Publishers Weekly
12/22/2014
With echoes of Frankenstein and “Beauty and the Beast,” Connolly’s debut offers a premise both captivating and grotesque. Upon awakening, Kymera learns that she has been brought back to life by her scientist father through a series of experiments that leave her with patchwork skin, cat eyes, claws, wings, a barbed tail, and no memories. Kymera’s charge, to rescue girls in neighboring Bryre afflicted with a curse from an evil wizard, proves difficult as she begins to have flashbacks of her former life. Upon meeting a boy named Ren and a dragon that calls her sister, Kymera discovers that her father is not who she thinks he is and must come to terms with her terrifying body in order to defeat the wizard, save the girls, and protect Bryre’s citizens from a deadly creeping briar. Connolly invokes fairy-tale elements with ease, and although the expansive plot can feel disjointed and hastily drawn at times, the formidable theme of sacrifice resonates far beyond the final page. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Like a literary mad scientist, MarcyKate Connolly takes bits from classic fairy tales and legends and uses them to assemble a creation that is wholly original and wonderfully strange. Subversive, bewitching, and whip-smart, Monstrous is a marvel of storytelling alchemy. —Anne Ursu, author of Breadcrumbs — .
“Kym’s bravery shines, as she fights against the menacing forces in Bryre and also struggles to figure out where she, a self-described monster of a girl, belongs. This remarkable, absorbing debut will enchant readers. —Rebecca Behrens, author of When Audrey Met Alice — .
“Pays tribute to classic fairy tales while turning the tradition on its head. A smart, ambitious adventure, led by a heroine whose differences only enhance her humanity.” —Emma Trevayne, author of Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times — .
Readers seeking a lengthy, thoughtful novel, particularly those who appreciate careful world-building, will find this worth their time. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A likely read-aloud that has its share of guts, blood, and grim reality within this fantasy land, Monstrous will keep young readers thinking about trust, good and evil, friendship and loyalty, and devotion to community. — Booklist
Magic, fantastic creatures, mythology, and a bit of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein combine here for an exciting…tale. — School Library Journal
Connolly invokes fairy-tale elements with ease, and... the formidable theme of sacrifice resonates far beyond the final page. — Publishers Weekly
“This is a dazzling and unique once-upon-a-time about a girl who is part dragon, part bird, part cat, all hero.” —Natalie Lloyd, author of A Snicker of Magic — .
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Like a literary mad scientist, MarcyKate Connolly takes bits from classic fairy tales and legends and uses them to assemble a creation that is wholly original and wonderfully strange. Subversive, bewitching, and whip-smart, Monstrous is a marvel of storytelling alchemy. —Anne Ursu, author of Breadcrumbs
Booklist
A likely read-aloud that has its share of guts, blood, and grim reality within this fantasy land, Monstrous will keep young readers thinking about trust, good and evil, friendship and loyalty, and devotion to community.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Readers seeking a lengthy, thoughtful novel, particularly those who appreciate careful world-building, will find this worth their time.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Readers seeking a lengthy, thoughtful novel, particularly those who appreciate careful world-building, will find this worth their time.
Booklist
A likely read-aloud that has its share of guts, blood, and grim reality within this fantasy land, Monstrous will keep young readers thinking about trust, good and evil, friendship and loyalty, and devotion to community.
MARCH 2015 - AudioFile
Weaving allusions to Frankenstein, magic, and fairy tales, MONSTROUS is a hypnotic listen. Narrator Brittany Pressley excels at balancing the protagonist’s innocence and questioning as she slowly uncovers her true purpose and her past. The city of Bryre is under the curse of a dark wizard who makes girls take ill and disappear. Kymera has been brought back to life and given wings, cat eyes, claws, and a tail in order to help save the girls and stop the wizard. Pressley's Kymera has just the right amount of emotion to tug at the heartstrings. The supporting characters are well voiced, and Pressley subtly changes her portrayal of each one as true identities and motives are uncovered. With excellent pacing, Pressley keeps listeners engaged all the way to the breathtaking climax. S.B.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-11-04
A monster's search for identity and redemption, with betrayal, lies and madness at its core.Having wakened with no memory, patchwork Kymera knows only what her kind-faced creator, Barnabas, tells her—that the girls of nearby Bryre are being stolen by a deranged wizard, and she has been assembled from gathered parts of victims and magical creatures to rescue them, one per night. But as Kymera pursues her nocturnal mission, aided by wings and a stinging tail that (in overt homage to Frankenstein) are bolted on, exchanges with an intrepid lad named Rendall and other puzzling clues gradually lead her to question her assumptions. The horrific truth at last revealed, devastated Kymera sets out to rescue the dozens of girls she has taken. More betrayal awaits, though, along with considerable slaughter, before just deserts are fully paid. Connolly makes her conflicted narrator so slow on the uptake that readers, who will twig to the true villain's identity far earlier, may grow impatient waiting for her to get on with it. Not that the plot is particularly compelling, what with its dependence on conveniently overheard conversations and stylized battle choreography, plus Kymera's angst-y frets about her true inner nature to slow it down further. The story may be spun with classic DNA, but in the end, it's sluggish and overwrought. (Fantasy. 12-14)
