Oof, this is such a tough book to talk about and judge without spoiling anything, but the TL/DR version is that this is an impressive (if a bit uneven) debut YA fantasy novel.

I found myself getting a little fatigued with the (over)use of the word "monster" throughout this story- especially with its juvenile associations, but I think Len has done something clever here by making us contemplate what that word means when we are discussing humans and what they are capable of. The monster/hero dichotomy is played up big-time in this novel, and I love the trope subversion.

I wish there was maybe a bit more crackle to the dialogue (I think Aaron is the only character to make me chuckle), but I am very excited to see where this trilogy goes. The ending seems neat and tidy, but there are enough loose ends to carry into the next books and make things interesting. I'm always a bit skeptical of time-travel novels, but the magic system here is very compelling and refreshingly new, so I would definitely say Len has brought something new to the YA fantasy genre. Just don't think too hard about the mechanics.

Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the review copy!

Only a Monster is the secret good Supernatural that lives in my head x Ruby Red and also my favorite book so far this year.

What I liked:
- Literally almost everything. But especially time travel! Gay side relationship! Historic London!
- The exploration of morality is super interesting. Joan knows what her family does is wrong, but chooses to do it anyways. There is a clear hero, and he himself is never anything but heroic. If the narrative is reversed, maybe his goal justifies the means.
- The magic system is so interesting, and I'm excited to learn more in future books.
- I read this in one sitting, so engaging is an understatement.

What I didn't like:
- This functions fine as a standalone, but it's supposed to be a trilogy. Pls Vanessa Len don't hurt them any more.
- I hate prologues and the name Joan.
- The romance is a little strange. Love triangle tease? Was that necessary?
- There's a bit of tension between fate and free will, but not quite enough attention.

This is a book that makes you root for the monster and curse the hero.

Joan is in love with Nick, and right before the big date she accidentally touches the neck of someone and jumps forward in time. Just a few hours, but enough to freak her out. Her grandmother always told her their family was monsters. Now she knows that it's true. Now the hero of legends is after her and she must outsmart more than just him in order to save herself and her family.

I really loved this book. It was already getting a lot of hype for a book that isn't even officially published yet, and for some reason, I'm always super wary about ready a hyped-up book. I really hate to be disappointed I guess lol. But this one surprised me. I love the unique content and role reversal between the monster and the hero. The time travel was fun to read as well. I will be continuing on with the series as it gets released.

I'm a little unclear on who the love interest is. I'm not sure if I love that or hate that about this book lol. There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book but I feel it was left open on purpose to make way for the next in the series. I hope to see more of Aaron too.

I would recommend ages 14+
*Content warnings*
It was a little violent, thieving, and I believe cussing but I can't remember for sure.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book. However, this did not affect or influence my opinion in any way.

"You're a hero and I'm a monster. There's only one way that story ever ends."

Joan, comes from a long line of time-traveling monsters. Only, she is just finding out about it. Known by the other monster families as lowly thieves, but a well-kept secret is rearing its head and turning Joan's life upside down.

"Once upon a time, there was a boy who was born to kill monsters."

By leeching the lives from humans, monsters are able to time travel, shortening the lifespan of the human they touch. Only just finding out about her monstrous past, Joan is horrified by this idea. Rumor has it that a Hero will happen upon the earth and eliminate all of the monsters due to this characteristic.

"When I first saw you, I felt like I'd known you my whole life."

"The first time I saw you, I knew what your voice would sound like before you said a word."

Little does she know, Joan is much closer to this Hero than it would appear. After experiencing loss at the hands of the Hero, Joan realizes that the only way at having a chance to get her family back is the embrace her new-found powers.

"You're in very grave danger. Someday soon you'll come into an ability. A power."

Only A Monster was a thrilling tale about a species never written about. Readers who enjoy star-crossed lovers, family loyalty, and a high-risk adventure will love this book.

