A big thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yesssss. The perfect book for spooky season.

The Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic is a YA gothic fantasy novel that is supposed to be a retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie. Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness. Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

This book is monstrously good and dark, and works perfectly for a spooky season read. Fans of House of Salt and Sorrow and Anatomy: A Love Story will devour this whole!

Okay I am going to admit something but I have never read Pride and Prejudice. So keep that in mind while reading my review, since this book is loosely based off of that book.

This book was perfect to read during the spooky season. It had a gothic feeling and was very atmospheric. The zombies were definitely creepy.
I think that I've seen this book marketed as a romantasy. I have to say that I disagree with that. This book felt way more fantasy focused and the romance was more of a subplot. This works well for me because that is my preference, but it could be misleading to those wanting to read this book.
The central mystery of the book was really fun to unravel and try to guess. The writing in this book is fantastic. There was so much world building, character development, and a cohesive plot. I can not believe that this is the debut novel by this author. I will definitely be recommending this book to others, and will be reading what comes next from this author.

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

This is probably somewhere between a 3 to 4, but rounding up because the ending surprised me in a great way. The Monstrous Kind is a regency YA fantasy where two sisters navigate a strained relationship in their old Manor, surrounded by a menacing mist that transforms the unlucky into zombie-like phantoms. It is told from the perspective of naive Merrick, who returns from the London marriage mart after their father’s untimely death, where she must reconcile her father’s dismissal of her as an heir and contend with the circling vultures of other Manor-born Lords.

I appreciate Gregovic’s focus on a softer, more meek character finding her personal strength and how she builds the mysterious atmosphere with lush description. As a debut, it has its hang-ups: simile-ladden to a fault and clunky worldbuilding in its exposition. Gregovic can write a beautiful sentence, but a metaphor every line really killed the pacing and made the descriptions harder to appreciate. Oftentimes, less is more. That said, the ending was unexpectedly great and really punched up the themes, taking it from a somewhat predictable plot line to a tale on the corrupting force of power and what we sacrifice to get it.

I look forward to her future works and think they’ll probably align with those interested in the gothic mystery/softer MCs of Ava Reid, fantasy with historical influence of Alison Saft, and other gothic fantasy/regency works.

This story was a fun mix of Sense and Sensibility and P&P and zombies! I really enjoyed the darker Sussex, with the phantoms and the Graylands. The descriptive writing was beautiful and even with it being a darker themed book the words felt lyrical! Would highly recommend!

"An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in a Regency England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story."

I mean with a tagline like that how can anyone say no! Merrick Darling's life is thrown into chaos as she receives news of her father's death. She quickly returns home to Norland House only to be met with an icy welcome from her older sister, Essie, and her cousin and his wife who seem to be quite settled in the home. Of course not all is as it appears, secrets seem to ooze from the very walls. Merrick, as a Manorborn, is immune to the toxic fog that encroaches further and further into England. Unlike the commoners, she will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders. After her sister's disappearance Merrick must face some hard truths and confront society's expectations. If you liked Anatomy then this is definitely a book for you. Very similar writing styles. This book is well written and serves up ambiance by the ton. This is a book that feels almost like a movie in your mind, you can see it come to life. I personally found it to be a little too much description not enough forward momentum with the plot. It made me feel out of step with Merrick as her story progressed. Although it is marketed as a romance, it is more like a hint, a flirtation if you will. This book is a great choice as we near Fall. A perfect choice for a gray, foggy day to read as you bury yourself in blankets.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I liked the premise of this book set in Regency England...original, spooky, kind of Gothic...also included great atmospheric world-building. There are also some false herrings thrown in to muddy the waters between the "good guys" and the villains...some surprised me, some I saw coming.

There were parts of the book that dragged a little for me...not a lot going on. And I must admit to some frustration and disappointment with how the main character Merrick handled some of the situations she found herself in. I found her waffling a bit much between a strong, brave heroine and a meek doormat.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and thought it was very well done from a debut author. I'll look forward to more from her.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing the free early arc of The Monstrous Kind for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This was such a fun read. I would describe it as a YA paranormal fantasy with a little touch of romance. Merrick Darling returns home after the death of her father, the head of one the most powerful families in Britain. The land has a mysterious fog that turns people into flesh eating monsters, and Merrick is thrown into a world of deception and danger.

I enjoyed the beautiful writing that bordered on poetry, the pace of the story, the character development and the endless twists and turns. So glad I found this book! It was the perfect rear going into the Fall season.

Thank you Random House Children's Publisher and Netgalley for this arc.

A regency era inspired gothic romantasy that is eerie and hauntingly beautiful. This is perfect for the season and impressive debut novel from the author. I would not identify this as horror. It didn’t feel that way to me. The plot is very intriguing with interesting characters that will keep you wanting to know more. The pace is on the slower side, however, that usually comes with great world building which is you will happily find in this book. There is a lot of drama and intricacies in the story that a lot of people would enjoy.

I believe another round of editing would do the book good. This is definitely worth a read!

The book cover was amazing and the vibes were wonderful. But sadly the book does not live up to my expectations. I wanted a bit more. It is a great read for spooky season regardless though!

overall a fun spooky regency gothic mystery. I think the vibes were excellent, the mystery and twists good, and the worldbuilding quite fun. I’d recommend reading this overall. I found the world really interesting and would love to see more creative historical magic worldbuilding along these lines. the author also did a good job building up suspense and laying clues while keeping the mystery hidden. I did enjoy the subversion of regency era romance by addressing the classism and poverty.

