Unfortunately, due to grad school finals, I was unable to read this title before the publication date. I look forward to reading it in the near future.

What a roller coaster of a book! This book constantly surprised me. As soon as I thought I had something figured out, something came out of nowhere and blew me away. With a diverse and complex set of characters, a well developed setting, and a plot that kept me guessing, I know I can't wait to add this one to my collection and I know teens will be eager to eat it up.

Rylie and her family are moving back to Twentynine Palms, a military base in the Mojave Desert shortly after the death of her grandfather and her father. She is skeptical about returning, but excited to see her dear friends Nathan and Lilly again after several years. Once she arrives in Twentynine Palms, however, things start to confuse and frighten Rylie when she starts having visions of things that aren't there and she goes through chunks of time she can't remember. Her friend, Lilly, has been missing for a year, and Rylie finds some disturbing things in her grandfather's basement. Rylie begins to piece together the truth, and as she starts to remember things, she is faced with a truth that cannot possibly be real. Because if it's real, what is really going on in Twentynine Palms, and what part does Rylie have to play in this reality?

This will be a great book for fans of Stranger Things, mystery fans, and lovers of thrillers. I know several teens and adults who will love it.

Desperate to find her missing best friend, a teen uncovers dark, impossible secrets in her desert hometown and begins to fear that the gaps in her memory might be connected to a string of murders.

Sitting squarely at the intersection of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and thriller, this suspenseful, chilling novel will delight fans of STRANGER THINGS. The unrelenting pacing and unreliable narrator make it difficult to put down, and although I noticed a few I consistencies in the sci-fi, it didn't really bother me because of the fantasy/horror vibe. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of the speculative genres and I'd put it on any STRANGER THINGS read-alike list!

A riveting and fascinating thriller/mystery for fans of Stranger Things, Veronica Mars, and maybe X-Files? Rylie feels so real, reacting to the bizarre and tense situations in a way that feels authentic to an adventurous but cautious teen. Kai and Ben are a great balance of normal people but with just enough to make them suspicious, haha. And Nathan had me wary the whole time.

Greatly looking forward to finishing this book via hardcopy.

Visit 𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙿𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚜 if you love:

•Page-turning YA Mysteries
•Atmospheric desert settings
•Creatures that go bump in the night
•all the Stranger Things

Twentynine Palms is stranger than Rylie remembers. She hasn’t been back since her father died. Her childhood friend, along with others, have been vanishing in the Mojave Desert. A killer is on the loose. And there are creatures that lurk in the darkness. Now she lives in the house her family inherited from her grandfather, and he has left some pretty shocking secrets of his own.

No Beauties or Monsters is the sophomore release by author Tara Goedjen. The Mojave Desert makes for a beautifully mysterious atmospheric setting, as Rylie, a climber, fangirls over the terrain during the day. It’s also the perfect setting for the mysterious creatures that stalk about at night. Rylie, her family, and friends all seemed typical of the YA genre- a free-ranging cadre of teens with absent adults. The plot is imaginative and twisty. The type of book that will keep you guessing until the end. It’s the perfect weekend binge read! Let’s also take a moment to gaze upon that gorgeous cover, which I admit was what led me to request this to read.

Be sure to add No Beauties or Monsters to your TBR today. I highly recommend!

Thank you to @randomhousechildrens, @delacortepress, and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Most everyone enjoys a good mystery, and to me, if it’s YA it is even better. Something about young adults taking on the worst the world has to offer just brings me comfort, I guess. If they can handle it, I can handle whatever life throws at me, right? So, I was pretty excited to start reading this book about vanquishing monsters…real or not so real.

Rylie is a girl who has everyday problems, but also bigger life issues to contend with. A little brother who is quirky and also happens to be blind. A stepfather and stepbrother who she is still trying to get acquainted with. And now her mom has a new work assignment and the family is moving back to her hometown, a place that holds memories she doesn’t want to revisit quite yet or maybe never. Yet, from the beginning of the book I could tell that Rylie was giving her all as far as a good attitude goes, mostly to keep her little brother Owen from feeling too upset with all of the changes going on around him but also to keep her own qualms in check.

From our perspective as readers, the desert town of Twentynine Palms doesn’t seem so bad at the beginning. And maybe it’s not the town itself that has changed, but Rylie feels like something is off since the last time she was there and unfortunately, she begins to get glimpses of something that she’s certain is all in her head because it’s too terrifying to be real. As things begin to fall into (or out of) place, Rylie begins to question her perception of reality and as a reader, I’ll admit that I did a few double takes as well.

No Beauties or Monsters is a creepy read that is reminiscent of several other books I have read and enjoyed recently, with a few unique themes thrown in. If you loved Dark and Shallow Lies, then I would recommend you get your hands on this book ASAP!

