Little Monsters

Definitely got a book hangover from this beautiful book. WOW. 5 stars isn’t enough. I recently met this NewToMe Author at a book event and got a strong vibe that I would love her writing. The vibe was SPOT ON!!!I fell in love with the characters. They put the ‘f u’ in dysfunctional (and, no, that is not a typo). I underlined so many sections because I want to go back and read them again once I’ve had a chance to digest all the layers in this story. So much of this book resonated with the deepest parts of my soul.During the final scene, I could not control the tears. I wanted to be there! I wanted to be loved by these gorgeous, complicated, trustworthy, messy human beings. They prioritize the people in their life and love them wholeheartedly. Plus they are in Cape Cod, which even if you haven’t been there, you will fall in love with the place during this book.Oh, and there are whales, sea lions, sharks, fish, every type of sea bird, and a dog!!!I’m a total fangirl now. I’ve ordered this Authors debut book which was a memoir called ‘Wild Game’.Oh, and one more thing…Three Little Birds, flipping a bird, very appropriate f-bombs, POST-IT notes, and a quote from Hannibal Lector are in this book!! I mean, COME ON!!! Please let me give this book more than 5 stars!!!!

I loved Little Monsters. I started reading it on the beach, and then couldn’t put it down. It’s a beautifully written book, told in the voices of the different characters. Their separate traumas, recollections, interpretations, are told and retold, weaving complexities, while their flaws and aspirations are revealed. While still a page turner, the novel forces. you to examine your own memories and relationships with family, and consider your own choices. Thought provoking - and I might have to re-read it in a few weeks.

I had no idea what to expect as I'd never read this author before, but I really loved everything about it. And being a person who grew up going to the Cape and loving my property there, made it just that much more special. But you don't need that to enjoy the book. I highly recommend it!

Read for a book club, I found this book to be very slow, even sluggish - like trying to wade through quicksand. The story seemed to be organized around individual characters; each chapter was a different person’s story and perspective. Normally I’m not into character development, but this slowly caught my interest and attention. I felt I knew each character well. As the story picked up steam (I’m not really sure there was a plot) I was anxious to see how this whole mess - love, hate, feminism, incest, death, lesbianism, illness, and more - ended, came together. Well, it didn’t. I was dumped in the middle of nowhere. No boat, no paddle, no stars, nothing. I felt totally empty. Was I supposed to end the story however I wanted? I don’t know. I’m still wandering around.

Loved this book. Family is messy and how we deal with the ups and downs make us stronger or weaker. The choice is yours.

I liked this book because it had a good storyline and characters who were relatable. What I didn’t like was the author’s interjection of politics into the storyline. It seems as though several books I have recently read from various authors have had to make their political views known, which is disappointing. I just like to read a good fiction book which is an escape from reality and not have politics intertwined, with the characters desirable or undesirable personality traits connected to which political party they belong to.

Adrienne's writing packs a powerful punch with strong emotional impact - yet her prose flows effortless. One of the many things I value about her writing is her authenticity. Adrienne knows people, she knows families, and she understands secrets and the impact they have on those you love. Her characters are so beautifully and tragically drawn. Their struggles feel unique yet familiar in the best of ways. And though I have never been to Cape Cod, on each page I can picture every detail and smell the sea. The atmosphere serves as another character in the book instead of a mere backdrop - and I value the setting being forefront. (And now, I must plan a trip to Cape Cod!) The pacing of the narrative is spot-on and I savored every intriguing word. This book would make a great bookclub selection and generate meaningful discussion. I adored Little Monsters. I can't wait to see what Adrienne writes next!

“Little Monsters” is a beautifully-written piece of fiction, one I've now read twice, and shared with multiple people. Reading this book is like having a meaningful conversation with a dear friend, a conversation that is equal parts happy, sad, informative, and insightful as to family dynamics. Or something like that. It’s hard to further articulate why I like this book so much, but sincerely, if you love good storytelling and need a compelling book at the bedside to soothe your mind, buy this book (so you can read it repeatedly, like me). Thank you, Adrienne Brodeur. I can’t wait for your next book!

I loved Adrienne Brodeur's memoir WILD GAME and was excited to dig into her new novel. I was thrilled to find that Brodeur's psychological insight, sense of narrative pacing, and keen powers of observation on peak display in LITTLE MONSTERS as well. Set against the rich, atmospheric backdrop of Cape Cod, this is a deeply absorbing story about the longings, obsessions, and resentments that can simmer below the surface of family life, and what happens when our secrets are exposed to those who love us most in the world. Brodeur perfectly balances depth of character with page-turning plotting: I felt invested in every single character and kept wishing this book would go on and on!

I love to read about people. A voyeur at heart, I find books like Little Monsters to allow me to explore what's happening in the lives of others, even if they aren't real. Adam is turning 70 and dealing with how he controls his bipolar disorder. His children, Abby and Ken, are working towards solutions for the problems in their lives while knowing their intelligent father is on the edge of a breakdown of some sort. Steph has made a discovery that causes curiosity and yet keeps her from approaching it head-on. Interesting people, interesting topics, interesting aspects of the issues floating from one person to another. Definitely worth the read.

