I am so excited to be launching the Summer Reading Diversity Spotlight today! This summer, expect a book review of a diverse book and/or a book written by a diverse author every other day on the blog. For the first week, expect a diverse book review every single day! An archive of the reviews can be read here. I’m so excited to be launching with a review of Delicate Monsters which I think it’s safe to say is one of my favorite reads of the year.
Note: Summer Reading: Diversity Spotlight Archive
Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: YA Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1250063847
Source: Received From Publisher
Add it to Goodreads
When nearly killing a classmate gets seventeen-year-old Sadie Su kicked out of her third boarding school in four years, she returns to her family’s California vineyard estate. Here, she’s meant to stay out of trouble. Here, she’s meant to do a lot of things. But it’s hard. She’s bored. And when Sadie’s bored, the only thing she likes is trouble.
Emerson Tate’s a poor boy living in a rich town, with his widowed mother and strange, haunted little brother. All he wants his senior year is to play basketball and make something happen with the girl of his dreams. That’s why Emerson’s not happy Sadie’s back. An old childhood friend, she knows his worst secrets. The things he longs to forget. The things she won’t ever let him.
Haunted is a good word for fifteen-year-old Miles Tate. Miles can see the future, after all. And he knows his vision of tragic violence at his school will come true, because his visions always do. That’s what he tells the new girl in town. The one who listens to him. The one who recognizes the darkness in his past.
But can Miles stop the violence? Or has the future already been written? Maybe tragedy is his destiny.
Maybe it’s all of theirs.
Wow. What an extraordinary reading experience this was. My first thought as I began to read Delicate Monsters was, “Oh, that’s a fantastic first line!” As I continued reading, my next thought was, “This is in third person.” Third person is hit or miss for me, I’ve always been that way. But I kept reading and was taken by how quickly that wasn’t a concern, how quickly I fell into the world of Delicate Monsters which is such a devilishly sweet treat. Maybe sweet is the wrong word for this tale because it’s everything but. Delicate Monsters is a provocative, no holds barred look at what it’s like to be a teenager, what it’s like to be a broken human being. What it’s like to hurt people, what it’s like not caring about hurting people. It’s a clever and brutally honest reflection of the world, and the thoughts and actions of the people living in it. It’s a truth that won’t always be easy to swallow.
All of the characters are three dimensional which is part of what really drew me in. They were so real. Such an honest reflection of the characteristics that we often try to ignore and dent. It’s all here. I also really appreciated how diverse the characters were all around (race, class, etc…), making this a true mirror of the world we live in which is not reflected in fiction enough. Diversity matters, especially in fiction so it was so wonderful to see here. Another element that kept me hanging onto her every word? Stephanie Kuehn’s writing and voice, oh my goodness, her voice is killer. Delicate Monsters is spellbinding. The characters, the setting, the story, the pacing, the writing, the voice… everything….everything it takes to make a stellar novel, this books encompasses.
…We shine. We burn out. But together, we can light the sky.
I’ve never read a blurb truer than the one that’s on the cover for this book. “A chilling look into heartache and reckless redemption–not for the faint of heart.” Kirkus nailed it. Delicate Monsters is dark and disturbing and chilling to the bone. If you’re ready for this, dive in. Delicate Monsters is magnificent. It’s my first read by Stephanie Kuehn and while her previous novels were on my list of books to read, I’m moving them high up the list now. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I am simply blown away.
Delicate Monsters is a mysterious and psychologically thrilling read, making this a story you’ll want to devour in one sitting but not necessarily a novel you can digest in the same. I read it in three sittings and I’m still quite haunted by this experience. More than that I am once again completely fascinated by the world and the people living in it. Bravo, Kuehn. Bravo.
Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn is available today.