Carmen Grey always knew she was different. None of the other children seemed able to read minds. None of the other children were able to manipulate their toys without touching them.
On the morning of her sixth birthday, three men dressed in black arrive to remove her from the loving care of her parents.
She is taken to an underground facility meant for others like her, for Clairvoyants. Stripped of her name and identity, over the years she is fashioned into something scary—something lethal. Each day is an endless struggle, and every night is plagued by nightmares.
Yet Carmen’s ultimate battle won’t be to save her life but to keep her soul.
Monster of the Dark is a brutal coming of age story set in a world where children with special abilities are taken away from their families at six-year-old so they can train to become ultimate warriors, and also to keep them from accidently hurting anyone.
Carmen never really understood her parents and when she was taken by a full squad of armed soldiers, she assumed she would be brought home soon afterwards. Her mother’s parting words of, “Stay good!” confused her, especially after staying good and doing everything her handler Janus told her to, only brought hurt and more confusion.
As her grueling “education” continues into her teens, she all but forgets her family, but never loses the urge to escape her prison and return home. When she finally comes into her own, she has to fight not against enemies, but against keeping true to herself and not losing what little hope she has left.
As I mentioned above this is a brutal book. The children are treated as machines rather than humans and their entire lives center around turning them into the most feared beings in the galaxy. Their purpose is to become so terrifying that their alien enemies will never considering attacking them ever again.
Coming of age stories abound on SFF, but very few follow a character from such a small child to an adult, the same way this book does. And not only is that true in Monster, but the outlook and character voice evolve brilliantly as she gets older. You can almost tell how old she is in each chapter just by how she thinks and speaks.
Another standout part of the story is many times in these types of stories, the main characters are outcasts in the real world then outcast in their new world as well. That is not the case here. Carmen barely even sees other children her age. Her whole life is her room and the training rooms, with Janus watching every move she makes. She is not bullied or the bully, she is alone. Utterly and desperately alone.
Our judges loved the way her character and perspective grow throughout the story and how she survives intense grief, rage, and loneliness. Through the difficult choices she is forced to make and then the consequences she has deal with afterwards, she finds her place in the world and comes to grips with powers that have so far caused her nothing but pain.
Overall, a fantastic book and we can’t wait to see how it fairs in the finals!
Congratulations K. T. Belt for making the semi-final list!
Our official SPSFC score is 8.3/10, but for our site review we are rounding up to 8.5/10. For more information on the SPSFC you can check out the official website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene