May 2023 First in a Series BOTM - Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

[Alaina]

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.

**This BOTM thread will be open until June 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Laura]

Through chapter 5
(view spoiler)[It's been a while since I read something YA. The synopsis is intriguing enough that you want to read and see what happens to Joan. Who do you think the hero of this story will be if it's not Joan? It might be fun to read a book about a villainous hero! This one has me hooked. The audio is great. I'm enjoying the accent.
Do the first and second chapters take you back to your teenage years? I think Len does a spot on job of creating a teenager's life. Do you remember your first kiss?
If you were a monster/villain/superhero what power would you want to have?
Action and a bit of suspense... Yes! I'm excited to see where this goes. (hide spoiler)]

[christene_littlelibrary]

Started today!
25% (view spoiler)[ I like it this is totally different! A monsters survival against a human. I didn't expect joan and aaron instead of nick. Will they survive the massacre? I agree, the audio is great and that accent. (hide spoiler)]

[christene_littlelibrary]

50% (view spoiler)[ Why do I feel like that Joan is somehow related to the King? Or Nick is the King himself. He is not a monster but he can time travel. This is getting more interesting. How come I didn't read this last year its so good (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Up to chapter 15
(view spoiler)[
Any ideas what is going to happen to Joan and Aaron. They may be enemies but I think Joan is breaking the thousands of years old feud. I think they both like each other.
The time line is interesting. If there was an alternate timeline where would you want to go and do what?Change anything? (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Christene Paula✨ wrote: "50% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I think Joan is related to the king or either she is going to be very important and the monster is going to end up being the hero (hide spoiler)]

[christene_littlelibrary]

75% (view spoiler)[ That was intense! I really thought they will be caught. Bit by bits informations about the hero is making sense (hide spoiler)]

@Laura (view spoiler)[ I think so too. I'm almost done. Can't wait for the next book. (hide spoiler)]

[christene_littlelibrary]

100% (view spoiler)[Totally loved it! The sacrifices and the goodbyes. I'm looking forward for the next book. The truth about who Joan has not yet tackle. Only glimpse of her power (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

I have less then a hour left on my audio
(view spoiler)[ When the group found the message and saw what happened to Nick for a moment I thought they were all going to band together and help him. Now I'm just not sure how this is all going to play out. I suspect Joan will use Nick's love for her to try and stop him.
I thought that the good bye scene between Joan and Aaron was sad. Aaron really likes Joan. At least he is realistic enough to know that nothing will ever come of it.
I can't wait until after work to finish this (hide spoiler)]

[Agne]

Chapter 1-5 (~20%)
(view spoiler)[ It is interesting. I like the idea of Monsters. I want to learn more about them together with Joan. I am curious about Nick and how everything will turn out between Joan and him. Can they still be friends? What about Oliver. There's only they two of them left? (hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

Chapter 1-6
(view spoiler)[
Book starts out interesting. Joan has the ability to move through time. But wonder why she did not remember? To me that was a little strange.

The romance between Nick and Joan was sweet…for a minute. LOL But WOW, I never suspected Nick was a monster hunter. And he is likely the ‘human hero’ Gran predicted. Talk about being star crossed lovers!

What is Joan’s ability? And now that Joan is deliberately going to go back in time, she will no longer be safe from Nick. But with her family gone, Joan could never forgive Nick for what he started anyway.
(hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

Laura wrote: "Through chapter 5
"

(view spoiler)[
To me Joan is the hero. I liked her right away. So I don’t see her as a villain, even though she is a monster. There’s always two sides to a story. I thought Joan and Nick were sweet together. But I don’t see anyway for Joan and Nick to be friends or lovers, with all this going on!

Very exciting book. I want to read more!
(hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Finished
(view spoiler)[
This was great, I really enjoyed this story. It's a far step from my usual love of romantic suspense. Tbh, I wasn't sure how it was going to end. I'm very excited to see what happens in the next book. The ending works for Joan and how the rest of the trilogy will unfold. Agree, Christene, I think Joan is just coming into her power and we only saw a small portion of it in this book.
(hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Geri wrote: "Chapter 1-6

Book starts out interesting. Joan has the ability to move through time. But wonder why she did not remember? To me that was a little strange.

The romance between Nick and Joan was swe..."

Joan's ability was not revealed in these early chapters. Keep reading :-)

[Agne]

Chapter 6 -11 (~48%)
(view spoiler)[First of all I really love time travel, jump between times.. but what they have to do for them to be able to travel feels wrong...

It seems like Aaron likes Joan. Well, I think he does... I think he has secrets about his mom maybe? Her death?

I thin Joan will get some amazing powers or something.. Even Ying saw something in her. And that necklace? How she has a key to that place?

Also, I am glad Ruth is okay. I thought she died like everyone else.
(hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

Chapter 7-13

(view spoiler)[
It was surprising they had to go back 20 years. It was interesting though, that things are still similar to our 1993. The same movies and technology. Just an alternate timeline with monsters, of course. LOL

Ruth survived! 🙂 But is Aaron right that they can’t change anything in the future? Or is Liu correct that someone/something has changed the timeline? Maybe Joan’s ability can change things back? Since Joan has a key to the king’s court, I think she will be going there.

And maybe Aaron is Joan’s love interest. 🙂 Nick and Joan are definitely enemies now.
(hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

Agne wrote: "Chapter 6 -11 (~48%)
."

I like time travel stories too. What they have to do makes things complicated. But I like this different take on time travel.

[Geri]

Chapter 14-18

(view spoiler)[
I figured Joan might see a family member like Gran. But that was a tough lesson to learn. That Joan couldn’t trust her own grandmother.

Very exciting the time spent at the king’s court and racing through bridges. Ruth’s powers were amazing.

It still seems like the author wants us to root for Joan and Nick. So Nick may forgive Joan for time traveling?

Tom isn’t who he pretended to be. But is he an enemy?
(hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

Chapter 19-Epilogue

(view spoiler)[
So we get to see Nick’s side of the story. How he became the human hero. Ugh!

Wow, that ending. Very bittersweet. But Joan did bring her family back. And now Aaron will no longer know Joan. That will definitely come up in book 2. I look forward to the next book!
(hide spoiler)]

[Agne]

Chapter 12 - 15 (~65%)
(view spoiler)[Hmm... I don't know. I have a feeling that things are going too easy for them. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or maybe I am wrong? We will see.

Gran in this time like is something... (hide spoiler)]

[Agne]

Chapter 16 - Epilogue
(view spoiler)[ Oh, that ending. I feel sad for Joan, because she had to do it to save everyone... but at the same time it pains her so much to do it for the person she loves.

No ones remembers... Aaron forgot everything... she has to meet him in book 2, I feel like there will be a story...
(hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

Just started!

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[Very captivating beginning! I keep thinking they could have called themselves sokething other than monsters, and actually explained something to Joan beforehand, but I am super invested in her and Nick! It is described very vividly and realistically... (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Are you reading or listening Andy? The audio is fantastic!

[Andy]

Reading! I can't do audio books, I can't concentrate! :P

Chapter 8: (view spoiler)[This is super fast paced! Maybe too fast paced? I like it a lot though, this spin on time travel is very interesting. I wonder if it's going to be a case where they set in motion the monsters killing Nick's family, and then him wanting go kill them all? (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

This book was born as a Draco and Hermione fan fiction though, right? Because I can believe nothing else! :P

[Andy]

Chapter 14: (view spoiler)[Oh, it's sad that younger Dorothy was not good to Joan! (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Oh, poor Joan! (hide spoiler)]