Review: Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

Genre: YA Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Publication: July 25th 2017 by Delacorte Press

Series: n/a

Length: 336 pages

Format: ARC from publisher (Thank you!)

Goodreads

For fans of Pretty Little Liars, Little Monsters is a new psychological thriller, from the author of The Darkest Corners, about appearances versus reality and the power of manipulation amongst teenage girls.

Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life. A life with a stepbrother, a stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.

Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls—she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.

Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.

But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all—especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.

Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone.

I don’t read many thrillers, but I’m always excited to pick one up. I had heard so many raving reviews for LITTLE MONSTERS, such as those from Alex @ Fiery Reads and my IRL friend who loved Thomas’s first novel, THE DARKEST CORNERS. LITTLE MONSTERS is one of the most game-changing novels I’ve read this year, filled with twists and turns I didn’t expect.

LITTLE MONSTERS follows Kacey as she tries to figure out what happened to her friend Bailey after she goes missing. The investigation into Bailey’s disappearance was incredibly interesting and compelling, and I loved the inclusion of Bailey’s journal entries and how those entries followed her thoughts and her later actions.

One of the little things that stuck out to me was that Kacey’s step-family was not vilified. Kacey’s step-family had some rocky instances, but I found that Kacey’s positive relationship with her siblings was something that I usually never see in young adult fiction.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but my mind is still reeling from the ending of the novel. I’m incredibly impressed by Thomas’s creativity, and I love the red herrings that Thomas gave the readers in trying to solve Bailey’s disappearance. Overall, if you love twisty, dark psychological thrillers, I definitely suggest this one! I’m looking forward to reading THE DARKEST CORNERS and Thomas’s next works.

Thank you to Delacorte Press & New Leaf Literary for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Alice is an 18 year old college student who loves the oxford comma, television shows, and the company of dogs. She finds writing in the third person odd yet enjoyable. You can find her scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and forever organizing her shelves on Goodreads.

What are your thoughts? Are you planning to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!