Len’s idea to write the traditional hero vs monster story from a monster’s perspective, thus framing the hero as the villain, was a clever one, as was her idea to give the monsters the ability to time travel by stealing time from humans. The combination of those two ideas could’ve resulted in a phenomenal, intriguing story, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Most of the world-building was explained too briefly or not at all, leaving me almost constantly confused. There were a few instances where the opposite was true as well, where we learn a lot of information at once, and if we can’t remember it all, too bad, because it’s not getting explained again.

At times, reading this felt like arguing with a child, like when you ask them “Why?”, and all they say is “Because,” and refuse to actually elaborate. It was a bit frustrating, honestly. A fantasy story, regardless of sub-genre, cannot only be ~vibes~. There needs to be structure, there needs to be logic, and this book didn’t have enough of either one. We know there’s a king no one has seen and a royal court suspended in time, but not how the king came to power or what power system exists for the monsters beyond said king. We know there are twelve monster families each with a unique ability, but not if they’re noble, if there are any monsters outside of those families, or if they’re special in some other way. Sure, one could argue that we’ll learn these things in the next book, but to that I say, why should we have to wait for a sequel to (potentially) get basic world-building? Furthermore, how am I supposed to become invested in the story when my confusion over these missing details makes it difficult to focus on anything else? And don’t even get me started on the dual timelines mess.

Moving on, the protagonist Joan discovers early on that she’s a human-monster hybrid, and thus an anomaly, not truly belonging in either world but forced into the monster world after a rather traumatic night. We’re told repeatedly that she’s different, she’s special, she’s not like other monsters, but we don’t know why. And honestly, she didn’t feel special. She was likable enough, I suppose, but didn’t really have any defining characteristics; Len didn’t give me any reason to root for her. I felt more attachment to Joan’s companions than I did to her.

Speaking of, I quite liked the side characters. We’ve got Ruth, Joan’s cousin with a comeback for every situation and occasional kleptomaniac tendencies; Aaron, a member of a rival monster family that seems to hide vulnerability beneath cynicism; and Tom, a suspicious guy with a bigger role than I anticipated that, without spoiling anything, ended up being the complete opposite of what I expected. I found all three of them more compelling than Joan, and especially—to my surprise—loved Aaron.

From the beginning, I was reading between the lines of every interaction Joan and Aaron had, convinced that every snide comment, lingering touch or uncertain feeling meant something more. They reminded me heavily of Roma and Juliette from These Violent Delights, of Ismae and Duval from Grave Mercy—two of my absolute favorite enemies to lovers ships—forced to work together under less-than-ideal circumstances, only to find that, when they can finally split up… they might not want to. I go feral over this dynamic every time, and they’re no exception.

At least, they would be no exception, if Len hadn’t RUINED EVERYTHING with that ending. I’m so annoyed, even a few hours after finishing. She tried to force a ship that had no chemistry, presumably for the sake of plot. I hope she doesn’t actually want these characters together, partially because it wouldn’t make sense after the way the book ended, but mostly because I HATE IT.

Feelings aside, the end of the book… didn’t make much sense? Joan supposedly figured out what was so special about her, and used her power in a way that I think was supposed to be shocking, but really, it only managed to confuse me further. How can she have a power greater than any monster when she’s only half-monster? Add it to the list of things about this book that don’t make sense, I guess.

All in all, despite my heavy criticism of it, I wouldn’t say I hated Only a Monster. I think it’s a textbook case of good premise, poor execution. The side characters pulled their weight and then some, which is a significant part of why I’m not giving the book a lower rating. As for whether or not I’d recommend it, I’m hesitant to say outright that I wouldn’t—I usually reserve that for books I truly hated—but I will say that there are other books I’d recommend first. If you want a YA historical fantasy with time travel, try The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell. If you want a YA historical fantasy with an enemies to lovers romance, try Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers and/or These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. And if you want a YA urban fantasy with Asian representation, try Wicked Fox by Kat Cho and/or Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco.

Currently unsure if I’ll read the sequel when it releases. Reading books out of sheer curiosity against my better judgment is my toxic trait, so we’ll see. If Aaron’s in it, I might push through whatever else is there just to see him again.

Representation