Series: Monsters, Book 1
Published: 2022
Author: Vanessa Len
Genre: YA Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Time Travel
Audience: Grades 10–12
Number of Stars: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Goodreads Link: Only a Monster
Content Warnings: Violence, murder, torture, physical/mental abuse, and substance abuse.
Publisher’s Summary
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2022)
With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, is the first in a planned trilogy. It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.
But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down. As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . . . . . she is not the hero.
Review
Only a Monster is a fantasy novel that young adults will find genuinely intriguing. The story is a high-stakes blend of time travel, adventure, and romance. We follow Joan Chang-Hunt, who discovers her family’s “monstrous” secret: they can manipulate time, but only by stealing it from human lifespans. This power seems harmless until the ethical cost is revealed.
Her world is shattered when Nick—her crush—reveals himself as a monster hunter and kills her family. Out of desperation, Joan teams up with Aaron, the son of a rival monster family, to travel back in time and undo the tragedy. Throughout the journey, Joan begins to enjoy Aaron’s company and struggles with her own moral compass. She begins questioning loyalty, fate, morality, and whether monsters are truly evil or simply misunderstood. The major themes—identity, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between good and evil—make for a thought-provoking read.
🕰️ The Ethics of Time Travel
In the world of Only a Monster, time travel is not a scientific achievement but a predatory biological ability. This creates a unique “Butterfly Effect” where the cost is paid in human years.
- The “Cost” of a Jump: Monsters must “harvest” time from humans. This raises a significant moral question: Is any goal (even saving one’s family) worth the literal theft of someone else’s life?
- Temporal Ripples: When Joan and Aaron travel back to change the past, they create ripples that affect the present and future. Students can analyze these “ripples” to see how the authors handle the logic of causality.
- Fate vs. Free Will: If Nick is “destined” to be a hero and Joan is “destined” to be a monster, can they use time travel to break those roles, or are they simply running toward a predetermined end?
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- ELA (Theme & Character Analysis):
- Activity Idea: “Hero vs. Monster” Debate. Divide the class into two groups. One side argues that the monsters are inherently evil due to their predatory nature; the other argues they are a misunderstood species acting on survival.
- Creative Writing: Create a “Handbook for Monsters.” This should include a description of their powers and a set of “ethical guidelines” for how they must be used responsibly.
- History (Period Analysis):
- Activity Idea: As Joan travels through different eras in London, have students research the historical accuracy of the settings she visits. How does the “present” change based on the interventions made in the “past”?
- Art & Design (Symbolism):
- Activity Idea: Create a “Coat of Arms” for the rival monster families (the Hunts and the Olivers). Include symbols that represent their specific powers, traditions, and historic rivalries.
