Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - The Monsters We Defy

Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

27 reviews

kaelablue's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Final showdown felt a little quick, but other than that this book was wonderfully crafted and a super fun read.

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gogglor's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As soon as I saw the summary was “Fantasy heist set in Black Washington DC in the 1920’s” I think my library card caught fire with how quickly I checked it out. So glad the book itself turned out to be just as engaging and rich as the summary promised. 10/10, already planning to read it again.

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mal_reads_books's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was one of the more interesting stories I've read in a while. I loved how rich and immersive the setting was. It felt authentic and was full of fun, dynamic, unique characters. To me, this was the most enjoyable aspect of the book.

The side characters’ abilities and their backstories involving the deals they made with the spirits were also interesting. I actually preferred these characters over the protagonist, Clara, whom I didn't care much for. I loved how they were all misfits who banded together and became a "found family." I liked how the story included cameos of real Black historical figures like Langston Hughes. Even Clara was based on a real person.

Additionally, the author did a good job weaving themes of classism, colorism, and racism into the story. She handled these heavy topics well, approaching them with nuance.

While the writing was generally engaging, the story had pacing issues in that it lost my attention at times. This was usually whenever a new character was introduced with an introductory chapter; it would take me out of the story for a bit.

And while I did like the characters, I felt they could've have been better developed. Not sure why, but I kept getting two of the side guys, Aristotle and Jesse Lee, mixed up.

All in all, it was a pretty good, thought-provoking read. It has room for improvement, but is worth checking out. I'd love to see a movie adaptation for this.

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lottiegasp's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is an exciting and well-written novel set in 1920s Washington DC. It has spirits making mischievous deals with humans, a heist to save the wave of lower class Black folks who have suddenly gone missing and a fun, romantic storyline.

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