4.5 stars rounded to five.

Wow! What an incredible, mind blowing novel. This may not be the right book for the reader who wants to have it all figured out by the end. My advice for everyone is to stay away from spoilers, get comfy, turn to page one, and sit back and enjoy the ride. For the first 85% of this novel I kept saying to myself, “I have no clue what is going on,” and for the last 15% I kept saying “Wait, what is going on?!?!?!” I absolutely loved it! The way this was written immersed me completely into the story.

The writing was brilliant, the plot unique. The characters were believable and had depth. The relationships were well developed: Rylie’s relationship with Owen was so sweet and loving. Her developing relationships with her stepdad and stepbrother were realistic, complicated, but also showed heart. And Rylie’s rekindled relationship with her old best friend/something a little more was a good mix of new tension and old, undying feelings.

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a well written, haunting, fantasy story, no matter their age. It will appeal not teens and adults alike.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #NoBeautiesorMonsters

This book is beautifully plotted and expertly paced. The setting of Twentynine Palms is eerily staged, as is Rylie's emotional and psychological makeup. This is definitely a book that you don't want to spoil with too much information, as the unfolding of Rylie's story is part of the pleasure of reading this book. Grief, tricky memories, and questions about time-space all make this an eerie, atmospheric, creepy, and immersive read. Highly recommend.

I know this book is technically for younger readers, but I loved it. My daughter and myself read this together and she LOVED this book. You may not think that is much of a compliment, but you have to understand my daughter hates reading. I’m hoping this book changes her outlook on books. The story line was interesting and it kept us wanting more.

What a twisty little gem of a book! The setting is half the fun - a small atmospheric town where strange things seem to happen and people often go missing. It felt a little like a desert-version of Twin Peaks, maybe because 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. The main character, Rylie, manages to pull off that challenging combination of being a sympathetic-yet-unreliable narrator. As she struggles to uncover the mystery of what is really happening in her old hometown, she is hindered by the realization that she can’t trust her own memory, and the fear that she, herself, is dangerous.

Sprinkled in around the mystery are some really beautiful moments between Rylie and her younger brother, as well as several other well-portrayed (and often complicated) relationships: her reconnection with her former best friend/first love, and the slowly developing friendship with her new stepbrother, a boy who definitely has his own secrets and agenda.

If you like atmospheric mysteries with surprising twists and a hint of the supernatural, definitely pick this one up! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early read!

I liked the overall idea and story behind the book, but I wasn't taken on a journey to make me care very much. I liked the characters, but the way each obscure hint was put together didn't string me along.

This book started out giving the reader a creepy feeling. That feeling continued throughout the story and I did not expect that ending. I liked seeing how the blended family interacted and grieved together. It was also nice to read about how the younger brother was blind and tools he used to help himself. The story itself was one of a kind and I was surprised by the topics and the ending.

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! No Beauties or Monsters is expertly paced and crackles with delicious tension from page one through to the end. Atmospheric and haunting.

From page one Goedjen was in full control of the twists and turns that kept coming page after page, building to the shocking ending. No Beauties Or Monsters is an eerie genre-bending novel teeming with speculative suspense and intrigue. The main character, Rylie, begrudgingly moves back to her hometown after her grandfather’s death and finds things aren’t exactly as they appear. Plagued by episodes of lost time, questionable memories, and nightmarish desert creatures that stalk the night, Rylie digs deeper into her past while disappearances continue to rock the small desert community. As the mystery builds and unfolds pulling in more and more characters from her past and present, Rylie is forced to question who, if anyone can be trusted, including herself, and what dark family secrets lay buried inside her grandfather’s home. You’ll find yourself reeling from the shocking revelations that split reality and force you to question everything you know about space and time. An absolute must-read. Tara Goedjen just planted herself firmly on my auto-buy author list.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

There is an audience for this title in my library. However, I felt like I was taken along a path with a blindfold on for too long before suddenly the blindfold was ripped off to fireworks exploding right in front of my face in the bright daylight. It was too much questioning and too quick of a resolution for me. So while I didn't love this one, I do think there will be a niche group of students who will discuss it for a while.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as part of a tour and had the privilege to read a spectacular story. Just like its cover and title, the story was unique and enthralling. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Tara Goedjen is an author to look out for!

4.6 stars

This was such a fast and engaging read! Teens will love this paranormal/sci-fi mystery for its quick pacing and the mind bending twist. I loved how atmospheric the novel was and how the author had clearly spent time in the desert.

I'm really much closer to 2.5 stars for this one as it was a real drag for me to get through. A big part of the issue for me were the confusing sections where she lost time. Obviously, the reader is supposed to be confused since the character herself doesn't know what's happening, but a little more illumination a little earlier would've been helpful for me. Or maybe just some more clues to keep my interest up. For instance, it's obvious her stepbrother knows more than she does and is using her investigation to further his own goals, but there's no hint about what he is doing until everything is revealed. And her best friend's cousin is also obviously up to something with all his warnings but there is nothing that will help me, the reader, know what that might be. I prefer a thriller/mystery where there are breadcrumbs, not just confusion/bad things and the reader learns it all in one big info dump.

Thank you Negalley & Tara Goedjen for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!!

This was a fast read that really kept me guessing. I wanted to keep reading honestly because I would answer one question and have two more. Goedjen does a really great job keeping her reader engaged through this constant questioning.

Rylie is a high school senior and goes back to her hometown and reignites old friendships (...and a short-lived love interest!!). When in her hometown she and some of her friends start to dig deeper into how one of their friends had gone missing the previous year. The book follows their adventure when they start to put together the pieces but still have an abundance of questions!

I would recommend this book to my students as it would be relatable for Rylie's age and also would be a fun read for them!