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readingwithkirstyn's review
4.0
I found The Monsters in our Shadows and found myself really hooked right away. It was the perfect mix of creepy horror and dystopian that I really want and find myself looking for in these types of books. I found a lot of parallels to this and the real life world we live in today. I loved the main characters resilience and drive, never giving up and persevering when things become difficult. This book will keep you up at night wondering what's hiding in the shadow.
mshaniak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars - I really enjoyed this book
Imagine… walled up city, dystopian times, people afflicted with monsters (Shivers) that live in their shadows and feed on their hosts.
Anthem, the city’s Exilist.. His job is to remove those who reached the end of their lives and their monsters outside the city walls. At the same time, afflicted with his own Shiver, Anthem is trying to find a cure and save his little girl and others from the horrible monsters.
This story was action packed, made me feel quite tense in places. The pacing was great. We had moments that felt nice and fast intertwined with slower ones that allowed us to take a breath and rest from all the action for a bit. Loved that. I think it made this story well balanced.
Characters were well written. You couldn’t help but root for them and feel their pain.
The story is full of metaphors, suggestions of depression, sadness, grief and others. Could be quite sad and emotional in places.
For a debut book I have nothing but praise. Not quite 5 stars though. I felt like something was missing, but if you asked… I wouldn’t be able to tell you what..
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.
Imagine… walled up city, dystopian times, people afflicted with monsters (Shivers) that live in their shadows and feed on their hosts.
Anthem, the city’s Exilist.. His job is to remove those who reached the end of their lives and their monsters outside the city walls. At the same time, afflicted with his own Shiver, Anthem is trying to find a cure and save his little girl and others from the horrible monsters.
This story was action packed, made me feel quite tense in places. The pacing was great. We had moments that felt nice and fast intertwined with slower ones that allowed us to take a breath and rest from all the action for a bit. Loved that. I think it made this story well balanced.
Characters were well written. You couldn’t help but root for them and feel their pain.
The story is full of metaphors, suggestions of depression, sadness, grief and others. Could be quite sad and emotional in places.
For a debut book I have nothing but praise. Not quite 5 stars though. I felt like something was missing, but if you asked… I wouldn’t be able to tell you what..
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.
mybooksarenovel's review
3.0
This was a dystopian story in the vein of zombie apocalypse, or contagion sci-fi/horror. There is a contained group for people hiding from/keeping at bay the monsters ultimately seeking the demise of human existence.
Reminded me a lot of I am Legend.
The storytelling was slow paced, but engaging.
The writing style was good, but maybe over narrated.
This isn't really my taste in terms of the type of story I typically enjoy, but it was very good for what it was. If you enjoy monster apocalypse stories I'm sure you would enjoy this.
Thank you to Edward J Cembal and netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Reminded me a lot of I am Legend.
The storytelling was slow paced, but engaging.
The writing style was good, but maybe over narrated.
This isn't really my taste in terms of the type of story I typically enjoy, but it was very good for what it was. If you enjoy monster apocalypse stories I'm sure you would enjoy this.
Thank you to Edward J Cembal and netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
tacochelle's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for the ARC.
The metaphor of the Shivers being the physical manifestation of your depression/mental illness is very on the nose here, but I like the Eldritch horror aspect of it. The characters feel underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding seems so small. I wouldn't mind one if the other was better done. Specifically, characters like Rib are dropped with little answers, and others like Zoey will suddenly show up out of nowhere to provide all the answers. It's a little unsatisfying, but not bad overall.
The metaphor of the Shivers being the physical manifestation of your depression/mental illness is very on the nose here, but I like the Eldritch horror aspect of it. The characters feel underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding seems so small. I wouldn't mind one if the other was better done. Specifically, characters like Rib are dropped with little answers, and others like Zoey will suddenly show up out of nowhere to provide all the answers. It's a little unsatisfying, but not bad overall.
briannagates's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ever thought about what would happen if shadows could eat you alive? No? Me either, until I started reading this book. This was such a great dystopian horror novel about these creepy, bloodthirsty shadow monsters called Shivers.
The author paints such a enchantingly grim, sad world that had me sucked in for the entire ride. The beginning was paced a little on the slow side, but I enjoyed the melancholy that it created. By the time we get to the last 10% of the book, the pace was zooming by and so many things happened that my head was spinning. I do wish that the ending would have been a bit more drawn out and detailed in all honesty, because I felt some whiplash from the pace change.
Overall, it was a wonderfully-done horror with the perfect amount of creepiness, body horror, and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat. I find myself thinking back to this book often, so that's a sign of a great book for me.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
The author paints such a enchantingly grim, sad world that had me sucked in for the entire ride. The beginning was paced a little on the slow side, but I enjoyed the melancholy that it created. By the time we get to the last 10% of the book, the pace was zooming by and so many things happened that my head was spinning. I do wish that the ending would have been a bit more drawn out and detailed in all honesty, because I felt some whiplash from the pace change.
Overall, it was a wonderfully-done horror with the perfect amount of creepiness, body horror, and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat. I find myself thinking back to this book often, so that's a sign of a great book for me.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
lou_r85's review
4.0
A post apocalyptic horror exploring a dystopian view of the future of earth after a chilling epidemic wipes out most of humanity.