Only a Monster was the perfect enemies to lovers book that I have had the pleasure of getting to read as of this year. This book used one of my favourite tropes in a way that I haven't seen in a while and made me fall in love with both characters despite the plot and what happens around them. As a diehard enemies to lovers fan, this book was an easy read and even easier to love. Vanessa does such an amazing job letting us glimpse into her world, into the characters and the plot she's so magically created. Without a doubt I fell so deeply in love with Joan and Nick that their story will be something I think about for a very long time. Such a beautifully crafted story that everyone should read!

Rating: 4.25⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is described as Passenger meets This Savage Song and I have to say that’s so accurate.

Only A Monster follows Joan as she discovers her and her family are monster, who can time travel by stealing time from humans. And the cute guy she works with? Oh yeah, he a monster hunter who’s trying to kill her. With the help of an abundance of monster misfits, Joan must travel back to stop the events that end her family. But who is she really. The monster or the hero?

This book was so good. I loved pretty much every aspect of the story. The time travel was unique and the monster families were interesting to learn about. I like that the characters jumped back in time to 1993, not the 1700’s. It was more relatable I found, not that I even born then haha.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I feel like it could be a standalone the way it ended off, but I’m looking forward to what the author comes up with for the next two books in the trilogy.

In this first installment of a planned trilogy, debut author Vanessa Len lays down the foundations of a world where monsters live among humans, appearing no different from their human counterparts. Monsters’ primary ability involves travelling through time, though in order to do so they must “steal time” from humans, shortening the lifespans of their victims. Beyond this ability that is shared by all monsters, each also has an additional ability shared by their family line. The story’s protagonist, Joan, is half-monster, half-human, and the monster half of her family has intentionally hidden the full extent of their abilities from her. Shortly after accidentally using her powers for the first time and learning the truth about them, Joan also learns that her crush, Nick, has sworn to destroy all monsters. Joan escapes a massacre, where the victims include most of her own family. As Joan teams up with another survivor of the massacre, she must quickly learn how to navigate not only her powers, but the entire society and hierarchy of monsters living hidden throughout London.

Despite being the first in a series, Only a Monster can stand on its own as the primary conflict is solved by the end of the book, with greater unresolved questions looming for those who will wait for its sequels. Its primary theme relates to morality, and the ambiguity of good versus evil, with the ever-present question being whether monsters are always evil, and heroes are always good. Another central theme is that of adapting to a new society. In the monster world, Joan feels out of place as she is half-human. Since her family hid the truth about monsters from her, Joan is not aware of monster society which has its own rules about what can and cannot be done regarding time travel, as well as urban legends which end up having truth to them as Joan learns more. She also alludes to feeling out of place in the human world as well due to being of mixed race. The supporting cast is also diverse, featuring characters of various ethnicities and sexualities. While the story gets dark, and features depictions of death, it is not overly graphic. Fantasy readers who enjoy time travel and related themes, such as alternate timelines, are sure to enjoy this fast-paced read.

I am pleased with Netgalley giving me the opportunity to read Only A Monster ahead of release.
It's a beautiful story that has a dark minuscule Gothic layer that intertwines a found family trope and time traveling. There are also monsters vs. the monster hunter.

There lie three characters, with our main character-Joan-who is trying to navigate the world with her mixed-race identity. She soon learns that she is a monster... but struggles as she never was taught what it is to be a monster in her world.

Then we have her love interest, Nick, who is very naive to her hints and attempts until we learn her one secret that she didn't even know herself that could be deadly...

Then the pinned love triangle second male lead... where you start rooting for the one person who doesn't care who you are and is struck by loyalty... no matter what... the man Aaron himself.

Not to get into spoilers, but the world is at war, and it's up to the found family to figure out how to prevent things from getting irreversibly worst.

The ending was painful, and it leaves you wondering if there is more to the story... and when you can get first hands on it.

