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isabelsophiex's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
islaofkiki's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
waggaboy's review against another edition
2.0
I gave up with 100 pages to go! This is a soulless novel ( apart from the grandparent scenes).
bernard_black's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Alcohol, Death, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
kojafar's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book touches on a lot of themes of abuse at boarding schools and the lifelong fall out of it. Having known of real life examples of this, I was interested to see how it would be tackled. It’s an interestingly ramshackle book detailing the relationship of the protagonist with his grandfather - this is richly drawn in the first section and informs the decisions of the character in later life, although is never really that simple. I enjoyed the fact that the subject matter was not sensationalised, and was dealt with sensitively by the narrator not having encountered it himself, just seeing the effects on the people around him. . The characters of the boys were well described but I didn’t always feel like I knew all of them that well. They were well rounded but weirdly empty at the same time. The dialogue was excellent and very natural and true to life, and the life of the school was well described but again, sketchy at times. It was a weirdly hazy book at times, and vivid at others.
There was no real climax or satisfying ending, but it did feel complete in a way that real life stories of this type never get fully resolved or satisfied. I thought the writing was excellent and concise.
There was no real climax or satisfying ending, but it did feel complete in a way that real life stories of this type never get fully resolved or satisfied. I thought the writing was excellent and concise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship
dotsonpaper's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A vivid rendering of the complex scars of childhood abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Violence
mo_bookshelves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
caffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I loved the relationship with his Granddad and the farm but what a harrowing story. I felt strongly for those boys and the way their lives played out. Monsters is the word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Suicide
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
English Monsters is a novel about a boarding school, abuse, and the effect it has on the friendships and lives of the students. Max's childhood is international travel mixed with running around his grandparents' farm, until at the age of ten he is sent to boarding school. The school is full of rules and violent punishment, but Max also ends up with a close group of friends for the few years he is there. As an adult, it turns out there was more going on at the school than he knew, and as the secrets are revealed, the friends make different choices.
This is a novel that very much offers what it says on the tin, from the blurb and title: abuse at a boarding school and the impact on a group of friends. The main focus is on Max, Simon whose mum works at the school, and Luke, whose brother is head boy and whose whole family become part of the novel. These friendships are the highlight of the book, particularly Max and Simon's friendship, which is the constant through each section of the narrative, though at times you almost want more of these relationships instead of focus on other background characters. The choice of Max as protagonist brings an interesting sense of distance and drift, as he is someone without purpose and who was unaware of things going on when he was a child, which makes him feel like the kind of not wholly reliable narrator often associated with stories looking back over academic experiences and friendship groups.
English Monsters is an understated novel that doesn't bring surprises, and which looks at abuse, what happens when victims tell their story, and the importance of friendship. There are elements that feel un- or under-explored as the narrative progresses, but the novel also suggests the complexity and ambiguity in the way different people deal with things.
This is a novel that very much offers what it says on the tin, from the blurb and title: abuse at a boarding school and the impact on a group of friends. The main focus is on Max, Simon whose mum works at the school, and Luke, whose brother is head boy and whose whole family become part of the novel. These friendships are the highlight of the book, particularly Max and Simon's friendship, which is the constant through each section of the narrative, though at times you almost want more of these relationships instead of focus on other background characters. The choice of Max as protagonist brings an interesting sense of distance and drift, as he is someone without purpose and who was unaware of things going on when he was a child, which makes him feel like the kind of not wholly reliable narrator often associated with stories looking back over academic experiences and friendship groups.
English Monsters is an understated novel that doesn't bring surprises, and which looks at abuse, what happens when victims tell their story, and the importance of friendship. There are elements that feel un- or under-explored as the narrative progresses, but the novel also suggests the complexity and ambiguity in the way different people deal with things.