This book was a very compelling read, with a fast paced story full of twists.

Joan is such a unique character, and the time-traveling story was like none other!

The romance subplot was very interesting, and I'm excited to see where this story goes with the sequel!

This is one of the most unique and entertaining books I’ve read! The world building was so interesting with time travel, magic and long lines of monster families! Time travel always blows my mind a little bit but I found this easy to understand but still compelling! So much happened that I am so curious to know what the next book in the series will cover! I have some unanswered questions so there is definitely great potential for this series.

My only con was the very simple dialogue at times. Characters would routinely say something and then repeat what they just said as a second part of their dialogue? It’s odd to describe but it was odd to read as well. The main characters favorite word was also “no”! Over and over with nothing more. It made Joan seem really pushy and brash in the middle of the book because it made up a lot of her dialogue.

But overall this is an excellent book! I love how truly unique it was and gripping from the very beginning!

When Joan spends summers at her grandmother's house, she expects the usual oddities. Her grandmother has always said that they're monsters — and though her family can make things appear and disappear, Joan isn't so sure that's true. But when the cute boy she has a crush on turns out to be a monster hunter, Joan's life gets a lot more complicated.

This is a story with no clear hero or villain. Joan wants to save her (monster) family, Nick wants to avenge his (human) family, Aaron wants to stay alive. It is bittersweet and horrible and beautiful and definitely a new favorite book.

I'm a bit confused on how to rate this book. It started out promising, though a bit juvenile in tone. Then things started happening and it's pretty action packed. Then somewhere in the middle, it slows down but then picks up again at 90%. And what an ending it was. So obviously not a perfect book but still a solid good read, one I'll be happy to recommend to students!

Tropes: Insta-love, star-crossed, a sort of enemies to lovers. Chosen one.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I won't lie 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 from the very prologue to the epilogue. I haven't been this engaged in a YA fantasy in literal 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. It's practically 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 how much I 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 this one. How can you not when it's got 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹, the 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 trope, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿-𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, high stakes, mystique, 𝗵𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀? Like just read it man! It's too good.

We've got Joan as our protagonist, she's half British half Chinese and 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. She's comes from a 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 and desperately wishes to be the hero of her story but can she defeat all the odds against her?
I absolutely loved Joan as the voice of this book, the way she attained 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 depth and knowledge by the end.

The romance was not what I expected (but that's not to say I didn't like it, I just didn't know what to expect) but I ended up loving it too :) Although I do wish to see a certain someone in the future books to you know add some spice but I don't know how that'll work? (a girl can hope though alright)

To summarise, 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘈 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 is a highly 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 debut, with 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 world building and morally grey characters. An Urban fantasy which is perfectly 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 and all such synonyms and I can't emphasize this enough already but 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗕𝗥𝘀!!!!!

P.S. to the person who approved my arc may you be blessed and I just wanna scream 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨! Thank you <3

I loved this book, read it almost in one sitting, and now want to re-read. It read it too quickly because the plot was engaging, and I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. Len really makes you care about this monster family, and Joan the protagonist is headstrong, and loving, and the kind of person you root for. The enemy is also unclear in this book because he's also the hero. I love the way Len turns the hero's myth on its head. Are there really any simple monsters or heroes anyhow? A question really worth discussing with young adults and adults alike. The world-building was fantastic. I had tons of questions about stealing time and time travel, and I found the ways that Len answered them very creative. She brought London to life. She also did an excellent job of developing supporting characters as well. In particular, the love story between Tom and his partner Jamie was very bittersweet. I can't wait for everyone to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC of this wonderful book.

This book was not what I expected at all but it still blew me away. I thought it would be more literal monsters, but I love how this book was more thought provoking. The abilities one might have can be used for good or bad and those choices could make anyone a monster. Joan finds out her family has more secrets than she could ever imagine. She is attracted to Nick but soon finds out they may not be on the same side in a war she knew nothing about. Aaron a boy she can not stand but does find attractive is forced on a journey through time to fix things that went wrong and try to save everyone they love. This story was such a beautiful and fast paced read. I will be rereading this one again soon.

I just finished this book and I’m speechless. I loved it so much. The time travel aspect was interesting. I enjoyed the history of the different monster houses and what their special powers are. I’m hoping there will be a book two because I would love to jump back in to this world!

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len is a great way to bring in the new year!

Enter a high stakes, fast paced fantasy world where monsters are heroes and heroes are your worst nightmare . Len takes the familiar and favorite tropes of contemporary fantasy and adds her own unique signature. Fans of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows are sure to enjoy the diverse representation, found family, and great ensemble of well developed characters. I think this is the beginning of a promising new YA fantasy universe with many fun possibilities Len can explore.

This read is for you if you’re looking for:

💜 Morally gray, deliciously complicated and compelling characters

You know the type of book where you love all the supporting characters but you can’t stand the main character? This is not that kind of book.

Len gives readers a relatable main character to root for. Joan is raw, passionate, empathic, brave and stubbornly determined to save and protect her loved ones no matter what it takes. At lot gets thrown at her. The stakes are high, and the odds are nearly impossible, but her journey and growth are well written.

I love the sense of family and found family and how each character stood out in their own unique way. There were no token characters, no caricatures. Every character has their own agency and unique purpose in the story. I found myself wanting to know more about all of them as Len only gives you just enough history and information to make you ask more questions, to make you want to read more. I can’t wait to see where the next book takes Joan and her friends.


💜Angsty, Slow-burn Romance (perfect for the hopeless romantic)

You get a bit of enemies to lovers mixed with fated soul mates.

There is also potential for a love triangle, and while love triangles usually aren’t my favorite (because the choice is generally obvious), Len crafts a believable and deliciously angsty one, full of risks, complications and loads of chemistry that will have hopeless romantics swooning, begging and yelling at the characters as we furiously turn the pages. Team Nick or Team Aaron ? There’s sure to be a debate.


💜 An immersive world you can have fun getting lost in.

Forget Hogwarts houses. Tell me what monster family you belong to. Len builds a diverse community you can insert yourself in, rich with lore and culture that gives this book a fresh spin on familiar urban/contemporary fantasy tropes.

Not only do readers get to explore characters with unique abilities, but you get to experience different time periods and fun fashion from various decades.


Do Note:

📌There may be some triggering content which includes: torture, imprisonment, death of family members

📌 Toward the end the romance and overall resolution does get a little melodramatic but I think it’s a pacing thing. Len packs a lot into this story, and it’s never dull.

📌 Time travel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you enjoy the time travel/alternate timeline trope you’ll eat this up.


Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins
who provided a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Only a Monster follows sixteen-year old Joan who comes to find out she’s not entirely human.. Half-human and half-monster, Joan does everything she can to save her family while growing into her power. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions! I could not even begin to guess what was going to happen next in this book. The mystery and intrigue of Only a Monster kept me constantly turning the page while the ending had me stunned. Great debut novel by Vanessa Lin! Highly recommend!

Does being a monster always mean being the bad guy? In this debut YA fantasy by Vanessa Len, the lines between hero and monster are blurred. Joan is a half human, half monster who has a special ability. This was a fantastic fantasy story and it introduced the readers to an interesting and complex world. I loved the way the story was developed and all of the characters. This book is supposed to be the first of a trilogy, but the end is satisfying. I look forward to what Len does gives the readers next, as there are some relationships I hope she continues to explore. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"You're not a hero, Joan." She bent her gray head confidingly. "You're a monster." She said monster like being a monster was as special as being an elf."

Only a Monster was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases and even though I really enjoyed it, it wasn't exactly what I hoped and expected it to be.

The protagonist, Joan, is half-human half-monster, who comes from a family of time-travelling monsters.
The monsters in this world can steal time from humans, by touching their necks, in order to time travel.
What's more, her summer crush Nick isn't just a cute boy - he's hiding a secret as well; a secret that places Joan and everyone she loves in terrible danger.

When the monsters of London are attacked, Joan is forced on the run with Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family who are sworn enemies of her own. Joan is drawn deeper into a world that simmers with hostilities, alliances and secrets. She is forced to use her powers and travel back in time to try and prevent the tragedies she witnesses before they even happen.

