In We Shall Be Monsters, a girl marked for death ventures into the wooded realm of the fairies to rescue her mother.
In This Spotlight On We Shall Be Monsters
About We Shall Be Monsters
From the author of Nocturne, a dark, lyrical fantasy about vengeful witches, beastly fathers, and the stories mothers tell to keep their daughters safe.
Gemma Cassata lives with her mother in an isolated antiques shop in Michigan, near a seductive patch of woods concealing an enchanted gateway to fairyland. Gemma knows she’s not supposed to go into the woods—her mother, Virginia, has warned her multiple times about the monsters that lurk there—and yet she can’t resist.
Virginia understands her daughter’s defiance. She knows the allure of the woods all too well. Her own mother warned her about the monsters, and Virginia also did not listen—until a witch cursed her true love just days before their child’s birth. So Virginia will do whatever she can to protect her daughter—even if it means stealing Gemma’s memories.
But everything changes when Gemma gets too close to the truth, and the witch takes Virginia . Now it is up to Gemma to venture deep into the mysterious woods to rescue her mother and break the curse.
Told in the alternating viewpoints of Gemma and Virginia, this novel is not only a tale of a girl’s fantastical quest through a darkly magical fairyland but also an exploration of the complex bonds between children and their parents.
Praise for Alyssa Wees’ Nocturne
“An utterly unique, lyrical play on the Persephone and Hades myth for fans of Neil Gaiman or Madeline Miller.”—Booklist (starred review)
“An enchanting and lyrical fever dream bursting with dazzling prose and dark romance, Nocturne enthralled me.”—Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows
“Richly imagined and heartbreakingly told, Nocturne is a lush gothic romance that will dance you dizzy.”—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
“No one writes the way Alyssa Wees does, and Nocturne is her latest masterpiece. Like the ballet pulsing at its core, the story is both sinuous and quick on its feet, leading the reader through a labyrinth of emotions that range from the brightest passion to the darkest grief. A powerful, haunting read.”—Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of Strike the Zither
“A beautiful nightmare and a fairy tale all at once . . . Wees’s lyrical prose swept me away in this unique story about the battle between love and despair. Nocturne is not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game
“In Nocturne, Wees robes the classic story of Beauty and the Beast in lush prose and infinite splendor. It’s a fever dream of a novel, surreal and intricate, and enchanting in every way.”—Ava Reid, author of The Wolf and the Woodsman
“Haunting and immersive—like a dream poured onto a page . . . Alyssa Wees has deftly spun a dark tale of romance, betrayal, and destiny. Nocturne kept me in its sinister grip from the first page to the last.”—Heather Walter, author of Malice
About Alyssa Wees, Author of We Shall Be Monsters
Alyssa Wees is the acclaimed author of The Waking Forest and Nocturne. She grew up writing stories about her Beanie Babies in between ballet lessons. She earned a BA in English from Creighton University and an MFA in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago. Currently she works as an assistant librarian in youth services at an awesome public library. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband and their two cats.
You can connect with Alyssa Wees on their website, on her blog, and on Instagram.
Source: Publisher and https://www.alyssawees.com/
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine
ISBN: 9780593357521
Pub Date: Nov 12, 2024
Titles by Alyssa Wees
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