chloe_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ambiiumm23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
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
5.0
lolli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
ophelianox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
3.5
izachime's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like this book as well as the first two because to me it felt rushed and it was as if the author was tired of the story and just wanted it to end.
I'm not even going to talk about the ending because I'm still upset about it.
I'm not even going to talk about the ending because I'm still upset about it.
wrenny03's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mansireanna's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was overall a thrilling conclusion to a pretty good trilogy from Derek Landy - nothing to rave about or anything (unlike the SP series) but still enjoyable for sure. American Monsters was fast-paced, full of action and had a lot of character development I actually really enjoyed. I really fell in love with Amber in this book, I'm a sucker for a good flawed female character and Amber really fits that - there are a lot of layers to her and I actually really liked Landy's exploration of her - particularly some of her moments confronting her demon self, her little rampage half way through the book and her becoming comfortable in her own skin. I enjoyed the fact that this was focused entirely on Amber's POV and her story, as opposed to Desolation which had felt a little disjointed due to so many other character's POVs. I enjoyed her romance with Kelly a little more in this book, there's still an icky age gap but it felt more innocent in American Monsters, and also wasn't a super huge focus. It's still not perfect rep, or the greatest example of a wlw couple by any stretch of the imagination (sometimes you can 100% tell that this is a lesbian couple written by a man), but it annoyed me far less in this book than in Desolation. I liked Amber's casual talk about being gay as well, it made it more believable (and made me like her more).
However, this book fell a little flat for me, mainly because it really felt too short. It was super fast-paced but this led to it feeling rushed and episodic in a way that wasn't weaved together seamlessly and I personally felt things sometimes were a little haphazard, especially towards the end. The whole thing felt pretty rushed to be honest, with characters who were set up as fairly the previous books (like Warrick, Ronnie and Linda etc.) barely making cameos as it felt like Landy didn't really know what to do with them any more. The ending as well was a bit rushed, some of it felt pretty deus ex machina, and the very ending had my blood boiling because of a certain character death that honestly just felt so cheap and unnecessary and only there for shock value. The book would have honestly been better if it had ended like 15 pages before the actual end, and honestly the very ending brought my rating from a 3.5 to a 3 because I felt it was so sloppily tacked on to the end.
Overall, had a lot of fun with this series and this last instalment but it was far from perfect. It was never going to live up to Skulduggery Pleasant, but I am glad I took the time to finish this series as a lot of the fantasy aspects, lore and world building were really interesting throughout, and I must admit that I enjoy Landy's writing style. 3/5 stars.
However, this book fell a little flat for me, mainly because it really felt too short. It was super fast-paced but this led to it feeling rushed and episodic in a way that wasn't weaved together seamlessly and I personally felt things sometimes were a little haphazard, especially towards the end. The whole thing felt pretty rushed to be honest, with characters who were set up as fairly the previous books (like Warrick, Ronnie and Linda etc.) barely making cameos as it felt like Landy didn't really know what to do with them any more. The ending as well was a bit rushed, some of it felt pretty deus ex machina, and the very ending had my blood boiling because of a certain character death that honestly just felt so cheap and unnecessary and only there for shock value. The book would have honestly been better if it had ended like 15 pages before the actual end, and honestly the very ending brought my rating from a 3.5 to a 3 because I felt it was so sloppily tacked on to the end.
Overall, had a lot of fun with this series and this last instalment but it was far from perfect. It was never going to live up to Skulduggery Pleasant, but I am glad I took the time to finish this series as a lot of the fantasy aspects, lore and world building were really interesting throughout, and I must admit that I enjoy Landy's writing style. 3/5 stars.
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
4.0
A satisfying conclusion to a fun trilogy. Deliciously graphic and violent, this book directly follows on from the conclusion to book two, so I can't say much without spoiling the other books in the series.
Needless to say, the stakes are higher, the monsters are tougher and Amber is still useless in combat. I consider this a good thing because too many times the perfectly ordinary loser suddenly gets some super power and then can not only wield them proficiently but they also suddenly know kung fu. Amber's still the Amber she was, there's just a new aspect of her life she has to deal with.
