, and while the story is interesting enough, it is also pretty preachy. There are a few obvious lessons we must learn, and that was just not my cup of tea.

What I liked - the monster transformations and their meaning, the connections between mothers and daughters, and the beautifully descriptive language - the world-building is done well here.

I think readers who like lyrical books about magical worlds laying just a stretch away (with fairies, water-sprites, Hunting Beasts, evil witches, and carnivorous trees in abundance) will likely enjoy this a lot more than I did.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine | Del Rey, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. The book is out on November 12.

I was eating this story UP. The writing was beautifully done and had me on the edge of my seat. This was a the perfect way to fall into a world where the monsters are everything. The generational struggle, strong female characters, & a little dusting of romance? Who wouldn't want to be immersed into this twisty dark fantasy/fairytale?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House (Ballantine) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The woods were dark, but it was a darkness I decided I could keep.”

“We Shall Be Monsters,” by Alyssa Wees

I really liked this book. I loved the into the dark forest Grimm style fae story line. It was interesting that it spans over multiple generations of daughters in this family line, and they kept making the same mistakes despite the parents raising them each differently. Even though there was romance I wouldn’t say it was about the romance but about these women finding themselves and their relationships with their mothers. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Fae
-Witches
-Curses

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“How else to survive being surrounded by monsters than to become a monster yourself?”