Review of an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher

I was intrigued by this book from the start. A mystery about a girl whose family secrets are as threatening as the desert that surrounds her—but whose quest to expose the truth may tear apart reality itself. At first, it’s impossible to know what, exactly, is going on. That mystery kept me turning pages quickly, desperate to figure it all out. So many twists and turns and the plot is always keeping you on your toes and guessing. I definitely recommend checking this one out! Fantastic read!

Twisty, brilliant, and oh so original! No Beauties or Monsters absolutely simmered with tension. The haunting desert atmosphere and fantastically flawed characters only added to the already propulsive plot. Really, I could not flip the pages fast enough to unravel Rylie’s tangled mystery. I loved this book!

If you are a fan of Stranger Things you need to read this book. I had no idea where this book was going the whole time I was reading it but I could not put it down. Amazing.

I don't understand what happened with this book. Like what was the point? The whole time I was reading it, it was like being in a fog. There's this mystery that noone is talking about, but it feels like everyone knows about, and actually know what is happening, but NOONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. Like what?

I thought maybe in the end it would be about grief, and dealing with that, but it really wasn't. Yes it is there, but it felt so small compared to the rest of the plot.

What I did like was the actual idea for sci-fi, I just felt it could have been executed better. Yes, I finished the book to find out the mystery, but by the end it was just me confirming what the idea was, and nothing shocking. All that walking in a fog, with a memory loss, when everyone around you already knows what the mystery is, for nothing.

This was a decent novel if you are looking for YA Science Fiction. The story is about Rylie and her who moves back to the town, Twentynine Palms, where her father died. Once she's back she finds out that one of her best friends has also mysteriously disappeared. Not only is her friends missing, but something is wrong with Rylie. On top of that a serial killer is striking fear into the hearts of the residents of Twentynine Palms. All of this sets in motion a chain of events that will change Rylie and her loved ones forever.

This was OK. I'm not a huge fan of YA but it usually is not that good. Unfortunately, this book falls right into that category. The author uses the unreliable narrator trope as a way to make the events more mysterious and spooky which is frankly annoying. .Trying to figure out what was real and what was not become tedious after a while.
Not to mention there were so many characters I felt like I needed a chart to keep track of them. Overall, this did not do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tara Goedjen for the opportunity to read an early copy of this. I loved it. The setting and atmosphere are well written: think beautiful desert landscape teaming with Stranger Things spooky vibes and creatures. The plot is definitely mind-bending as the reader follows Rylie’s investigation of creepy happenings in her new hometown. Also, I am a military family member and I loved the depiction of military family life throughout the story. I don’t see that too often in books and I appreciated it. Highly recommend!

While I did mostly like and enjoyed this book, I didn’t find it to be the gripping, page turning thriller that I was hoping it would be. I mostly struggled with the characters and not finding any of them particularly noteworthy. The ending was also a bit of let down for me as there were lots of plot threads that were left vague and unresolved.

Rylie is the only narrator, and for the most part I found her to be a lost and confused person. She just didn’t strike me as being very reliable either. Some of this may have been intentional, as she was struggling with memory loss and grief for her father. But I also just never felt a connection to her either.

There were so many secondary characters as well. So many that I struggled at times to keep them straight. Rylie had many friends, but there were also all of the missing to keep track of and some of the quirky characters she met in her hunt for clues. I did like Kai, her step brother and her little brother Owen. There is also Nathan, a childhood friend who is now a love interest. The whole romance aspect of the story seemed unneccessary and just wasn’t fully developed enough to make me care. I did like Nathan though.

The setting and the world building were nicely done. I have spent some time in Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms and remember it being much as the author describes it. The otherworldly feel to the desert was spot on, especially the scenes that took place at night.

The plot just never quite took off for me. I spent most of the book expecting something supernatural to happen, but then was hit with a science fiction explanation. Which in retrospect actually made more sense than what I was thinking. For me, the story actually was kind of slow and plodding and then there was a total rush at the end to explain it all and resolve the missing persons issue. The ending was also a little unsatisfactory to me as there seemed to be many plot points that were not fully resolved.

Many reviewers seemed to really enjoy this one, so don’t discount it just on my opinion. I can see why so many people did enjoy it, but it ultimately just didn’t work for me.

This book was so intense. There was a killer on the loose and memory lapses. Everyone seemed suspect as Rylie returned to the desert with her family. She hadn't been there since her Dad died. I enjoyed this fast paced mystery which also was a sci-fi. There was more going on out there than meets the eye!
Makes me want to go to Joshua Tree. 😉 
Also this cover is gorgeous. I just love purple covers if you can't tell from the picture! 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you net galley and delacorte press for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

"No Beauties or Monsters" is a YA science fiction thriller that hinges on missing memories and an unreliable narrator. Rylie moves back to a military base in the desert with her family, and is disheartened to learn that an old friend of hers has been missing, and a serial killer is out on the loose. Rylie's determination to find out what happened to her friend drives the narrative, which owes a lot to spooky desert vistas and shows like "Stranger Things" as she starts to hallucinate and lose chunks of time.