It was interesting at a level that kept me reading it. Good reading not an all time great book.

I started the audiobook on the drive to the NC coast for our annual family beach week and then finished it on my Kindle Scribe (which is the best!) sitting at the beach. It is beautifully written with descriptions transporting you to time, place, smells, tastes...without being overly done. Well, maybe the whale bits get a little tedious, but that is the point of the character from whom they are spewing. It is a wholly satisfying story of characters with secrets, flaws, strengths, weaknesses - all converging to a crescendo with actions you don't see coming and then tied up in a loose-end tying bow.

I wanted to love this book. There was a lot of build up throughout, on a number of issues. The reveal on several fronts fell flat and felt a bit rushed. I loved her Memoir Wild Game. Ok is the best I can say on this one.

“Little Monsters” is a delicious oyster with the briny, raw interior of a certain Cape Cod world. This novel of family exposes over one summer a secret pregnancy; a secret identity; and secret self-medicating for an escalating bipolar disorder. Brodeur’s writing is luminous, poignant, funny, and wise. Her Cape Cod is a beautiful, fragile ecosystem, capable of sustaining life, but also eroding away—like the family she’s focused on and the planet itself. The story is anchored by Adam Gardner, an irascible, brilliant marine biologist, who has bequeathed to his son and daughter an intimate knowledge of the natural world alongside a subservient role shoring up his greatness. He’s quixotically obsessed with decoding the sounds of humpback whales (they gather off the Stellwagen Bank), using mathematical patterning. The elusive goal to translate the whales’ language points to the limitations of science itself, and underlies Brodeur’s rueful theme of all we humans cannot fathom about our fellow creatures. There’s a hint these old geniuses, going back through the centuries, can only take us so far---how do we move forward she seems to be asking? Brodeur depicts with extraordinary compassion the intelligence and suffocating flaws of this patriarch. She shows the price in love and sanity of catering to his ego, how his children are forced to compete with each other and the resulting destruction. In response to such male force, what evolves as a vision of hope are female alliances. A matriarchy is rising. Brodeur’s women, through artistic creativity, food, ritual, and reverence for nature, are quietly raising children, particularly their sons, to treasure different values than their parents’ did. In this book, families are remade and as fluid as the tides. They are no longer a consolidation of power around a king.

A book about a pretty crazy family. As I read it I realized I have a family, too. I think about what I think about my family members. Then I think wondering what do they think about me. Then. What do they think I think about them. By this time, mine is just as crazy as the family in this book. Not being that smart, I find that the imagery and language pull me up. The intricate descriptions of the nature of the Cape are fabulous. The author keeps the secrets of the family. They get dribbled out bit by bit. Delicious suspense. I know Ken did something bad and is going to do something worse. But what? When I read it again, I'll pay more attention to Jenny, who gave up her dream to be a dedicated spouse to a spouse who didn't deserve the sacrifice. Yep. Couldn't put it down.

Note that I didn't say beach read, which connotes "lite", though you can read this on the beach or anywhere you damn well please. Little Monsters, by the supremely talented writer of Wild Game, is exactly the book you want to sink into in a hammock or lounger with a tall glass of something cold beside you, because you're not going to want to do anything else until you've finished.Brodeur is an wonderful writer, immersing the reader in the necessary detail and knowing from the get go. She is also a master at slowly revealing the complications of people and families, their frailties and faults and effed-up-ness, as well as what makes them lovable and strong and worth reading about. I delighted in spiraling into the whorl of complications and mysteries that culminated in one of the most satisfying climaxes I've read in a long time. Even more, I loved how the author landed the story in a deeply satisfying way while leaving some things unknowable and unsaid, respecting the reader's intelligence and mirroring real life.Can't wait to read whatever she decides to write next!

I couldn’t put down this novel of family secrets, sibling rivalry, and long friendships that are broken and repaired. Brodeur dives deeply into her characters, making them utterly real and involving, and the Cape Cod setting is magical. I am still savoring the story, long after having finished the last beautiful page. I’m recommending it to all my friends--a great book club pick!

This book was one of my favorites this year so far. The story is about family secrets that come back to bite the family. I love all of the characters. Their stories each so unique that it really pulled you into the story. I finished the book in 2 sittings and stayed up way too late finishing it. The book will be loved by readers who like all different genres of books. It has a little bit of everything, romance, mystery, and drama.

I enjoyed wild Game and was thrilled when I learned about this new book. Love the way she writes , but the characters were annoying unlikeable, Long (or so they seemed) paragraphs about whales were tedious. Some will no doubt love the story, but I was not one of them.the story

As with Brodeur’s fabulous memoir Wild Game, her novel transports and transfixes. She has brought us back to Cape Cod which is a character in itself and so mirrors the traits of the different family members struggling to find hope and reckon with their past. Brodeur’s beautifully realized characters reminds us how family dynamics can be both toxic and loving at the same time. A one sitting read!