Monstrous
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Reminiscent of Frankenstein and tales by the Brothers Grimm, this debut novel stands out as a compelling, original story that has the feel of a classic.
The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and all live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark. Night is when Kymera comes to the city, with a cloak disguising her wings, the bolts in her neck, and her spiky tail. Her mission is to rescue the girls of Bryre. Despite Kym's caution in going secretively, a boy named Ren sees and befriends her . . . but what he knows will change her world forever.
A Frankenstein-Inspired Heroine: With a raven’s wings, a snake’s tail, and bolts in her neck, Kymera believes she was created to be a hero. But the truth of her creation is a secret she’s not prepared to uncover.An Unlikely Friendship: When a boy named Ren discovers Kymera’s secret, he offers a kindness she’s never known. But his own connection to the city’s curse could be the key to her undoing.A Dark Fairy Tale World: In the cursed city of Bryre, girls disappear without a trace and everyone lives in fear of the night. It is a world reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm, where not all monsters are what they seem.A Secret-Keeping Dragon: Deep in the forest hides an ancient dragon, a lonely survivor who calls Kymera “sister.” He may be her only true ally—or another part of the wizard’s devastating lie.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With echoes of Frankenstein and "Beauty and the Beast," Connolly's debut offers a premise both captivating and grotesque. Upon awakening, Kymera learns that she has been brought back to life by her scientist father through a series of experiments that leave her with patchwork skin, cat eyes, claws, wings, a barbed tail, and no memories. Kymera's charge, to rescue girls in neighboring Bryre afflicted with a curse from an evil wizard, proves difficult as she begins to have flashbacks of her former life. Upon meeting a boy named Ren and a dragon that calls her sister, Kymera discovers that her father is not who she thinks he is and must come to terms with her terrifying body in order to defeat the wizard, save the girls, and protect Bryre's citizens from a deadly creeping briar. Connolly invokes fairy-tale elements with ease, and although the expansive plot can feel disjointed and hastily drawn at times, the formidable theme of sacrifice resonates far beyond the final page. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8 12.