Review: Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

 

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Publisher:  Harper Collins
Pages: 432
Source: ARC

ISBN-10:    0062272713

Rating: 4 Hearts

Book Description

"The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark.

Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre.

Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre.

And what he knows will change Kym’s life.

Reminiscent of Frankenstein and the tales of the Brothers Grimm, this debut novel by MarcyKate Connolly stands out as a compelling, original story that has the feel of a classic."

Review

Short and Sweet:

This was a really adorable and surprisingly deep read.  

To Elaborate... 

When I first saw this, I feel completely in love with the cover. After reading, I love it even more because it fits the story PERFECTLY. It's cute, it's different, and just a little dark. The premise is kind of mixture (as I think the above description says) of Frankenstein and a fairy tale. It actually reminds me just a bit of the beginning of the movie Maleficent (which is so freaking awesome, go watch it) when Maleficent is a little girl. I imagine if their worlds had collided, they might have had similar feelings.

Most of the time, I really loved this story. The writing is great, and I love the world building. It's not over the top complex, but it packs so much hidden meaning and beauty in it that I was in awe in a lot of parts. However, sometimes the story drags a bit. It wasn't horribly slow or anything like that, but I figured out one of the twists pretty early on, and it felt like it took the main character a whileeee to figure it out (but granted, it wasn't entirely in  her control, so I can't really fault her there).

The ending disappointed me just a little. It fit the story well, and it's not like it came from nowhere, but I still feel like some issues were unresolved. I think this especially is just a weird me-feeling; I can see others not agreeing with me at all, and that's totally cool! It definitely didn't make me regret reading the story or anything (I would happily reread this and probably will). 

Overall, if you're looking for a fantastic and cute middle grade with a great world, I'd recommend picking this one up!     

4 Hearts!