Book Review | HERE THERE ARE MONSTERS by Amelinda Bérubé

August 1, 2019 
Sourcebooks Fire

Sixteen-year-old Skye is done playing the knight in shining armor for her insufferable younger sister, Deirdre. Moving across the country seems like the perfect chance to start over.

In their isolated new neighborhood, Skye manages to fit in, but Deirdre withdraws from everyone, becoming fixated on the swampy woods behind their house and building monstrous sculptures out of sticks and bones.

Then Deirdre disappears.

And when something awful comes scratching at Skye's window in the middle of the night, claiming she's the only one who can save Deirdre, Skye knows she will stop at nothing to bring her sister home. - Goodreads

I should like this - it is of the horror genre- but I can’t for good reasons.

I was instantly hooked by the book cover; it’s an absolute eye-catcher. The writing started off really good. The choices of words are pleasantly invoking and creepy enough. But then, the plot started going sideways in the middle. There are more than enough “sort of” scenarios that are difficult to picture. I cannot take hold of what exactly is going on and where it’s actually moving. I never abandon a book, so, I plowed on and read it to the end.

I have to admit, there is plenty of substance here. The book’s premise is absolutely interesting; the setting could be perfect, and the character foundations are there. In other words, the backbone for a good horror book is present, but not fully developed.

Book details:
Title: Here There Are Monsters
Author: Amelinda Bérubé
Publication: August 1, 2019, by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Horror
Rating:  ★★


*Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the DRC in exchange for this honest review.