The cover of New York Times bestselling young adult author Jennifer Niven’s “When We Were Monsters” is shown. The book, which was released to all major booksellers on Sept. 2, follows eight teenagers as they attend Jam Term, a prestigious writing program, and echoes a storyline found in many other books. “The supposed climax of the story blends in as much of the action is saved for the last quarter of the novel,” Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo wrote. “The rest of the novel is reserved for drawn-out monologues and internal “monsters,” that, while impactful, become tiresome.” Photo fair use of Goodreads
“When We Were Monsters,” released by young-adult author Jennifer Niven on Sept. 2, offers an impactful look at grief and loss, but offers nothing new in terms of plot development and suspense.
“If you don’t feel like you are standing in the middle of a busy street with a car speeding toward you at 60 miles an hour, then you aren’t writing the way you need to be writing to stand out above all the noise.”
These are the words fictitious, award-winning author Meredith Graffam, a supporting character in Jennifer Niven’s “When We Were Monsters,” tells eight students at Jam Term, a two-week prestigious writing program tucked away in the forest. The novel, released to all major booksellers on Sept. 2, unfortunately does not echo this sentiment, as its storyline is one that’s become overused within the young-adult genre.
“When We Were Monsters” alternates perspectives between Ophelia “Effy,” who, at six, lost both her parents when her father drunkenly drove their car into a tree, killing her mother and putting himself in prison, and Arlo, who blames himself for his best friend’s drowning.
The characters’ grief is an element that could quickly become all-consuming in other books, but is something Niven skillfully uses to her advantage to show the eternity of loss as well as human resilience.
The characters’ grief is an element that could quickly become all-consuming in other books, but is something Niven skillfully uses to her advantage to show the eternity of loss as well as human resilience. The author also builds a bond between the characters that readers can’t help but root for as the story develops.
Despite this, the book’s plot twist is startlingly obvious upon the main characters’ arrival at Mass Hove, the historical, multi-story house they’re staying at. This is due to a combination of the story being similar to other books in the genre and the supposed climax of the story blending in as much of the action is saved for the last quarter of the novel. The rest of the novel is reserved for drawn-out monologues and internal “monsters,” that, while impactful, become tiresome.
An Instagram post from American author Jennifer Niven showcasing the playlist that she listened to while writing her most recent book “When We Were Monsters” is shown. The book, released on Sept. 2, is about eight teenage writers learning about the art of setting the scene and developing plotlines from award-winning author Meredith Graffam. “Although Niven’s ability to develop her characters and flesh out dialogue has grown significantly since her 2015 release “All the Bright Places,” her other skills fall short of her own character’s advice,” Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo wrote. Post fair use of jenniferniven
Although Niven’s ability to develop her characters and flesh out dialogue has grown significantly since her 2015 release “All the Bright Places,” her other skills fall short of her own character’s advice.
Overall, “When We Were Monsters” is nothing short of underwhelming — new characters in a setting most readers have seen before, which does make it perfect for those looking for a comfort read, rather than a suspenseful thriller.
