Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I really loved this book. It follows the Turner family, beginning with the blossoming of a relationship between Margaret and horror fanatic Henry. When Henry decides he wants to build a haunted house, things begin to change for the family. This book does end up in a different place than it starts - at the beginning you think it's just going to be a character study of this family, but then things take a turn for the fantastical. I enjoyed both elements of the book, and I'll be haunted by the Turner family for awhile.

What a wonderfully weird story. Margaret in college has a boyfriend who is well off and parent approved but she chooses Harry. Their dates include seeing The Exorcist and going to a haunted house. They have a good life until Harry becomes obsessed with building a haunted house and acting very strange. The story is told by the youngest son who befriends a monster that has been following all of the family. It's a fantasy at times and a horror story at other times. "It's all there. You have to, he says. Have to what? Sydney says. It's seen us. It has our scent."

I found this book interesting though hard to finish, the story itself was engaging But i just could not get into the authors style of writing

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
I really loved this story. It was a different kind of horror than Gore and blood. It basically is about torment. Long, drawn out torment. I think the idea was very original and hope to read more by this author. I loved all the throwbacks to Lovecraft and old time monsters. I was really pleased with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of A Cosmology of Monsters.

I'm a big fan of horror movies and books so I was excited when my request was approved.

I'm still not sure how to review A Cosmology of Monsters even though I finished reading it a week ago.

On the one hand, the premise is unique; the Turner family is stalked throughout the years by a nefarious creature that all can see. Noah, the youngest, is the only one who interacts with this creature, with disastrous consequences.

There is great character development as we see the romance between husband, Harry and wife, Margaret develop. Perhaps there is a little too much exposition on this front.

Harry is a H.P. Lovecraft and pulp fiction connoisseur who develops an obsession to create a haunted house.

When a tragedy strikes the Turner family, his children and wife seek to fulfill their husband and father's wish.

As the narrator, Noah offers personal insight into each of his remaining relatives, their quirks, their personal hardships and how the creature or demon has a personal stake in the Turners.

This is more a tale about family, about the obstacles, pain and tragedy that affect all of us and in different ways and how we cope.

Now, on the other hand, I was looking for horror, blood and gore, but in some way, the horror lies in how the Turner family deals with the loss of their father, the dwindling of their finances, the loss of one sister, then both, and how Noah's 'friendship' with the creature will culminate in a decision that will ultimately change his life and those of the people he loves.

Noah is a decent character. I didn't like him, but I didn't hate him. He is a believable character who is just trying to understand what is happening with his family and learning about a father he never knew.

His relationship with the beast is icky and gross, in my opinion.

Generally, a beast is something the hero or heroine turns away from, not towards (unless he or she is trying to capture it alive) but I understand why the author chose to develop an intimate bond between Noah and this creature.

We all possess dark sides. What matters is how we use this part of ourselves.

Also, I wanted exposition on the demon and its culture.

Where did it come from originally?

How long have they been around?

What is the purpose of incorporating humans into their pack?

Was there something unique or special about the Turners that made the beast focus on them for decades?

I didn't like or dislike the demon, actually. It was just doing what it was born to do, like the alien in Alien. But I did want to learn more about it.

If you're looking for an untraditional story with horror elements about a tormented family, give A Cosmology of Monsters a try.

It is well written with decent characters and world building. I enjoyed the horror aspects of it but wanted more...well, horror.