This is another one of the books that I was really wanting to like. I fell in love with this cover the moment I saw it. 
From the excerpt I was expecting something creepy and maybe a little different. But it wasn't at all what I was expecting.
I didn't really get scared, I didn't even get a little creeped out.
I felt myself more bored than anything. 
When I say it wasn't what I was expecting it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. 



Good lord that cover is STUNNING. I wanted to read this book from the moment I saw it. 



I feel like the story itself could have been so much more. Like I said up above, I was expecting something creepy and scary and weird.
But it got TOO weird, and I felt like nothing really happened through the whole book. I ended up being bored the whole time and just wanting to hurry up and finish so I could move on.
If I'm being honest this book wasn't even very memorable. I read this quite a while ago, but I'm pretty I didn't even remember the book a few days after I read it.
The big surprises weren't at all surprising, there was no big twist or anything, it was all very predictable. 



So slow. So. Slow. This type of book that says it's supposed to be like Blair Witch should be a constant go go go and should have me on the edge of my seat, and instead I was bored. 




I felt like the author didn't really know anything about mental illnesses or anything of the sort because it all seemed incredibly fake and forced. I've never read anything else by this author, but if any of her others are like this I'm going have to have to take a hard pass. 

The MC is incredibly self absorbed. Her sister is missing but it's almost like she doesn't even care. And I understand that it can be exhausting having a sister like Deirdre. But still, it's your sister, have some compassion.
Then all the sudden she cares, but it all seems fake.
There was zero character growth like you'd hope for in a book like this. You would hope that she'd grow up and start caring but nope.
There was some good parts with a lot of description but for the most part this was another one of those that I couldn't at all picture what was happening in the book. 

Meh. It was okay. 

The narrator was great, she added a great voice to the book. 




“Monsters were way more interesting to Deirdre than animals, even talking ones.”
― Amelinda Bérubé, Here There Are Monsters

This is a dark and creepy read. too much for me. I think it was a good book for this genre, but considering I don't delve too much into this ... I can't say I enjoyed it. there were twists and it kept you on your toes. Not super predictable which is always a good thing. But again, a bit too creepy for me.

This book wasn’t for me, but that’s okay! It felt predictable and was boring, but it might appeal to others who like books on the scarier side! The characters weren’t enjoyable to read about, and they were hard to relate to, even if I go back to my 16-year-old self.

It hurts me to DNF this one because I was really excited about it, but I was so confused the whole time. Skye is a terrible character and I did not want to be in her head any longer.

So I was looking for a creepy, keep the lights on, make my skin crawl book. This is it... this book made me so uncomfortable and scared. Really well written and exactly what I was looking for.

This was described as Blair Witch meets Imaginary Girls (which I haven't read and have no opinion on), but I don't really see the connection with Blair Witch. The first 2 parts of the story skips around between memories and present day, jumping around with no rhyme or reason, but overall giving snippets of story to fill in the relationship dynamic between the two sisters. I will say that I was kinda confused if this was supposed to be a horror story or a mystery about a little girl who possibly has some sort of mental disorder. I did not even suspect anything possible horror/supernatural until at least half way through the story.

Is it weird that the third half of the story reminded me of the movie The Labyrinth? There were monsters that taunted and tormented, their voices whispered through the trees and even showed up in person, but they seemed more Jim Henson puppet-like (but with killer instincts and weapons) and at times almost friendly and helpful. But then there was the gore of dead bodies and death, as well as the threats and intentions which escalated this into something different. I am so confused how I feel about everything, part of me is super intrigued and the other portion is super confused as to what the story really was.

I can say with complete certainty that this book was not at all what I expected. While reading it I was filled with intrigue, weirdness, horror, wonder and confusion- and if that was what the author was striving for she was spot on. I also can say with certainty that I have no idea how I feel about the book, whether I liked it or not, but it would certainly be one to have a discussion about. I will say that the ending was terrible, nothing really resolved and I felt like I was left hanging, that I needed a solid conclusion after a journey like that. Read at your own peril and feel free to contact me to discuss!

Gorgeous cover. Total mess inside. Here There Are Monsters sounded like it would be right up my alley. A dangerous and unhealthy relationship between sisters, things that go bump in the night. That's all I knew about it beforehand, but what else do you need to hook me? It was so promising! Sadly, the pacing, unlikable characters, lackluster atmosphere e.t.c. meant that it was a letdown for me.

I'll be honest, I came for that amazing cover! But I stayed for the amazing story. I really loved how intense and crazy that plot was. I never knew what to expect next, but I was never bored. The narration was something that was a bit hard for me to get into and I sometimes felt like I wasn't understanding everything that was going on, but i overall really liked the characters. Not because of their personalities necessarily, but more because they felt interesting and I wanted to know what would happen next. The book has really great pacing and this is definitely not something I would read with the lights off.

