saccalai's review against another edition
2.5
This was quite slow moving and I felt it was much too long. I probably would not have finished if it wasn't on audio, however I really liked the ending and that alone almost made it worth the time invested. There are quite a few different character threads and I liked how their stories all fitted together. The narrator is really good, made it feel like someone telling you a story around a campfire.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Greek myth retold in the style of Dickens but with added marvels.
There’s so much to love about this novel. The scene setting is to die for! – We are thrust into the trade of the mudlarkers who search for buried treasure on the banks of the Thames. Nell is one of them and she stumbles onto a body – Minos – who is barely alive. She brings him back to health whilst others want to rob from him. A bond forms between them and that’s when the story really takes off .
The relationship between Nell and Minos is one of the loveliest and most poignant I have read in a while. Beauty and the Beast in many ways but with added feeling and tenderness. There is a bond that will see Nell risk everything and Minos to find his way in this odd world. Meanwhile, Nell is struggling as her mother is dead and she desperately wants to become a dancer as her mother told her she could be.
I loved meeting the entire cast of characters. There’s no illustrations like in Dickens work but none needed as they are so expertly drawn. A story of good and evil and all the muddy areas in between.
The entire reading experience was a joy to behold and I urge everyone to read this.
ladymacbeth_1985's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
An enthralling, moving, ponderous, sad, and hopeful novel about otherness, poverty, and friendship, Once a Monster is a wonderful literary historical fantasy.
This novel feels like a Dickens novel with just a slight bit of modernity thrown in, similar to, for example, Fingersmith. What reminded me of Dickens, and what I loved about it, was the descriptions - you could feel the grime of the city, taste the cold, picture everything so clearly. It was extremely realistic and depicted a world that wasn’t so long ago, where children, upon being orphaned, literally had to wander in the streets.
When it comes to the characters, they were very Dickensian as well. We have an orphan, a scrappy little thing that is quietly tough and resolute. We have a woman treated poorly who is hiding a secret. We have a wretched older man who cares nothing for others. We also have a doctor and a scholar. All of these we’ve seen in various Dickens books … but then we have the Minotaur, who doesn’t really fit. But that’s kind of the point - he’s not supposed to fit. He’s supposed to be out of place, a person out of time.
As such, this novel is about otherness broadly, about how abuse and solitude and telling someone they are a monster will turn them into the things we say they are. But it’s also about how friendship and kindness can bring someone back from that, how the true villains are those who prey on goodness.
I loved Nell - she didn’t feel anachronistic or a passive character. She has real goals and needs in her life - she’s not just a foil for the minotaur. Murdstone, the antagonist, was great because there were moments when you felt a bit sorry for him, when you understood him. You don’t like him, but he has moments of humanity that break through, making him realistic and with a clear personality. The Minotaur himself was easy to understand but harder to know - because he doesn’t know himself. It was great to see him regain his humanity and struggle to keep it.
The writing is also a great balance of vividly descriptive and lyrical, with lines such as “grief is the echo love leaves in its wake.” (This line might be different or removed in the final text, as I read an ARC).
There’s also the way the novel parallels the original myth - conflating who is a hero and featuring a climax in a different sort of labyrinth - but not where it’s completely obvious while you’re reading it. Only upon reflection was I like, “Oh, I see what you did there.”
Overall, if you love a big juicy historical fiction with a very slight fantastical element, the Minotaur, or love picking crap out of the river and selling it, this is the book for you!
An enthralling, moving, ponderous, sad, and hopeful novel about otherness, poverty, and friendship, Once a Monster is a wonderful literary historical fantasy.
This novel feels like a Dickens novel with just a slight bit of modernity thrown in, similar to, for example, Fingersmith. What reminded me of Dickens, and what I loved about it, was the descriptions - you could feel the grime of the city, taste the cold, picture everything so clearly. It was extremely realistic and depicted a world that wasn’t so long ago, where children, upon being orphaned, literally had to wander in the streets.
When it comes to the characters, they were very Dickensian as well. We have an orphan, a scrappy little thing that is quietly tough and resolute. We have a woman treated poorly who is hiding a secret. We have a wretched older man who cares nothing for others. We also have a doctor and a scholar. All of these we’ve seen in various Dickens books … but then we have the Minotaur, who doesn’t really fit. But that’s kind of the point - he’s not supposed to fit. He’s supposed to be out of place, a person out of time.
As such, this novel is about otherness broadly, about how abuse and solitude and telling someone they are a monster will turn them into the things we say they are. But it’s also about how friendship and kindness can bring someone back from that, how the true villains are those who prey on goodness.
I loved Nell - she didn’t feel anachronistic or a passive character. She has real goals and needs in her life - she’s not just a foil for the minotaur. Murdstone, the antagonist, was great because there were moments when you felt a bit sorry for him, when you understood him. You don’t like him, but he has moments of humanity that break through, making him realistic and with a clear personality. The Minotaur himself was easy to understand but harder to know - because he doesn’t know himself. It was great to see him regain his humanity and struggle to keep it.
The writing is also a great balance of vividly descriptive and lyrical, with lines such as “grief is the echo love leaves in its wake.” (This line might be different or removed in the final text, as I read an ARC).
There’s also the way the novel parallels the original myth - conflating who is a hero and featuring a climax in a different sort of labyrinth - but not where it’s completely obvious while you’re reading it. Only upon reflection was I like, “Oh, I see what you did there.”
Overall, if you love a big juicy historical fiction with a very slight fantastical element, the Minotaur, or love picking crap out of the river and selling it, this is the book for you!
thereadingparamedic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
festivefun's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melc's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Dinsdale is a masterful storyteller and this is another example of how well he crafts his novels.
I loved the characterisation which managed to pay homage to other Victorian literature without being clichéd. Instead, I felt Dinsdale went deeper into what forms a Fagan, or the Stevenson discussion of the choice between good and evil.
I think the blending of Victorian London and Ancient Greece worked really well and created a rich, adventurous, compelling narrative.
What others have said about the pacing and length is true and this novel could have had a hundred pages shaved off. But as it was so well written it kept me interested to the end and as a whole I really enjoyed it.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
I loved the characterisation which managed to pay homage to other Victorian literature without being clichéd. Instead, I felt Dinsdale went deeper into what forms a Fagan, or the Stevenson discussion of the choice between good and evil.
I think the blending of Victorian London and Ancient Greece worked really well and created a rich, adventurous, compelling narrative.
What others have said about the pacing and length is true and this novel could have had a hundred pages shaved off. But as it was so well written it kept me interested to the end and as a whole I really enjoyed it.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
lifewithallthebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rina1986_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
victoria_catherine_shaw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75