Little Monsters

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The seven siblings of the Shaw clan are affected in different ways by the death – possibly from suicide – of their depressed mother during their childhood; alcoholism, failed marriages and teen sexual abuse follow. The non-linear narrative is an effective structure, forcing the reader to put together the pieces of this familial puzzle. I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of a proper introduction,” Adam said, cutting the lecture short. I loved that this book had a Halloween setting, I haven’t read many books set on Halloween, and the way that this story incorporated it into this story was really clever.

Set against the backdrop of a very beautiful and familiar area of cape code, all of the characters are relatable, likeable, hateable in their choices. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. I really enjoyed how Adrienne Brodeur created strong female characters who were capable, intelligent and independent. The remaining painstakingly slow pages crescendo to Adam’s seventieth birthday party, and it is no surprise to the reader when all of the secrets have reared their ugly heads.Overall, Little Monsters is a heartfelt, intricate, nuanced tale by Brodeur that reminds us that families are complicated and messy, the choices we make often have far-reaching consequences, and skeletons often find their way to the surface no matter how well they’re buried. Abby and Ken were close when they were growing up until something happened that changed their relationship and it had remained somewhat distant ever since. We get enough information that we can intuit the general shape of what happened, but there is no voyeurism involved. Like her 2019 memoir “ Wild Game,” which examined the role Brodeur played in her mother’s long affair with a family friend, “Little Monsters” is a tale of dysfunction and buried secrets, set in and around moneyed Cape Cod.

This book has a beautiful message for young readers about being yourself and finding your people while still being funny and engaging. It feels a bit jarring and as I’ve already said, we’ve read much better books that communicate the same message (like Odd dog out). As a group, come up with a list of other pieces of media that deal with entangled family bonds, gender politics, women’s friendships, and childhood trauma, and discuss how these selections differ from or are similar to Little Monsters.Purposefully-unlikable and flawed characters are common with litfic, so if you don’t like the book “because of the characters,” the feedback is, “That’s the whole point! Building a solid backstory and diverse characters takes time so if you're expecting a whip fast pace, you won't find it here. It’s also one of the most gorgeously artistic novels I’ve ever read, both in that it is artistic in of itself and in that it is about art. As Adam’s thirty-something young adult children prepare for his birthday celebration, they are beginning to spin out in their own life crises. But drill down a little and there are unresolved traumas that must be healed and secrets that must come out.

His tenth novel, BAD DAD, was an immediate number one, following the triumph of THE MIDNIGHT GANG, the biggest-selling children’s book of 2016. Each of the characters views the world through their own lens, and the novel as a whole is about investigating that lens. His sister Abby is a teacher and an artist, so perhaps some art for her father’s birthday will suffice.

Adam, a marine biologist, still lives in the funky home where he raised Abby and her older brother Ken after their mother died suddenly.

I devoured Little Monsters and I believe it is going to be one of those rare books that both literary readers and escapist readers can equally enjoy. Brodeur’s portrayal of Adam kept me engaged, even when some parts of the narrative read as garnish to me.Now that he is approaching 70, he is starting to feel the pressure to come up with one more great idea in his field of study. I am happy to say that this book not only lived up to my high expectations it well and truly surpassed them.