Shane Hegarty

Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, blood depiction, physical injury
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read this for a while and then when one of the libraries I regularly go to had this on the display shelf I picked it up and finally read it. Unfortunately the library does not have all four books in the series since they only have this book and book two, despite that I enjoyed it but I don't think it will be one of the most memorable books I've read due to its flaws. It starts with the main character Finn whose last name I don't even know who lives in a town called Darkmouth in Ireland and in the beginning of the book it told me there were monsters (I give credit to the 3rd omniscient POV.) Here's the thing: Finn is the last monster or Legend as this book calls it hunter but he doesn't want to do it (it's giving me déjà vu from another book like this I've read here) which takes place during the first few pages of the book. The worldbuilding was intriguing and could be explored more in the second book and Finn was likable and someone I could root for but not connect to, is it me or is there some distance between us? I don't know. I think it's me. The middle part was paced slower than the beginning but that was to let me deeply explore the town of Darkmouth but the ending was much more fast-paced since Finn opened a portal, there was a clue to find a map so he found it which had an X and the novel ended in a cliffhanger. Wow.… (more)

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Reading Level: Middle School

This would probably be a 4 or 5 stars review if I'd read the first two books in this series. But starting with this one left me a little unsure of past events and playing catch up on learning the characters and monsters. The big twist at the end didn't fully make sense to me also because I was missing some backstory.

This book on its own, however, was still very entertaining, full of action and suspense. The characters had fears, dreams, personality, and quickly became memorable as I read. The story was a non-stop action packed, adventure to fight monsters and uncover secrets about their town, Darkmouth, and the Infested Side. It never lagged or slowed as the characters had to work together to solve one problem after another the best they could, with many surprises and explosions along the way.

This would be a perfect series for readers who enjoy monsters, action, apocalyptic suspense, and a sci-fi writing style.… (more)