We Shall Be Monsters by Alyssa Wees | Book Review

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We Shall Be Monsters by Alyssa Wees
Published by Del Ray on November 12, 2024
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted

Content Warnings: Death, Blood, Gore, Intergeneration Trauma, Patriarchy, Loss of a Parent

Rating:

Gemma Cassata lives with her mother in an isolated antiques shop in Michigan, near a seductive patch of woods concealing an enchanted gateway to fairyland. Gemma knows she’s not supposed to go into the woods—her mother, Virginia, has warned her multiple times about the monsters that lurk there—and yet she can’t resist. Virginia understands her daughter’s defiance. She knows the allure of the woods all too well. Her own mother warned her about the monsters, and Virginia also did not listen—until a witch cursed her true love just days before their child’s birth. So Virginia will do whatever she can to protect her daughter—even if it means stealing Gemma’s memories. But everything changes when Gemma gets too close to the truth, and the witch takes Virginia . Now it is up to Gemma to venture deep into the mysterious woods to rescue her mother and break the curse. Told in the alternating viewpoints of Gemma and Virginia, this novel is not only a tale of a girl’s fantastical quest through a darkly magical fairyland but also an exploration of the complex bonds between children and their parents.

Wees has a way with creating such eerie ambiance that I am often left with goose flesh while reading. A few years ago I read The Waking Forest and when I saw Wees was publishing another book, I quickly added it to my ever growing wish list of wanted books. My fiancé was kind enough to purchase We Shall Be Monsters for me for Christmas, and while waiting for The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter to arrive, I devoured this book. Wees did not disappoint...

Where The Waking Forest took place entirely beyond our realm, We Shall Be Monsters does not. Instead it takes place right in our own backyard of Michigan, where I was born, changing the way I view the dense forest behind my own home. There is something different about the woods up North, something almost primordial...Wees uses this to her advantage, creating an utterly terrifying yet oddly welcoming enchanted forest.

We Shall Be Monsters is a dual perspective novel, told from both mother's (Virginia) and daughter's (Gemma) point of view. The time line is not necessarily linear, but its made plain when we are in the past versus when we are in current time. I loved the back and forth story of mother and daughter as they struggle with the decisions that they have made and those that have been made for them. As Gemma approaches her 15th birthday, things become increasingly obvious that something bad is going to happen, prompting Gemma to go on the adventure of a life time to save her mother who was stolen by monsters years before. The story does an excellent job exploring intergenerational trauma, and how younger generations can work with older generations to break these cycles for the benefit of everyone. I wish this part of the story had been explored in more detail, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

The story is fast-paced and the world-building is enough to leave you feeling uncomfortable yet determined to persevere with Gemma and Virginia as they grapple with they consequences of their choices. The character development for both Virginia and Gemma is phenomenal, but the other characters often fell flat or felt one-dimensional. Sylvanus, the elusive faery prince, started out fantastic, but quickly devolved into nothing more than blood lust. In fact, he wrongfully kills innocent creatures, which left me feeling sick to my stomach. I did not love his character by the end, which is unfortunate because I believed he had so much potential

However, after the big-bad is finally defeated, we are given a chance to see into the lives of other creatures in the forest, in particular one who struggled with what was expected of her. I wish Wees had given us so much more here than she did because her commentary on societal expectations of women is something to be applauded. Very briefly, Wees explores how society's expectations of women, particularly those related to patriarchy, often force women into situations they do not want. Women are expected to marry and bare children, but that isn't a path many women want, including one of the characters in this book. Despite not wanting to marry or have children, some women still do, which results in children being neglected at best and killed at worst. Living in a patriarchal society hurts everyone, especially women and children, and We Shall Be Monsters makes this very clear.

While I enjoyed the story overall, although I do feel parts were rushed or unrealistic. I gave We Shall Be Monsters 3.5 stars, rounded up to 5. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Waking Forest but it was still a fun read while waiting for other books to arrive.