Wow, what a story! The mystical magicism in this one was palpable, which is a testament to the author's talent with her craft. The story of two sisters, one who needs to save the other from a sinister fate, is compelling enough - but add in some magical witchiness & suspense, and I'm ALL ON BOARD! I've recommended this one to two other people since reading, and both also really loved it - and we all read totally different things, so that's saying something! Love, love, love!

I feel bad, because I honestly thought this book had so much promise and I would LOVE it. Unfortunately, the plot is kind of meh, the characters are kind of meh, and there isn't much development. I like the author's writing style though, and I do think looking at co-dependent siblings is really interesting. Unfortunately, this didn't end up being my cup of tea.

Feedback

I would like to say first, this was not a horror book. While the summary and the description really make it sound like one, it was not. This book would classify more as a suspense or thriller – not horror. Maybe it’s because I’m strict on what I define as a horror novel but I still did enjoy it. This book starts off pretty fast and doesn’t ever really slow down. I loved the atmosphere the setting provided and I felt the tension throughout the whole book. This was definitely a progression story with sometimes jumping into the past. Through the novel there was this huge secret Skye was carrying around which lead to a lot of the plot. I would say this book was a little predictable but it never made me shy away from continuing. While this book did receive a high rating from me, I would have liked a better ending. It just seemed anticlimactic from all the events that happened. It was definitely interesting, but I just wanted more. However, the novel overall was enjoyable and I liked the progression of everything.

Skye was a very interesting protagonist. Her story jumps from the past to the present which was crucial for the development of her and Deirdre’s relationship. It was interesting to see how and why it had changed, with the big reveal coming at the end. I honestly really liked Skye’s character. She was so unperfect and really well written. Her character and the development of how she got there was so intriguing and refreshingly real. While her actions definitely had some moral issues, I liked seeing that side  because she was forced to deal with the struggles of her actions. The way her friends reacted to everything also, made it that much better. One of the reasons I like YA fantasy but not much else from the YA group is because it never feels real to me. I know it’s based on my experience but sometimes it’s so hard to relate to the characters because I am older and I just think, is that how they really act now? Which makes it hard to relate. But each character, from Skye to her friends to her sister, were remarkably real. The actions they took and the way they reacted to certain issues made sense. They were reasonable and expected. This was the main point from me. I loved how the characters were written in this story and how they fit in.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé was a decent read. This was the first book to have ever made me do a quarter rating (4.75 but I rounded to 5) before because while I really did enjoy the read, there were just the tiniest issues I had from keeping it to a 5 star. The story was interesting and an easy pace to follow. While the plot kept climaxing, I felt the ending lacked the appropriate conclusion that the whole book led up to. Even though there were the smallest problems I had with the story itself, the characters were amazing. The development and connection to all of them was very well done. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a dark, twisted tale on friendship, family, and how far you would go to protect the ones you love.

It’s like goosebumps for the older generation. Monsters. Siblings. And things that scratch at the basement door. It was a slow burn but good.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

The cover is stunning! Who can resist it, combined with the catch line of this book? Unfortunately, that's where this stopped for me. Both Sisters are very...spoiled? Mean girls? I can't find the correct wording, but they seem to only care for themselves. I understand this is VERY common, as I have had a teenage daughter. I'll have to admit, I giggled when the Mom FINALLY snapped back. 
You would just think that the once Diedra goes missing. That her sister Skye would be more empathetic. To everyone involved! Here parents, the situation at all...NOPE. She wants to party, and hang out with the boyfriend. 
Maybe I'm just too old, or maybe I was duped by a beautiful cover, and a snazzy blurb.

Here There Are Monsters was the perfect dark and creepy read! I found myself a little lost at some times and confused, but the writing was very enjoyable to read and it kept me invested in the story until the end.

Over all this was an interesting, creepy, dark story. Throughout most of the book I enjoyed the plot, but it got confusing at the end, and the climax was slightly anti-climatic.

I did not complete this book. It lost my interest.

I did however, find that the author's writing was very intriguing, but the story itself did not hold my attention.

I very much liked this story, it was dark, creepy and perfect to read entering into the Halloween season. Although I love myself some good romance in a book, this didn't really have it, but still the plot line completely drew me in.
The main things I loved about this book was the main character, the creepy woods setting and how dark it was. I enjoy when book makes some darker turns and has the characters do things that a "good" character would not do, makes for a unique YA read. I also liked how strong the main character was and how flawed she was too.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and hope to find something equally creepy for my next read.

Really love the cover and like the synopsis. Maybe the reason I didn’t enjoy this book so much is because i’m too old to identify with the characters, but I found them kind of annoying and just couldn’t connect with any of them. I just found this book kind of boing, sadly.

There is a lot of questioning what is real and what is not while reading Here There Are Monsters. While I did enjoy it, it did leave me wondering if I had missed something at times.