Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

My only issue was that it took awhile for the pacing to go a little faster but the buildup was worth it. I like the dual POVs, I liked the mother daughter dynamic, I like how the author talked about the forgotten black girls and how we, as a society, tend to ignore them when they are missing or murdered. I liked how the author wove in the topics of abuse and trauma. I also loved the horror aspect, although it was more just creepy and the maggots gave me the ick. Wonderful book!

What I appreciate about the book, was that issues regarding missing black girls and mother-daughter relationships were addressed. What didn't work for me... what should have felt like horror with the haunted house, the dead people and maggots coming out of people's head.. didn't. I also felt that this book could have been 100 pages shorter. Overall, I liked this, just didn't love it.

I don't usually read horror but I decided to step out of my comfort zone with this ARC of Delicious Monsters. I must admit it started off slow and I almost didn't continue. Around the 45% mark I got sucked in and I couldn't put it down. The story is a dual POV narrative that follows the story of Daisy and this seemingly haunted house and present day Brittany who is trying unravel the house secrets and what happened to Daisy in said house. There's so many layers to this book. So much trauma and grief. I must mention *content warning* for child SA, some blood and gore and (spoiler alert) maggots. Oh my the maggots freaked me out no end!! Ick!

I did enjoy this story even the parts that freaked me out! I gave it a 4/5 ⭐ rating and I urge you to pick this up when it hits the shelves!

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This YA Paranormal Horror definitely took me by surprise! Not usually a fan of horror, I fell instantly into the plot that is so much more than just another ghost tale.

The dual storylines of Daisy and Brittany, two Black girls drawn together decades apart through a haunted mansion, complemented each other and wove a deep story of many different types of trauma and abuse. However, in my opinion, the story is about forgotten Black girls and allowing Black girls to come into their own in their own ways, including dealing with trauma however they best can.

I feel like Sambury did an excellent job at fusing a coming of age story with a horror story. We as readers mature with Daisy and cope with all that she discovers about herself and her history. Simultaneously, there are some truly gruesome scenes that both turned my stomach and kept me at the edge of my seat. And she achieved all this and kept it at the YA level. Props to her!

This book is full of trigger warnings and I would advise if you are weary of anything to look them up.

This was definitely a fun and wild read. It’s a long read but one with many layers and metaphors.

Special thanks to the author, publisher, & @hearourvoicestours for my advanced readers copy!!!!

This book was nothing short of amazing from start to finish. A suspense-filled, supernatural, mystery, fantasy, thriller all wrapped into one. The first few chapters take a few to build up the intensity. But once a chain of events occur the secrets start to unfold and you’re hooked.

We’re given a dual POV from two teens Daisy and Brittney across a 10 year timeline revolving around dark family secrets and a haunted mansion. The majority of the novel is told from Daisy’s POV which I think helped unravel the gist of the story. Brittney just helped bring out the truth. Her role wasn’t 100% needed but it fit well into the storyline.

Of course I loved the topic the author addressed about forgotten black girls. As mentioned in the book, “It’s subconscious. It’s natural for people to forget or ignore black girls. Effortless.” We still live in a society that doesn’t care about black women or girls. When we’re murdered or go missing the lack of care or thorough police investigations prove time and time again we only matter to our loved ones.

But in this story there’s a twist into who’s really forgotten and the real reason why. Peter wasn’t the only monster in this book they all were. Everybody that knew about her (don’t want to spoil it) and what really happened in that house. I get that everyone experienced some sort of trauma and had there reasons for not speaking up. But it was selfish of them all.

The house itself was never really the monster but the people, secrets, and memories held within it. The whole time I was reading the book I kept thinking, “If these walls could talk the secrets they’d tell.” The author brought that quote to life VIVIDLY. If it weren’t for Brittney’s determination to get justice and bring attention to the mansion her mother glorified so much. The truth would’ve still been a mystery.

I loved the message it’s sending that monsters are real and they look just like you and me. Sometimes the monster is a family member, friend, acquaintance, or a person without a conscience like Peter. I only said they were all monsters because of who they allowed themselves to become by withholding the truth. Was Daisy really any better than the rest? 10 years was a long time to keep a secret but it’s better late than never I guess.

Overall the book was AWESOME and I definitely recommend. The character development was superb. The supernatural paranormal vibes really brought the book to life.

An. atmospheric thriller with dual timelines and flashbacks, Delicious Monsters is a unique and fun novel !

In Delicious Monsters, we first meet Daisy who can actually see dead people. It's a hard ability to handle, but she manages and it can allow her to help those who have died to move on to the afterlife. She moves with her mom to the family mansion. Daisy begins to uncover some of the mysteries regarding her family as she does her best to make some friends. As we follow the story, we learn about a chaotic event that cause the house to become infamous.

