Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly
Pub: 2/10/2015
Pgs: 432
ARC Received by Edelweiss

Monstrous is such a beautifully written book.  If you love Neil Gaiman or Patrick Ness, then I think you will fall in love with this story. 

Kymera has awaken to a new life.  Her father completely pulled a Dr. Frankenstein/Dr. Moreau, using animal parts he saved Kym's life and gave her a second chance, even after failure upon failure.  As she becomes self aware and accustomed to her new life, her father also has let her in on what is going on with the city of Bryre.  They are suffering from the evil influence of a wizard.  His curse has created mayhem in the town, girls are missing, the King is missing, curfews are up, and there doesn't seem to be a hero insight.  That is until Kym.

Keeping herself hidden by the darkness of the night hours, Kym steals away to the town and rescues girls from the evil wizard, bringing them back home where they would be sent back to where they need to be in order to get better from the wizards influence.  Keeping away from the towns folk, afraid that they would not understand her unique features, Kym begins her mission to destroy the wizard.  Until she sees Ren, a boy who also seems to be hiding himself in the night hours, when the rest of the town is under curfew.  Then Ren sees Kym and all the careful planning of her night excursions goes out the window and replaced by stolen glances and hidden roses.  Soon Kym realizes that Ren knows about the missing girls, and that he too wants to defeat the wizard, but what he tells her will have Kym questioning everything she knows, including her existence.

I can't say it wasn't obvious who the baddy was in this book, but seeing Kym work the motions was great and awful all at once.  I completely felt for the girl, and she was a well rounded character that had a great growth within this story.  The next best thing about this book was the world building.  I could see the town, her home, and even the dragon in my mind's eye.  This might not be a helpful review because I just loved the book.  I don't want to rip it apart to demonstrate all the ways I loved it, I just want to love it :-).

4.5 stars.  Thanks Edelweiss.