Reviews

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

thebeesknees79's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

chirson's review

4.0

I enjoyed this collection much more than Link's earlier work - the title story and Wizards story especially. Perfectly creepy, atmospheric and clever.

moonmoth's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

allisonami's review against another edition

Would revisit

hwelch86's review against another edition

3.0

Closer to a 3.5. The stories were hit or miss for me though I did absolutely love half of them. The rest were a mixed bag. For example, the beginning of one story intrigued me but the ending fell flat. Another story I skipped to the end (very rare for me) because I just couldn’t get into it. Last critique: the title story was one of my favorites and I think the book ending on it would have been far more effective.

ajpadley's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

tamzy6's review against another edition

3.0

Man, this book is weird... There are several standout stories that fully embrace gothic horror themes and the extraordinary ("The Specialist Hat"; "Monster"; "The Faery Handbag"). I like how this anthology is branded as a YA book and the protagonists are teens and preteens but the themes are surprisingly mature. The protagonists deal with loss, grief, and complex guardian/parent-child relationships.

That said, some stories are really kooky and off the wall ("Pretty Monsters"; "The Surfer"), and their narrative structures have more layers than I can count. Not sure if I'm so obtuse such that the references are lost on me, but I prefer to think I'm more inclined towards conventional narrative structures.

colinmeldrum's review against another edition

5.0

My favorite Link collection so far, although I haven't read the newest, Get in Trouble, yet. My new favorite Link stories are "The Wrong Grave" and "Monster."

jena_33's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

beanmom's review against another edition

2.0

9 stories of winningly well-developed characters in gorgeous and fully-realized worlds. None of them have ENDINGS, though, and it's incredibly frustrating.