Chilling, captivating, and empowering. Delicious Monsters is a paranormal horror novel that takes place across two different timelines, featuring the POVs of two Black teenagers.

 

Daisy can see dead people, and this uncomfortable & unwanted power has made every aspect of her life a challenge. When her mom inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario, Daisy welcomes the opportunity to leave their studio apartment & her ex-boyfriend behind for a fresh start. But nothing about the house is as it seems, and there’s a reason her mother has been avoiding the property for years. 

A decade later, Brittney and her co-host are filming a new season of her popular “Haunted” web series all about the events that happened in the mansion. She’s had her own experience there, with an abusive mother who claimed the house changed her for the better. Brittney’s hoping to expose the truth & bring a forgotten story to light, all while challenging the facade her mother has delicately constructed around their tumultuous relationship.

 

Both timelines slowly interweave and unveil dark secrets. The girls learn that the world isn’t safe. And that there are monsters - both paranormal and human - eager to haunt and silence them.

 

Delicious Monsters is about processing childhood trauma, and about the path to recovery and reconnection with yourself. It’s about abusers - how they manipulate and triumph - and how that hurt is held in the body of the victim. It’s about showing up for friends and bringing light to stories that are forgotten … or purposefully buried.

 

It can be sad and it can be angry. But ultimately, we get to see young women reclaiming their power and triumphing over those that would see them fail. We get bursts of celebration as young Black girls embrace their uniqueness and charge ahead, regardless of fear.

 

It was a thrilling, scary story. The haunted house atmosphere was tense and immersive. The storylines following abusers were tough to read, but the payoff was quietly brilliant. I hope that any child (or adult!) who sees any part of their story in these pages feels powerful (I certainly did).

 

The one weakness for me was pacing - this was a 500+ page book, and you do feel that. I think some plot points and chapters could have been tightened up, especially considering that this is a young adult book. I also recognize that some readers may find the characters “unlikable” or difficult to relate to. These are people who live in defensive mode & who have put up protective walls. I found them compelling and sympathetic, but I wonder if a younger reader who struggles to relate and/or has no experience with abuse may be turned off from the story.

 

Overall, I loved Delicious Monsters. This is my third book from Sambury and I am so, so eager to read whatever she writes next! An auto-buy author for sure.

 

CW: death (including child death), child abuse (physical & emotional), sexual assault (of a child), pedophilia, rape, child neglect, suicide, murder, animal death & cruelty, grooming, gaslighting, fatphobia/body image abuse, body horror, violence

 

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)