I enjoyed the book and the characters, but a few narrative choices made this a three-star book for me. One was how the main character’s identity was treated as a mystery, but it was told to the reader in the blurb and hinted at obviously. When said at the end of the book, the character who told the MC rightfully said how obvious it was. (The Monkey King was a TV show for starters). This was mostly confusing to me as a reader but did not take away my enjoyment. Then came the love triangle. This book did not need a love triangle. It did not make sense since neither male really had enough interaction time for me to care, especially Taz. I am really over broody males. Also, it was used instead of character development or other plot reasons in places. A helps B because crush, C is there to help A at the magically right time because of crush etc. It made everyone feel much younger than there supposed age, career success, and life experiences. The whole book felt more like high schoolers than supposed community leaders in their 20s. Lastly, it feels incomplete with parts of the ending but does not appear to be sold as the start of a series, so I leave that warning for anyone who does not like things like relationships being unresolved or the identity of the “big bad” still unknown.

The mythology is interesting but the writing fails to keep me engaged. The main character is rather annoying so I could not connect with her as well.

Monkey Around by Jadie Jang was one of my very favorite NetGalley reads from 2021. The world-building is excellent, reworking Chinese folklore elements, and this aspect was blended so skillfully into the modern San Francisco setting. Smart, funny, with snappy writing and great characters, it checked all my boxes and more! I'll be looking out for more from this author in the future.

Monkey around - Jamie Jang

Sorry could not finish as this title expired when I was reading others

Sadly, I did not complete this book (55%). The explosive and unusual start initially had me hooked. The main character developed into an intriguing proposition and was surrounded by a strange supporting cast. So far so good. However the plot had two main issues for me. Firstly, it became overly complex at times; too many characters, groups and names. Secondly, it was slow, at fifty percent it felt as if very little had happened and this was eventually the reason for giving up, sorry. Still, what I read was well put together and researched, hence the three stars.

After reading the blurb, one might have an anticipation of what the book could be like. Despite that thought process, I highly doubt many people can truly guess its contents.
I must admit that at the time of writing this review, there is no one else who rated the book the way I did, at least on the sites I post reviews. I also want to talk a little about what the book was about and why it did not work for me.
The author has done a lot of research and littered the book with mythical creatures from many cultures and appropriately used them all. The San Francisco of the book is a place where many of the creatures with magic in their blood congregate and co-exist under the radar(most of the time). Our leading lady/monkey is a shapeshifter who is still learning more about her powers by the day. Maya does not have concrete proof about her antecedents, but she has an inkling as to where to look by the end of the book.
Maya does small and big things regularly to help the magical population in the area when she stumbles onto something big. This is the start of the roller coaster that is this book. There are many sub-plots and agendas, and it is nearly impossible to guess the conclusion of any of the threads. All of this action makes it a very fast-paced narrative.
However, I did not enjoy the book. In theory, it should have worked for me; the author has written well. I did not get invested in the plotline, and although I liked Maya's voice and the things she does, she was a little too active for me. Her confused emotions did not keep me hooked, and the possible love triangle was not my thing either. If it had been shorter, maybe I would have liked it more.
I still recommend this book to anyone who finds this review and/or the blurb enticing.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

DNF @ 62%

It's taken me almost four months to cave and admit that I will never end up finishing this book. Which pains me because I really really wanted to enjoy it. With a spunky Asian-American main character exploring an Urban Fantasy world centered around San Francisco and navigating the various subcultures and minorities that don't generally get screentime in SF-set media, there's so much to love here. The worldbuilding in this book, with characters who can shift into different animals with powers inspired by mythology from different cultures, was unique and interesting new take in the UF genre. However. there was just something about the plot I felt extremely dragging for a book that's supposed to be very fast paced. Every time I'd pick it up, I found I'd have to bribe myself to finish 5% or 10% before I could go and do something else, and eventually that just became unsustainable. I won't be rating this one.

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Monkey Around was a fun, fast paced romp around San Francisco. I didn't always like Maya's character, but I enjoyed the adventure and the paranormal/fantasy aspects. The writing was great, the humour made me laugh out loud, and it was an easy read.

I enjoy contemporary fantasy for the exploration of what would happen if the magical was real and in our own world. Now that itself is an adventure but we often see things from either someone completely new to the world discovering its rules or someone who is long brought up in its traditions and knows it all. But life for all of us is often a lot more in between we know a bit about our world, and we rarely know where we are going with our lives. This was what struck me the most about Jadie Jang’s glorious new novel Monkey Around which gives us a very interesting magical community in San Francisco, a puzzling set of crimes and an awesome new lead character to get to know.

It is Sand Francisco in 2011. The Occupy movement has moved to the East coast and activism is on the rise. Maya is in her twenties and these days works on the board of a promising independent Asian American magazine named Inscrutable, works hard to encourage activist movements in California and has a third secret life that most people think is working as a barista in a small indie coffee shop but is actually supporting her other secret role working to investigate issues in the supernatural shapeshifter communities of San Francisco. Maya is one of the group but has very little knowledge of where she comes from as she was found at an orphanage at two years old. She can turn into a Monkey very easily but can shapeshift into anything or even anyone with some effort; a hair from her can open locks, become flares or even clothes. She can summon a cloud to travel on too, but no one knows where these powers come from.

Maya is investigating a missing Aswang when she comes across an unusual dead body a wealthy and well-known shapeshifter drained of all their life and magical essence. This becomes part of a sequence of deaths across various shapeshifter groups. Maya is also asked to help a fellow former university student Tez whose younger sister Chucha are members of the Naugal communities (linked to the Aztecs and also can change into any animals with added magical healing powers just for starters). Chucha has decided to abandon her brother’s dreams other going to college and has started working with a tough street gang. Maya is asked to help persuade Chucha to come back to the fold. Throw in a shadowy force behind the murders, a magical stick that can possess its owners and Maya is about to have an even busier few weeks than she was planning to.

What pulled me from the start is Maya’s voice as she is our lead narrator. A lot of authors tend to use the noir private eye style but what I like about Maya is she is doing this for her community. She is funny, bawdy, frustrated just a tad geeky and wears her heart on her sleeve. She is the twentysomething who wants to do something good, have bills paid and also is exploring her own culture and heritage. Not knowing where she comes from means she is interested in all the communities of the Bay area, and this gives the story an interesting look at identity. It should be noticed despite the book’s introduction maya herself is oblivious to the legend of the Monkey King (and has avoided reading Journey into the West after an unpleasant college tutor rocked her confidence in Asian studies).

As we meet more and more of the cast, we have a group of american multiple generation immigrants who ae balancing their family’s culture and parental expectations with modern life in the US. We meet shapeshifters who are politicians, ex-MMA fighters, band members and would be poets/doctors. As with Maya there is a sense of people working themselves out that definitely should strike a chord with many readers. Some people want to be their best selves, some just want to let their inner monster finally let loose. An interesting angle on Maya is although now heavily involved in her community she was in her teenage years was herself a feared enforcer/member of one of the many gangs in the city. This is a world of the highs and lows of humanity and Jang has a great gift for making this world come alive and we find ourselves caring even about side characters like a gang leader’s clearly clumsy brother or a non-shapeshifting force of nature bestie of Maya’s who acts as her conscience and also a community leader. It’s a world of depth, texture and feels like we are only just finding out how it all works.

The fantastical element is also really interesting. The murders and the unusual stick of power we find start to cross paths and it opens up ancient tales of family legends, power struggles and nefarious plans. Jang has many many enjoyable fight scenes and Maya is not one to be under-estimated (she is often said to be one of the most powerful in the area) and the many clues and myths to untangle make this a chewy mystery with a great resolution. It also underlines that Maya’s nature means sometimes she will do the unthinkable for her own aims which was actually quite shocking. There are hints of more stories and agendas in this world to explore but this tale itself has a very satisfying conclusion.

Monkey Around is a very refreshing entry into contemporary fantasy. Action packed and character focused with a really great take on how any city is itself comprised of other communities and they themselves are not just one group all acting and thinking in the same way. There are delights of many mythical creatures to explore and a lead character who I think will become a fan favourite for many of you. The quality of Jang’s word-building, character-building and storytelling is excellent especially in the start to a brand-new fantasy series. Go get this story into your brains!

I was lucky enough to be given an ARC for Monkey Around which is a debut novel for Jadie Jang (Claire Light). I say I was lucky because one thing I love reading are debut novels. As a reviewer it gives me the opportunity to read a new style, a new story and to help get the word out there for a new writer. There is always a buzz around new novels too and when you can find one you like, it becomes a new favourite book.

