Delicious Monsters

Delicious Monsters follows two timelines. In one, Daisy, a young high school student in Toronto, is ‘gifted’ with the ability to see the dead, something which leaves her in a constant state of anxiety. When the story begins, Daisy and her mom are living together in a small apartment in Toronto. Daisy has just gotten out of a toxic relationship and is struggling to move forward. She and her mother decide to move to a small town when they inherit a house from a relative. The house turns out to be a mansion on a vast piece of lakefront property, and Daisy’s mom reveals her intention of turning it into an Airbnb. Daisy helps out, explores the property and even begins to make new friends.

The other timeline, from Brittney’s point of view, takes place a decade later. Brittney is the host and co-creator of a popular web series that documents the stories behind mysterious deaths. She is interested in featuring the property owned by Daisy's mom on the show. This season, she's investigating a girl connected to the very same house and is determined to uncover the truth of what happened there. The novel is told primarily from Daisy's point of view, with Brittney's chapters interspersed.

A common theme for both young women in both timelines is their experiences of living with trauma, their journeys through overcoming it, and their feelings of failure. Daisy is traumatized by a past relationship with an older man who manipulated her and did things to her she realizes now she did not want him to do. At first, she is merely upset over the breakup, but she eventually comes to realize that she is emotionally wounded by the things he made her do. She is traumatized by her "gift" of seeing the dead, and she is traumatized by how she feels like the adult in her relationship with her mom. The author allows both Daisy and Brittney to be messy and full of rage as they struggle to deal with the trauma that they have each endured.

The character development is excellent. Daisy, in particular, is quite compelling. The majority of the novel is from Daisy’s point of view, not always a comfortable place to be. Because both Daisy and Brittney have experienced trauma, they are extremely wary of trusting others. Secondary characters are also well drawn. Neighbour King is Daisy’s age and her schoolmate. He also has a gift somewhat similar to Daisy’s. Ivy, a young girl who lives nearby, also befriends Daisy and helps her with the house. Daisy’s mom Grace’s backstory is eventually revealed, shedding much light on her behaviour that previously may have left readers scratching their heads.

The slowly building suspense with split narrative and the distinct differences between Daisy and Brittney's voices are effective plot devices. Delicious Monsters utilizes supernatural horror elements as a way of exploring real life horror. While the characters might not always see abuse for what it is, the reader can. And the characters eventually work towards that realization as well. Delicious Monsters was truly a chilling and atmospheric read that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

I highly recommend Delicious Monsters to anyone looking for a dark, emotional read. Sambury has succeeded in creating a heartbreaking and thought-provoking novel. However, the subject matter is often heavy. The author provides a content warning that includes childhood sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, childhood neglect, suicide, death and more.

Liselle Sambury is the Trinidadian-Canadian author of the Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist, Blood Like Magic, the first book in a duology, the second being Blood Like Fate. Her work spans multiple genres, from fantasy to sci-fi, horror, and more. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through a YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying the sometimes complicated business of being an author.