A Monster Like Me

by Wendy S. Swore

There are trolls, goblins, and witches. Which kind of monster is Sophie?

Sophie is a monster expert. Thanks to her Big Book of Monsters and her vivid imagination, Sophie can identify the monsters in her school and neighborhood. Clearly, the bullies are trolls and goblins. Her nice neighbor must be a good witch, and Sophie’s new best friend is obviously a fairy. But what about Sophie? She’s convinced she is definitely a monster because of the “monster mark” on her face. At least that’s what she calls it. The doctors call it a blood tumor. Sophie tries to hide it but it covers almost half her face. And if she’s a monster on the outside, then she must be a monster on the inside, too.

Being the new kid at school is hard. Being called a monster is even harder. Sophie knows that it’s only a matter of time before the other kids, the doctors, and even her mom figure it out. And then her mom will probably leave — just like her dad did.

Because who would want to live with a real monster?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

Wendy S Swore farms on the Sho-Ban reservation where her corn maze and pumpkin patch is home to her five kids, two dogs, two geese, seven peacocks, eleven ducks, nineteen cats, and two hundred thirty seven chickens. She farms in the summers, writes in the winters, and would rather chew her leg off than eat something spicy.

Rep'd by Stacey Glick, Member SCBWI, Her debut novel, A Monster Like Me, comes out in March 2019.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean to be human?

...A human needs courage to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. Wisdom to know what’s right and wrong. Justice is important but only if it comes with mercy. And most of all, humans need love. We care for those we love, and hurt when they hurt, and are happy when they’re happy. It’s that togetherness that makes us all human.

Sophie was born a perfectly healthy baby but when she was two months old she got a hemangioma, a blood tumour, on her face. People often stare at her or try so hard not to stare, that she almost becomes invisible, and Sophie doesn’t know which is worse. Her dad left, her mum has just got a new job and now Sophie has to face going to a new school. Her only shield against this scary world is her book, an encyclopaedia of monsters from myths and fairy tales from all over the world. Sophie believes she is a monster herself. The perfect child her mother gave birth to was substituted with a monster and it’s only a matter of time Sophie’s mum and everybody else find out. Making friends is difficult when you are seen as different, so when Sophie meets Autumn, she can’t believe her luck, for the first time in her life, she has a best friend and feels accepted, understood and believed. They search for a magic cure to make Sophie human. Sophie needs a lot of courage to face her problems: bullies at school, her Mum’s new partner, and, above all, her fear of being judged and abandoned.
Although some parts esp. in the middle are possibly too introspective and slow-moving, others are full of action and intense emotion. The ending is beautiful and there is a satisfying resolution to all the conflicts in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book for a middle-grade school library. Every child can find something to relate to in this kind and thoughtful book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read July 2020:
Even better than I remembered.
Original review February 2019:
Such a lovely book about acceptance and inclusion.
Sophie has a wonderful imagination that layers onto her existing reality.
I was fascinated with her inner monologue; such curiosities revealed.
Everyone should experience Sophie's enchanting thoughts.
Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this ARC.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world is a dragon; my book a shield.

Sophie believes a witch cursed her when she was a baby and she now spends much of her time with her head down, reading and rereading The Big Book of Monsters. She uses it to help identify and protect herself against the monsters surrounding her that are cleverly disguised as humans and searching for clues to figure out what kind of monster she is so she can find a cure. She’s also hiding her face from the world because she’s ashamed of her ‘monster mark’, a hemangioma (blood tumour) that appeared when she was only a few months old.

I really liked Sophie for the most part but she also made me really sad. My heart ached for her each time she called herself a monster and every time someone stared, pointed at her or bullied her. She’s so self conscious because of her ‘monster mark’ and spent so much time looking out for danger that she missed out on having a lot of fun.

With Sophie always on the lookout for the mythological creatures from her beloved book she’s able to find the magical in people, but she can also find the monster in people whose behaviour doesn’t warrant the title. I found it interesting that for a girl who is eager to hide her face from the world she was quick to judge others based on physical attributes. She matches up what she’s read with those she meets and random circumstances that she attributes to them (like the wind blowing) confirm to her that the person is really a monster. This can result in wholly inaccurate assumptions based on first impressions; Kelsi is the best example of this. He’s adorable and the voice of reason in this book, yet Sophie is certain he’s a dangerous shapeshifter.

I loved Autumn, Sophie’s friend, who’s eager to play along when Sophie tells her she’s a fairy. Given what Autumn’s family are dealing with it makes sense that her lively imagination helps buffer her from painful reality.

I think my favourite character would have been Mrs Barrett if she’d played a larger role. I was disappointed when she started to fade into the background and would have loved more scenes with her in them.

I don’t know that Ms. Cloe’s role in Sophie’s life was introduced. I assumed she was a therapist (I spent the entire book waiting for someone to finally get this girl some counselling) but wondered why a therapist would be giving a client a present. Sophie had to win a game with her mother and Ms. Cloe to get the prize, which I’m guessing Sophie’s mother bought, although this isn’t stated. Since the game involved chance, rolling dice and moving around a board, it was pretty convenient that Sophie won.

Content warnings: A subplot deals with a sick child who is hospitalised. An animal is injured but does not die. There are hints that a character is being bullied and possibly abused at home but this is not dealt with other than their behaviour being explained away because of it.

