Emerald Fennell, Monsters, Hot Key Books, 1 Sept 2015, 288pp., $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781471404627
Set in the Cornish coastal town of Fowey, Monsters is told in the first person from a twelve-year-old girl’s perspective. Every summer she stays with her aunt and uncle at their hotel. She knows the town well, often visiting her favourite places, such as Mr Queen’s sweet shop and the aquarium. The seemingly sleepy town is shocked when a body of a young woman is found in the water. The unnamed narrator takes it upon herself to solve the crime. When thirteen year old Miles Giffard arrives with his over protective mother, he and the narrator team up to solve the first, and subsequent, murders. They are both fascinated with true crime.
It turns out we have read a lot of the same books on it, and both his and my favourite picture is the one of Mary Kelly with her face torn off and her guts hanging out in the Jack the Ripper book. (p. 57)
This unnerving frankness is indicative of the tone of the book. It is not only the frankness with which this book is written that makes it a disturbing read at times. Uncle Frederick is sadistic, as is Miles. The girl is gutsy and wants to belong, to have a friend, and although she does not follow in the exact footsteps as Miles, she is close behind. There is more to this town than it seems.
The beginning paragraph of the book is a good indication that it is intended for older YA or adult readers, not twelve year olds as some unsuspecting buyers might assume. “My parents got smushed to death in a boating accident when I was nine. Don’t worry – I’m not that sad about it.” (p.1) The title is not just suggestive of the murderer, whom the reader discovers in an unexpected finale.
Fennell effortlessly weaves a dark, macabre horror story. Although it made me feel uncomfortable and squirmy at times, I found it difficult to put down. Recommended for the discerning YA reader.
Reviewed by Liz Derouet