The story-arcs for the secondary characters are also satisfying or tragic. Again, no names can be mentioned here.
This still has that X-Files feel, particularly when they're up against the clown but that style of adventure features less here. In fact, the books in the trilogy have got progressively shorter. A lot of the first book was attributed to Amber bouncing from one encounter to the next, to the next, and again, and again. Book 2 was more of one all-encompassing encounter. This time the encounters are directly linked to the plot, with Amber finally having a goal to aim for.
The only spoilerish thing I will reveal is that the ending does potentially have the set-up of further books in the series. I'm not saying there will be, but it's left in a way that means there could be.
I did enjoy this series that's full of interesting monsters and gadgets. I can see that Amber's ineptitude could irritate some readers. Particularly that, despite that, she keeps surviving her encounters and usually due to interventions by others.
My only real gripe is that the plastic protective film has begun to peel off from the covers making them look messy. I expect more from a brand new book that doesn't give much change from a tenner.
Needless to say, the stakes are higher, the monsters are tougher and Amber is still useless in combat. I consider this a good thing because too many times the perfectly ordinary loser suddenly gets some super power and then can not only wield them proficiently but they also suddenly know kung fu. Amber's still the Amber she was, there's just a new aspect of her life she has to deal with.
The story-arcs for the secondary characters are also satisfying or tragic. Again, no names can be mentioned here.
This still has that X-Files feel, particularly when they're up against the clown but that style of adventure features less here. In fact, the books in the trilogy have got progressively shorter. A lot of the first book was attributed to Amber bouncing from one encounter to the next, to the next, and again, and again. Book 2 was more of one all-encompassing encounter. This time the encounters are directly linked to the plot, with Amber finally having a goal to aim for.
The only spoilerish thing I will reveal is that the ending does potentially have the set-up of further books in the series. I'm not saying there will be, but it's left in a way that means there could be.
I did enjoy this series that's full of interesting monsters and gadgets. I can see that Amber's ineptitude could irritate some readers. Particularly that, despite that, she keeps surviving her encounters and usually due to interventions by others.
My only real gripe is that the plastic protective film has begun to peel off from the covers making them look messy. I expect more from a brand new book that doesn't give much change from a tenner.
kba76's review against another edition
3.0
In the latest journey on the Demon Road, things are hotting up for Amber and Milo.
In addition to doing Astaroth's work, Amber has been asked by her parents to help them gain power in exchange for the life of Kelly.
There's an awful lot going on here, not all of which was relevant to the main story. There were some entertaining scenes but it felt just that little too long, and things were quite disjointed.
I felt it got a lot better towards the end as we see Amber's essential humanity as she tries to save her friends and right some of the wrongs that have been committed over the course of the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for sharing my thoughts.
In addition to doing Astaroth's work, Amber has been asked by her parents to help them gain power in exchange for the life of Kelly.
There's an awful lot going on here, not all of which was relevant to the main story. There were some entertaining scenes but it felt just that little too long, and things were quite disjointed.
I felt it got a lot better towards the end as we see Amber's essential humanity as she tries to save her friends and right some of the wrongs that have been committed over the course of the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for sharing my thoughts.
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
5.0
Video review (including a spoiler discussion!): https://youtu.be/YROIZpOJVsM
Thank you to the publishers and author to allow me to read this in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley.
American Monsters was brilliant and a fantastic end to the Demon Road trilogy! The books got better and better as they went on, with the first being a 4 star read for me, the second a 4.5 star and the final a 5 star read. These books have been amazing!
Amber was so kick arse in this final book but we see she's slowly losing herself as her demon self overpowers her. It was really scary how evil some of her actions became over a few months, especially when it came to dishing out the punishments by request from the Shinning Demon. Despite that, she was still a goofy mess in front of Kelly. I loved the diversity of relationships Landy explored further in this books... That club scene... Woah! Oh, and I was glad at least one confrontation didn't end in a bloody battle! It was nice to see the softer side of Amber again; soft yes, but not weak. I've got to say though, I have no idea how she found the time to make her witty speeches before a fight! Some of the time I was just thinking "fight already!".