Initially I loved the excerpts from Sophie’s monster book between each chapter because of my love for mythology, although I did have trouble finding the connection between excerpts and their surrounding chapters at times. The excerpts did get a bit of a preachy vibe towards the end, focusing more on being a good person than monsters. Not that there’s anything wrong with the whole ‘be a good person’ thing but I was really enjoying reading about the mythological creatures.

The cover image is wonderful and drew me to the book in the first place. I particularly liked the monster marks added to the font on the title. I did notice that in the book Sophie’s monster mark is on the right side of her face and the cover illustration shows her hair hiding the left side of her face. Once I noticed that I naturally couldn’t unsee it.

Now for the part of the review that I agonised about and the entire reason it took me almost two days to post my review after finishing reading. I want to make it clear that I read an ARC so this may not be an issue in the final version of the book. With that in mind, if I hadn’t committed to reviewing this book I would have abandoned it as soon as one of Sophie’s classmates was introduced (at 58%) as the cringeworthy and offensive ”Zac the spaz”, regardless of how much I was enjoying it prior to then. Fair or not, that word tainted my enjoyment of the book from that point on so I’m really hoping this will not make it into the final version of the book. I expect this would have been a 4 star read for me if it wasn’t for that horrendous word.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness, the premise of a little girl thinking that people see her as a monster because of her facial hemangioma was so heartbreaking! I just wanted to fold Sophie into a big hug all the way through! A beautifully written story, by an author has personally experienced many of Sophie’s challenges because of her own hermangiona growing up.
Memorable quotes:
(Pg. 6)-“Hey, look, kids! That girl doesn’t even need a costume for Halloween! She’s already got one!” (This was said by an adult woman in a store, who had children of her own!)😢😡

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...


Thanks to her Big Book of Monsters and her vivid imagination, Sophie can identify the monsters in her school and neighborhood. Due to the “monster mark” on her face Sophie’s also convinced she's definitely a monster. Doesn't matter the doctors call it a blood tumor. Sophie's certain her mom will figure it out too. And then her mom will probably leave — just like her dad did. Because if she’s a monster on the outside, then she must be a monster on the inside, too.


The short review...

GAHHHHH I just loved this book... I've been reading a ton of middle grade books this month and found their variety quite fascinating. A Monster Like Me has a great balance between teaching a reader and make the experience fun for the age group. Right away I got Sophie. I totally understood and felt for her having this huge hemangioma on her face (look it up if you want to see what she deals with, seems like preemies get them a ton). And there is no known cause. So, her mom can't explain it away, so Sophie makes her own reasons for it. Totally understandable. Totally.

Sophie has a really engaging way about her narrative... which to me is pretty essential in a middle grade story. These are the books where bullying, self-worth and social awareness are all being thrown in the character's face and so sympathy for the one going through all of these changes is essential for the success of the story. Then there is her enchanting monsters book! There are all sorts of things we all can learn from the monsters contained therein and they are reflected in the story too. It's a neat double emphasis on what Sophie is going through and how she wants to be a good person and not a monster.


Cover & Title grade -> A-

The only thing that could make this cover even cuter is to also have Autumn on the cover as well! Or Kelsi of the motorcycle fame!! I love both ideas... Really though I LOVE this cover... The typography totally makes it work. I really like that Sophie's blood tumor is hidden but that its clear that she's hiding something about her face. And we needed the book! The book was a must...


Why is A Monster Like Me Such a Great Read?

-All the Monsters, good and bad!
We meet goblins, orcs, good witches, fairies, demons, the caribou man, a dryad, fawn farmers and so many more. We are also taught all about different monster creatures and touch on different fables that pertain to Sophie's monster journey.

-Her new friend, Autumn the fairy!
Oh Autumn! How I would adore having you as a friend!! She believed every word out of Sophie's mouth about monsters like the bestest of friends plus would sling out doozies herself when the moment called for it. She really helped Sophie come out of her shell even though they were so different...

-Her loving, overprotective mother + Kelsi!
I loved getting a glimpse of what her mom is going through as Sophie overhears conversations in her bid to save her mom from a demon. And we see a bit of growth as a parent as she learns how Sophie has been dealing with everything. Kelsi was an added bonus that every reader will love!!

-Sophie's Mission!!
Sophie takes us on a wild ride through Portland as she searches for a cure to her problem! These moments were so fun... They come to a place where cockatrice have fought a battle with a giant. Sophie and her friend fight a jorogumo! And Sophie retrieves a stolen item with the help of the caribou man plus other assorted battles. So fun!


As a Writer...

One of the best parts of the book is how Sophie would point out the monsters in her neighborhood and school to the reader. Their descriptions were really so spot on!! I felt like each character was very specifically that monster... it totally told the reader what kind of person they were. And it was quite fun to learn the back history on some of the monsters that you aren't as familiar with.

A Monster Like Me is a fun mental health read about a little girl who thinks she's a monster and with the help of her mom, her teacher, her best friend and the man who may like her mom, a lot, she comes to see that magic may be a better fit for her future.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...

Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!

