MIDDLE GRADE SPECULATIVE FICTION (Fantasy) : The Monster Who Wasn't by T.C. Shelley
ABOUT THE BOOK
It is a well-known
fact that fairies are born from a baby's first laugh. What is not as
well documented is how monsters come into being …
This is the story of a creature who is both strange and unique. When he hatches in the underground lair where monsters dwell, he looks just like a human boy – much to the monsters' dismay. Even the grumpy gargoyles who take him under their wings and nickname him "Imp" only adopt him to steal chocolate for them from nearby shops. With feet in both the monster and human worlds, Imp doesn't know where he fits.
But little does Imp realize that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a great and dangerous destiny in mind for him, and he'll stop at nothing to see it come to pass. . .
With rich, atmospheric writing, debut author T.C. Shelly weaves a story of unlikely friendship, family, strange magic, and finding one's place in the world.
This is the story of a creature who is both strange and unique. When he hatches in the underground lair where monsters dwell, he looks just like a human boy – much to the monsters' dismay. Even the grumpy gargoyles who take him under their wings and nickname him "Imp" only adopt him to steal chocolate for them from nearby shops. With feet in both the monster and human worlds, Imp doesn't know where he fits.
But little does Imp realize that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a great and dangerous destiny in mind for him, and he'll stop at nothing to see it come to pass. . .
With rich, atmospheric writing, debut author T.C. Shelly weaves a story of unlikely friendship, family, strange magic, and finding one's place in the world.
REVIEW
A young imp is born from the combination of a last sigh and a baby's first laugh. His creation makes him unique and with the addition of a human soul, he becomes a valuable commodity in the ogre king's fight to return to hunting humans. After fleeing the underworld, the imp, who comes to call himself Samuel, joins up with some gargoyles and takes up residence on top of an old church. Since he looks human, Sam is sent by the gargoyles to obtain chocolate where he meets the family of the baby and grandfather whose sigh and laugh created him. He feels drawn to them and with the help of an angel he flees the ogre king and goes to stay with this family. But when the baby is stolen, Sam is forced to choose whether to help the human family he is drawn to or stay away from the underworld and protect himself.
I wanted to like this story more than I did. Sam is a sympathetic character, but his creation felt creepy and ugly to me. I did enjoy Sam's interactions with the gargoyles. My personal beliefs prevented me from really enjoying the parts involving the angel and church. There was plenty of action, especially once Sam goes after the baby, but the plot as a whole felt odd. The themes of friendship and family and the importance of having a soul were clear. Overall, I enjoyed some aspects of the book, but other aspects didn't really click for me. This I believe, is because of personal opinions and likes and dislikes. The book is well-written and could work for the right reader, but I wasn't that reader.
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