This was a very different read for me but I really enjoyed it, and it made a refreshing change from my usual crime fiction books. The story follows Anthem, an exilist, whose job it is to exile afflicted members of the last known community on earth and rid the community of their ‘shivers’ or monsters to protect the unafflicted. Soon Anthem finds himself called upon by the town’s Architect and sent out into the Deadlands to try and find a more permanent resolution. As time starts to run out, Anthem discovers that what the residents have been told about life outside their walls isn’t all as it seems.
The story kept me enthralled and had lots of interesting developments and characters. I did find on occasion it was a little slow and the chapters could have been slightly faster paced for my tastes, but overall an enjoyable read.
carlack7's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read a lot of these genres, both horror and distopian, and I can honestly say that The Monsters in Our Shadows was unique and kept me guessing throughout!
I was so pleasantly surprised that, being a longer book for especially a debut horror, the author seemed to have a clear vision, know where he wanted the story to go, and had the ability to execute it well without getting lost in details, or lack of details!
There were a couple of moments that I thought "well, in a distopian situation they wouldn't be aware of that", but the monsters and the story arc were unique enough to me that I didn't even mind!
I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author does in the future!
I was so pleasantly surprised that, being a longer book for especially a debut horror, the author seemed to have a clear vision, know where he wanted the story to go, and had the ability to execute it well without getting lost in details, or lack of details!
There were a couple of moments that I thought "well, in a distopian situation they wouldn't be aware of that", but the monsters and the story arc were unique enough to me that I didn't even mind!
I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author does in the future!
laurenjade_'s review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fantastic dystopian horror about the reality of, quite literally, facing your demons.
Anthem, our main character, has lived the last ten years of life in Atlas as an Exilist. Escorting those who are to be devoured by their own personal shadow, a Shiver, out of their walled town. That is, until his own Shiver catches up with him and he's forced out of a job. At the behest of The Architect, Anthem sets out to find a cure for Atlas, hoping for a brighter future for his daughter.
The Monsters In Our Shadows follows the Exilist as he embarks on this death wish of a mission, unpicking the reality of the situation in Atlas and on Earth, in general.
I really enjoyed this book; the bleakness of dystopian life is interrupted occasionally with hints of beauty scattered throughout the dark existence. The metaphor for depression, grief, personal demons, reflected in the Shivers that haunt the afflicted. There were hints of gore, but nothing too intense, and the feeling of panic at times really got me powering through to see what happened next! It really was fantastic.
My only negative was I found the pacing a bit off at times - it felt a bit slow in places. The chapters were short and snappy though, so any feeling of slowness was only very short-lived.
I'll definitely be recommending this as a standalone book for lovers of horror and dystopian fiction.
Anthem, our main character, has lived the last ten years of life in Atlas as an Exilist. Escorting those who are to be devoured by their own personal shadow, a Shiver, out of their walled town. That is, until his own Shiver catches up with him and he's forced out of a job. At the behest of The Architect, Anthem sets out to find a cure for Atlas, hoping for a brighter future for his daughter.
The Monsters In Our Shadows follows the Exilist as he embarks on this death wish of a mission, unpicking the reality of the situation in Atlas and on Earth, in general.
I really enjoyed this book; the bleakness of dystopian life is interrupted occasionally with hints of beauty scattered throughout the dark existence. The metaphor for depression, grief, personal demons, reflected in the Shivers that haunt the afflicted. There were hints of gore, but nothing too intense, and the feeling of panic at times really got me powering through to see what happened next! It really was fantastic.
My only negative was I found the pacing a bit off at times - it felt a bit slow in places. The chapters were short and snappy though, so any feeling of slowness was only very short-lived.
I'll definitely be recommending this as a standalone book for lovers of horror and dystopian fiction.
griffl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ARC REVIEW
A really intriguing and insightful story.
Anthem lives in a dystopian world where half the population are afflicted by monsters which eventually devour them. He is trying to find a cure and the story follows his tumultuous journey.
At first I struggled to get into the book, but it was worth the perseverance. I really enjoyed how thought provoking this story was - especially with the topics of mental health and the precariousness of human civilisation.
Beautifully written & inspiring.
I would recommend a read!
Topics/themes: Dystopian, end of the world, survival, mental health
0/5 🌶️ rating
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
adrihean's review
4.0
“Very few wants ever took the place of needs.”
“The Monsters in Our Shadows,” by Edward J. Cembal
This book was really good. I loved how interesting the plot was and the lore; I loved the dystopian/ sci-fi meets gothic/ dirty city underbelly vibes, I loved the idea of shivers being this demonic creature thing that wait to eat you in the end, I liked the weird/grossness of surviving by making crickets into every food, etc. I really really liked the spooky vibe of all the thunder without rain (it’s my favorite visual through the book, very off putting). This entire book with the forced happiness reminded me so much of the videogame “We Happy Few”, which is my favorite indie game. This book was really good overall. Would love to read more books like this one. 4 out of 5 stars, because it started a little slow.
Thank you for the free copy, Netgalley.