Ten years later, Brittany is on the hunt for paranormal activity for her hit podcast. She is hot on the trail of what took place in the mansion and hopes to reveal 'secrets that she believe will also show her mother to be a charlatan. Between the dual timelines and the flashbacks the reader is sucked into a fantastic story with a reveal that you will never see coming. If you like thrillers, ghosts, and are a sucker for an atmospheric mansion, Delicious Monsters is for you! #Liselle Sambury
#SimonSchuster

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Delicious Monsters

Author: Liselle Sambury

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Canadian Black MC, Black characters, Black plus size MC, Black gay side character, Korean side character, Plus size side charcters, Sri Lankan Canadian lesbian side character, Sapphic relationship mentioned

Recommended For...: young adult readers, paranormal, ghosts, haunted houses, horror, thriller, mystery, supernatural

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Genre: YA Paranormal Horror

Age Relevance: 15+ (death, language, sexual content, racism, religious trauma, Christian religion, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child neglect, grief, underage alcohol consumption, blood gore, teen pregnancy, animal death and violence, body shaming, ghost possession, narcissistic abuse, suicide, grooming, violence)

Explanation of Above: There is death, blood gore/body horror, grief, and violence in this book. There is also animal death and violence to a goat detailed off-screen a couple of times in the book. There is some slight vague sexual content, some religious trauma, and a mention of Christianity. There are some slight showings and off-page mentions of child abuse, child sexual abuse, grooming, child neglect, and teen pregnancy. Narcissistic abuse including gaslighting, body shaming via fatphobia and skinny shaming, and ghost possession are also shown in the book. There is some cursing. There are a couple of instances of racism being mentioned. There is one scene of underage alcohol consumption. There are a handful of ghostly possession scenes. There is an off-page mention of suicide.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 512

Synopsis: Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.

Review: I loved this book so much! I loved all the gothic vibes to it and how it was told in a Duel POV, but separated by time and from kinda a documentary style look at it. The two stories, which are their own separate stories, intertwine to create a story kinda about intergenerational trauma. In both stories, the mother character is narcissistic, neglectful, and/or downright abusive. They parentify their daughters in an attempt for the daughters to take care of things for them (Daisy with her powers, Brittney with her stability). They discard their daughters for their own selfish whims, but, as shown with Grace, the mothers may be the villains but they can also be the victims. I felt that deep in my bones when reading this book. As someone who’s mother is narcissistic and has been on the receiving end of a lot of abuse, it’s been a long fight on my end to stop the abuse before I pass it to my children, but also a long fight on my mother’s end to correct the mistakes her mother made to her. Trauma can be inherited and this book does so well to symbolize that in so many different ways. The book is not only a deep metaphor for what we are handed at birth, but one about how ultimately we have the power in us to stop the abuse and become healthier individuals, whether that be through confrontation and cut off or through rebirth and redemption. The book is extremely well written and is one of Sambury’s best works to date. The characters are well developed and the world building is immaculate. The story is wonderfully well told and if you’re into stories about haunted houses ala Rose Madder, this may be the one for you.

The only issue I had with the book is that in the arc there are a couple of points where it’s not clear what happened or how certain characters got to conclusions, but I have no doubt that was all cleaned up in the finalized version.

Verdict: Highly recommend this for everyone who has generational trauma to process.

For most of this book I was set at a 3.5 star rating but that twist really gave it that extra star.

I really loved the concept or idea behind this story and I think it was delivered well. One issue I had from the very beginning was the fact that Daisy kept bringing up/thinking about her ex-boyfriend. I understand that it became an important plot device later on in the story but it didn't make it any less annoying to read.

Sambury did a great job writing the relationships in this story, whether it be the mother-daughter relationship between Daisy and her mother that Sambury kept in the grey area or the begrudging friendship (on Daisy's side) between Daisy and King.

From the synopsis I thought the perspective's would be split evenly between Daisy and Brittney. But this book felt more like Daisy's story with most of the book being in her P.O.V. While I don't count that as something negative about this book, I do wish we got more of Brittney's story.

Another small issue I had was the timeline of the book. Daisy and Brittney's perspectives were supposed to be a decade apart but it didn't really feel like it. As Daisy's time seems to be current day and there are no advancements in Brittney's time.

I really did enjoy this book and do recommend it to other readers

Such an amazing book!!!!

You've got a haunted house, dual POV, secrets, creepy, a girl that sees dead people, and has a mysterious element to it...plus the cover is gorgeous.

This is a YA horror is about Brittany trying to uncover the truth of what happened to Daisy 10 years ago. The book is mostly told by Daisy's POV.

Check CW before reading this.

I did not expect this YA horror book will leave me emotional. I finished it up during a ride and if it wasn't because of my family in there, I might bawl my eyes out.

This book follows two main characters from two different timelines that are somehow interconnected. First is Daisy, a girl who can see ghosts and whose mother inherits a mansion from her estranged brother-in-law that she turned into an Airbnb. Second is Brittney, who has a famous web series Haunted, she and her friend went to the mansion to uncover what happened to a young Black girl there ten years prior. Both timelines propel the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.

This book is creepy and atmospheric but not that scary. The real scary part of this book for me is about childhood trauma, dark pasts, sinister secrets, and toxic parents. All of them mixing with supernatural elements are just perfect! This book has depth!!!

It's a thick book with slow to medium paced for my liking but it is worth every second! I totally recommend this whether you like horror or not.

TW: grooming, racism, gaslighting, parental neglect, child abuse, fatphobia, body horror, death.

I don’t typically do “creepy” books, but this was fun and exciting. I loved the haunted house and all the characters. This book deals with several types of trauma, which is something to be wary of… the topics are deep, but Sambury does a great job at covering the subjects.

This isn’t the fastest-paced book you’ll ever read, but it was definitely worth it. With dual povs, you’re never left wondering what is going on.

This story will have your emotions running the gambit. I was creeped out (only a little), sad, I laughed, I was angry. But the one thing that was constant was my anticipation of what was coming next. I hope this becomes a movie or a series. I would be so excited to see that.

So happy to be a part of the @hearourvoicestours for DELICIOUS MONSTERS by Liselle Sambury!

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I'm honestly not a huge fan of horror in books but when this hit my inbox, I decided to give it a try and I am so, so glad I did! This book follows two dual narratives, Brittney in the present, and Daisy in the past, with Daisy, ten years in the past living in a world full of dead people only she can seemingly see, and Brittney in the present trying to uncover the story of a lost, forgotten Black girl.

🌸

The horror elements were done so perfectly, when I tell you my skin was literally crawling! I loved all the characters; yes, even Grace and Dione with their terrible decisions and flawed ways of thinking. More messy, imperfect Black women in fiction, please!

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The story, to me, heavily focused on themes of friendship and family and especially generational trauma. But despite how anxious this read made me, ngl, I shed a tear when I read the last line, and inhaled such a huge sigh of relief at that lovely, (imo) perfect ending.

🌸

If you love horror and mystery with a hint of fantasy/the occult, then this book is definitely for you! Thank you to HOV and the publisher for the ARC; this is no way affects my review 😊

Thank you to Netgalley, Hear Our Voices Tour, the author and publisher for an arc of this book.

Please check trigger warnings listed below and at the beginning of the book before starting.

This YA psychological thriller/horror novel is set in Canada and told through dual POVs. First we meet Daisy, a young black girl who can see ghosts and whose mother just wants her to live a normal teenage life. Daisy’s mother has led her to believe that their lives will change for the better when the get finally get “the house.” But after they get the house will things truly work out in their favor or will they get worst?

In the second POV, it’s 10 years later and we meet Brittany who has her own connection to “the house” Can Brittany use her journalistic skills to finally find out the truth of what happened to the forgotten Black girl in the infamous house?

Both girls have a very difficult relationship with their mothers which steam from the mother’s own trauma that they haven’t dealt with. Both girls are trying their hardest to break free of the hold they their mother has on them. These relationships are tested throughout the book. Delicious Monsters is beautifully written and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Firstly, this cover!!! Beautifully haunting.

This book gripped me because it gives dual dialogue at different times but the author did a beautiful job with keeping it as one story.

A mystery, with a dash of thrill and horror while telling a very important story. One where Black girls matter.

This story follows Daisy, a teenaged girl who can see dead people and Brittney who hates her mom but is doing her best to be her own person. You get bits and pieces of Brittney’s story but the main character is Daisy. There were times that she got on my last nerve but her actions were something she needed to do. When things hit the fan and you figured out what was going on another curve ball was thrown and the story got even better!

Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

“𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘦? 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴.”

Delicious Monster by Liselle Sambury
Genre: YA Psychological Thriller
Pages Count: 391
Pub Date: February, 28 2023

Ever wondered what being able to see the dead would feel like? Then you must pick this book as your next read. This book is a masterpiece of art. The story is thrilling, and it keeps going on through the pages, and the way it was told wasn't confusing at all. The last half of the book did grip me so that I couldn't put the book down. The world-building had creeped me out and given me goosebumps most of the time! But I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to more books by this author. 
This book reminded me of a book called "House of Yesterday" by Deeba Zargapur, which has the same thing about a house that brings family memories; it also reminded me of Wednesday with spooky and Gothic vibes. 
And I'm sure lots of people like that movie, so you know what to do next.
I'm grateful for this opportunity to read this amazing work of art, which leads me to want to thank the author, netgalley, and hear our voices book tour for approving this book.

Delicious Monsters is a well-crafted paranormal thriller that will hold you down in your seat until you finish the last page. With dual timelines and point of views, I found myself equally intrigued by the two main characters – Daisy and Brittney. This thriller/horror novel is about surviving abuse, finding truth and gaining a sense of control over one’s life. I felt that this was a medium-paced book, but so intense at parts that you appreciate the attention to the character’s stories as opposed to a sprint through multiple plot lines. At 500 + pages, it’s definitely a thicky thick book. But there was never a time I didn’t feel pulled along wanting to know more.

Horror Fans
Since it’s included in the trigger warnings it can’t be a spoiler to say…the goat don’t make it folks. If you like horror reads, you should definitely check out Delicious Monsters. If you have a weak stomach, all I’m going to say is there are a few parts where you won’t want to be snacking while reading.

Dual POV/Timelines
I thought the dual timelines were well done. Daisy’s story had layers on layers of horrifying discoveries as the plot moved forward. She can see dead people and if she isn’t careful they can hurt her. Her story begins 10 years in the past when the novel begins. It’s her experiences at her Uncle’s mansion, which is absolutely haunted, that catapult Brittney’s story into existence. Brittney and her best friend Jayden produce a web series called, Haunted. They are seeking the truth about what happened to a young Black girl (Daisy) ten years ago in the mansion. The same mansion now known as the “Miracle Mansion” courtesy of Brittany’s mother’s bestselling book. Each time the POV switches the reader gets several new pieces to the puzzle of what actually happened to Daisy 10 years ago.

Maturity
For educators looking for book recommendations for kids who like horror and thrillers. This is a good bet. But because of some of the topics covered, I would definitely recommend it for older readers. Kids should review the author’s content warnings before reading. The situation between Daisy and her ex-boyfriend is definitely an opportunity to discuss consent when it comes to sexual interactions in a romantic relationship. This book will also be triggering for some because of the sexual, physical and emotional abuse discussed and experienced by some of the characters.

This book was a little slower than I wanted for the first half but it was absolutely worth it. Beautiful story that is so much more than a haunted house book

"The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

Daisy sees dead people - something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she's completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother's secrets, nor what lurks within these walls...

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at "Miracle Mansion" allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that's nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother's lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she'll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most - Daisy's or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy's story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight."

Dual timelines? Ghosts? Hauntings? Yes!

I finished this book earlier and I just had to let it sit for a bit to gather my thoughts. This book, has so much to unpack. The author does a wonderful job of describing the surroundings painting a vivid picture of what’s around. The writing that shows the emotions and thoughts the main characters were great.

The story follows Daisy and Brittney as they navigate past trauma and how to move forward. We mainly get Daisy’s story. As the story continues the layers are peeled and we get nuggets of what she has had to endure with her past boyfriend and her mother. The inherited haunted house was great. I feel like this is where the story really picked up pace for me. Before I knew it was an absolute page turner. I didn’t expect the twists and turns but I absolutely loved it.
I loved the paranormal elements to the story and that really intrigued me. I loved King and would love to see him again. The birds were the perfect spooky addition to this book. You’ll find out soon enough.

I recommend this book to mature teen and adult readers due to the topics that are broached in the book. Check out the TW. It’s definitely a book that is worth reading, especially if you’re looking for a BIPOC.

Special thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the arc.

Pub: Feb 27, 2023

Freakishly, hauntingly, disgustingly, 𝐷𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦, Good! I loved it!!! It was a little slow in the beginning, but as it picked up, It was just what I needed. I was a little bit scared, and I was creeped out! We're talking ghosts and nasty skin-crawling bug encounters!

Delicious Monsters was told from two POVs, past Daisy and Present Brittany. The common denominator is a haunted mansion. Daisy can see dead people. They appear when no one else can see them. Brittany has a haunted web series with her friend Jayden and decides to go to the mansion to find out about the girl who died there years ago and what happened in the mansion. What she has in common with the mansion and Daisy is that her mom had a claim to fame claiming the house changed her. Brittany's mom was neglectful and abusive, but Daisy has some similar mother issues herself.

If you want a great "haunted mansion" story with a great plot. This is the one! Be prepared. I'm not one to easily feel a spook, but I can say this one spooked me a little, but it did creep me out a lot. Goosebumps and all! For this one, I will need a physical copy and a re-read for the spooky month of October!

This was my first book from this author and now yet another I must backtrack and read her previous books!