Why read Only a Monster?

Book cover of Only a Monster

Book description

In every story there is a hero and a monster.

'Mind-bending, heart wrenching, and unputdownable!' Stephanie Garber, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Caraval series and Once Upon a Broken Heart

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother's eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Only a Monster as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Michaela Daphne

Author

I liked the exploration of a moral dilemma through the lens of a supposed 'monster' but it wasn't a heavy read, more Vodka Cruiser than Cabernet Sauvignon.

From Michaela's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Elisa A. Bonnin

Author

The protagonist of Only a Monster, Joan Hunt-Chang, also feels like someone caught between two worlds. Joan isn’t just half Chinese-Malaysian and half-British, she’s also half-monster and half-human, something that she learns at the beginning of the book. The rest of the book follows Joan as she tries to save her monster family, striking a balance between doing the right thing and embracing her monstrous heritage. Joan grapples with questions of identity, heritage and morality in this gripping fantasy novel, which also features time travel and a twist I honestly did not see coming.

From Elisa's list on The best fantasy novels with protagonists that are part of two worlds.