*We Shall Be Monsters* by Alyssa Wees is a haunting, lyrical fantasy that explores the complexities of familial bonds amidst a dark, magical setting. Gemma Cassata, drawn to the forbidden woods near her Michigan home, discovers a hidden fairyland despite her mother's warnings. When Gemma's mother, Virginia, is taken by a witch, Gemma embarks on a dangerous journey to rescue her, uncovering hidden truths along the way.

Wees masterfully weaves alternating perspectives of Gemma and Virginia, revealing a family history steeped in curses, witches, and forgotten love. The atmospheric setting, blending dark fairytales with modern life, brings a sense of foreboding to Gemma's quest. Virginia's determination to protect her daughter, even at great personal cost, adds emotional depth to the story, making it as much about the ties that bind mothers and daughters as it is about magic.

The novel’s prose is rich and evocative, pulling readers into a world where every step through the woods feels both enchanting and perilous. Fans of dark fantasy and fairy tales will find this story of defiance, love, and sacrifice deeply compelling. *We Shall Be Monsters* is a poignant, imaginative tale that lingers long after the final page.

I am a sucker for reimagined fairy tales, so Alyssa Wees' book We Shall Be Monsters immediately drew me in and kept me captivated. It pulls on all the fairy tales tropes: dark woods, monsters, enchanting fairies, and a hero's quest. The tale is portrayed through the dual perspectives of Virginia (the mother) and Gemma (the daughter). Perhaps because of my situation in life, I enjoyed Virginia's story better than Gemma's, but I can imagine that a young adult reader would really enjoy Gemma's narrative. The writing is lush and evocative and perfect for a fall read.

Thanks to Random House - Ballentine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 star
This book has a dark atmosphere to it that is absolutely perfect for fall. It also has fairies, wolves, witches, and other magical creatures. I loved the descriptions of the world that made it feel like I was there. It shows the complex relationship between mother and daughters which I feel like when I was younger I would not have grasped/ enjoyed as much but now having a daughter myself, I felt like I was able to truly grasp that and appreciate it in this book. Now my only thing that has me rating this under 4 stars was just that the daughter’s pov reads a little too young for me. I know that she is only 12 and then moves to her being 15 but I felt like I had a hard time staying immersed during her parts. Overall I would recommend this book if you are looking for a magical fall book that has a great story line that mixes fantasy with a more real world feel.

I will also be including a review on my YouTube channel in my monthly wrap up at the end of September.

We Shall Be Monsters is a power tale of mother and daughter; the monsters in the woods and inside of us. Alyssa Wees weaves a tale told from the perspective of Gemma and her mother, Virginia. This dark fairytale is filled with fae, witches, & creatures of all sorts.

Quest after quest, our characters are thrusted into situations where they barely manage to escape. I felt as though many of the situations were too easily solved. For example, after the bloody entry to the Woods Below, Gemma and her mother just wandered around for the exit. It felt very anticlimactic. The solution to many of the problems they faced were solved with a whisper or a convenient touch of magic.

While I loved many of the characters, I disliked how Wees dismantled the fae prince, Silvanus, into a 1 dimensional, singularly focused "hero". While most of the characters felt fleshed out, Silvanus at the end felt like a poorly written comedic relief insert. I was disappointed in the changes to his character.

This story was not just magic and fae. It was the multi-generational trauma, it was the love we have for our mothers, it was the truth we see when we finally look in the shadows.

"We Shall Be Monsters" by Alyssa Wees is a mesmerizing dive into gothic horror with a fresh, feminist twist. Set in a richly imagined, darkly atmospheric world, the novel reimagines classic monster lore through the eyes of its complex female protagonist, who confronts her own monstrous transformations and the societal constraints that shape her.

Wees’s lyrical prose and vivid descriptions create an eerie and immersive reading experience. The narrative explores themes of identity, agency, and rebellion against oppressive norms, all while delivering suspense and psychological depth. The interplay of horror and empowerment provides a nuanced commentary on the nature of monstrosity and the fight for self-definition.

In essence, "We Shall Be Monsters" is a compelling, thought-provoking read that offers both thrills and a profound exploration of the female experience in the face of fear and societal expectation.

We Shall be Monsters by Alyssa Wees is a dark and atmospheric fairytale that has two narrative voices, Gemma & Virginia. Gemma, the daughter, is forbidden to enter the enchanted woods near their home by her mother, Virginia, but has no choice when her mother is kidnapped by the Slit Witch.

The author really has two distinctive narrative voices here. It really is easy to see who is Gemma and Virginia as you read, which sometimes authors have a hard time doing. The world building by the author is immersive, you truly find yourself getting lost in it. There are numerous quests and magical creatures.