[- The Polybrary - · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie thinks she's a monster. She thinks a lot of people around her are monsters too, and she carries her Big Book of Monsters around almost everywhere she goes so that she can identify them and protect herself and her mom from them. The big birthmark - a hermangioma - that covers one side of her face makes kids and even adults stare and even make fun of her, and as a result she has severe social anxiety. Her world of monsters helps everything make sense. Until things start to change, and the bullying gets worse, and her monsters might just make her lose the only friend she's ever had.

This was a fantastic book! Sophie is 11 years old, and the writing will appeal to kids that age and even a little older. The idea of Sophie so fully believing in the idea of people being monsters, will be a little more hard to go along with, but the book has a cast of loving, supportive adults that - while not hogging the page time - make it clear that Sophie's way of dealing with the issues caused by her birthmark is not the healthiest way.

Autumn, a sweetheart of a girl at Sophie's new school, is such a vivacious, loving friend to Sophie that she unwittingly opens an entire new world to her shy friend. Autumn's grandmother, a gardener and herbalist, is another new friend that slowly draws Sophie out of her shell with gentleness and acceptance.

I really liked that Sophie's mom was such a positive character. Even though she was far from perfect, she loved Sophie with all her heart and really, truly wanted the absolute best for her. In so many MG and YA books the parents are negative influences and I was happy to see a strong mother/daughter relationship.

4/5 stars. Strongly recommend for any kid and any library! Also worth noting: the author herself had a hermangioma as a child, and some of the incidents in the book came from her experiences. Now available!

Blog | Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Google+

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy's awesome and I know her! I know her! I met her many years ago at a writing conference, and we have stayed in touch, and I am so happy about this, her first book! It was fascinating, and so inventive! It's partially based on her own childhood: she had a hemangioma (basically like a combination birth mark and tumor) on her face. But how much of the rest is true, I don't know.

What I do know is that I was tense the entire book! Sophie, our main character, not only hides away because of her birthmark, but is convinced that it means she is a monster. She spends her days rereading the Big Book of Monsters, and identifying every person she meets (almost) as some kind of creature in human disguise. This creates situations that are variously awkward, wonderful, funny, and even painful. Sophie wants to have the mark removed, but only if she can do it magically, not surgically, so that it takes away the monster inside her, too. This broke my heart! I loved how the book dealt with people's different reactions to Sophie, and how she dealt in return. I loved the characters like Kelsi and Autumn, who see the real Sophie, and Mrs. Barrett, who is the most delightful witch to ever tempt you into her house with sweets!

I liked the excerpts at the beginning from the Big Book of Monsters, describing the different things like goblins, fairies, gremlins, etc. But after a while the bits stopped being about specific monsters and started being more philosophical, about the nature of monsters and humans. Which just struck me as too adult and too clearly written push across the book's theme. I would have preferred either fewer "entries" or to have them stay on the topic of various monsters.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The description of A Monster Like Me is kind of awkward. We're told that Sophie can identify monsters. Some are "bullies and trolls and goblins" but does the mention of "fairies" within that framework tell us that she thinks they, too, are monsters?

I'm going to go along with the use of the word, but doing so is unsettling when the monsters are Native characters. Equally unsettling is that A Monster Like Me got a starred review from Booklist.

Sophie has a hemangioma on her face. The author, Wendy S. Swore, had one on her forehead, which is why some of the promotional materials say the story is inspired by real events in the author's life.

The story is set in Portland, Oregon. Most people know that there are many Native nations in the place currently known as Oregon.

In chapter thirteen, "Ghostly Falls," Sophie, her friend Autumn, and her mom are at Multnomah Falls. As they walk on the trail, Sophie sees something in a puddle and picks it up (p. 127):
A picture of a beautiful Native American girl in a white dress stares back at me from the soggy flier with the headline Princess of Multnomah Falls. Gently I turn it over, but the print is dirty and hard to read.

"What did you find?" Mom peeks over my shoulder. "Oh, the legend of the falls. I always liked that one."

"The paper says something about a princess?" Autumn points to the faded image. "I didn't even know there was a king here."

"No king," laughs Mom. "She was the Multnomah chieftain's daughter."

With a gasp, Autumn claps her hands. "A princess and a chief? How romantic!"
Her mom goes on to tell her that people were dying of a "great sickness." The "chief" called his council and "best warriors" together to find a cure (p. 127).

"Then, an old medicine man told them the only way to save the tribe was to sacrifice a young woman by throwing her off the mountain to appease the Great Spirit."

Sophie's mom tells her that at that time, there was no waterfall there. The chief didn't want to sacrifice any of the girls, but then, his daughter's betrothed got sick. The daughter/princess decided to save him and everyone. So, she jumped. Sad, the chief asked the Great Spirit for a sign that his daughter was (p. 128):

"safe in the land of the spirits. That's when water started flowing over the top of the cliff."

Sophie has the story of the princess in her mind as they walk on the trail. At the top, she holds to the railing and peers over (p. 129):

Someone walks up beside me and thin white gauze brushes my face. I brush it away and scoot over so the lady's dress doesn't blow into me again. Then I freeze as I take in her wispy white dress and long black hair. Her face looks different than it does in the picture, but the ghost of a Native American princess can probably look however she wants to look.

The woman starts talking to Sophie, pointing with her chin, telling her that she had fought alongside fireman when the lodge was on fire. Sophie wonders if the fireman knew that "the spirit of a Native American princess was standing beside them, adding her magic to the fight that night." She wonders if her mom and Autumn can see the woman. The woman is wearing a pendant that is a crystal nestled in gold leaves. Sophie asks if it is magic. The woman says it is, to her, because she had made it herself, and that the magic worked for her. When the woman touches Sophie, she feels a jolt of electricity. She's never been touched by a ghost before. Autumn and her mom rush up beside her, looking over the railing, too. Sophie asks Autumn (p. 131):

"Did you see her?" I whisper in her ear.

"See who?"

"The princess!" I point down the trail and gasp.

The path is empty.

Debbie's comments:


"The path is empty." is the last sentence in that chapter. So--one question is this one: Is that "Princess of Multnomah Falls" a story that Native people told/tell? Or is it a White Man's Indian? I use that phrase from time to time, borrowing it from Berkhofer's book, The White Man's Indian. It is an "account of the self-serving stereotypes Europeans and white Americans have concocted about the “Indian” [...] and manipulated to its [western civilizations] benefit."

I've spent the afternoon looking through my sources but can't find anything (other than a sketchy website) that says it is a Native story. A "medicine man" telling his people they have to sacrifice a young girl to appease a wrathful "Great spirit"---that doesn't ring true to me as a Native story.

My full review is here: https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad story. Sophie believes herself to be a monster. Is she? If not, why is she teased and bullied by many of her classmates? She can also see the monster in others. Why is she able to see the monsters in them when they cannot?
If you know someone wanting to read more books like Wonder, have them give this one a try.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this advanced copy of A Monster Like Me, and even more happy to find out the story takes place in Portland, Oregon a 100 miles from my hometown in Eugene! I have lived here my whole life and still learned something new about Multnomah Falls! ❤️

Sophie is an imaginative, little girl who has found away to cope with her big birthmark. She has created a world with monsters everywhere she goes. It’s much easier to accept your “monster qualities” when you imagine that monsters are everywhere around you.

Sophie has a difficult time being anywhere in public and her mom is at a loss with how to help her. Sophie is able to make a new best friend at school, and her Mom meets someone special too, that’s when things get a little complicated.

Sophie might need to come up with a better strategy for handling her insecurities over her birthmark. Will she change her thoughts on monsters and how she sees herself? Or will she accept her birthmark the way it is? 🤔hmmm…..

My heart went out to Sophie, and anyone that’s faced with being different in a big way. While reading it, I was reminded of the story of Wonder, as they both dealt with similar issues of bullying, family bonds and friendships.

I truly enjoyed this advanced copy I received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published March 5th, 2019, I hope you will check it out!

[Lindsi (Do You Dog-ear?) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oftentimes we fickle humans have fleeting wishes for a life not our own, but such superficial desires lead to discontent and unhappiness. Better to take heed of all the good in your life, and take nothing for granted. Look for the good and you will find it, no magic or wish required."

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

A Monster Like Me really captured what it's like to have a child's imagination. At one point, Sophie and Autumn were at the beach, and they imagined stone giants where others simply saw rocks. When they were underneath a willow tree, they believed they were battling a ferocious monster with webs and arms. It felt like an authentic portrayal of what children see when they look at the world. It's like they have a special lens when they're younger, and it was nice to be reminded of how magical even the most mundane items can be. Sophie has a talisman that could've easily been called junk, but it meant the world to her. It may have looked like mishmash to an adult, but every item she selected for it was special and unique.

Sophie's story also broke my heart. I can understand children teasing her about the mark on her face, but it really shocked me when adults were sometimes worse than their children. Something happens at the beginning of the book that felt totally unrealistic, and I made a note to say something about it in my review, but another blogger mentioned it was based on a real experience the author had. It still baffles me, because in my mind, adults should be responsible and kind, not verbally abusive and cruel. However, I know that there are some really rotten people in the world, so it shouldn't have been so surprising.

Despite my overall enjoyment of the book, I do have some quibbles regarding the story. One, I have no idea how old Sophie is supposed to be in this book. She can read, her mother also leaves her alone at the Farmer's Market (Sophie seems to know her way around), and she uses words my five-year-old doesn't know yet. Sophie still needs adult supervision when her mother goes on a date, but her mom left her home alone when she was pretending to be too sick to go to school. There was a lot of conflicting information that made it hard for me to place her age, and it's not specified anywhere within the story.

My second complaint would be the vocabulary. I believe this book was written for a younger audience, yet some of the words from Sophie's Big Book of Monsters were hard for me to pronounce. I had to Google a few of them to make sure I was reading them correctly (example: cireincròin), and there were a lot of different monsters and mythological creatures mentioned throughout the book. One of them was a constant in her life, and I still have no idea how she pronounced what she thought he was.

Speaking of the Big Book of Monsters, I loved the little excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. Sometimes Sophie's story would obviously tie into the reference, and other times it was a little harder to make the connection. After a few chapters, the excerpts started to take on a very motivational vibe. "Remember, dear reader, the truth these creatures will never understand: emotion is a powerful force, and while it is easy to use it to destroy, it is far nobler to build. Things once said, cannot be unsaid. Whether emotion-fueled rampages strike a city of millions or a single person’s heart, painful scars are left behind. And some scars are invisible to all except those who carry them."

