I received a Netgalley ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

Pam Kowalski is a Monster is a story about repressed memories, long-held grudges, and quite possibly the end of the world. It's told my an unreliable and often unpleasant narrator. In the end, it was truly moving.

I was interested in reading this title, because I've traditionally thought of Sarah Langan as a reliable author for thoughtful angsty horror. This is a novella.

For a while it felt like killer fungi was the go-to in horror. I also had a streak where I kept picking up books with dying parents with cognitive decline. Lately, for reasons that aren't hard to discern, books have been more hopeless and apocalyptic, with characters who know it's all over soon but who still have to make dinner tonight.

Janet was once all "bright-eyed and busy-tailed" as my grandmother would have said, and then life and deep traumas happened. When we meet her she is a disillusioned and rather selfish adult who works at a warehouse and still clings to the remnants of a failed journalism career.

She sees a clip of a very successful psychic and for the first time recognizes her as a girl she knew growing up who she blames for ruining her deliberately ruining her opportunity to get into Northwestern and who did something -- an unnamed something -- very cruel and humiliating to her, which Janet can't quite remember.

Pam, the psychic, has a big event on the horizon -- who have no idea! -- and Janet figures this is her opportunity to write a hit piece to even the score.

It's obvious in a couple pages Janet doesn't remember why she is so angry and that she likes no one and no one likes her. The story is a largely a filling in of the blanks for Janet, and for the readers, and as the story is brought into focus both Janet and the reader must reevaluate.

I found myself liking Janet more as I got a fuller understanding. She really had been though a lot of trauma, just not quite what she portrays. Also, the world aint doing so hot and the spiritual world seems to be gunning for her.

Some of the story felt familiar, if no less creepy, since I have been reading tonally and thematically similar stories, as I've mentioned, where things get increasingly bizarre, with increased death and deterioration, and the temporary survivors quieting take the new normal in stride.

Relatable.

Along with those every day horrors, the story is steadily creepy and occasionally horrific, with more than 1 gruesome act of self-annihilation. The ending felt poignant and, in a strange way, triumphant.

Pam Kowalski is a Monster was a rewarding read for me, and it amazes me that Sarah Langan isn't a bigger name since she is never let me down.

Pam Kowolski is a Monster! by Sarah Langan was a wild, unsettling ride that had me questioning reality right alongside the characters. The story follows Janet, a struggling journalist who decides to investigate her old high school rival, Pam Kowolski. Pam isn’t just any former classmate—she’s now a famous online psychic making a fortune by predicting apocalyptic events. What starts as a simple attempt to expose Pam’s act quickly turns into something much darker, as Janet digs into their shared past and uncovers truths that are far more disturbing than she ever expected.

From the beginning, I was hooked by the eerie, almost dreamlike quality of Langan’s writing. She does a fantastic job weaving together psychological tension with emotional depth, making Janet’s journey feel both personal and terrifying. The pacing was perfect—each revelation came at just the right moment to keep me guessing, while the mix of mystery and dark humor kept the story from feeling too heavy.

What really stood out to me was the way Langan explored memory and how it can be warped by trauma. Janet’s perspective felt raw and real, especially as she grappled with her own doubts and the weight of her past. The story’s blend of psychological horror and strange, almost cosmic elements added an extra layer of unease that lingered long after I finished reading.

Overall, Pam Kowolski is a Monster! was a unique and gripping read that kept me thinking even after I turned the last page. If you enjoy psychological horror with complex characters and a touch of the surreal, this is definitely worth picking up.

From the very first page, Pam Kowolski Is a Monster! hauled me in...every creepy moment. Sarah Langan’s writing is perfect. The style is sharp, engaging, and absolutely addictive.

I loved this book. It felt so fresh and unique, and even though the main character is objectively awful, I couldn’t get enough of her. Being inside her head was a wild, fascinating ride. It’s eerie, suspenseful, and unsettling in a way that feels now.

The pacing is spot on, keeping me hooked the entire time. It perfectly blends mystery, dark humour, and unexpected emotional depth.

If you love unsettling and thought-provoking books, this is a must-read.

