Little Monsters by Maire Roche

I've had today's read sitting on my pile for...well even before Halloween, and I've been picking it up...laying it down...picking it up...setting it down. Since it doesn't hit the shelves until August, I've been trying to shove it back again and again. But now, the shoving stops because I am very curious to take a peek and can't wait any longer.

This is a retelling of Little Women and takes a paranormal twist with dark secrets. I'm not a huge fan of the original tale (go ahead and gasp if needed) but am hoping that this one draws in. It's not so much the plots but rather the slow, long-winded writing style which loses my attention on many classics. Yep, I've grown impatient in my older age, although I still respect the writing art and applaud those readers, who adore these tales. They just aren't my thing, but then, there's probably a reason I'm drawn to kidlit, in general.

I'm betting this tale takes a fun twist to erase any of that slower pacing and am hoping for more than a few surprises. So, let's settle down into that soft chair and see what these pages hold.

LITTLE MONSTERS

by Maire Roche

Aladdin

Middle Grade Fantasy

288 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING AUGUST 8th!!!

In this modern supernatural middle grade retelling of the beloved classic Little Women, the March sisters have a monstrous secret Meg will do anything to protect—especially with another beast lurking in the woods threatening to expose them.

Meg March and her three sisters are monsters. No, really. Meg has teeth that are a little too sharp. Jo gets furry under the full moon. Beth goes night flying on wings that are impossible to hide under her sweaters. And Amy? Well, don’t let her near a body of water or she’ll start sprouting her mermaid’s tail.

Meg is sure their foster mom, Marmee, wouldn’t like any of this if she knew. And Jo’s best friend Laurie, the nice boy next door, would run screaming. To make matters worse, Meg’s small town outside of Salem is on edge. A vicious beast has been spotted in the forest, and Farmer Bhaer believes it’s responsible for his missing chickens. Meg is sure to be blamed if anyone realizes she’s a monster in disguise. And the closer it gets to Halloween, the surer the town is that something evil is hiding in the forest.

Meg doesn’t always remember what she gets up to at night, and sometimes, she wakes alone in a mossy part of the forest and has to find her way back. With John Brooke determined to find out just what Meg is hiding and locals working to uncover the monsters in their midst, Meg must find the culprit herself—or risk losing the little home she’s found with her sisters.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With a sense of eerie and a full-load of monsterly fun, this novel draws in with tons of imagination and heart.

The four sisters are hoping to remain in their latest foster home together and not be pushed off to a new one again, or worse, split apart. They know that it's not easy for a family to keep all four of them, so they do their best to 'help out'. It doesn't help that each of them is a monster, one different from the other. Of course, they have to keep this a secret at any cost. With Halloween approaching, the eldest of the four, Meg, is determined to help her siblings dress up in costumes. She even has taken on a job next door collecting chicken eggs to raise the funds. But nothing is easy. Not only is the boy next door suspicious that she's carrying a secret, but a strange beast is haunting the woods...and if Meg doesn't figure out who or what this beast is, all secrets might be exposed. And that would be catastrophic.

From the very first page, it's clear that this is an enjoyable read. Meg and her sisters are a wonderful group with very different personalities. Their interactions carry all the push-and-pull sisters have with ups and downs. Meg does her best to hold everything together, which is already difficult in their situation, but she battles with constantly extending teeth and nails whenever she gets upset. Which happens a lot since she's only thirteen. The creepy factor dances along in the background without ever growing too scary. Instead, the dangerous balance Meg and her siblings have to hold add as much to the tension as any monster might. 

It's hard to put this book down, since there's always something happen whether it be action, tension, a touch of humor, or relationship struggles...all hitting the middle grade range nicely. The girls react understandably, and their worries are easy to sympathize with. The world around them is also well built and adds a fun twist, since this is placed in Salem...so it's clear that there's more going on than even the four sisters realize. This adds to the mystery in a way, which has the reader automatically guessing at what is really behind the beast in the woods. 

There is a tiny bit of first crushes with the boy next door involved, but this stays well fit for the age group, too. It definitely adds an interesting twist and ups the tension, since his presence holds dangers, too. So there's a lot going on....a lot to enjoy the entire way through.

And here she is...

Máire Roche is a former elementary and pre-k teacher who now writes stories full of magic, mystery, and wonder. When she isn’t teaching or imagining fictional worlds, Máire enjoys running, teaching martial arts, and baking too many cookies. She lives in the midwest with her spouse and their very disagreeable cat, Lulu.