Now, the story is pretty exciting and never boring, but I expected it to be darker and more mature. I did love the time travelling aspect, I found that pretty cool and fresh.
What seemed pretty silly to me was calling the creatures in this book "monsters" and the antagonist - "the human hero". I read the word "monster" close to 24676537 times but I feel like it was a little far fetched. I think there should've been a better term for them and the whole monster thing should've been more subtle.

Joan, who is 16yo btw, for better or worse acts exactly her age. I personally found myself annoyed with her more than once. She's not a bad character, I was definitely rooting for her but she was not my fav.
Also, the whole thing with her powers.. No one explains what her powers are exactly. And it's weird because she's witnessed her family's power many times, she's told as kid what she's, and yet until she accidentally time travels she has no idea what's going on. I really feel like some things just didn't add up.
I'm sure her secret powers will be explained in the future books but the whole magic system was definitely underexplained.
I really liked the romance(s). I'm not too sure if Aaron was supposed to be a romantic interest, though it seems that way.
Aaron was definitely a prick in the beginning and he acted cowardly which I wasn't a fan of but he has his baggage and it seemed he grew by the end of the book. I got to a point where I was fine if she ended up with either guy.
Now, Nick... the situation here is tricky because what he does is unforgivable, but I loved his character and I loved him as a love interest. The things we learned about him shocked me. And the whole star-crossed/soulmates trope was just too much for me to resist. I'm an absolute sucker for predestined love.

"Joan woke shaking and reaching for him, words still thick in her mouth.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you."

I must admit that my fav romace in this book was actualy between Tom and Jamie. Their love was so pure and tragic that I wanted a happy ending for them more than anything.

The things that annoyed me aside, I was really sucked in the whole time. I could hardly put the book down - the stakes were high, the secrets deadly and mysterious, the twists exciting. All of the 12 monster families have different powers which unfortunately like the MC's own are not fully revealed and explained. I had no problem with the world building, I mean it's based in England and with the added element of time-travel the setting was pretty cool.
The ending wrecked me. I was utterly shocked and speechless and I'm very excited to see what's gonna happen in the sequel, there are a lot of questions to be answered and I really hope Joan will grow in the future books.

my eternal gratitude to Netgalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication

Absolutely riveting!! This story pulled me in from the beginning and I breathlessly read until the end. The tension, drama and stakes were superbly drawn. I loved every minute!

I got the arc from NetGalley and these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book overall. It started out both a little slow and not slow enough for me. I understand that’s confusing but I think because it took a little bit to get into the backstory of monsters it felt slow but also like the plot was moving to fast without the reader having any details. Eventually everything clicks though! Joan learns her family are her moms side are monsters, they have special powers, like being able to travel through time, but in order to do so they have to do bad things. Joan fall for a guy she works with who also happens to be a monster hunter, chaos ensues! I enjoyed the dynamic of the main character not necessarily being one of the good guys but the reader still wanting the best for them! I like how Vanessa Len created a complex character who struggled with the knowledge of what their family was but that also had to make some really tough decisions for the people she loves. It was wrenching at times and the ending was twisty! It’s a good debut and worth the read!

A fantastic debut from an author to watch! From the opening scene, Only a Monster is an exciting ride into a magical underground society of monsters secretly living in our world. Joas's journey into the realm of monsters feels fresh and different while also tapping into the nostalgia I (and I know many others) have for stories we grew up loving, the kinds of stories that let us believe there might be something thrilling, magical, and a bit dangerous around us all the time, that we can almost... but not quite perceive. I was captivated and I can't wait for book two!

Only a Monster
by Vanessa Len

I received an ARC copy of this book through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#OnlyaMonster is a YA fantasy, about a girl, Joan, who finds out that she has a gift, but her family and those like them call themselves monsters because of it, and while the blurb sounded good, it didn't match up with the story. (Let alone to the comparison on Goodreads to “This Savage Song”.)

The story was supposed to be about monsters, but they weren't monsters to me, the hero was the monster, he slaughtered people. 

Maybe that was what the author was trying to say, but it didn't work for me. 

Joan wasn't a monster, though Aaron Oliver, his family, and others were evil people, murders without a care, but I still don't feel as if their powers made them monsters. They had a gift, but that didn't make them monsters. Mobsters, but not monsters. And their main power isn't that terrifying, but the extra different gifts the families have, are a little more intimidating, but the MC, her extra gift is scary, good thing she is a goody-goody.

It was a good story, but with the characters calling themselves monsters, when I didn't feel as if they were, I kind of stopped caring for them.

But a big eye roll was at the beginning of the book when there was enough time for a room full of bad people to gasp and ask questions after the killing of three members of their family while the killer still stood in the room holding the weapon.

And since this is the first book of a series, (this book not ending in a cliffhanger) I already have a few guesses of where it's going.

3 stars

only a monster is a solid debut!

i was intrigued as soon as i got to know of time travel and monsters with terrifying powers. suffice to say i really liked how len played with the interpretation of monsters here, the balance between their human nature and the reality of their powers. the worldbuilding is easy to understand though there are aspects i would love the story to explore in the sequels. this book is fast paced, with an easy flowing writing and good reveals to keep me hooked throughout. the descriptions of the times the characters traveled through were visualised so well, the writing is probably my favourite thing about the book.

while this was a good 4 star read i'm sad that the "enemies-to-lovers/enemy soulmates" trope did not deliver. the build up with nick had SO much potential but the execution falls through which made me feel nothing for their so called romance. and consequently the ending felt too convenient. joan's... feelings (?) for aaron weren't convincing either because he's way too in his head and didn't bother explaining anything at all to joan or the reader. also, joan marching into the monster side of the world, trying to change timelines and save her family seemed kind of stupid considering she didn't know literally *anything* about monsters and their powers. hopefully she's on the road to character development for the next books.

this is in no way a bad book! i'm very impressed that this is a debut and i'm so excited to see where the story goes in the sequel. (which won't be out for another year omg) i really hope we see more development in every aspect and i enjoy it just as much as this, if not more!

thank you harper collins and netgalley for the arc!

I was surprised to find just how much I fell in love with this book. It's quaint and nostalgic and exciting all at the same time as we follow our main character Jean as she weaves in and out of time in order to save her family from the boy she fears (and loves) the most.

Since she was a young child, Jean's grandmother has told her stories of monsters and heroes, telling her that she herself is a monster. Jean never understood just how much truth those words held until one day, when she accidentally steals time from someone and learns what her family really is: time-travelling monsters who are able to siphon time from people by touching the nape of their neck, essentially shortening their lifetime in the process.

Things take a turn for the worse, of course, when—on top of that—she discovers that the boy she has been developing feelings for over the past summer is actually the hero from her grandmother's stories: destined to eradicate all monsters and protect humanity.

With nothing left for her in her current time, Jean is forced to flee with the son of her family's worst enemy to the past, where they form an unlikely alliance in order to figure out how to save all monsters from the hero.

This book!!!!! This book was so addicting I could not put it down. I was actually astounded to find how deep I had fallen between its pages, especially considering how off-kilter the beginning felt to me. The first few chapters of Only a Monster feel a bit juvenile and underdeveloped, but when the action finally hits—it really hits. Jean was such a beautiful and compelling character that I actually wanted to root for, and the romance (both of them) was hooking and interwoven perfectly into the fabric of the story. I found that the ending happened a bit too quickly for my liking, but I can also appreciate how the book finishes on a high (if not uncertain) note.

The only thing that pains me about this book is that I do not have its sequel in my hands yet...

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! Like the monsters in this book this story is something unique! I love the twist of a monster and hero not being good or bad. The main characters eyes was a perfect view for the reader!
I was heartbroken at the ending but felt like it was justified. Can’t wait to read the continuation of the story!

I really enjoyed this book. The idea of time traveling vampire-like creatures was very cool and a totally new concept to me and it was great. The plot moved quickly and there wasn’t any real slow parts. I do wish there was slightly more world building. Main character didn’t change too much so not really much development but I did like her all the same. Would definitely buy from this author in the future.