With Monkey Around I was really excited to read it specifically because I find Asian culture really interesting, fascinating at times and the fact this book’s main character is essentially The Monkey King of legend was a real pull. I wanted to see how Jadie was going to put a historical legend like TMK into modern-day.

The story itself follows a barista, activist and supernat (super-natural person) called Maya as she carries out work for one Ayo Espinosa in the bay area of San Francisco. Ayo has a coffee shop which is effectively a sanctuary for supernats where they can be themselves away from humans. In this story, supernats all seem to be shapeshifters, not essentially X-Men like characters or powers but have the ability to change into an animal. Behind this coffee shop though, away from prying eyes, is where any other ‘off the books’ business gets completed and Maya is tasked early on to locate a person who has fallen in with a gang to spite her older brother, who wants her back safely.

We follow Maya a she tries to balance her own responsibilities with work, a magazine she is working on and her activism, alongside this new rescue/investigator gig. As the story gets deeper Maya gets into more and more danger as supernats start getting killed by something un-explainable. Maya has to work out what is going on and stop it while completing her task of rescuing a missing person.

This story has a lot of little bits going on within it and has some great parts. There are various supernats which come from various religions or cultures and play a part in this story. This is interesting because you are told what they are or where they come from although the different names for them may take some getting used to. The amount of lore explored here is really cool and really opens your eyes to how vibrant and different the city and characters are. There is a small amount of romance in the story (which I don’t really mind) although not ever fully explored (not completely anyway) and there is the magic of the Monkey King (maybe this should be Monkey Queen). The story itself is actually a really cool idea and felt very unique. The modern-day retelling of The Monkey King has been done well.

I really liked the shapeshifting that occurs throughout this story. Set in a modern-day SF I found it appealing, creative, fresh and original. For all we know shapeshifters are real and they live among us… This book realises that and makes it actual. I felt that the powers afforded to Maya via the fact that she is the Monkey King were very strong and made her a very competent protagonist. I would personally have liked to see the danger for her turned up a bit more in certain parts of this story.

The action in this book is great and fast paced. Characters fight, shapeshift and throw one another across streets and into vehicles. The action does a great job of enabling the progression of the storyline and character arcs whilst simultaneously providing world-building of a real place since not everyone will have been to SF.

The characters in this story are quirky and have their own different personalities. Maya was the stand out character though, her balancing of the various issues she had plus monkey in her mind were always at the forefront of the story and that’s obviously a good thing considering she is the voice of the story (written in first person) – I just wished I rooted for more of the characters on a deeper level.

To conclude, as I said before I like to help push new author’s work – I feel that Monkey Around is a good urban fantasy story that readers of fantasy/urban fantasy will enjoy. I think the people that would like this book the most are those who don’t want huge tomes by the likes of Abercrombie, Sanderson, Eriksen or their ilk. This book is perfect for someone who wants to read something fun and lively. This story will make you laugh and smile while turning the page to see what’s going to happen next to The Monkey King of San Francisco or her friends.

Rating 3/5 – Grab the book on your Kindle and enjoy in your favourite reading place, smiling as Maya takes you around San Francisco dodging bullets and more shady things.

Monkey Around by Jadie Laing

This is a detective story within in a fantasy theme. As the name suggests the main character has a tendency towards mischief. However it's probably not what you will expect.
I have read many books that explore the idea that other beings secretly live alongside humans. This one is a refreshing change from the norm. It doesn't really involve humans but rather bases the story on events within the non-human community.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and felt that the main character was interesting with depth and a believable history. Early on I had concerns that the lead character was going to be another angst ridden, angry young woman out to show men she can be as bad ass as them but thankfully she developed into more than that. I think that theme is now boring and applaud JJ for moving on by introducing mischief and fun.
I am not a fan of large written paragraphs describing fight scenes so there were points in the book where I lost interest. However I did enjoy some of those scenes because of some unusual surprises.
The ending was somewhat unexpected and unsatisfying. I fear I had not digested something important earlier on in the story so I just didn't get it. I suspect it is a set up for book number 2 but personally I find this kind of marketing ploy immensely irritating.