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. I think there were a lot of wonderful aspects, and the author gives you a lot to reflect on even as an adult. I wish Sophie's interactions with a counselor had been expanded on, but I'm happy that it was even mentioned. It seems unlikely that the counselor would have bought a gift to bribe Sophie, and the fact that she won the game seemed purely coincidental, but it was easy to overlook. At least her mom knew that her daughter needed to talk with someone that would be able to better understand what Sophie was thinking and feeling.

A Monster Like Me also shows what it's like to be an imperfect parent. Sophie's mother makes mistakes, but it's obvious she loves her daughter. She wants Sophie to have an easy life, and she doesn't want other people to bully or ridicule her child. I think her mother's reactions to other people added to Sophie's discomfort and embarrassment. Honestly, I didn't like her mother most of the time, because she saw Sophie's mark as something to be fixed, instead of loving her daughter with no reservations. I think if she'd been unbothered by other people's perceptions of Sophie, her daughter would have been more accepting of herself.

I tried to read this one to my five-year-old, but I don't think he's quite there yet. Although, I do think this will be an excellent book for children that can understand (and possibly relate to) the various concepts mentioned throughout the book. Swore has written an incredibly impactful story that shows what's it like to be different, and how to accept and love those differences.

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin' | Amazon | Pinterest

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie is obsessed with monsters. She sees them everywhere. A birthmark on her face has left her hiding in her own shell, afraid to leave; afraid to stay. With the help of hew new best friend, Autumn, she sets about finding a cure for monster in side of her that is trying to come out of her birthmark. Along the way, she learns more about herself than she ever imagined. Will she accept her "inner monster", or her Mom's boyfriend, or will she make a sacrifice to save Autumn's little brother?

Swore's book is filled with snippets of information about each of Sophie's monsters, insights into accepting change, believing in oneself, and the power of friendship.

A definite read for anyone who has felt looked at, different, or out of sync with the world around them.

[A.L. Sowards]

This is the most recent book I read with my twins, and it came with lots of requests for "just one more chapter!" The main character, Sophie, thinks she's a monster because she has a blood tumor on her face. Her new best friend is a fairy, and the mean boys at school? Definitely goblins and orcs. I really enjoyed Sophie's growth over the course of the book, and the themes of kindness and acceptance.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley, Wendy S. Swore and Shadow Mountain Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars.

I really quite liked this. I was definitely in the mood for a middle grade novel and this filled that need. The story was interesting and one that addresses an important issue, bullying. For that reason I feel this is also quite a relatable book. I would recommend this.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

DNF at 52%

Sophie is a monster expert. She has to be—she surrounded by goblins and trolls at school, a good witch that lives next door, a fairy as a friend, and a demon who is trying to whisk her mother away.

But Sophie has a secret. She's a monster, too. And she needs to find a cure, fast.
~
At first I was really enjoying this book. There was a lot of monster myth and lore from all over the world, the setting is Portland, Oregon, and there's a magical realism setting where the line between what's happening in Sophie's mind and what's reality is dramatically blurred.

Also, Sophie is convinced she's a monster in part because she has a hemangioma running across her face—it causes other kids to get scared or bully her, and adults stare in horror. Her coping mechanism is her monster book, where she obsessively catalogues every person and mysterious thing according to what the book tells her.

The part where I started to get bored and uncomfortable was during their visit to Multnomah Falls, where Sophie is told the legend of how the falls was creating—and then runs into a mysterious woman with black hair and a flowy white dress who gives her a New Agey type crystal necklace. Sophie believes this woman is the Native American princess in the story, since no one else saw the woman but her. Was it Sophie's imagination creating what she thought a Native American woman would look like? Was it her projecting? I dunno.

Then I read a little more, and my enjoyment was soured but that's mostly because I fell out of the mood to read this book any more. It might have been because I was listening to a particularly depressing audiobook that sucked the enjoyment out of my soul, or because work life has been poopy. Anyway, the part with the princess and the fact that what I'd thought was fantasy was really starting to blur into reality—with Autumn seeing things too? Or pretending?—was turning me off in a way that I wasn't finding enjoyment from the story anymore.

I do like that many of the experiences Sophie has, particularly with her bullying and hemangioma, are based on the author's childhood experiences—her isolation, coping mechanisms, and much more.

I think that many children will enjoy this, particularly those who maybe felt isolated and bullied, or who have or have a hemangioma and want to read a character who is like them (although maybe they'd like to wait a bit, seeing that Sophie experiences bullying), and children who have never experienced these things but maybe want to develop empathy or read a story with a lot of world mythology and monster lore.

For the mythology inclined—at the end of each chapter are little snippets out of Sophie's Monster Book that gives a short history and explanation of a different monster/paranormal being from around the world—and how to spot, avoid or defeat them.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie is a girl with a birthmark on her face which makes her think she was cursed and turned into a monster. In fact, she always carries her favorite book with her, a monster book, because she kepts cheking it out in order to know what kind of monster is around at any given time.
Because of all the bullying she gets for her birthmark she lives kind of a secluded life, not enjoying activities like other kids her age do, and she has just moved with her mother to a new place and school. There, she befriends Autumn, a girl who she believes is a faerie, and to whom she opens up and tell everything about being a monster and everyone else being some kind of something more than human.
The book was good, it kept me captivated and loved the evolution of the characters, but I was a bit thrown off when Sophie kept onto her monster story even when the book was near the end and she seemed to understand about what makes a person human or not. I thought she had grasped the concept by then, and that took me a bit back.
But all in all, the book is a nice read about differences, and what makes a person human.

