Unfortunately, locating such an item requires going back to the place Greta has her worst memories- the kingdom of Belladoma. When Greta’s little brother is kidnapped by a witch whose hut has chicken feet, Greta must find a mysterious magical item to save the only family she has left. It was an interesting addition to the world of Monstrous, but for whatever reason I didn't enjoy this one quite as much.still would absolutely recommend it to middle-grade fans of the first who are looking for more! There were some world-building bits that were enjoyable, but it felt like everything moved so slowly somehow.

The rest of the story, however, kind of dragged along outside of Greta's arc. She was allowed to have her turmoil over what happened to her and to be uneasy about helping people who she felt were partially responsible, even as she came to terms with the fact that other people suffered the way she did, and she can forgive them without forgiving the one who was really responsible for her pain. I found the treatment of her trauma very realistic and it was really nice to be able to see a young, hurt character be allowed to not only be hurt but to hate as well. Greta's story really is an interesting one she's a lost girl trying to hold what little of her family remains after several traumatic events, and is forced to face the source of her PTSD in order to save what's important to her, while she is constantly dragged back and forth by her desire to help different groups. This was a very good book, but in parts I found it meandering and difficult to keep my attention on. I'm a little sad because I really wanted to enjoy this one more, but perhaps my gilded memories of how much I loved Monstrous gave me too high of expectations.

Monstrous by marcykate connolly summary