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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
The Monsters We Make is a gripping slow burn. The characters and plot are laced with self-reflection and heart-breaking realism that it is difficult not to empathize with.
Crooked Lane Books advertises that if you like Shari Lapena family dramas you’ll like The Monster We Make. Yes, this is true, but Kali White’s book is so much more. The characters are relatable, and you’ll recognize your own coming of age in her words. We all have a moment in our childhood when we realized we are not safe, that there are monsters in friends, and family… That monsters live among us.
This novel is based on a true story of paperboys who went missing in Des Moines, Iowa in the 80’s. Though fictionalized, the story sends ice through your veins because it feels real. Like you’re hearing the story from a family member who lived in Des Moines during this time.
You feel like you know these characters intimately. The single mother trying to stay afloat financially and relying on her teenage daughter to watch her son - a fellow paperboy. A teenager who desperately wants to go to college for journalism but fails to see the story and troubles lurking in her own home. A son who doesn’t know how to ask for the help he needs and harbors his anger. The cop whose good heart drives him to solve horrible crimes but also burdens him when the cases run cold.
Kali White shines a light on cases and topics that were readily dismissed in the 80’s and even today. The story is difficult to read a times as there are tough topics broached. Missing children and child abuse are trigger topics for many but White takes the time to discuss these topics with respect that sparks acknowledgement and is not an “in your face” description.
I believe The Monsters We Make will be an instant hit with Book Clubs. There are so many topics of discuss in this family drama it will make for a dynamic read and discussion. Just be prepared for some nostalgia about the 80’s, along side remorse for the latchkey mindset- the idea that Monsters are “others” and they certainly aren’t your neighbors.
Crooked Lane Books advertises that if you like Shari Lapena family dramas you’ll like The Monster We Make. Yes, this is true, but Kali White’s book is so much more. The characters are relatable, and you’ll recognize your own coming of age in her words. We all have a moment in our childhood when we realized we are not safe, that there are monsters in friends, and family… That monsters live among us.
This novel is based on a true story of paperboys who went missing in Des Moines, Iowa in the 80’s. Though fictionalized, the story sends ice through your veins because it feels real. Like you’re hearing the story from a family member who lived in Des Moines during this time.
You feel like you know these characters intimately. The single mother trying to stay afloat financially and relying on her teenage daughter to watch her son - a fellow paperboy. A teenager who desperately wants to go to college for journalism but fails to see the story and troubles lurking in her own home. A son who doesn’t know how to ask for the help he needs and harbors his anger. The cop whose good heart drives him to solve horrible crimes but also burdens him when the cases run cold.
Kali White shines a light on cases and topics that were readily dismissed in the 80’s and even today. The story is difficult to read a times as there are tough topics broached. Missing children and child abuse are trigger topics for many but White takes the time to discuss these topics with respect that sparks acknowledgement and is not an “in your face” description.
I believe The Monsters We Make will be an instant hit with Book Clubs. There are so many topics of discuss in this family drama it will make for a dynamic read and discussion. Just be prepared for some nostalgia about the 80’s, along side remorse for the latchkey mindset- the idea that Monsters are “others” and they certainly aren’t your neighbors.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As a fictional crime book focused on real-life events, The Monsters We Make provides plenty to consider — especially its premise: you don't really know the person or people next store. They might look like fine folks on the outside, but they're up to no good on the inside.
Inspired by the disappearances of two paperboys from a small midwestern town, White sets up a sinister story around 12-year-old Sammy Cox and his seventeen-year-old sister Crystal. Crystal fancies herself as a future journalist, and Sammy is an overweight outcast with a secret.
Given his state of mind when he hurries home from his own paper route, red-faced and out of breath, one rightly assumes it's a horrible one. It is a horrible one, but also one overshadowed by an entire cast of sadsack people. None of them are confident, root-worthy, or even likable — not even the cop on the case.
Officer Dale Goodkind is a haunted man in a spoiled marriage. He didn't solve the last disappearance of a paperboy and doesn't seem all that equipped to solve this one. Mostly, his head is stuck in the past, re-living a childhood trauma that remains mostly murky. Still, he is a step up from Sammy and Crystal's mom. She's a whiny single mom (single because she was bored being with a good husband) who works as a hairdresser and is dead set on preventing her daughter from going to college because she never got a break. And that pretty much leaves Crystal to root for. She's a snoop with an underdeveloped moral compass.
Overall, the writing is fine, even if the pace is slow. But the characters did become a spoiler for me. There are also several instances where people just do or don't do things that seem realistic or make any sense. Gooodkind's fellow officers are "joking" that maybe he can't solve the case because he's also the abductor. I'm more inclined to think he can't solve the case because he's inept, losing his cool on several occasions with near-deadly and disastrous results. It's possible, but improbable given that the criminal-apparent is right out in the open.
For fans of slow-burn based on true crime stories, The Monsters We Make will give them just enough. But for people who enjoy a thriller, it tends to fall into the middle range with relatively few thrilling moments.
