Not me crying and heartbroken over a horror book. It definitely didn't feel like horror so much as a book that features a monster creature. A monster creature I found to serve as an allegory for neurodivergent folks, but it most resonated with my autism. Monstrilio was so incredibly different but found joy in being himself... until he was maimed and told time and time again how wrong his natural self was. After a lifetime of masking and trying to fit in, it was still a struggle to get things perfect for the humans trying to mold him and he eventually has had enough.

This book reads like a messy queer soap opera featuring a monster creature navigating love, loss, and just trying to fit into a world that made him but was not made for him. I loved, hated, and felt for all of the characters in this book. They were so real and flawed and wonderful. It was such a beautiful story and I'll be thinking about it, especially little Monstrilio, for some time to come.