chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Stalking, Vomit, and Gaslighting
b3ck's review against another edition
For some reason, I just stopped reading even though I really loved this book and just never finished. I want it off my current reads but I will finish it someday. This is an excellent book
biblionerdrflxn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
heresthepencil's review against another edition
4.0
rep: bi mc with anxiety, Latino (half-Puerto Rican) gay li, sapphic side character, Easter European side character
tw: panic attacks, absent parent, homophobia
ARC provided by the publisher.
First of all, I have to admit I was not aware this is a second part of series, but even so - it was a pleasant read & I don’t feel like my lack of knowledge diminished it in any way. I probably will read the first book, though, because I love those characters now.
Monster of the Week ticks off all the right boxes for me, so I have to go through them one by one before this turns into a three-page long rambling nonsense.
(1) The found family trope! Bridger (the mc) has an excellent group of friends & loved ones who care about him and who come together for him. It’s truly amazing. But I also want to point out that (1.a) it melts into an almost actual family, with Bridger’s boss being a beautiful father figure for him.
(2) The narrative addresses that! More than once, and especially in a scene with Bridger’s biological dad. It was superb! So not only do we get multiple parent characters, be it bio or not, but they also show different ideas on parenting. And the book is very clear on which ones are appreciated. It highlights how important supportive parents are for kids, which is not something we see a lot of in YA lit. The same goes for extended family and this loving environment is shown time and time again.
(3) The book is pretty great in terms of diversity. I really love that Bridger is bisexual and that the word pops out on the page all the time and that there are a few discussions about what it means to be bi. And love even more that he’s in a committed relationship through the whole book. None of that ‘bi people are flaky & inconstant’ bulshit here!
(4) Speaking of Bridger’s relationship, another thing I adored is the importance put on consent! He and his boyfriend have multiple conversations about whether or not they’re ready to have sex & each time they’re framed as totally natural and just the thing that should be happening. They also just generally talk a lot and constantly support each other. It’s incredible to see a healthy relationship that screams it’s based on a friendship.
(5) This book is so funny!! It’s my exact type of humour, which might not work for everyone, but so what. It reminds me of Buffy a bit in that department and has that very distinctive vibe of “Where are you getting your juice? / My mother is doing all the shopping”.
Monster of the Week is a wild ride, with unicorns and pixies, and werewolves, and boyfriends who are baseball stars, and inside jokes between friends. It’s utterly optimistic and gives you so much hope without feeling like it’s trying too hard.
tw: panic attacks, absent parent, homophobia
ARC provided by the publisher.
First of all, I have to admit I was not aware this is a second part of series, but even so - it was a pleasant read & I don’t feel like my lack of knowledge diminished it in any way. I probably will read the first book, though, because I love those characters now.
Monster of the Week ticks off all the right boxes for me, so I have to go through them one by one before this turns into a three-page long rambling nonsense.
(1) The found family trope! Bridger (the mc) has an excellent group of friends & loved ones who care about him and who come together for him. It’s truly amazing. But I also want to point out that (1.a) it melts into an almost actual family, with Bridger’s boss being a beautiful father figure for him.
(2) The narrative addresses that! More than once, and especially in a scene with Bridger’s biological dad. It was superb! So not only do we get multiple parent characters, be it bio or not, but they also show different ideas on parenting. And the book is very clear on which ones are appreciated. It highlights how important supportive parents are for kids, which is not something we see a lot of in YA lit. The same goes for extended family and this loving environment is shown time and time again.
(3) The book is pretty great in terms of diversity. I really love that Bridger is bisexual and that the word pops out on the page all the time and that there are a few discussions about what it means to be bi. And love even more that he’s in a committed relationship through the whole book. None of that ‘bi people are flaky & inconstant’ bulshit here!
(4) Speaking of Bridger’s relationship, another thing I adored is the importance put on consent! He and his boyfriend have multiple conversations about whether or not they’re ready to have sex & each time they’re framed as totally natural and just the thing that should be happening. They also just generally talk a lot and constantly support each other. It’s incredible to see a healthy relationship that screams it’s based on a friendship.
(5) This book is so funny!! It’s my exact type of humour, which might not work for everyone, but so what. It reminds me of Buffy a bit in that department and has that very distinctive vibe of “Where are you getting your juice? / My mother is doing all the shopping”.
Monster of the Week is a wild ride, with unicorns and pixies, and werewolves, and boyfriends who are baseball stars, and inside jokes between friends. It’s utterly optimistic and gives you so much hope without feeling like it’s trying too hard.
garbutch's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Outing, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence
Bridger's dad abandoned him and tries to get back in his life, but is a shitty dad and homophobic. There are scenes of parents arguing. And a lot of stuff related to Bridger having anxiety.eggasshi's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
miles862's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first one. Still love the premise, still love the characters, still love many elements of the writing style. This book suffered from focusing too much on the high school elements, I think. There were a lot of references and pieces that didn't feel natural/set the characters in a very specific time/space in an unhelpful way. The references had to be explained in the text, in a way that felt like the author was trying to make them fit. I still enjoyed it, but I hope that any future works in the universe focus more on the myths and magic fitting into the world.
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
3.5, round up
spoiler ahead
I generally adore this series. I absolutely loved the first book. I can't say I loved this second one quite as much, but I did really enjoy it. I'll start with what I like. There is a lot of love here. Bridger has a wonderfully supportive crew and the theme of Found Family is a wonderful one. The cast of regular characters are quirky and fun and effortlessly diverse. And I really appreciated that Lukens allowed Bridger to cut the toxic family member from his life, rather than force an artificial reconciliation.
Things I didn't like as much was the plot dependance on the ambitious, 'evil professional woman.' It's more nuanced than that here, but it's still a pretty shitty trope that I hate. I thought things got a little didactic at times. And the focus of the book was less on the action and antics of the cryptic, here in Monster of the Week, and more on Bridger's school life. I preferred the former.
All in all, I can't wait for more of Lukens' work.
spoiler ahead
I generally adore this series. I absolutely loved the first book. I can't say I loved this second one quite as much, but I did really enjoy it. I'll start with what I like. There is a lot of love here. Bridger has a wonderfully supportive crew and the theme of Found Family is a wonderful one. The cast of regular characters are quirky and fun and effortlessly diverse. And I really appreciated that Lukens allowed Bridger to cut the toxic family member from his life, rather than force an artificial reconciliation.
Things I didn't like as much was the plot dependance on the ambitious, 'evil professional woman.' It's more nuanced than that here, but it's still a pretty shitty trope that I hate. I thought things got a little didactic at times. And the focus of the book was less on the action and antics of the cryptic, here in Monster of the Week, and more on Bridger's school life. I preferred the former.
All in all, I can't wait for more of Lukens' work.
jcd1013's review against another edition
5.0
A really excellent sequel - engaging and sweet with a delightful crew of friends of all mythological backgrounds.