Did not finish reading. The “excerpts” from The Big Book of Monsters did not do much for me, or for the story, that I could tell, and veered to the pedantic. Autumn just jumps right in and becomes Sophie’s friend? Did not buy Sophie’s belief that her mother would leave her if she discovered the “monster” within her. ( )

"Oftentimes we fickle humans have fleeting wishes for a life not our own, but such superficial desires lead to discontent and unhappiness. Better to take heed of all the good in your life, and take nothing for granted. Look for the good and you will find it, no magic or wish required."

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

A Monster Like Me really captured what it's like to have a child's imagination. At one point, Sophie and Autumn were at the beach, and they imagined stone giants where others simply saw rocks. When they were underneath a willow tree, they believed they were battling a ferocious monster with webs and arms. It felt like an authentic portrayal of what children see when they look at the world. It's like they have a special lens when they're younger, and it was nice to be reminded of how magical even the most mundane items can be. Sophie has a talisman that could've easily been called junk, but it meant the world to her. It may have looked like mishmash to an adult, but every item she selected for it was special and unique.

Sophie's story also broke my heart. I can understand children teasing her about the mark on her face, but it really shocked me when adults were sometimes worse than their children. Something happens at the beginning of the book that felt totally unrealistic, and I made a note to say something about it in my review, but another blogger mentioned it was based on a real experience the author had. It still baffles me, because in my mind, adults should be responsible and kind, not verbally abusive and cruel. However, I know that there are some really rotten people in the world, so it shouldn't have been so surprising.

Despite my overall enjoyment of the book, I do have some quibbles regarding the story. One, I have no idea how old Sophie is supposed to be in this book. She can read, her mother also leaves her alone at the Farmer's Market (Sophie seems to know her way around), and she uses words my five-year-old doesn't know yet. Sophie still needs adult supervision when her mother goes on a date, but her mom left her home alone when she was pretending to be too sick to go to school. There was a lot of conflicting information that made it hard for me to place her age, and it's not specified anywhere within the story.

My second complaint would be the vocabulary. I believe this book was written for a younger audience, yet some of the words from Sophie's Big Book of Monsters were hard for me to pronounce. I had to Google a few of them to make sure I was reading them correctly (example: cireincròin), and there were a lot of different monsters and mythological creatures mentioned throughout the book. One of them was a constant in her life, and I still have no idea how she pronounced what she thought he was.

Speaking of the Big Book of Monsters, I loved the little excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. Sometimes Sophie's story would obviously tie into the reference, and other times it was a little harder to make the connection. After a few chapters, the excerpts started to take on a very motivational vibe. "Remember, dear reader, the truth these creatures will never understand: emotion is a powerful force, and while it is easy to use it to destroy, it is far nobler to build. Things once said, cannot be unsaid. Whether emotion-fueled rampages strike a city of millions or a single person’s heart, painful scars are left behind. And some scars are invisible to all except those who carry them."

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. I think there were a lot of wonderful aspects, and the author gives you a lot to reflect on even as an adult. I wish Sophie's interactions with a counselor had been expanded on, but I'm happy that it was even mentioned. It seems unlikely that the counselor would have bought a gift to bribe Sophie, and the fact that she won the game seemed purely coincidental, but it was easy to overlook. At least her mom knew that her daughter needed to talk with someone that would be able to better understand what Sophie was thinking and feeling.

A Monster Like Me also shows what it's like to be an imperfect parent. Sophie's mother makes mistakes, but it's obvious she loves her daughter. She wants Sophie to have an easy life, and she doesn't want other people to bully or ridicule her child. I think her mother's reactions to other people added to Sophie's discomfort and embarrassment. Honestly, I didn't like her mother most of the time, because she saw Sophie's mark as something to be fixed, instead of loving her daughter with no reservations. I think if she'd been unbothered by other people's perceptions of Sophie, her daughter would have been more accepting of herself.

I tried to read this one to my five-year-old, but I don't think he's quite there yet. Although, I do think this will be an excellent book for children that can understand (and possibly relate to) the various concepts mentioned throughout the book. ISwore has written an incredibly impactful story that shows what's it like to be different, and how to accept and love those differences.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on May 20, 2019. ( )

Sophie is a special girl, and I'm not talking about her looks in the least. She has a BIG HEART, a VIVID IMAGINATION, high level of INTELLIGENCE, and while she may depend on her 'Book of Monsters' a bit too much to get through life, there are worse things. The biggest thing Sophie needed to learn wasn't just to let others think what they wanted and to be herself, but to SHARE her true self. She needed to find her inner strength to say world, this is me...accept me as I am, or step aside. She had those in her life to help her with that confidence boost, but she was so drawn into herself, so worried that even her mother would reject her, that she didn't open up...not truly...and while I'm not blaming the parent, at some point that conversation HAS to happen. You can't just shy away from it on either side...you have to face it, own it, get down to the nitty gritty of it all, and decide just who you want to be. Sophie was never the hemangioma on her face...she was a sweet girl that just happened to have a hemangioma. BIG difference, but one only understood when things reached a crucial breaking point...

All in all, it was a wonderfully uplifting story with heartfelt messages to boot. I can't say I didn't cry a time or two...out of anguish (ignorant people befuddle me), and love (OMG...the wish...my heart!)...but still, Sophie is quite a remarkable, MAGNIFICENT young lady, and she can always be certain that the friendships she's made are genuine, true, and filled with love...just like her. A great read for the kiddos just navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of growing up, as well as for older readers that need a reminder of how things are, could be, and should be, if only they had a little help from those with well placed intentions.

**copy received for review; opinions are my own
( )

The very first page lures into the exciting possibility of fantasy before gliding off into a message packed reality which pulls at the heartstrings.

Monster lurk everywhere in plain sight. Disguised as humans. Sophie is one of them, and thanks to her book, she has a pretty good idea of where other ones lurk. Her mother and others think that it's only a birth mark on her face, one that gains attention everywhere they go. But she knows that monsters soon see past her mark and realize that she's a monster within. Cursed. When she finds her first friend, she finally has the chance to break the curse. And hopefully, before her mother is lured away by a new monster, who has set his eyes on her heart.

The first pages immediately grab attention. Sophie's view of the world invites with it's imagination and has the reader looking for hidden monsters themselves. But it soon becomes clear that this is about so much more. The author weaves the inner and outer problems Sophie has, thanks to her very large birthmark, masterfully into the imaginative world of monsters. But, on the same hand, it becomes clear very early in the book that these monsters aren't real, but rather, Sophie's battling monsters of her own.

While there are many wonderful moments in this book, I'm not sure it's one for the lower end of the middle grade range. The topics and issues run at a fairly deep, psychological level, one that the younger side might not totally grasp. This depth also causes slower passages, which won't necessarily hold that age group's attention. I'd recommend this one highly, however for ages twelve and up. ( )

Reviewed for Netgalley. Sophie and her mother have moved into a new neighbourhood and she is anout to start school. Unfortunately this is not easy for her as she has a huge blood tumour covering half her face that disfigures her and makes people judge her by her looks alone. To cope, Sophie carries around a large book called the Book of Monsters. This gives her the ability to label everyone else who does anything wrong to her a type of monster - e.g. troll, goblin. For her, the ultimate is being a human - i.e. perfect. What she doesn't realise is that she is as bad as those who make fun of her - trying to squash everyone, including her mother's new boyfriend into a category. With the help of a new friend, a kindly neighbour and some tough love, Sophie must face reality - her world no matter how harsh it is.
Lovely book about Mums needing to step back and kids needing to stand on their own two feet. For fans of Wonder or Ugly. ( )