A fast paced, action packed and highly entertaining urban fantasy.
I had a lot of fun even if the past was fast that left breathless at times.
i liked the action scenes and the world building, very inclusive and diverse.
Maya, the MC, is not always likeable but she grew on me.
An excellent debut.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

With thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

I like this one. I’m about the same age as the protagonist and Maya somehow manages not to grate and hit the right note. An abandoned baby who grows up to have all the attributes of the Monkey King. Hilariously she hasn’t read Journey to the West. I have (a version) and several retellings, and this is a modernisation and/or use I like but you don’t need to know any of the source material at all to like this. Especially the multiple types of shapeshifters from various cultures all in the Bay Area. It could totally have gone horribly wrong, cliched or boring but Jang nails it.

Maya is a voice you’ll either like or not like, she’s based in San Francisco a decade ago at the time of the Occupy movement. I have no idea if future books are going to capitalise on the time period more but it was a relief not to be in the 2020s for a bit. There may be future books, I hope there are.

This is a case driven story and that might be my one regret that Maya’s everyday life takes a backseat to the particular job she is working on for Ayo, I love that she’s not a proper detective though. It works so much better. Identity and the melting pot nature of the city get more than a passing nod in all the right ways, I’m hoping the cultures mentioned get a fair hearing - I didn’t get any major flags but I wouldn’t know! - and the presentation of stories was a serious highlight. So what are you waiting for?

I’ve always been told not to judge a book by it’s cover. Well too bad, look at the colours. I assumed based on this it would be a fun read. I stand correct about Monkey Around by Jadie Jang. I’m glad I judged.

Monkey Around follows Maya. She’s an activist, barista and of course a weremonkey(who can also transform into like anything else). We follow her in her world which is mainly made up of supernatural beings who all congregate in San Fransisco. This is both a journey to discover who she is as someone who identifies as Asian American AND literally not knowing exactly what she is, or where she is actually from when it comes to being a supernatural being. Her journey of course involves a soul sucking creature that appears to be killing supernaturals but it also might be the key to discovering who she is.

I loved how diverse this story was, I’m pretty sure 98% of the main characters were BIPOC and/or Queer. And the thing that I loved the most was everyone's supernatural abilities were rooted in mythology, but none of that Eurocentric mythology(Marvel has that covered, we don’t need more).

The things I didn’t love was there was also a love triangle. It felt very odd, and the way Maya’s character treated it felt very out of character. Also like I said above Maya’s “go-to” form is a ware monkey, but she can turn into pretty much anything else. Like gymnastics dance elements I wish there had been a cap to her powers.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. And I would recommend it to anyone who loves themselves a good urban fantasy. And a great debut novel for Jadie!

Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange an honest review.

TL;DR: Fun, fast-paced shapeshifter mystery that draws on folklore from around the world and ~BONUS~ is anti-colonialist, anti-gentrification, and has queer representation. BUT definitely leaves some cliff-hanger-y questions about the supernatural protagonist and antagonist. My rating: 4 of 5 stars.

Monkey Around gave me lots of True Blood and American Gods vibes, but with much greater folkloric diversity and progressive, justice-oriented subplots (i.e. main character runs an AAPI magazine and is very active in community organizing around the Occupy Wall Street protests--which she advocates for renaming Decolonize Wall Street).

The wit and light-hearted humor made this a really quick, fun read. At the start Jang seems to introduce a few too many seemingly unconnected characters and events, but they all eventually piece together into the overarching mystery of who or what is sucking out the souls of magical shapeshifters and how an Aztec magical object can put a stop to it. The only part of the mystery that felt somewhat unresolved to me was the origin story of Maya, the main character, who transforms into a monkey and has near-limitless other magical abilities. I’m not sure if this book is planned as a series, but there are definitely unanswered questions I’d love to return to Jang’s shapeshifter sanctuary Bay Area to uncover.

My one big complaint is that I was worried for Maya’s mental health. She’s constantly running from her day job to the Occupy camp to her night job, and back to her day job with minimal indication that she ever stops to take care of herself. The girl needs to learn to rest and practice self-care so she can continue to take care of her communities. There’s a sort-of love triangle but tbh I get why it doesn’t really go anywhere--I don’t know where on earth Maya would have found the time to date.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maya is a supernatural creature of unknown origin with impressive and wide-ranging powers. She works as a barista and occasionally detective for the local sanctuary in San Francisco, helps run a magazine, and is involved in various causes. When an unusual creature begins to kill various supernatural creatures around the city, Maya is caught in the investigation, hoping that it will also reveal something about her origins.

There is a lot going on in this book, and while the world building is impressive, it may be a little too big to be contained in a single book. It starts slow, which means I was slogging through the first third of the book before it really caught my interest. I kept reading because Maya's voice as first-person narrator is extremely engaging: she is powerful but irresponsible, a bit scattered, and prone to being distracted by handsome guys. In short, she is a young woman trying to live up to her full potential, but still finding her way. I would happily follow her on another adventure if this becomes a series.

Despite the slow start, when the real story gets going, the novel is very good. The emotional stakes are high, as are the consequences if Maya and her allies fail in their task. The book demands some work on the part of the reader, with a number of creatures, characters, and street gangs to keep track of. Among the "too much-ness" was the specific time setting, namely during the Occupy movement in 2011. Maya is active in the movement, so it adds to the complexity of her day-to-day life that she is always trekking to Oakland for assemblies and other related activities. I may have missed something, but I don't understand why this specific time was so important to the story.

I really hope this becomes a series, both because I really like Maya and because it would be a pity for all the effort put into the creation of this world to go to waste.

Monkey Around is Jadie Jang’s debut novel and an action-packed contemporary urban fantasy delivering a bold new take on the Chinese folktale the Monkey King. The San Francisco-set story follows the adventures of a “barista, activist, and were-monkey” who gets political in the streets when she’s not being drawn into supernatural matters, including a rash of shapeshifter murders and manic mayhem. The San Francisco Bay Area, a nexus of human and supernatural energy that draws people—and creatures—from hundreds of cultures all over the world. At the centre of this nexus is barista, activist, and were-monkey, Maya McQueen, who doesn’t know what kind of creature she is, or where she comes from. Her home is being rocked by the occupation of Oakland’s civic centre by Occupy Wall Street activists in the human world, and by the serial murders of shapeshifters who have had their souls sucked out, on the supernatural side. Maya discovers that the soul-sucking murderer may be connected somehow to a creature like her. This is her first, ever, clue to her own origins, and she jumps into the mystery with both feet. Helping her is werejaguar and IT medicine man Tez Varela, who manages the last nagual practice in San Francisco’s rapidly gentrifying Mission district.

Tez’s reappearance in Maya’s life has landed her in the middle of a gang war.  Also helping—or is it stalking?—her is Todd Wakahisa, a fellow activist and a kitsune whose penchant for pranks rivals even hers. For the first time in Maya’s life, she’s faced with a creature she may not have the strength to defeat. She’ll have to up her game, rely on others, and betray those closest to her to come out on top. But what she doesn’t know, just might kill her. This is a compelling, refreshingly original and raucously entertaining read with not a dull moment in sight. You cannot fail to be captivated by the murder mystery, supernatural chaos and sheer fun that Jadie provides and I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a page-turner it was. It is a Euro-centric-mythology-dominated snarky genre romp featuring a plethora of primary and secondary characters, including a female monkey king who doesn't have a clue who or what she really is, a kitsune ukulele maestro, an Aztec werejaguar slam poet, an orphan with unique powers and a group of Asian-American activists as well as a love triangle and murder most foul. This is perfect for fans of contemporary and paranormal genres and features representation from Asian and South American cultures as well as being based on nonwestern mythological parables. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars rounded down
I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started this book and, on the whole, I rather enjoyed the ride. Sadly notsomuch the destination as I felt a little flat on conclusion of the book. It's a book that would fit right in with all the others I have added to what is swiftly becoming one of my favourite genres, namely bonkers!
So... we meet Maya McQueen who is a barista. She's also an activist and a were-monkey. Who knew there was such a thing. She lives in San Francisco which, as we learn early on, plays host to an eclectic mix of all sorts of other supernatural beings. I connected to Maya quite well from the off, well, as connected as anyone can get to such a character... She's sassy and kick-ass and delivers some really great banter along the way as she tries to get on with her investigations. Other characters were just as well drawn within their remits. Which, tell the truth, was all a little fluid. and socially diverse. Maybe erring a tad too much on the political correct inclusion side of things, in a try a bit to include all sorts kind of a way. Not as balanced as I would have liked.
She's also a bit indestructible and has unlimited resources. Like when you used to play video games and you hacked it to pick up the "unlimited ammo and lives" token. This meant that I wasn't really fearful for her and that meant it all fell a bit flat. The rest of the book was a bit lacking in substance. There were a lot of things that started well but just fell off. Maybe there were too many threads and characters. Maybe cutting the number down would have allowed for more development of each element. Not sure, I'm not an editor.
The world that has been created is interesting and has plenty of scope for further development. This is the start of a series right ? All the usual clues point to it being. And, it would be a shame if it wasn't, as there is more to be had from both the world and certain characters. Hopefully, if there is a sequel, the author might trim the quantity of elements down a tad and concentrate more on their quality.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

