‘My Fair Monster’ is a YA romcom that I didn’t know I needed—a mashup of tiaras and fake blood, where our girl Corie Nielson dreams of swapping the sash for a scream queen crown. But plot twist: she’s also low-key drowning in undiagnosed ADHD, and her internal monologue is so real it hurts🥲

Corie teams up with Everett, a grumpy goth makeup artist who looks like he escaped from Hot Topic’s brooding cousin collection, and together they plan to win a monster makeup contest.

It’s heartfelt, it’s hilarious,it’s SO CUTE, and creative and completely new to what I’ve typically read that it gripped my heart from the start. It was so enjoyable that I finished it in one sitting.

And also a round of applause for the cover because that is the reason I found this phenomenal book and read it👏

Adrienne has one of the brightest, bubbliest voices I’ve come across in YA contemporary. Corie is so charming, you can’t help but want to spend time with her, and her struggles with ADHD are lovingly rendered. I have huge appreciation for the way the author has balanced Corie's love life with her other interests, friends, and family—it makes for an immersive experience, and the characters feel real.

This is a fantastic book with the same kind of warmth and heart as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. You don’t have to be a horror nerd or a pageant fan to enjoy this one, Corie’s niche interests make her a clear and compelling character, but the appeal is universal!

Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street for an early look at this book!

The beauty one can find in the blood and guts of horror is truly the art of it all! If you have not already guessed, your average romance or romcom is not my first choice to read. The concept of a beauty queen wanting to become a scream queen and navigating her mental health through the horror genre was a must read. If I read romance it needs to have one of the few elements – gaming, LGBTQ+, or horror/horror adjacent content. Rivera’s appreciation for the horror genre dragged the zombies from the grave with homages to classic horror in every chapter title. Kudos to the details given to the FX effects we see throughout My Fair Monster.
The true monster is not the creature or Frankenstein’s monster. The monster is learning how to take accountability for our behaviors and accept ourselves as we are. There is a special nuance to navigating this struggle with the protagonist as Rivera eloquently shows what ADHD looks like. The audience is not given superficial ADHD quirks because Rivera instead shows us what it really looks like and how relationships with ADHD unfold. The accountability and the monstrous process of acceptance is the heart of the story here. I wanted to see the transition of accepting accountability to the conclusion the protagonist arrives at – but that still leaves this story WELL deserving of a four out of five!
The detail of the makeup and the homage to movies shows great appreciation for the genre. Who could not fall in love with this sweet tale of a girl learning how to fight her demons while falling in love? We have all been in that position and that adds to the authenticity of this novel here. Come for the silly banter and dialogue and stay for the eerie scenery with this beauty queen turned scream queen! Thank you Net Galley and Page Street Publishing for advanced digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

The perfect Halloween rom-com for fans of horror movies, beauty pageants, and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, My Fair Monster is a charming and delightful page-turner made all the more compelling by FMC Corie's familial dynamics and eventual ADHD diagnosis. With adorable banter, scary movie references, and a glimpse into the exciting world of creature make-up and prosthetics, My Fair Monster is my new favorite seasonal read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Page Street YA for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book!

I am such a huge fan of Young Adult contemporary books and I wholeheartedly appreciated this one for the portrayal of ADHD in Corie. This book didn’t give me a pamphlet with symptoms; it didn’t hold my hand and go “this is what ADHD means.” Adrienne Rivera SHOWED us a teenage girl who was diagnosed with ADHD. We get so many intricately crafted moments that work towards this larger goal and it is beautiful. I love the emphasis that she isn’t broken and doesn’t need to be fixed, but she also needs help sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with asking for that help. And again, I must emphasize that I enjoyed interacting with all of this on my own and not being told what to think about it. There’s a fine line between showing and telling and Rivera did a great job here!!

I also really enjoyed the SFX plot and the craftwork, mixed with the pageantry. I had so much fun with the horror banter and all the movies mentioned, even though I only knew a handful. It was fun and interesting!

My few qualms were minimal: the book overall felt a bit long. There are a few things that felt repetitive and Corie’s internal dialogue was a bit excessive- though it makes sense since it is the way her brain works. I also found it a bit annoying to include an “oh no, my parents won’t appreciate me turning my hobby into a career” plot that ended up going NOWHERE because the parents were actually supportive. ☠️ It was a conflict only because Everett was afraid to tell them and it was weird.

I also really disliked Gigi… though I appreciated that that subplot was fully executed and we got a sufficient conclusion. I do think their family dynamic as a whole was extremely messy…. Knowing they were putting so much pressure on a 17yo to do things for her great grandmother and then getting angry when she didn’t always pull through…. And then later telling her it wasn’t her responsibility. Ummm that’s kind of how you raised her?? 😅 It was a bit confusing to say the least.

The chemistry between Corie and Everett was very light. I kind of wish we had more time of them together than of them fighting. 😅 It was an odd decision to include two fights instead of just one at the third act conflict.

Overall though, I think this book fills a very important need in the YA community: a book that accurately shows us ADHD in all its messy moments, with a female character! I hope that readers of YA will enjoy this book and learn about lot!