Author Lauren Groff gives the reader a modern story, a fantasy and an historical fiction story all within her tale of Willie, returned to her family home, who embarks on a quest to find the identity of her real father. There is also a mythical lake monster and a resident ghost and while other writers may stagger under the weight of such scope, Groff juggles all story lines reasonably well. It is narrated partly in the third person by two main characters, in first person narrations of ancestors and via diaries, letters and family tree diagrams.

Willie is also dealing with the break-up of an affair, she has tried to run over her College professor’s wife in a plane, an unwanted pregnancy and her best friend who has advanced case of Lupus. So, you can see, Willie has her hands full and as the reader, we also have our hands/brains full. While I loved Groff's Arcadia and joyfully plunged into the words each time I picked up the book, The Monsters Of Templeton was not a similar experience. As the storyline grew, I felt more befuddled; so many characters speaking, diaries, letters, chapters undated – aaaah. At the three quarter stage of the novel, I had to push myself to finish and this was only because I needed to confirm if my guess who was Willie's father had been correct (and it was!) Oh Lauren, it's difficult for me to say that this novel is average but average it is. Generously, maybe over generously, I'm rating this 3★.