'Joan Chang-Hunt has no idea she's part monster until she's thrust into a battle between the boy she has a crush on and one of the most ruthless monster families of London. A brilliantly compelling YA fantasy from a dazzling new Australian talent.
'Don't forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.
'Only a monster would kill a hero. Right?
'Every family has its secrets, but the summer Joan Chang-Hunt goes to stay with her Gran in London, she learns hers is bigger than most. The Hunts are one of twelve families in London with terrifying, hidden powers.
'Joan is half-monster. And what's more, her summer crush Nick isn't just a cute boy - he's hiding a secret as well; a secret that places Joan in terrible danger.
'When the monsters of London are attacked, Joan is forced on the run with the ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family who are sworn enemies of her own. Joan is drawn deeper into a world that simmers with hostilities, alliances and secrets. And her rare and dangerous power means she's being hunted. She'll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .
'. . . she is not the hero.'
Source : publisher's blurb
'In Vanessa Len’s debut YA fantasy Only a Monster we meet Joan Chang-Hunt, who is staying with her quirky London relatives for the summer. She volunteers at a historical museum and is excited about her first date with a fellow volunteer. Joan’s world turns upside down when she discovers that what her grandmother has always told her is in fact true: she is a monster.' (Introduction)
'In Vanessa Len’s debut YA fantasy Only a Monster we meet Joan Chang-Hunt, who is staying with her quirky London relatives for the summer. She volunteers at a historical museum and is excited about her first date with a fellow volunteer. Joan’s world turns upside down when she discovers that what her grandmother has always told her is in fact true: she is a monster.' (Introduction)