What I enjoyed was the diversity in supernaturals and all the cultures that surrounded those beings. Reading only about werewolves and vampires can get old at some point, such great ideas in this one. I also enjoyed the action and some of the fighting scenes with our headstrong heroine.

Points I didn't enjoy:
Maya is made to be the most powerful being - I personally would have preferred a limit or some sort of weakness to her character.
The love triangle wasn't believable and it seemed that Maya made her choices only due to how Tez and Todd looked and not how they behaved towards her or others. Too many smirks, stares and smiles without any real substance to built a relationship on.
The information flow throughout the story felt a bit off, but I was still engaged enough until the end.

Altogether a solid enough, entertaining suburban fantasy.
If you're a fan of Mercy Thompson, Sookie Stackhouse novels or similar and you're a bit tired just dealing with vampires and werewolves, you should give this one a try 😎

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Monkey Around, the debut from Jadie Jang is an absolute riot of an urban fantasy novel; bold and original in premise, funny, political and honestly just perfect for summer. If you’re a fantasy fan looking for an August read – or just your next favourite book – then Monkey Around is definitely for you.

Maya McQueen is a shapeshifter living in San Francisco, able to transform into any animal at will, although Monkey – who lives permanently at the back of her mind – is her default alternative shape. Maya also has some other powers that set her above a lot of the other shapeshifters in the city – and there are a lot of them. If a world mythology has a shapeshifter story, you will find them represented in this story; everyone from your basic European werewolf to bloodsucking Filipino aswangs to sociable and friendly Indian Vanaras is knocking around in this world, just trying to get by.

Maya is a barista by day, but by night she and Monkey are running around the city trying to figure out why someone is murdering shapeshifters, picking them off one by one. Add to that her involvement with the Occupy Wall Street protests that have taken over Oakland, and the fact that there appears to be an evil magical object changing hands amongst the cities rival gangs, and Maya is one busy bee.

The fantasy elements of Monkey Around are so much fun – it seems that Jang really enjoys playing with her subject matter, and making it seem so normal. Maya, orphaned at 2 months old, is always on the lookout for clues to her heritage and at one point was guided to the Vanara, who also shapeshift into monkeys. They can’t offer her answers, but the young members of the family invite her to go climbing with them in the forest, as casually as if they were meeting at a bar. There is a community of selkies who live on riverboats, because of course they do. Jang is adept at weaving in these elements into her story and making them almost mundane. It is very clever writing.

But the real strength of Monkey Around is the how political the novel is, not only on the surface level but also underneath. The shapeshifter characters take on the mythologies of their ethnic backgrounds; from East Asian to South Asian, Native American to White European, every shapeshifter tells a story of their heritage in this modern and thriving San Francisco. These are millennial characters making their own place in the world; they just also happen to be shapeshifters tied to their heritage. Maya describes how most shapeshifters act a lot like hipsters from diverse backgrounds; they live with their differences and do just enough to fit into both worlds. If you need to go hunting as a shapeshifter you go, and you don’t make a big deal out of it. Just how, as Maya describes, a Chinese American hipster might still wash their hair before the New Year.

The allegorical nature of this story is made even clearer if you consider that the shapeshifters who refuse to fit in are virtually indistinguishable from the humans who have lost their way. A young werewolf, barely in control of himself, joins a gang – just as a lot of other directionless human youngsters have. Jang has something to say in this novel, and although she doesn’t hit us over the head with it; her message is clear enough.

As one might expect from a novel about shapeshifters, everything is fluid in Monkey Around. From the ethnicities and sexualities of many of the characters, to the fact that they are shapeshifters (of course), to the weaving of fantasy and politics in equal measure, Monkey Around is a book that almost goes so far as to defy genre classification – and is all the better for it.