Here There Are Monsters ~ Amelinda Berube

Genre: Young Adult/Suspense
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 9781492671015
352 pages
Source: Barnes and Noble

Skye has been her sister Diedre’s protector for as long as they both remember. They’re three years apart but at 13, Diedre seems like a tiny dandelion puff, liable to blow away in a magical wind, if Skye loses sight of her for a second.

Diedre is weird. Like most little kids, except now she’s a teenager and still hasn’t grown out of whimsical worlds and bizarre stories. The two girls have been through their fair share of mayhem and tragedy involving Diedre’s weirdness (being a social outcast and tracking down bullies). When their family moves to a new town, far, far away, Skye resolves to being completely done playing her sister’s white knight. she’s going to make her own friends and leave her sister to fend for herself.

All goes according to plan. For a while at least. Skye makes friends, does normal teenage stuff, gets through her school days.

But new beginnings have a way of crumbling when old patterns rear their ugly heads. Diedre refuses to change and the teasing starts at their new school. Soon, she is off on her own little adventures, again. which would be fine except for the night she goes missing. Skye is supposed to be watching her for the evening but all hell breaks loose when Diedre goes missing and Skye is on the hook for her disappearance. the police and the girls’ parents fear the worst. At least in terms of human “worst’. but Skye thinks there may be something darker and more sinister at play, dipping deep into her sister’s inner, magical worlds.

As Skye straddles the world of normal and sinister, her sister’s mysterious situation drags her deeper into the dark woods by their new house. And in doing so, she is dragged into far deeper places inside herself.

This was one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time. I loved the creativity of Diedre’s creepy wooded world and, as well as the very real sisterly bond. Our book club got to chat with author Amelinda Berube about a few things and she talked a bit about what it was like to grow up with two sisters of her own and how that upbringing aided her in creating the relationship between the girls.

If you haven’t gotten your hands on this one, yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a stellar choice for cozying up with something dark and creepy as the weather turns to autumn.