Oof! Loved the synopsis, but could absolutely not engage with the material.
I found the beginning very drawn out, with a detestable narrator that I kept wanting to shout at. This ruined the reading experience for me, and I kept forcing myself to finish this story despite it not being that long.

The author is a fantastic writer, but this book and I just didn’t get along.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and RDS Publishing for a copy!

oh, how I adore weird, genre-bending, fever dream books that randomly drop gut wrenching lines whiplashing you into the pangs of living and how all humans are such intricate, complicated beings, so maybe we should be a little bit nicer to each other, yeah? This was an interesting take on how trauma paints our versions of reality, I just wish it was a bit weirder and the build up lasted longer

The cover, title and blurb all drew me into this book, and I’m so glad it did not disappoint.

Janet is an unlikeable yet relatable main character who is angry about her own unfulfilled potential while holding onto jealousy about an old school friend. The representation of competition amongst female friends and jealousy was reminiscent of Yellowface in the beginning but ended up going down a much weirder and more surreal path.

Janet is a somewhat unreliable narrator, thanks mainly to her lack of memory from her childhood and her tendency to assume other people’s feelings or motives. It’s not always clear if this is down to her own psychic ability or if she is projecting her hatred for herself onto others and the world.

The fast pace, constant questions and unknown blanks in her memory kept me guessing throughout and the build up to a big reveal in an unravelling world kept me hooked.

I couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed at the ending. While I don’t think we needed to be given all the answers it did feel a bit rushed and I would have loved for this to be a longer book so this could have been executed better, also could have explored some of the other characters and fleshed out some other areas of the story.

All in all I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick read, that is as unhinged as it is dark. Will be looking out for more from this author in the future.

3.5☆ Fast-paced and cinematic novella! I could see this working incredibly well as a film, but it falls a bit short for me as a novella. I love the author's style, and I really appreciate the world she has built here. However, this novella feels overstuffed and unmanageable. We don't spend a lot of time on most of the events that occur in it. Additionally, the end was abrupt and incredibly anticlimactic. While I am excited to read more from this author, this piece didn't quite work for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC

This fast-paced horror/revenge novella is a story of Janet, whose life didn't turn out how she imagined, and she places the blame squarely on high school classmate Pam Kowolski. As Janet seeks her revenge 20 years later, she delves deep into her memories to remember what exactly happened back then while strange events begin to happen to everyone around her. Weird and unhinged, but quick and grossly fascinating.

Janet Chow blames Pam Kowolski for an incident in high school which propelled her life toward a dead end job and an unfulfilled life. When she learns Pam is living large as a psychic with a huge following, Janet decides to bring her down with the power of the pen. But the evidence shows that Pam might have some real powers and the Big Reveal pay-per-view event might just put the world in peril.

Janet’s character arc is brilliantly constructed and her revenge plans act as the perfect catalyst for her to unpack her past and lean into her journalistic dreams. She begins the story with a mindless job as an order picker at an Amazon-like company and wishing her aging punk rock roommate dead. Picking at the past, however, gives her insight and drives her to face it, and Pam, head on.

Langan paints a bleak future with its AI influence and society’s self destruction, which makes the perfect landscape for the story. Not only does Langan make Janet and Pam complex, the secondary characters such as Janet’s roommate, stepmother, and former teachers are beautifully constructed. The chapter titles are super fun, especially the fitting final one “The Monster at the End of the Story.” The horror elements are strong and so is the story’s heart.

I highly recommend this lean, mean, and darkly hilarious horror novella.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First time reading this author and was not disappointed. The book is a fast-paced novella with an interesting story. There are moments of humor that break up the dark theme present in the book. The writing is engaging and keeps the pages turning.

The story is told by an FMC who is struggling to figure things out with her life. She struggles with self-confidence, jealousy, and memories buried deep. The horror aspect of the story builds slowly, providing the reader with answers to the FMC's struggles.

Highly recommended for a quick read. Looking forward to checking out other works by Sarah Langan.

The cover? Love it. The blurb? Intriguing. The fact that the characters attended my dad’s alma mater? Strange, but it won me over for some reason. I had to read it.