I was really excited to read this one, but I found it very difficult to follow because of the sheer number of characters. There were so many! While I appreciate that Rylie had multiple friends, I had to frequently turn back to their introductions to reference who was who and who knew who. Add in all the dangling threads (because of course Rylie's investigation turns up even more characters) and Rylie's own hallucinations as to what's real and what's not, and I was struggling through this one. I think if I read this one a second time I'd do much better with it, but for a first pass it wasn't easy.

Other reviewers have mentioned this book's killer twists, and I do agree - the ending is a lot of fun - but by the time I got there, I was exhausted from trying to keep up with the breakneck pace and all the plot threads. I think a tighter edit on this one might have saved it for me - in particular the love story is underbaked and unnecessary - but as it is, I'd recommend this to people interested in conspiracies and a protagonist slowly losing her mind.

No Beauties or Monsters is an eerie and fantastical speculative fiction set in a strange and forgetful desert. Goedjen's characters leap off the page and pull the reader into the mystery of a missing sister, a grandfather's basement, the strange coyotes that haunt the residents. Beautiful and monstrous, this story is something to remember!

I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of No Beauties or Monsters from NetGalley. I loved it! With so many unique twists and turns in an intriguing desert setting, it kept my interest from start to finish. The family dynamics and friendship connections were also a highlight. As a former teacher, I would definitely recommend this book to students 12+ who enjoy mysteries with a hint of the supernatural, but it would also appeal to adults who like reading YA. I highly recommend!

Rylie hasn’t been back to Twentynine Palms since her dad died. She left a lot of memories out there, about her dad, her old friends Nathan and Lily, and most of all, her enigmatic grandfather, a man who cut ties with Rylie’s family before he passed away. But her mom’s new work assignment means their family has to move, and now Rylie’s in the one place she never wanted to return to, living in the house of a grandfather she barely knew.

A shocking news makes it way to Rylie the moment she touch ground in the desert. Lily is gone, vanished into the desert. There are whispers around town of a mysterious killer on the loose, but it isn’t just Twentynine Palms that feels off—there’s something wrong with Rylie, too. She’s seeing things she can’t explain and started to lose track of time as well as not be able to remember the things she did in a space of time.
Rylie wants the truth, but she doesn’t know if she can trust herself. Are the monsters in her head really out there? Or could it be that the deadliest thing in the desert . . . is Rylie herself?

First of all, I wanted to appreciate how gorgeous this cover is!!
This book is a good combination of mystery and sci-fi. It has an interesting concept, great world building and a plot that will keep you guessing right from the start until the end.

The mystery of the missing people in town and unreliable characters especially the narrator whose also the main character of the story, Rylie makes me feel so confused in the first half of the story.
There will be a lot of questions as the story goes so you'll have to be very patient when you read this one.

Just like Rylie, I'm having difficulties trying to differentiate what's real and what's not in this story. I gave up trying to guess what really happen with those missing people. Eventually, I just enjoy the ride with this book until I find the answers near the ending.

The ending is good and I'm quite satisfied with it because it provided answers from the questions I have since the beginning rather than more questions. Although, I do hope there's more to it (maybe a sequel ?!).

Overall, I have a good time reading this one and it was enjoyable for me.
For those of you who enjoy reading science-fiction and mystery thriller then this book might be for you!
I'm looking forward to other books from this author!

<b>Actual rating: 3.5⭐</b>

<b>Thank you to Netgalley, Tara Goedjen, Delacorte Press for giving me this digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!</b>

Note: Review on my bookstagram will be posted on October 30th, 2021

No Beauties or Monsters really creeped me out, which I mean in a good way. I'm not someone who usually reads mysteries or thrillers because that's not a genre I usually enjoy, but this was such a fun read. The writing was chilling and atmospheric and as I mentioned, really creeped me out throughout the story. I was so creeped out that I had to stop reading for a few moments to gather my thoughts about what was going on. I think the small town setting of the story really just added to the suspense. My only problem with the story was that at the beginning, we are introduced to far too many characters in one go. It almost feels exposition-y in some way and made the start a little slow. But nevertheless, I think this was a fun thriller read and I am excited to have picked it up.

I haven't been glued to a book like No Beauties or Monsters for a long time! From page 1, I could not stop reading. Even my boyfriend commented that I couldn't put my Kindle down!

The intrigue and mystery made this novel so tense and gripping. The plot is based in a setting I've never been to - the Mojave Desert - but the author brought the area so vividly to life. The setting is integral to the plot, and it was great to "explore" the area through the pages. The plot had so many twists and turns, it kept me captivated the whole way through.

I really enjoyed the narrator of Rylie, too. Sometimes, a YA heroine does daft things, but Rylie makes many logical decisions and follows both her heart as well as her brain. She is also able to rely on her friends, who were great secondary characters. They gave her enough help as well as being able to have their own storylines which helped propel the plot along.

Overall, I loved it!