At this stories core is the mother-daughter relationship. How one can swear to “never be like her” and find yourself there, exactly like her, doing things you swore you’d never do. This story also makes you ask the question, just because you do something out of love, does it make it “right”?

Overall I really enjoyed this book & would recommend it to others.

We Shall Be Monsters is a delightfully dark and atmospheric fairytale that intricately explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. The dual POV is handled exceptionally well, with distinct voices that still reflect the parallels between Gemma and Virginia. The author's vivid descriptions made me feel as though I had been dropped directly into the story. Often, when a book feels unpredictable, it’s because the author lacked clear direction, but this is a rare case where the unpredictability felt intentional, creating a great sense of mystery for the reader. While there were some minor pacing issues, and a few problems were resolved too easily, I absolutely loved this book overall. I would pitch it as Coraline meets the writing style and atmosphere of T. Kingfisher and Holly Black—a perfect vibe for the autumnal season.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book deserves a million stars. The prose is so beautiful, and the two narrative voices in the story, mother and daughter, are so distinct and perfect. It's a true fairytale, a little bit sad, but with an earned happy ending. It's greatest strength, other than how deeply kind and loving it is, is the imaginative nature of the quests. It feels magical like Labyrinth or The Neverending Story, like you read it as a child and forgot it, then came back as an adult to find all the wonder still there.

We Shall Be Monsters is a thrilling reimagining of classic monster tales that I found absolutely captivating. I loved how Wees skillfully intertwines the stories of iconic literary monsters with a fresh, feminist perspective, giving voice to characters often relegated to the sidelines. The writing is rich and immersive, pulling me straight into a dark, atmospheric world.
Overall, the unique premise and strong character development made it an enjoyable read that kept me hooked until the end.

3.75 stars! This was a perfect little fairy tale to get me in the mood for autumn. I ended up loving Virginia’s POV much more than I thought I would and loved that at the end of the day, this was really a story about family. I appreciate the romance in it, but it was refreshing to have the focus of a fairytale be on different kinds of love. This is for readers who want a nostalgic feeling as it felt like a fable from my youth, and I think because we follow daughters, mothers, and grandmothers, a rebellious, adventurous girl of any age would find a way to connect with these characters. Pleasantly surprised by this!

This was a fresh take on how magic impacts familial ties. Keeping secrets can keep her daughter safe, but Virginia learns that Gemma will venture out despite that safeguard. Now she's on her own to discover the truth of the forest.

Everything you ever loved about dark and twisty fairy tales as child written for adults, We Shall Be Monsters was so fun to read. The protagonists were lovable; The antagonist was easy to fear; and in true dark fairy tale fashion, absolutely nothing is as it seems. Written from two mother and daughter perspectives and told across two timelines, this story captured my curiosity from the first page.

Gemma is a young girl who lives next to an enchanted wood. It’s the one place she longs to go every day, but it’s also the one place forbidden to her by her mother. Like any curious child, she routinely goes further than she ought into the trees. Never one to hide things from her mother, she tells her all of her adventures in the evening when mama brushes her hair before bed- exactly 100 strokes, no more and no less. When Gemma wakes in the morning, she has no memory of her adventures the previous day.

Virginia is a mother torn between her true love and the unceasing need to keep her daughter safe from the monsters who roam the woods. She hates taking her daughter’s memories, but keeping her daughter safe from the Slit Witch is the more important to her than the sanctity of her daughter’s lived experiences. Her only hope for the future is to break the curse keeping her family torn apart: she must find a mirror that shows the true self before her daughter turns 15. When Gemma is twelve years old, Virginia is kidnapped by the Slit Witch, and it’s up to Gemma to figure out how to break the curse and rescue her mother from the Slit Witch before time runs out.

This book is an exploration on the makings of a monster— at what point does a being cross the threshold of being monstrous and is there ever a path for redemption? Can we save our loved ones from walking the path that leads to monsters? Can we save them from themselves? Should we? And at what point does saving our loved ones from the monsters become our very descent into monstrosity? These are all questions Alyssa digs into in this dark and bewitching read. I had so much fun with this book.

I’d like to thank Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

<i>Labyrinth</i> meets John Connolly's <i>The Book of Lost Things</i>, kind of. I mean, I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it as much as either of those two, which isn't surprising considering the adoration I have for both (one of my favorite films and one of my favorite books!), but it definitely has some of the same vibes, seeing as how there's a young girl on a quest through a dangerous and magical land and all that that entails.

There are lots of things to love about this book. There are fairies and witches and handsome princes. There's a magical quest and monsters to be slain. The prose is lovely (although perhaps a bit florid for my tastes) and the world-building is immersive. There's romance and complicated mother-daughter relationships and curses to be broken. Basically, it's all one big dark fairy tale and I am all about dark fairy tales.