This novella was short but it packed a punch. It kept me guessing throughout, but at the end I was left with some unanswered questions. A bit longer and I think the ending would’ve felt less abrupt and some loose ends would’ve been tied up.

Thanks to NetGalley & RDS Publishing for the ARC!

I think this book started out kind of strong, but by the end it lost the plot. I got sorta lost with Janet's memory issues vis a vis Pam, and a lot of the things I wanted explained, weren't. It also ended very abruptly which I didn't like. It feels like the author wanted to pack in SO MUCH information, but only had 100 pages to do it for some reason. I think it might've been a better book if it was longer, and things were actually explained and fleshed out. Hopefully this book will be someone else's cup of tea, but it wasn't mine.

Thank you to Sarah Langan, RDS Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!

The cover art drew me in and the story kept me there! I really enjoy Pam Kowolski is a Monster! It was a short and suspenseful read. I was left with questions and wanting more! I really enjoyed that characters and the pacing of the story!

What a fun book this was!

It's mysterious, has some dark humor, and has a surprising amount of heart (and heartbreak).

I loved our characters and found myself very intrigued by whether or not Pam was legit - I'll leave you to discover that on your own.

A unique, fast read that I loved!

Sarah Langan's short novel -- Pam Kowolski is a Monster! -- is what someone would expect to find if they were plopped down in a horror movie, and discovered the events were all true, all real, happening to them and not just something they could distance themselves from by getting up and exiting the theater or turning off the television as if this was a Saturday morning matinee.

And that surreal feeling grows throughout the pages as Janet Chow examines her life and her rivalry with the tele-psychic Madam Pamela, her former high school friend and nemesis, Pam Kowolski.

Every book I've read by Langan covers new ground; the stories don't repeat, except they all unsettle -- and the feeling is good.

This novella is incredible. What starts as a petty high school grievance becomes a hugely emotional, poignant, and insanely horrifying and even funny journey to truth. The way Langan sends up the whole TV medium while also not doing a single thing in a disrespectful or predictable way is incredible and so impressive. This book is incredible and fun and scary and a must read!

thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

not really sure what to make of this one. I think it had quite a few really poignant moments and interesting turns. but it's also so off the wall in a way that didn't work for me, and there's ultimately no conclusion to... anything? I don't mind stuff being left up to your imagination, obviously, but it all just kinda ends.

there's a Les Mis shoutout though!

Pam Kowolski Is a Monster starts out feeling like a slightly unhinged revenge story and slowly morphs into something much weirder. Janet Chow, once a high school overachiever, is now a washed-up journalist with nothing to her name but a pile of ignored emails and a grudge that just won’t die. Pam Kowolski.

Back in the day, Pam was a nobody. Now, she’s famous, rich, and recognized as a psychic guru who predicts the end of the world. Janet is bitter, broke, and not above a little righteous takedown. She’s sure it has to be a scam. So she sets out to expose Pam. The more she digs, the stranger things get. The past isn’t adding up the way she remembers, and Pam’s doomsday visions start to feel unsettlingly accurate.

This book is fast, sharp, and funny. At just 120 pages, it’s worth a try.

Read several Sarah Langan's novels years ago, but haven't lately. After reading this, I'm not sure why. This novel was great. Wasn't what I usually read, but definitely kept my attention, wanting to know what happens next. Will definitely be trying to find what I've missed of her, and waiting for future novels. #PamKowolskiisaMonster #NetGalley

If there was a Big Reveal in my life, it would be an anticlimactic letdown because I exist on microcosmic scales. But I’m good with that, even if it means I’ll never be a world famous psychic, who may or may not be bringing upon the apocalypse on camera.

This book was a zippy, mind-melting jaunt. It left me feeling off consistently kilter with its surrealist quality, but never in a way that was unpalatable. I was captivated by its thrust, and I needed to know what the ending had in store. Although, that ending is where I think the story falls down. I didn’t enjoy its abruptness. I’m all for filling in some blanks, but there needs to be some surrounding material for there to be some blanks that need filling. This was really a non-ending for me, and it just didn’t work. I could have used another 30 pages to bring this story to a close.