Inspired by the disappearances of two paperboys from a small midwestern town, White sets up a sinister story around 12-year-old Sammy Cox and his seventeen-year-old sister Crystal. Crystal fancies herself as a future journalist, and Sammy is an overweight outcast with a secret.
Given his state of mind when he hurries home from his own paper route, red-faced and out of breath, one rightly assumes it's a horrible one. It is a horrible one, but also one overshadowed by an entire cast of sadsack people. None of them are confident, root-worthy, or even likable — not even the cop on the case.
Officer Dale Goodkind is a haunted man in a spoiled marriage. He didn't solve the last disappearance of a paperboy and doesn't seem all that equipped to solve this one. Mostly, his head is stuck in the past, re-living a childhood trauma that remains mostly murky. Still, he is a step up from Sammy and Crystal's mom. She's a whiny single mom (single because she was bored being with a good husband) who works as a hairdresser and is dead set on preventing her daughter from going to college because she never got a break. And that pretty much leaves Crystal to root for. She's a snoop with an underdeveloped moral compass.
Overall, the writing is fine, even if the pace is slow. But the characters did become a spoiler for me. There are also several instances where people just do or don't do things that seem realistic or make any sense. Gooodkind's fellow officers are "joking" that maybe he can't solve the case because he's also the abductor. I'm more inclined to think he can't solve the case because he's inept, losing his cool on several occasions with near-deadly and disastrous results. It's possible, but improbable given that the criminal-apparent is right out in the open.
For fans of slow-burn based on true crime stories, The Monsters We Make will give them just enough. But for people who enjoy a thriller, it tends to fall into the middle range with relatively few thrilling moments.
This was such an engrossing read. I felt really drawn into the story, and liked that there were three different narrators. You wind up not knowing who to trust & not knowing who the real monster is. It's based on true events - the Des Moines Register paperboy kidnappings - and I feel that the author has done a fantastic job of capturing the 1980s & the end of innocence with regards to child abuse & stranger danger.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars.
Based on a true story, The Monsters We Make by Kali White is an intriguing mystery.
In 1984, eighteen year old Crystal Cox wants nothing more than to win an essay in order to secure a college scholarship. She is struggling to come up with a topic when tragedy strikes in her hometown. Young paperboy Christopher Stewart, vanishes while delivering his papers one early morning.
His disappearance hits close to home since Crystal's brother, twelve year old Sammy, is also a paperboy. While the police search for Christopher, Crystal finds the topic for her essay. But will the police find Christopher or catch the person responsible for taking him?
Sammy is dealing with his own crisis as he realizes he has made a terrible mistake. Although he tried to tell his harried single mother, Tina, she did not grasp what he was saying. In addition to his fears, Sammy is failing his classes and trying to figure out a way to escape from a horrifying situation on his own.
Sergeant Dale Goodkind is deeply troubled by Christopher's disappearance. He is haunted by the two years' earlier case where another paperboy vanished and has never been found. Dale is desperate to find Christopher but he has few secrets that are clouding his judgment. Certain he knows what happened to the missing boy, Dale will go to any lengths to catch the person he believes is responsible.
The Monsters We Make is an interesting mystery with a disturbing storyline. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic. The investigation does not gain much traction due to a lack of evidence and witnesses. With a few clever red herrings and misdirects, Kali White brings this heartbreaking mystery to a bit of an ambiguous conclusion.
Based on a true story, The Monsters We Make by Kali White is an intriguing mystery.
In 1984, eighteen year old Crystal Cox wants nothing more than to win an essay in order to secure a college scholarship. She is struggling to come up with a topic when tragedy strikes in her hometown. Young paperboy Christopher Stewart, vanishes while delivering his papers one early morning.
His disappearance hits close to home since Crystal's brother, twelve year old Sammy, is also a paperboy. While the police search for Christopher, Crystal finds the topic for her essay. But will the police find Christopher or catch the person responsible for taking him?
Sammy is dealing with his own crisis as he realizes he has made a terrible mistake. Although he tried to tell his harried single mother, Tina, she did not grasp what he was saying. In addition to his fears, Sammy is failing his classes and trying to figure out a way to escape from a horrifying situation on his own.
Sergeant Dale Goodkind is deeply troubled by Christopher's disappearance. He is haunted by the two years' earlier case where another paperboy vanished and has never been found. Dale is desperate to find Christopher but he has few secrets that are clouding his judgment. Certain he knows what happened to the missing boy, Dale will go to any lengths to catch the person he believes is responsible.
The Monsters We Make is an interesting mystery with a disturbing storyline. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic. The investigation does not gain much traction due to a lack of evidence and witnesses. With a few clever red herrings and misdirects, Kali White brings this heartbreaking mystery to a bit of an ambiguous conclusion.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
I didn’t love this story. It takes place in the early 80s and I disliked the abundance of references to make sure that came across. It’s also about pedophiles and recognizing the dangers of both strangers and people you think you know. It was all just laid on a little too thick. I didn’t like most of the characters and the situations that happened.
The Child SA is way to triggering for me. Reading about the little boy who is being sa’d was way too triggering.
Content Warnings
I wish I could have liked this bc the writing was good but I cannot handle the subject matter
dark
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced