Nominated for the L.A. Times Book Prize and Eisner Award in the teen categories
Included in the 2023 best-of-the-year lists from YALSA, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, the Boston Globe, the New York Public Library, the Beat, and more!
"Heartfelt... Misfit readers will take solace in this just as Myer took comfort from Sailor Moon." —Boston Globe
"For fans of Jarrett Krosoczka’s Hey, Kiddo and Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl, this coming-of-age memoir will appeal to youth who are struggling with their identity." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Immersive and engrossing: a beautifully depicted emotional journey." —Kirkus, starred review
"Her powerful memoir is an empathic gift, presented in full technicolor with never-static panels, showcasing raw energy." —Booklist, starred review
"This is a fierce graphic memoir with grit and honesty." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"Those who stick with the unflinching depictions of the bullying Myer endured will be rewarded with an engaging—and ultimately hopeful—narrative of a young artist developing their own true identity." —Horn Book Magazine, starred review
"Those wrestling with feelings of disconnect from their communities will find validation in this confessional read." —Publishers Weekly
"The author writes frankly and honestly about the overt racism they dealt with daily and their struggle with their non-binary identity... an alternate title for Monstrous could be Fandom Saved My Life." —the Beat
"We all have a monster within us, but as Sarah shows us in their story, the best way to fight the monster is with love for each other, and most importantly, ourselves." —Good Comics for Kids
★ 2023-03-29
An adopted teen struggles with monstrous submerged anger amid bullying and self-criticism in this graphic memoir.
Author Myer, South Korean by birth, grew up in rural Maryland with White adoptive parents and a sister, Lizzy, who was adopted from a different South Korean family. Unlike Lizzy, who was popular and did well in school, rambunctious Sarah didn’t quite fit in, playing more easily with boys than girls. However, a wildly vivid imagination and burgeoning artistic talents helped Sarah interact with others; Sarah’s focus on drawing and animation wasn’t just a hobby, but a passion and an ongoing lens for relating to the outside world. Sarah’s use of anime cosplay to explore curiosity about gender expression and sexuality skillfully expresses central elements of the book and adds complexity to this coming-of-age story. The frequent racial microaggressions of early childhood escalated over time, with racist and homophobic White middle and high schoolers insulting, physically bullying, and harassing Sarah on a daily basis. As Sarah internalized this hatred, it was magnified by self-doubt, much of which was centered around being adopted, and it began to manifest as an angry, monstrous self that lashed out violently at bullies, friends, and even family. The themes of anxiety and self-image are powerfully depicted by contrasting the more minimalist drawing style in fairly neutral tones with dramatically shaded and dynamic panels.
Immersive and engrossing: a beautifully depicted emotional journey. (resources, author’s note, photos) (Graphic memoir. 13-18)