*however* I really dislike the choice to present this as sense and sensibility, and having that expectation set me up to be disappointed. the sister relationship was just bad throughout, and we see the whole book through the younger sister. I feel like if you’re hoping for a storyline even mildly like s&s, you won’t get it. the romance wasn’t very developed, and there was none of the pining/longing/sacrifice of s&s

I love the cover of this book! The description sounds like the kind of book I would love but unfortunately this book didn't live up to the hype. It started off slow and then picked up and it kept me intrigued until the big reveal fell flat. I did enjoy the author's writing style and I know this is her first novel so I will keep her on my radar.

Thank you to Lydia Gregovic, Random House Children's (Delacorte Press), and NetGalley for an eARC of The Monstrous Kind.

The Monstrous Kind gave off vibes of Bridgerton meets Blood and Ash. The book follows the story of Merrick as she returns home after the death of her father. Her sister, Essie, will be the new head of their family's Manor and, essentially, rule over a district of people. After Merrick's return, she begins to notice there are breaches in their security - when a protective lantern goes out, the fog rolls in and with it come blood thirsty phantoms. When Essie goes missing, Merrick realizes that whoever took her might just be behind the breaches. As Merrick tries to figure out what is happening and find her sister, she comes across some unsettling news about what has been happening while she was gone.

This book is rated as a YA book and while the content may be, I felt as though the language in the book was a little more sophisticated than a typical young adult book. I enjoyed the premise, but felt the book was both too slow at some points while going extremely fast at others. Some relationships and trust felt like they were earned too quickly and others seemed to develop and unfold at a much slower pace. I felt as though some of the characters I was supposed to like and who were supposed to be considered trustworthy (cough cough Cressida and Tom cough cough) actually seemed pretty sketchy and I was waiting for the moment their betrayal came to light.

The book ended on an interesting note and I am interested to read the sequel if there is one.

In the end, I would rate this a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

Two sisters, a deadly mist and mysteries abound....

The Monstrous Kind centers on two sisters, who couldn't be more different, fighting to keep their manor and legacy alive after over a century of survival from the mist and phantoms that lurk nearby.

Lydia Gregovic has constructed a gothic world where Regency era England meets darkness and monsters. One sister, Essie, is set to become the vessel, the Lord of her family's manor. While the other, younger sister, Merrick, must secure her own safety for her future through a strong marriage.

The story begins with Merrick returning to the manor after hearing of her father's passing. The horrors and mysteries immediately begin as Merrick's return coach is attacked by phantoms after a breach in the borders of the mist. Merrick is rescued by a strong, young sentry with a murky past she'll need to uncover as the story unfolds. She arrives to the manor to find her sister drastically changed, her unsophisticated cousin and his cold wife running the estate and many other questions she'll need to find answers to.

At times, Merrick appears to be a frightened young girl, trying only to honor her deceased parents and do what she thinks is right as a manorborn. Underestimated by most, she is determined to find answers and save her manor and those she loves. As the story unfolds the reader watches as Merrick must make decisions far beyond her years, with long lasting consequences.

The book has been noted to be for the target audience of YA. With that in mind, I give it a strong 4 stars. The gothic horror and amount of romance is just the right amount for most YA readers. If you have a YA reader, or you yourself, like YA gothic romantasies, give this book a try; especially given the spooky time of year we are approaching!

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for my ARC. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Spooky and atmospheric, regency-esque, but incredibly slow. The author was great at creating imagery, but the amount of similes and comparisons to do so became distracting. The action scenes were great and the ending definitely moved at a better pace than the rest of the book. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It was an interesting read that presented a unique take on an old classic novel and while the pacing dragged at times, the characters kept me curious enough to make it to the end!

In a haunting Regency England, two sisters, Merrick and Essie, struggle to protect their manor from monstrous creatures and a toxic fog threatening their lands. After their father's sudden death, Merrick returns to her childhood home to find a changed, frightened Essie and a landscape besieged by attacks. As dangers mount and Essie disappears, Merrick faces treacherous Manor Lords and dwindling allies, questioning whom she can trust in a world where every certainty is slipping away.

I really enjoyed this, it made me feel like I was reading a gothic bridgerton story. I was not expecting it to be as eerie which made me like it even more. I did predict a lot of the twists but that didn’t take away from the experience for me.

There were some moments that left me wanting more, or felt a little unresolved with questions lingering. I loved the overall atmospheric setting it was the perfect intro to fall.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for this ARC.

This book is lush, romantic, gothic, and gorgeously written. I was hooked on the world immediately. It's so unique and terrifying at the same time. I also loved that we aren't just dealing with literal monsters but with threats from society as well. This is a beautiful book and my students are going to love it.

Atmospheric and gothic romantasy inspiring by Austen’s Sense and Sensibility? I mean, say less. There is not one word in that sentence I hate. This immediately gave me vibes of Erin A. Craig’s books (a huge compliment coming from me, self-appointed leader of the Craig Fan Club). Merrick was a wonderfully flawed character who just felt terribly relatable. She was vain, jealous, petty, sarcastic and just my absolute favorite type of character. The romance was subtlety beautiful, the twists were wild, and there was some pretty cool horror elements at play. I would love to see more books set in this world.

Such a fun read!! This book had so much, a good mystery with twists and turns you really don't expect. A cute sub plotted romance. A fierce and smart main character. Sisterly love... All in all this was a journey that I very much enjoyed going through. My one main issue with it was the fact that the main character was 17? Which always stresses me out a bit especially when she is thinking about marriage. I understand why due to her social background but as a viewer I wish she was just a tad older!

This was a great read. I loved the gothic horror, regency, monsters, etc. all mixed in together. That made for a very atmospheric read with an interesting concept. I found the setting, characters and plot to all be really compelling and I flew through this one. This was a unique retelling, that I definitely didn't feel I had read before, and I long for more!