[CloudOfThoughts_Books Keirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Monster like Me by author WendyS. Swore is a great children’s book. With monsters and fairies, who all deal with bullying and friendships. I would recommend this book to anyone with kids who love monsters!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of A Monster like Me in exchange for an honest review.

[Naomi Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet and wise book. Sophie is a tremendously sympathetic heroine with a wildly active imagination - for good reason. Your heart will ache for her, and with her, but hang in there because this book also has great heart and hope.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the power that children have to create something to make their world more understandable to them.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If I had a monster book, it would be a lot smaller. I think it's the choices we make that make people monsters or not. It's a choice, not a curse." --Kelsey in A Monster Like Me

If I had to comp A Monster Like Me, I'd easily say Wonder (R.J. Palacio) meets Bridge to Terabithia. This book is a contemporary middle grade (magical realism) that, like Wonder, deals with a broken-hearted child. A child who only sees the ugly "monster mark" on her face and thinks that it means she's a monster on the inside too.

Like Bridge to Terabithia, however, Sophie reminded me so much of Leslie with her constant imagination and her way of coping with her trauma through fantasy. She sees through every person that "thinks they're human" and spies their "true selves"--like Leslie's Ogres and Trolls in Bridge to Terabithia. The biggest difference is that while I'm pretty sure Leslie was playing (I'm doubting myself now because it's been so long since I read that book) Sophie truly believes it. And as a reader, the one-liners that she says in innocent belief about herself being a monster will gut you.

The structure of the story is really cool. The chapters alternate between Sophie's stories and her Big Book of Monsters, as a way of prefacing the next chapter. So instead of explaining the cultural histories or magical talents and horrors of the monsters Sophie recognizes in people she's around, we get a neat chapter on that monster before Sophie's chapter starts, so we know what she's talking about when she says she "sees one". And on that note, I want to add that most are mythological creatures/people (like Medusa, a Basalisk, Giants, etc) so there is some educational aspect about the mythologies and cultural beliefs contained in this book.

The main reason that I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the story resolution isn't as strong as I would've liked to see in a child that suffered from understanding reality this intensely, nor was the message of "don't judge people by how they look" near strong enough in the end for my taste. Sophie spent the entire book identifying every person she saw as one monster or another based solely on how they looked. This is why she identified herself as a monster too, so it was consistent with her nature, and though Kelsey (her mom's boyfriend), helps her realize that who a person is is more than what they look like, I still didn't feel like Sophie truly believed that in the end. I was hoping for the adults in her life, and the counseling, to help her through her fantasy world, but in the end, it felt as if they almost enabled it to continue. It wasn't as impactful as I was hoping it would be.

Overall though, I did enjoy listening to A Monster Like Me on Audible and it helped me pass the workdays quicker. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to fans of Wonder.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nailed it with the fears of most humans. The descriptions were amazing and the knowledge that was gained were very well written. This story was really cute. It had so many good ideas about learning about our selves. Learning to rely on friends and family. I was a bit surprised the mom didn't know more about what Sophie was doing and thinking. How the mom indulged some if the fantasies and didn't acknowledge that she may be helping with some of the stress. But, overall the love the mom had for Sophie and her willingness to acknowledge the struggles were great. The biggest thing with this story is the same character is the protagonist and antagonist. Isn't that how most of us are in the story of our own lives?

The Audible version if this with was great. The performance was very well done.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe that monsters are real? Do you ever believe that you are a monster? Sophie is starting a new school and it's very hard to do that, especially when you have a blood tumor that covers half of your face. Sophie calls it her "monster mark". Sophie believes that when she was a baby she was cursed by a witch and turned into a monster. How in the world could her mother or anyone else love a monster? She carries around The Big Book of Monsters everywhere she goes and she can just look at someone and tell if they are good or bad. Sophie actually makes a new friend, Autumn, at school who is a fairy and her grandmother is s good witch. Sophie is convinced that if she can gather some magic objects then she can use magic to make the monster in her go away. But what happens when this "magic" world and the real world collides? Will Sophie's mom not want her when she finds out what she really is? Will her friendship with Autumn be crushed into pieces? Will Sophie get her magical objects and turn herself into a normal human again? Read this incredible book to find out what happens to Sophie, her family, and her friends.

I absolutely loved this book! So many of us have some type of something wrong with us that we are ashamed of. For me, it psoriasis. I have lived with this and been ashamed of this my whole life. This books brings to light that what we look like on the outside does not define us on our inside. Kindness, compassion, love, friendship, and family are just a few of the things that matter, not our outward appearance. Please do not miss this book!! It is incredible!!
Follow me:

Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.com/
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - @laurieevans27 https://twitter.com/laurieevans27?lan...
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/auburngirl2...
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCulD...

[Steph Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Love love love this book!

A Monster Like Me features Sophie’s first-person narrative as she navigates a world in which she looks like a monster (in her opinion) and other people act like them whilst looking human.

