Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad

What worked:

The author creates a wonderful underdog story as a young girl is determined to uncover the truth behind monsters and her father’s death. Dare is incessantly teased and ridiculed at school but she draws a line when insults are directed toward her father. She views herself as an awful person and that emotion is emphasized in the book’s opening pages. Dare resists any attempts to transform her into a proper girl and her awfulness really rears its ugly head when she’s angry. She’s sent away from Barrow’s Bay where the privileged citizens live and she ends up on the mainland where she lives among the impoverished, filth, pollution, and crime. Strange that she forms two strong friendships there.

The plot becomes a bit of a mystery when Dare discovers monsters are more common than she thought plus other characters share information about her father that doesn’t match her memories of him. She thinks all monsters should be killed until they’re extinct but she learns others have contrasting thoughts about the existence of monsters. Some people, like Dare, think they are dangerous, vile monsters while others see these creatures as marvels. Dare’s feelings are a result of her upbringing and she’s never considered the possibility that the knowledge she has learned might be flawed. The monsters versus marvels conflict becomes the main focus of the plot and the author saves many surprises for later.

The author presents a cast of puzzling characters to develop more mystery and keep readers thinking. Gil is a boy who pops up whenever Dare needs help but she doesn’t believe anyone shows kindness without a reason. The book’s ending lends a curious twist to his character. Padgett, the owner of a popular theater, provides Dare with money and information about her father but she’s surprised to learn part of Padgett’s story is a lie. Nell is a young, popular performer in Padgett’s show but she becomes one of Dare’s closest allies. She helps with investigating the disappearance of Dare’s pet “chinchilla” and her fame and charm are valuable assets. However, Nell’s mother (Dare thinks of her as Foghorn) is a whole other story.

What didn’t work as well:

I hesitate to write in this section because the problem is in my own mind. Gil’s character always manages to come to Dare’s rescue before he goes off somewhere unknown. His character is quite compelling but there’s always a shroud of mystery surrounding him. The mystery is revealed in the end and I curse myself for not paying close enough attention to the clues along the way.

The Final Verdict:

Readers can form analogies between this story and the real world. The rich and powerful often control the narrative concerning issues so their lies may seem to be the truth. Rules don’t apply to them until someone refuses to let injustices go unchecked. Young readers will enjoy Dare’s character and her intriguing battle against influential people and politicians performing shady, loathsome atrocities. Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a shot!