The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Monsters We Defy was the first novel that Leslye Penelope published under that name, but she as has been publishing as L Penelope since 2015 and writing for as long as she could hold a pen! She also hosts a couple of podcasts: My Imaginary Friends as well as Ink and Magic. The Monsters We Defy was named Best Book of 2022 by NPR and Best Fantasy Book of 2022 by Paste, and I chose it because the narration of the audiobook is top notch. It deals with bullying, gun violence, hate crimes, infidelity, racial slurs and racism, slavery, violence, grief, murder, abandonment, sexual harassment, and classism.

Clara Johnson was born with a gift. She can talk to the spirits and now, is unable to deny a person who asks her for help. She hates to speak to the spirits or to offer her assistance, because when the spirits offer you a boon, they send a curse with it and it's usually far worse than what you expect. She knows from experience. More than anything else, she wants to be rid of her own curse, and the boon with it. When she is asked for help from a mother desperate to save her child and Clara notices that the boy is not the only person acting strangely in the area, she wants to stay out of it. But then she is made an offer. Steal a magical ring from the richest and most unapproachable woman in Washington D.C. and Clara can secure her own freedom as well as save everyone else under the ring's thrall.

I really had no expectations when I went into this book, but man did Leslye Penelope gain a fan. I loved the way this book was laid out, with small background chapters that pop up just as a new character is introduced. The imaginative boons/curses was fun to read about. An interesting magic system that was easy to understand. I enjoyed the ending and thought it was about as good as it could get without edging into too fantastical. The characters were each very fun and distinctive in their own way and their stories were nearly as compelling as Clara's. And yes, the narration was great.

I'm giving The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope 4.5 stars out of 5. An exciting novel to start with for this author, I'm very interested in reading more.

For more from Leslye Penelope, check out their website at https://lpenelope.com/

Pairs well with homemade biscuits and forcing people to be friend's with you like Zelda (and myself).