The humour was hilarious and again felt more adult than some of Landy's other books, but I really enjoyed that. There were a lot of times where I was literally laughing out loud and gasping from humour and shock!
There was a bit of talk during Brewers' scene concerning body shaming. I will say it was powerful but it was so totally out of the blue and confusing at the same time. It was scary how much the character in question invested in fictional characters and how far she went to try and keep them pure to only her. It makes some fandoms seem so crazy though! I hope that wasn't the intention, haha!
I got my heart broken way too many times in this book and that was mostly due to the plenty of deaths we bore witness to, but what shocked me more was that it was the deaths of newer characters that got me all sad too! I started dreading the arrival of new characters after one particular sudden, intense and brutal scene.
In terms of structure, I found this one to be a bit weird. Some of the sentences I felt should have been split into a second sentence or phrased in a way that made it read better. I wouldn't have minded that type of structure every now and then but it was constantly. Chapter 42 had a unique layout though. It tended to have a page of a short passage, followed by a page with a short sentence. I think it added haste to what was happening and gave the situation a type of urgency, but at the same time it unfortunately made what was happening look too easy! Aside from that, I did like it.
Those Bogles at the beginning were nuts! They were definitely like the Gremlins, but they added some great entertainment! I just wished they were in it a bit longer.
I have one big problem... How had I never before noticed the way Fool was described? A paraphrased example of one of the descriptions was "a thing without gender". I know Fool is literally a monster but when talking about gender, those words in that sentence surrounded by the context it was in, just sounded terrible.
Aside from that minor poor choice in words I found this to be an awesome final installment in the Demon Road trilogy. I devoured it in 2 days- it was amazing!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Thank you to the publishers and author to allow me to read this in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley.
American Monsters was brilliant and a fantastic end to the Demon Road trilogy! The books got better and better as they went on, with the first being a 4 star read for me, the second a 4.5 star and the final a 5 star read. These books have been amazing!
Amber was so kick arse in this final book but we see she's slowly losing herself as her demon self overpowers her. It was really scary how evil some of her actions became over a few months, especially when it came to dishing out the punishments by request from the Shinning Demon. Despite that, she was still a goofy mess in front of Kelly. I loved the diversity of relationships Landy explored further in this books... That club scene... Woah! Oh, and I was glad at least one confrontation didn't end in a bloody battle! It was nice to see the softer side of Amber again; soft yes, but not weak. I've got to say though, I have no idea how she found the time to make her witty speeches before a fight! Some of the time I was just thinking "fight already!".
The humour was hilarious and again felt more adult than some of Landy's other books, but I really enjoyed that. There were a lot of times where I was literally laughing out loud and gasping from humour and shock!
There was a bit of talk during Brewers' scene concerning body shaming. I will say it was powerful but it was so totally out of the blue and confusing at the same time. It was scary how much the character in question invested in fictional characters and how far she went to try and keep them pure to only her. It makes some fandoms seem so crazy though! I hope that wasn't the intention, haha!
I got my heart broken way too many times in this book and that was mostly due to the plenty of deaths we bore witness to, but what shocked me more was that it was the deaths of newer characters that got me all sad too! I started dreading the arrival of new characters after one particular sudden, intense and brutal scene.
In terms of structure, I found this one to be a bit weird. Some of the sentences I felt should have been split into a second sentence or phrased in a way that made it read better. I wouldn't have minded that type of structure every now and then but it was constantly. Chapter 42 had a unique layout though. It tended to have a page of a short passage, followed by a page with a short sentence. I think it added haste to what was happening and gave the situation a type of urgency, but at the same time it unfortunately made what was happening look too easy! Aside from that, I did like it.
Those Bogles at the beginning were nuts! They were definitely like the Gremlins, but they added some great entertainment! I just wished they were in it a bit longer.
I have one big problem... How had I never before noticed the way Fool was described? A paraphrased example of one of the descriptions was "a thing without gender". I know Fool is literally a monster but when talking about gender, those words in that sentence surrounded by the context it was in, just sounded terrible.
Aside from that minor poor choice in words I found this to be an awesome final installment in the Demon Road trilogy. I devoured it in 2 days- it was amazing!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén