book review: only a monster by vanessa len

Author: Vanessa Len

Trilogy: Book 1 in Monsters trilogy

Format: e-arc (thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy)

Genre: Urban Fantasy | YA

Synopsis: 

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.
But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

Rate: 4 / 5 ⭐

Review:

Read this book quite a while back and am only now getting to review it. let's just hope I remember enough to write a sensible review. 

Joan apparently comes from a family of monsters who have the ability to time travel by taking time from other humans. This was what got me interested in the book, the time-travelling trope. There were other common tropes like a protagonist with new powers (obviously something more special than the rest, am hoping it doesn't turn out to be some chosen one bs), the love triangle (which wasn't necessary really). I personally love the enemies to lovers in this, I think it's quite interesting because they do like each other but are on opposite ends due to what they believe in and the two different things they want to protect. Am not mentioning who (I hope is) the main love interest because it could be a bit of a spoiler. 

I loved how there were different families of monsters who had different special abilities (apart from the leeching time of humans to travel). My mind currently draws a blank on the exact intricate workings of the magic system of this book (this is why you don't wait three months to write a review!) but I know it falls under urban fantasy and as far as I remember, the magic system is pretty cool in the book. In terms of plot, it was fast-paced with some good action scenes and some moments that surprised me. 

Although the book is very much marketed as something about monsters and heroes and being on two opposite ends of the spectrum, being a monster didn't seem as all that bad as it was supposed to be. I don't know if Vanessa Len is planning on having some intense reveals in the upcoming books but from what I read in this book it didn't seem as bad.

I am not going to read through this review again because I know it's a mess but in short, the book was good, quite fast-paced with some good characters and great worldbuilding. The ending seemed like it's a wrap but we are getting two more books so I am excited to know more.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