Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world.
But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see.
What a fabulous read. Told through the eyes of Mirabelle, a young monster, Freddie, a human boy from the village, and Jem, a young human girl (with occasional interjections from Piglet, the oldest and most fearsome monster of all) this book takes us on a ride through a beautifully realised Gothic setting. Mirabelle and her family stay isolated from the nearby human village in order to protect everyone; when Jem and her brother fall through the protective shield it sets off a chain of events that ultimately affect everyone's lives.
The characters in this are brilliant. Odd is my favourite, but they're all amazing, well defined, funny in spots. I really enjoyed meeting them.
The illustrations in this book are amazing, beautiful, detailed, and really evocative. I spent a long time on some of them, just studying them as pieces of art. They're gorgeous.
The only complaint I have? Piglet's pages are backed in black, so the writing is white. But there are also occasionally white background images, which makes it hard to read the words. It's only a couple of times and they can be puzzled out, but it was strange to see when the rest of the book is so meticulously done.
A wonderful read. I hope Pádraig comes back to these characters, but if he doesn't at least we got this much.
The Monsters of Rookhaven publishes on the 17th September, 2020.
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