A Review of the Book "Ordinary Monsters" by J. M. Miro

Title: Ordinary Monsters

Author: J. M. Miro

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Year: 2022

658 pages

From the Back: England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness - a man made of smoke.

    Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When a jaded female detective is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference and belonging, and the shadowy edged of the monstrous.

    What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London and the wooden theatres of Meiji-era Tokyo to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh, where other children with gifts - the talents - have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the word of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie, and the rest of the talents will discover the truth about their abilities and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.

    Riveting in its scope and exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world - and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.

Personal Thoughts: I knew nothing about this book and bought it strictly because of the cover, the title, and the quantity of sales of the book I saw in the store at which I worked at the time. I am so glad I decided to pick this one up! Ordinary Monsters was quite the page turner, with a story and characters that pulled you right in. It was fast-paced and entertaining, reminding me of a mix of the historical times of Charles Dickens and the fantastical world of Gaiman.

    It was a fun read but just as a heads up, it does end on a cliffhanger as which time I googled frantically to ensure the second book existed. Turns out this is the first of what's called the "Talents Trilogy", with book #2 - Bringer of Dust - just published in September 2024 and the third still yet to come.