To be honest, the whole entire reason I wanted to read this book was because to the cover, I think it's stunning. I'm so glad that I went with my gut and requested this ARC. I absolutely loved this book. It has a little bit of everything in it. The main character, Joan, was fantastic. I admire her love for her family and her desire to do the right thing, no matter the cost. Her persistence was inspiring. When every single person around her was telling her to give up, and it couldn't be done, she didn't listen and pressed forward.
I did find a few of the conversations a bit redundant. I mean how many times can you argue over the same point in the same way, but those conversations passed quickly and the moment lead on to something better.
I had a very Romeo and Juliet type feel to it, but also with the makings of a love triangle. I personally haven't read a LT in a while, so I'm good with it. The story is so interesting, I'm curious to see where it will go.
I really liked the fast pace this book had. You never had time to slow down. One chapter lead to the next and before you know it, you're reading the last page. This book hasn't even been released yet and already I can't wait to get my hands on book 2.

I received this ebook ARC from Harper Collins/HCC Frenzy in return for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Trigger Warnings:
Language, Battle Scenes, Death of Family Members
I apologize if I have missed or overlooked anything

I didn't vibe at all with this book and found myself skimming through a big part of it. Something about it just didn't click with me.

Overall, I really loved Only a Monster. The plot is interesting and Joan's battle with being a "monster" is compelling. As much as I enjoyed the build up, the ending did leave me wanting more from it. It did not go in the direction I expected and seemed to wrap things up a little too quickly. I would still recommend reading and am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy to see what happens next.

DNF at 14%.
Yeah I can't do it. At the 7% mark I told myself to power through to at least 20% before dnfing, but this is unberable.
Only A Monster is marketed as YA, but I don't believe it for a second. The writing style is way too juvenile to make it an accurate claim, with jokes such as "Astrid calls him Hottie McTottie.", and that annoying plotline of disruptive family members that will bully the main character, but it's because they're spunky! like, no, you're just an asshole. And I'll be the first to admit I love some clichés, but I feel like we, as a society, have outgrown love triangles. Especially when one of the boys is blond and named Aaron. I'd rather not bring back certain memories of characters with similiar traits.

Ever since she was a child, Joan's eccentric maternal family has claimed that they were monsters. It isn't until she's sixteen, spending the summer in London with a cute boy, that she realizes just how true it is. She does hail from a family of monsters, and even worse, the cute boy she's starting to fall for is the prophesized hero, a monster slayer. Unceremoniously shoved into a magical world she doesn't understand, Joan searches for a way to save her family. But to succeed, she may have to embrace her own monstrous nature.

Wow. This is an impressive debut for author Vanessa Len. This urban fantasy doesn't have a lot of definitive world-building or terminology, but it does have interesting and intriguing characters, and a heroine who may not be a hero at all. 4 stars.

To be perfectly honest, I struggled with the novel at first. The language used felt a little clunky and unrefined, but after a few chapters I found myself hooked. YA fantasy fans might be wary of the synopsis, which indicates a possible love triangle and star-crossed lovers trope, but should know that Len's novel handles the issues in unique ways.

In truth, the novel is powered by the complex characters introduced over the course of the story. We have monsters who act like monsters, monsters that act like humans, and humans that act like monsters. There are many facets to the characters in this novel, most obviously Joan, who is weighing the cost of good vs. evil on her own personal quest. ONLY A MONSTER is a must-read for 2022!

Posted on Goodreads on January 18, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Teen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up. It was a quick read for me but kept me entertained and drawn in from the beginning. After struggling recently with books not capturing my full attention until later in the book and/or not connecting with the writing style this was a welcome change. After this and "All of Us Villains" I am thinking that maybe really dark YA fantasy books are my thing. I'm excited to see where this keeps going!

Well, this was a crazy ride. Monsters (literal and figurative), time travel, super powers, a heist, first love. There’s a LOT going on. It’s very much it’s own kind of fairytale, with its morality lessons and the simple language Len uses. She could have started it with “Once upon a time” and it wouldn’t have felt out of place.

