Reviews

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

laurawil's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

hailthejessiah's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

tregina's review against another edition

4.0

I had a sense when I started this that I wasn't going to like it as much as the previous two, due to the excessive whiplash between the two primary points of view (it gave an excellent sense of battlefield chaos at times, but there were other times when the frequent flips felt more intrusive than necessary), but once it found its groove it stayed there. Everyone is so beautiful and strong and damaged and very real, with internal conflicts and bad decisions and forgiveness. The POV sections of the Return were so good and so important. Even though the book felt like it climaxed maybe one or two too many times (which may be the first time I've ever said that), I can't imagine any part of it I wouldn't have wanted to keep.

smateer73's review against another edition

5.0

This book was phenomenal. The writing style of the whole series is gripping and exciting and just so real. The book effortlessly fishes out what it means to be a human, to lead, to love in a world where everything is messy, crazy, evil almost. The plot is crafted amazingly, and all the characters are so well written, even Mayor Prentiss. There are so many different layers and thoughts but it’s still somehow so cohesive and stunning, just wow.

This book was like the perfect ending to a great series.

princzukos's review against another edition

5.0

WHY WOULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT????!!!!

samthegrand's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

rebecca_simard's review

5.0

An incredible wrap up to the series. The additional POVs provide so much nuance and make you feel how stuck the characters all are. Forces the reader to question how does a society move forward and reach peace after unforgivable acts have been committed. Watching the characters get manipulated over and over again is incredibly frustrating but shows how far power and fear can corrupt these characters we've grown to love. Like a lot of other reviews, my biggest problem with this book is the ending.

I do not like Todd being implied to have survived. As sad as his death made me, I think it was effective storytelling. Todd has spent two books becoming one and the same with the Mayor, to the point where Viola has trouble even telling them apart, both in appearance and behavior. The Return killing him thinking he is the Mayor is the perfectly devastating way to show that Todd has become corrupted by the time he spent with the Mayor and surrounded by violence. But because the parts about him coming back to life/recovering are all the last 10 pages of the series I'll just pretend it didn't happen and enjoy my closure.

5/5 series if you can put up with the characters making bad choices over and over again and a really unique writing style that changes in format throughout the series. 

stephibabes's review

4.0

This finale was so huge and important. It dealt with such fine-grained and complex situations and the impossible decisions that we make and their enormous repercussions. Following the characters and see the growth and evolution they are forced to go on is powerful.

Introducing the third perspective blew my mind. It made me hate characters I had previously been warm to. Seeing the perspective of those who were oppressed, murdered and enslaved, was truly the making of this trilogy for me and I hope others take away a deeper empathy for those who have faced the same due to the rampant colonialism of Western capitalism.

gingersquirrel's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

weingut's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0