LitPick Review
Monstrous Affections is a series of darkly themed short stories, all unrelated but including ‘monsters’. This anthology pushes the question as to whom the real monsters are.
Opinion:
Each story is alluring, capturing one's attention right from the start. The writing styles are all very different, allowing for unique telling of stories. Holly Black’s story is in a familiar first person. Other stories range from first or second to third person closed and omniscient. A couple well known authors are thrown in the mix to peak interest, but their stories don’t make the rest seem lesser. Brilliant insight from each ‘speaker’ or lack there of, beautiful details that aren’t monotonous, and changes in relatability make this volume a very exciting read. The only issue I found was one specific story, it was very vague and confusing in a way that slows the story down a lot. It felt like it was meant to be an old myth turned modern, but from another language that was then poorly translated. The compilation as a whole was marvelous, Id recommend it to anyone who likes ‘beastly tales’.