At the same time, however, Gemma's quest just seemed so superficial at times. She flitted from one dangerous circumstance to another, but there was very little depth to many of the situations. For example, her escape from the Woods Below (which you think would be an ordeal considering how difficult it was to get there to begin with) is essentially limited to “they searched around and eventually found an exit.” Woo boy, that'll get the adrenaline pumping.

My biggest issue with this book, though, is what was done to Silvanus's character. He started out as this mysterious and alluring fairy prince and them somehow ended up the Scrappy-Doo of the fairy woods (Lemme at 'em! Lemme at 'em!). I don't want to say too much and spoil things, but he pretty much becomes a caricature of himself and I didn't like it one bit. Props to Gemma for her reaction to his Scrappy-Dooing (yes, this is a verb, created by me just now) at the end, though.

But still, despite these issues, it's pretty much impossible for me to dislike a tale that involves a dangerous quest through a magical forest. It's not The Book of Lost Things (which you should totally read if you haven't already), but it is dark and fantastical and enthralling and maybe even a bit heartwarming too.

My overall rating: 3.65 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is November 12, 2024.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was beautifully written! It was full of darkness, monsters, a little sparkle and magic.

I was jumping up and down, gasping and had some grossed out moments.

I love how original and unique the characters were and how they were paired with some mythological and fantastical staples!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc for my honest review

A young girl, an enchanted forest, and a mother who forbids her to enter the forest behind their house with threats of monsters begins this thrilling tale. This is a beautiful atmospheric novel with beautiful woods, fairies, monsters, witches and defiant children. The story unfolds with the stories of three generations- a grandmother, a mother and her daughter - intertwined in the consequences of their visiting the forest. The story involves a witches curse, humans turned into monsters, a fairy prince seeking fame and glory and a lonely girl.
I enjoyed reading this but it was a bit long and could have been confusing unless you paid attention to who was the narrator in each chapter.
This book is recommended to readers of Naomi Novik, as it is very similar to her book Spinning Silver.

We Shall Be Monsters is a hauntingly beautiful, and dark story like old fairy tales and I loved every moment of it.

At its core, it is a story about mothers and daughters; the lengths they will go to to protect eachother and the patterns they can fall into because of fear. How a daughter can swear to never be like her mother in some ways only to fall into similar patterns to protect her own daughter. Virgina's mother tries to keep her from the woods because she fears the "monsters" in it and Virgina resents her for it; only to turn around and do the same to her daughter Gemma.

I honestly loved everything about this book from the characters to the imagery. Definitely one of my top reads of the year!

We Shall Be Monsters follows the story of Gemma Cassata and her mother Virginia who live near an enchanted patch of forest in Michigan. When Gemma's mother goes missing, Gemma must go into the woods, face a witch, and break the mysterious curse that has plagued her mother. Written in dual point of view - that of Gemma and her mother - we come to terms with generational trauma, curses, and both past and present.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book, as someone who grew up in Michigan near the woods, this was really easy for me to slide into mentally. Dark, and whimsical Wees brings you into this world so like our own, but sprinkled with darkness and magic. I enjoyed the strength of our female characters, they did not rely on others to offer them help, or to try and run from their problems. Our main character was very fleshed out and much more than just a 15 year old girl. However, I do think the writing style and way things progressed for this book lean very heavily YA.

Overall, while it didn't blow me away as a 29 year old, as a teenager I would've adored this book, and would definitely recommend to anyone who is a young adult or just a lover of YA fantasy style stories. Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me the ARC of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

It's been a long while since I read a true fairytale, one that whisks me in and out of fairyland, spinning my heart around in the best, most dizzy way. Gemma and Virginia's stories entwine in the best possible way, as mother and daughter, as victims of a terrible spell, and as heroines who champion true love, and blood love. I was really sad to have this story end, and I hope that Alyssa Wees brings us back to the fairy realm in a future book. I'll be snapping up that one quick.

This is a dark fairytale of sorts that feels rooted in generational trauma from grandmother to daughter to granddaughter. It is about transformation and overcoming fear. It is about finding ones own truth in a world that can be both beautiful and devastatingly dark. Highly recommend.

What a beautiful world full of sparkle, darkness, monsters, and magic!

Gemma truly comes into her own while searching the woods for her mother, Virginia, after she is taken by the Slit Witch. Why was she taken, where has she gone, and how does Gemma go about getting her back?

This book was the best little fantasy dive I’ve had in a good long while. With original and unique creations paired with some mythological, fantastical, and literary staples, We Shall Be Monsters was completely immersive and I’m sad I’m no longer in those magical Michigan woods. I loved one love story, scoffed at another, gasped, and got a little grossed out; it was great!