Book Review: Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

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.

Okay, so I’m pretty sure Kara Thomas cannot disappoint me! Her books are always super fast paced and full of unpredictable and unexpected twists, I live for them! “Little Monsters” was definitely no exception either, it was just as amazing as “The Darkest Corners”.

For the most part the plot revolves around Kacey, the MC, as she tries to find out what happened to her friend, Bailey, after she went missing one night after a party. So of course we have that little bit of mystery but there’s so much more to it than meets the eye. Kacey’s so-called friends could be hiding more than they let on, for example. I love, love, loved the story here it’s very twisted and was always one step ahead of me! Constant red herrings and Kara Thomas is definitely full of creativity when it comes to throwing you off. There’s also a bit of high school and family drama present as well which I thought added a lot to the overall addictive-ness of the book. I love when extra drama is tossed on top of an already interesting mystery, and I certainly got that!

And the ending? Definitely did not see that coming…..

As for the pacing of the book, it was very fast. I could not stop turning pages! I won’t say much more about the plot though because I don’t want to give anything away. Just know it’s very interesting and I wasn’t disappointed in the least bit.

There’s also zero romance going on in this book, so if you’re like me and enjoy a very non-romance focused plot then this is for you!

Also one of the biggest things in a YA mystery/thriller for me is if it’s believable. Most of the time the teenage characters run around and do as they please with no consequences and it’s just not believable. Where are your parents? They would definitely be wondering where you are all the time! However, in “Little Monsters” I thought Kara Thomas definitely did a great job of making certain actions and events passable for a teen to get away with.

What would a mystery/thriller be without a great well-developed and complex group of characters?

Kacey is our MC who has moved from New York where she lived with her dysfunctional mother to Wisconsin where her father and his family live. Kacey is a likable enough character, she doesn’t always make the best decisions while trying to help find her friend but her decisions are believable and understandable, never “stupid”.

There’s a few side characters that have a lot more to them than you initially think too, very dark and twisted. But I won’t spoil who!

I also really loved her step family and how accepting they were of Kacey when they found out about her. Her step mom and two step siblings were extremely sweet people and I adored them! Overall it’s a very realistic and positive relationship.

 

What I Loved:

• Fantastic, intriguing, and twisted plot
• Constant twists and turns, very unpredictable
• Fast pacing, keeps you turning pages
• No romance!
• Complex characters
• Positive step-family relationship
• Midwest setting

What I Didn’t Love:

• Honestly there was nothing that I didn’t really “hate or not like” about it but it’s just not a full 5 star read for me

I highly recommend checking “Little Monsters” out if you’re a fan of mystery/thrillers especially ones with a darker side! This one is a ton of fun and a great option if you’re looking for a quick read!

You can read my review of Thomas’s other book “The Darkest Corners” here.

Links: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble

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