To me, the moral dilemma Joan finds herself in was the most intriguing part of the book. (Which is saying something, considering the premise and the plot.) It tackles the perennial issue of the nature of right & wrong/good & evil. It turns everything on its head. The good guy is the bad guy? The bad guy is the good guy? Or maybe a little bit of both? Or neither?

Joan has grown up being told that she’s a monster. She didn’t know that it was meant literally. She clearly has a strong moral compass and a conscience and always tries to do the right thing. It’s important to her to be a good person. But Joan’s mother’s family have a particular kind of supernatural power that allows them to take time from another person’s life and use it for themselves to travel in time. Joan sees this as a heinous, monstrous, unforgivable deed, to steal time from a person’s life. Time they won’t get back. Time that shortens their lifespan. So no matter who or what they are, and what they do with that extra time, they are literal and metaphorical monsters.

This is a horror scifi fantasy adventure thriller that takes off right out of the gate and never stops. I’m giving it 4 stars even though this ended up not really being my kinda thing because it was just really well done. It’s a page turner, for sure. I enjoyed the characters and the resolution. I can see this being a big YA Fantasy reader favorite!

This is the best YA Fantasy I’ve read in all of 2021, reminding me of some of the classic books of this category and genre from years ago. Just a beautifully told story with interesting character and no holds barred plotting. Phew! I also loved all of the supporting characters. Each one felt richly drawn and developed independently of Joan. I will be screaming about this book for awhile!

The writing is a bit clunky and heavy-handed, and I don't think there's enough setup in the beginning, but this still ends up being a fun story for fans of Holly Black's Cruel Prince.

**Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for e-copy**

This books if freaking bonkers. From the beginning I was hooked, and was taken on this crazy ride. I loved it and the fact that this is Vanessa Len debut?! bonkers. I so looking forward to where she goes with this series because Only a monster will definitely be on my top reads of 2022.

I’m going to try to describe things without giving away to many details because i went into it slightly blind and I think that made it much better. We follow Joan who is a part of the Hunt family. She spent her whole life being told by her Gran that she’s a monster. Joan never felt right about that, so she kind of blows it off. We then jump ahead to the summer where she goes to her Grans house in London for the summer. She volunteers for a Historical House where she meets Nick. After their first date goes wrong, and sets events in motion Joan must face what her Gran has been telling her whole life. That Joan really is a Monster.

1.5 stars.

I was impressed by the magic system in Only a Monster by Vanessa Len. Considering that this is a debut and features some time=travelling aspects - which is something I'm wary of even with authors I have read a lot from and therefore trust to some degree - I was uncertain about how I'd end up feeling about this book. Now it seems that my worries were unfounded. Though it was a bit simplistic as YA tends to be - I thought the execution of this novel was very engaging to read through.

The only reason I have given this a low rating is that the style in which it is written wasn't really my cup of tea. It was a little bit too younger YA for me, and I found the characters hard to like or relate to. Still, I'm quite curious about what Vanessa Len does next with the story she's established so far so I might very well read the sequel.

Would highly recommend this to people who enjoy fun YA fantasy novels that might utilise a few familiar and even over-used tropes but still manage to put a fresher twist to it.

I went into this book expecting a tale about literal monsters and while, yes, they were literal monsters, it was a lot more nuanced than that. This book was not what I expected at all but it still blew me away and ended up being one of the more thought provoking reads of this year so far. Even though the story is about monsters, the struggle of using their abilities for good or evil and the consequences and ramifications of those decisions was what made this story really stand out and what truly defined whether someone was a" monster" or not. I also loved the diversity of this cast of characters and how Joan struggles with her Half Asian, Half-English identity as well as her Half Human, Half Monster identity and how the two parallel each other throughout the story. All in all, I really loved this story and will be recommending it to many a friend upon release date!