Book Review for Monotone Masquerade by George Veck

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

Monotone Masquerade, by George Veck, is a psychological drama about children who are struggling to find their way, all the while trying to back what they believe they’ve lost. Justin is the fifteen year old son of Wendy Billings, who lies to the government about her son’s “disability” in order to cash in his checks. Darcy is a teenager who, from a mixture of trauma, narcissism, and delusional self-confidence, works drug routes as a way to support herself and her self-esteem. Blake is the forgotten spoiled child of the town dentist, while Dafydd is forced to contend with more violent ones. They, alongside other children, endeavor to survive in the midst of a society of adults that care more for themselves, rather than them. 

I’m not going to lie: Justin’s story broke me. He was still able to succeed in spite of all his mother’s done to him. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve done the same thing. And despite Darcy’s anti-social tendencies, I can find myself empathizing with her situation as well, even though, as a counselor, she’d probably be classified as a “difficult client.” I liked seeing their interactions with one another, and despite their struggles and contrasting personalities, each of them have something to prove, whether to themselves or others. That being said, I’m rather depressed at what happened with Justin; he had a lot more potential, so it disappointed me when I saw him fail. I’m glad that he’s (somewhat) okay in the end, but I would like to see where his story goes next in the future. 

Very much like the real world, there are parents who will ruin the lives of children, their own and others, just to start fresh. It doesn’t matter if it’s intentional or not; oftentimes we overestimate our children’s resilience. I’ve known parents who were willing to give up their children to the system just to indulge in their addictions, whether they be drug or alcohol related or love, under the guise that “oh, they’ll be fine.” It’s that attitude that destroys them in the end.  A lot of societies want to believe they care for children, as well as different religious texts and the like, but the reality is far from it. We like to spout these ideas of justice and equality for everyone and having safe spaces for kids, but in truth, many adults just want them out of their hair. That being said, I did find Blake annoying at first, but he stepped up (ironically enough, for most of my clients who are homeless and wanting to work, I usually take them to a construction company. It’s good pay).

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than the first. I liked how relatable the characters were, and how accurate the struggles were especially when they feel lost. It calls back to the environment in my own community and how, despite all the “help” around, people still lose their way. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.