She sees witches, fairies, goblins and more everywhere she looks and constantly muddles fact with fantasy as she struggles to understand a world in which she is ostracised and bullied for her appearance and her mum seems fixated on ‘fixing’ her.

This is a beautiful, poignant and very clever exploration of what it is to spend your childhood on the outside looking in, and how coping strategies can mutate into something more harmful than helpful given time and pressure. I cried actual tears more than once, not just at Sophie’s struggles, but those of her friends and family.

The book isn’t just a tear-jerker though. It captures the highs and lows of childhood imagination: fairytale dens and daring quests to gather magical items, kind adults and best friends, all have equal importance with the health issues and bullies of the real world.

I would recommend this to anyone 8+ who loves a good story that tackles serious issues in an entertaining way.



You’d think monsters would have their own grocery store, but they don’t. They walk around with a cart the same as regular people and keep the monster part hidden inside where no one can see it. Mom’s grocery cart squeaks with every step like an elf getting squished, but Mom’s not a monster–not that I can tell anyway.

– Wendy S. Swore, A Monster Like Me

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Aimee (Getting Your Read On) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute book and one I think would be perfect for reading aloud to children. It has humor and creativity that will entertain both young and old while also bringing out the tender topics of bullying and how to treat those who may look or act different than us. This had a similar message and feel as the book, Wonder.

Books like this always strike a deep chord within me as my daughter also has a malformation in her face/neck area that was quite obvious when she was younger. It was so hard to be out in public where people were cruel- sometimes without really meaning to be, but thoughtless words hurt. I've cried many tears over the years for my beautiful daughter who has suffered through looking different and feeling different. Much like the author's parents, (see author's note below) we took a proactive role and tried to talk with my daughter's school classes each year to explain her condition and help kids understand. It helped a bit because when someone stands in front of you, vulnerable, pleading for kindness by giving information with emotion usually people listen.

That's why books like this matter because it's a great way to open avenues of conversation with children about kindness and acceptance. Kids need to learn compassion. Adults too. This book also helps kids see that what you look like on the outside isn't who you are on the inside. Greatness comes from within. Beauty comes from within.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about a little girl learning to accept herself as she is, even though the blood tumor on her face makes her a constant victim of second looks, snide comments, and merciless teasing. As she learns the value of true friendship and seeing other people for what they really are, she is able to see her own worth much more clearly. The story feels authentic (the author had a blood tumor as a child), with Sophie acting and thinking in ways that felt true to an 11-year-old. It's also sweet, touching, and unique in some ways. Both children and adults (especially fans of WONDER by R.J. Palacio) will find a lot to love in this one. It's one of the best books I've read so far this year.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit torn on this one.
The issues that this book brings up may be difficult for some to deal with. It leads you into them very delicately. You think you are reading a fun little book about a girl who believes in monsters - and then it gets very very real.
I would suggest trigger warnings for anyone who has been bullied, and if you can get past that, there are some very touching, very wise lessons here.
I will be posting a full review on my blog for the blog tour.
www.bookmanialife.com

[🌙~Carden~🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a better understanding of this book,here’s a link to a simple video that summarized what it’s all about perfectly:
https://youtu.be/d5KdIjfkfBM


Found this book in the library. I want to read it . Now. I love the cover,and it’s been so long ever since I read a middle grade novel with a plot and a COVER that I liked.

Honestly,Sophie sounds so 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬 . Can’t wait to meet her soon. Adding this in my to be read list. Seven pages in and I already love it. There’s a on order and my local library,so I will put a hold. In the meantime I have “Aru Sha And The End Of Time” to keep me company and “With The Fire On High.”

I did not finish “Aru Sha And The End Of Time.”

I hope to finish this before “With The Fire On High.”

Let’s see how this goes. I can tell I am gonna love this. And that cover! The cover!

“𝐀𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐢𝐭’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧,𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝-𝐰𝐡𝐨’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐝- 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫.”

Sophie is a heroine who can actually think. Her mindset is that of someone older and far beyond her years. She is actually 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭.”

“𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲,𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤.”

I love main characters who have an interesting mind set and Sophie’s thoughts were so on key with the plot I have to give her props.

“𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞.”

𝚂𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚎→ 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨. She knows she is a monster. She hates what she is but has to accept it. She 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.

The thing is with Sophie is that she makes a great character. Her thought process is real,and I could find myself cheering her on throughout the whole story.

The thing is 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥. In most books,I find it hard to support the character because all they do is whine and screw things up even when they know they are.

In the first 70 pages,(this review is marked for spoilers) Sophie just tries to adjust to her school life.Her Mom gets a fling with a motorcycle guy who helps to fix their broken car.

Ooh. Usually happens to single parents. Sophie doesn’t trust the guy because she’s afraid he will steal her mom because he’s “a death demon” who whisks poor maidens away.

The story manages to convey Sophie in a way that shows she’s mature. And I like that. There is definitely a lot of character development as the plot continues to go on.

The story takes place in Portland,Oregon.

Sophie finds it hard to juggle with bullies and hiding herself make but she has her friend Autumn to support her. And their friendship has a lot of chemistry.

Not only that,but as I was reading you know how fairies live in a different world?

Well...Sophie is dragged away by Autumn to discover a whole new area Autumn secretly goes to when she feels down. I loved how the scene came to life. Now that to me is the definition of a 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Oh I fell in live with this book and it’s been less hen 24 hours since I got it and I am already on page 100 of almost 300 more pages of miracles to come.

A neat feature of this book is the monster book. Sophie has it with her the whole time. I wonder what will happen to it in the end. Sophie believes that all people are monsters- she uses her special book to classify them.

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬,𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥,𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨.”

This book so far is my favorite middle grade novel of the year. Last year was “Willa Of The Wood.” It has a nice cover and the plot is nicely well done. I like my books to be of exceptional quality and this-fits the bill perfectly.

I can see myself giving this book a bad review but I love it so much.

For example, Sophie follows her mother on her date with a new guy. Oh she screwed up but honestly the scenes and timing make the moment seem perfect for each scene leading up to the next.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡,𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰. “𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.” 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨.

Remember when I said Sophie 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬? She truly is. I love all my heroines to be smart and brave. Not whiny and bratty.(TSTL.)

This novel also has bits of paranormal vibes because Sophie’s world comes to life with monsters like it or not.

And those damn bullies who want to keep messing with Sophie! I want to slap the heck out of them. Who are they to judge someone when they can’t even look at what’s wrong with themself?

They steal things from her. They call her names. They mock her.

“𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞.”

She has her own drama and I was heartbroken for her. I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay. This is why I love this book. It’s real,pure. Not made up garage,but true to the heart.

Swore manages to nail the right moments and she speaks from experience. For a debut,she sure shook the ground and made you fall through it.

You know the part where Sophie runs away from her mother when she can’t handle being a “monster?” I wish she hid in the secret garden Autumn discovered . That would have made a really great scene of the book or moment. I wish the author wrote that.

For the rest of the book I cried. Everything felt real. Nothing was left out.

Autumn and Sophie are looking for a cure,the crystal. They happen to find one in Witch Barrett’s house wand her Mom catches them. Autumn slips from finding it and falls onto Witch Barrets teacups. Because of this,Sophie can’t see Autumn.

Sophie gets her amulet back from her bully when her Mom encourages her to.

Her bully (Taggart) is misunderstood probably why he lashes out at her. And yet Sophie still treats him kindly. What an angel.

In the end,Sophie gets to become a magician and everyone around her supports her. She is glad.

“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨.”


Sophie broke my heart and made me cry. The cure she made for herself? She gave it to Autumns brother William. That time she did it? That was a perfect 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

And the ending mad me scream.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞. “𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐞.” 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨.

Smile? You do? What the heck? All this wonderful stuff I read and this is the end and thats what I get? No. I am shaking my head.

Why not “And I am not a monster anymore?” Because the highlight of this book was monsters. However,
besides the ending and a extra scene with the secret hiding place this book delivered its promise overall.

Tell me: have you ever felt like a monster?

Overall Execution:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Character Development
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Moments
⭐️⭐️⭐️**Ending

Total Score: (𝟷𝟾/𝟸𝟶)
Grade: ᴀ

𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
> 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕦𝕞𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕝𝕪 𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕪. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖.
> 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤. 𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕜𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣.
> 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕔𝕒𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕄𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕫𝕖 𝕒 𝕓𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕨𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕙.
> 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕕. 𝔸𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖’𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤, 𝕚𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝. 𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕖 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕝𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣.

[Ioanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sophie might be young, but she's definitely smarter than most people. Why? Well, she can spot a monster from miles away - even if it's disguised as a human. And her big book of monsters helps her spot them even more easily. But how does she do it?

Sophie has a secret. She is a monster in disguise herself. At least, that's what her face hemangioma makes her feel. Which is why she spends her time avoiding children at school, hiding behind her hair and book, and leads a lonely life. That is, until she finds a new friend at school. Autumn is a fairy, and she loves Sophie just the way she is. Together, Sophie and Autumn embark on an adventure that will help her magically transform into a human again.

A loving story about image issues, self-love, friendship and everything-complicated, A Monster Like Me is a truly unique and magnificent book that all children (and grown ups) should read. In a beautiful, allegorical way, the author helps children realize that being different doesn't equal being shunned, and beauty comes from the inside.

Tackling the difficult aspects of bullying and social acceptance, Wendy Swore manages to create a sweet story that will leave everyone reading it emotional. Through the mind of a child, the reader will see (and actually feel) what the life of a bullied and self-conscious child looks like - and what it can lead to if not handled properly. But the reader will also see what love and acceptance can lead to.

A Monster Like Me is a beautiful, moving story told so expertly, that no reader should miss out on. There's a lot to learn from Sophie - both for young readers and older ones. Definitely a recommended read.

[Czechgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the author creatively wrote this book. Prior to the chapter, she included facts about the myths of monsters that preceded the chapter. I love the characterization she used in making so-called non-humans to appear they were indeed monsters. I like how she concluded the story.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an interesting way to say people are monsters to explain what they are and it also was use for how Sophie thinks of her self. She says people stare at her monster mark because it stands out, it's weird so it makes her a monster. That what I found awesome. With the end and how it says "... our actions make us human..." it makes so we question what human is, it test what humans are. Her learning what makes her human by giving her wish to Will shows that she changes throughout the story because at the start she was hiding her face in her book hoping nobody could see her.