Name: No Gods, No Monsters
ISBN: 9781982603724

Cadwell Turnbull

One October morning, Laina gets the news that her brother was shot and killed by Boston cops. But what looks like a case of police brutality soon reveals something much stranger. Monsters are real. And they want everyone to know it. As creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, seeking safety through visibility, their emergence sets off a chain of seemingly unrelated events. Members of a local werewolf pack are threatened into silence. A professor follows a missing friend's trail of bread crumbs to a mysterious secret society. And a young boy with unique abilities seeks refuge in a pro-monster organization with secrets of its own. Meanwhile, more people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase, and protests erupt globally, both for and against the monsters. At the center is a mystery no one thinks to ask: Why now? What has frightened the monsters out of the dark? The world will soon find out.

No Gods, No Monsters

There's quite a few "main" characters who's narratives we follow, sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don't. They all have side characters they interact with, making for a pretty complex web of people, and absolutely no one felt that unique or fleshed out. I found myself writing down character names with a description just to remember who was who. There's also an omniscient narrator who will pop in and shift the perspective from third to first person and then back again, sometimes mid-paragraph, and I found that annoying.

Roughly 3/4ths of the book is very "vignette" style, where a chapter might be only a couple pages, just a snapshot of a character going through life, and doesn't feel like it ties into the larger narrative at all. Additionally, there's constant time jumps and they are very jarring. I think the intention was to keep the story mysterious by being a little all over, but I just found it confusing and boring. This style, combined with the characters being largely uninteresting just made the book a slog to get through. 

Some cool things: there's monsters and magic, which did make for some fun mystery and excitement. There's lots of diversity and representation in the book. I think those are the only two highlights I can think of.

Bryce Widdel

Truly just wasn't a fan of this book. 

There's quite a few "main" characters who's narratives we follow, sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don't. They all have side characters they interact with, making for a pretty complex web of people, and absolutely no one felt that unique or fleshed out. I found myself writing down character names with a description just to remember who was who. There's also an omniscient narrator who will pop in and shift the perspective from third to first person and then back again, sometimes mid-paragraph, and I found that annoying.

Roughly 3/4ths of the book is very "vignette" style, where a chapter might be only a couple pages, just a snapshot of a character going through life, and doesn't feel like it ties into the larger narrative at all. Additionally, there's constant time jumps and they are very jarring. I think the intention was to keep the story mysterious by being a little all over, but I just found it confusing and boring. This style, combined with the characters being largely uninteresting just made the book a slog to get through. 

Some cool things: there's monsters and magic, which did make for some fun mystery and excitement. There's lots of diversity and representation in the book. I think those are the only two highlights I can think of.

My original perception of the story was off. I was under the impression that this was going to be more plot driven and action packed than it was. It’s very much a character driven story, and had I known that or been able to assume that from the blurb, I think I would’ve been higher on it.

At first, keeping track of the perspectives wasn’t that difficult, but then the author kept adding in new people and abandoning others. It definitely got confusing sometimes. Additionally, it switches between first person and third person limited. The pov doesn’t bother me as I have no true preference, but it added to my confusion because in one chapter, the person would be saying “I” and then all of a sudden, we’re calling that same person by their name. I was like “wait, who is this again?” multiple times.

I think the concept and the themes discussed are very interesting, and I wish we’d stuck with some of the characters longer to explore them. A few of these themes include: police brutality, family bonds + relationships, substance misuse, what makes someone a “monster”, and faith in a higher power. There’s a constant battle between personal demons and very tangible ones, which I didn’t expect. It also does a good job of depicting a multitude of queer relationships and identities in a way that didn’t feel performative or like it was pandering to an audience.

Ultimately, if you like character driven stories, I’d recommend this, but you really have to focus. I’m interested in some of the author’s other works, but this was a decent start.

Nik ✨

My original perception of the story was off. I was under the impression that this was going to be more plot driven and action packed than it was. It’s very much a character driven story, and had I known that or been able to assume that from the blurb, I think I would’ve been higher on it.

At first, keeping track of the perspectives wasn’t that difficult, but then the author kept adding in new people and abandoning others. It definitely got confusing sometimes. Additionally, it switches between first person and third person limited. The pov doesn’t bother me as I have no true preference, but it added to my confusion because in one chapter, the person would be saying “I” and then all of a sudden, we’re calling that same person by their name. I was like “wait, who is this again?” multiple times.

I think the concept and the themes discussed are very interesting, and I wish we’d stuck with some of the characters longer to explore them. A few of these themes include: police brutality, family bonds + relationships, substance misuse, what makes someone a “monster”, and faith in a higher power. There’s a constant battle between personal demons and very tangible ones, which I didn’t expect. It also does a good job of depicting a multitude of queer relationships and identities in a way that didn’t feel performative or like it was pandering to an audience.

Ultimately, if you like character driven stories, I’d recommend this, but you really have to focus. I’m interested in some of the author’s other works, but this was a decent start.

kelsey

*3.5

tw: gore, blood, gun violence, drug abuse, police brutality 

abrupt endings are my worst enemy

Shareca

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull is exactly what I was looking for. My favorite part of this book was the fast-paced story. I was hooked by the premise alone. It was such a joy to have been approved for No Gods, No Monsters. Monsters and humans are indistinguishable, and I am amazed at the way it talks about crime and police brutality. Due to my own identity as a minority, I thought that was well placed within this narrative. It seems plausible that it would appear as such, but it turns out it is quite different (at least in some ways). This novel echoes No God, No Monsters' line, "Everything is connected." This theme remains true throughout the story. The story begins with a bang and ends with one. I thought this was one of the more engaging Netgalley reads I have experienced. A really great read!

Janice Hopper

NGL, didn't really know what to make of this book. 

The folks who have always been something other/more than human finally come out, and... things happen? And maybe there are gods too?

It's not really a linear story, so be aware of that. I need to read a good breakdown of what's going on, I think. I liked the writing, but I didn't quite understand what all was going on. I'm sure that's on me.

Didi Chanoch

NO GODS, NO MONSTERS is a stunning novel.

While completely different in most ways, it has the kind of impact GIDEON THE NINTH had on me. It is complex and compelling, brainy and emotional. Dark as night with a thread of hope.

James Eaton

This was an interesting read, but it did not gain the traction that I hoped for over the course of the book. Some really neat ideas, urban fantasy, monsters and secret societies, etc. 

It had me feeling in a similar way to The Fifth Element with the back-and-forth stories, but The Fifth Element pulled everything together in such a satisfying way. The author of this book wrote about how the "community" was the plot, and that totally makes sense. The vibe of the book was good and there were sections that were really good. It just didn't totally land for me (and that is fine because I am not the singular audience of the world). 

I did really appreciate a fresh voice and idea in this space, and I am here for more diversity and original storytelling. I don't think I will continue the series, but I am glad I read it.