A Taste for Monsters

A Taste for Monsters

By Matthew J. Kirby

"I woke up next to a dead woman. A black fly rested on her open left eye, straddling her lashes ..." With an opening like that how could I resist? I am a fan of history, strong female leads and horror; A Taste for Monsters has it all.

Set in 1888 London our lead, Evelyn, is out of work and on the streets after becoming disfigured in a fire at the matchstick factory where she worked. Looking for a place to hide from the cruel streets she gets a job working at a hospital as the caregiver for Joseph Merrick, otherwise known as the Elephant man. While most people turn from her disfigurement in disgust, Evelyn finds a kindred spirit in Mr. Merrick. 

A combination of historical fiction, horror and mystery this tale of a young woman in the late 1800's intertwines historical facts with spirits and haunting that bring the unlikely pair into the folds of the Jack the Ripper murders.

This story does not shy away from the harsh realities of London's White Chapel district in the late 1800's; prostitution, desperation and death are all on display in the streets. Kirby describes the plight of a woman without position and the cruel treatment of a man with a life threatening disfigurement. As these themes lend themselves to a dark and layered story, this book is not for the faint at heart.

Author Matthew J. Kirby is the winner of the PEN Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature and the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

This sequel to The Diviners proved to be well worth the wait. Evie O’Neill, a girl with the ability to read peoples’ secrets, has outed herself as a Diviner, kickstarting her very own radio show as “America’s Sweetheart Seer”. Now all of 1920’s New York City knows about people with Diviner powers. Not so surprisingly, those with the power aren’t too happy to be out in the open.

The daughter of a restaurant in Chinatown, Ling Chan, is one such person. Ling is a dream walker who can talk to the dead in her dreams; she uses this power to talk to family members and loved ones who have passed on, for a small fee.  She wants to earn enough money to leave the restaurant business and study to become a scientist. Unfortunately, New York has other plans for her.

A mysterious (seriously creepy) sleeping sickness begins to spread through New York: people go to sleep and never wake up. With the help of Henry DuBois, another dream walker, the two Diviners need to find the cure to this sickness before all of NYC is infected.

The New York setting with a strong emphasis on immigrant life in the 1920s provides a fantastic backdrop for this suspenseful thriller. I could not put this book down.  If you like suspenseful, moderately horrifying books, this would be a good choice!