Where Monsters Lie by Polly Ho-Yen

Where Monsters Lie Reviews

• 
  Mady

  So good!! I’m becoming more and more in love with Polly Ho-Yen’s writing style and her dark stories!
• 
  Ramona

  So good, absolutely wonderful, I really recommend to anyone! Finished it really quickly!
• 
  Mathew

  I absolutely raced through this book. Having read and enjoyed
  Boy In The Tower I first thought this might be a sequel but it stands alone completely. In a setting which reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village in which the elders both protect and control the culture and beliefs of this very small loch-bound population, Effie, her best friend Finn, and their families are party to a tragedy in which the local legend of the monster in the lake resurface and Effie must seek out the truth behind an age-old mystery.
  
  Again, Ho-Yen has an excellent grasp of the young character. There is a wonderful relationship here between Effie and Finn and they're so well crafted that their actions, fears and thoughts are made all the more believable. The mystery of the monsters in the lake supported by the reluctance of the residents of this little village to talk about anything makes for a good outsiders story from the protagonist's point of view - children will also like this for the very same reasons of not being 'invited' into the world of adults.
  
  I'm not too sure about the ending though. As with The Boy in the Tower, Ho-Yen leaves us with many questions unresolved and although I usually don't mind this at all, this time I felt the balance wasn't quite right and there were a few elements left unanswered which I wanted answers to.
• 
  Robin Stevens

  Polly is such a talent, and this is a great, spooky Highland murder mystery story. When I was a kid I kept pet slugs, and one night they escaped ... and I'm so glad I hadn't already read this book when they did. 8+
  
  *Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
• 
  Georgie

  A beautifully written, emotionally intelligent mystery.
  
  Effie lives in Mivtown, a tiny place where everyone knows everyone else. Everyone also knows the legend about the monsters who live in the loch. When Effie's Mum disappears, she and her best friend Finn are determined to find out what happened. Could the monsters in the loch be real? What secrets are the 'oldies' who maintain the legend keeping? And why is Effie's house suddenly infested with slugs?
  
  Behind the neat-o mystery story (which gets quite dark & creepy in places) Where Monsters Lie is a beautiful and intelligent examination of friendship and family, and of love and guilt and forgiveness. I absolutely adored reading about Effie and Finn's incredibly close friendship and their unquestioning loyalty to each other. The adults, Effie's parents in particular, were flawed. I actually found Effie's mum very difficult to like until the very end of the book when her motives for the way she behaves are explained. Definite touches of Jacqueline Wilson in the portrayal of well-meaning, loving, but flawed parents.
  
  Very good read!
• 
  Ionarr

  This a beautiful book about loss, and grief, and trauma. It is clearly written for young children but remains heart-achingly accurate and never patronising. While I didn't find it creepy, I think young me would have found some of it genuinely chilling.
  
  I am always a little disappointed when monsters are metaphorical, but this whole book was beautifully done and I was surprised by how happy I was with the ending. The touching empathetic way it was written matched perfectly with the wonderful writing itself. The relationships between the characters and surprising nuance each was allowed was frankly stunning for what I had assumed to be a standard, churned out children's book (far from it.) I'm genuinely shocked I haven't heard more about Ho-Yen, and I'll definitely be seeking out more of her work and recommending this book.
• 
  Ms Kirby

  Polly Ho-Yen is the queen of mystery! Once you start reading this, you just have to finish it to find out what happens.
  Like many mysteries, it might not answer all your questions at the end, but this is a good adventure/mystery story with a lot of insight into relationships. Suitable for KS3 and upwards.
• 
  Evelyn

  The blurb of this book convinced me that I was going to really enjoy it, and I thought this book was exactly fit for me seen as though I love fiction books like this. However I didn't like this book because I felt it was too disheartening. Maybe I was too young when I read this and I didn't like that some parts of this book were sad, so I might read this again at some point.
• 
  Haley Kilgour

  Enjoyable? Yes. Great atmospheric read? Yes. Good plot? Had potential but fell flat. Satisfying ending? No.
  
  So this was an easy read. And it read like a creepy thriller.
  
  But the plot was nonexistent and extremely slow. And the ending just left me… meh and confused.
  
  So ok, Rosemary killed the mother. But that doesn’t explain the slugs. Like… someone make the slugs make sense.
• 
  Charis

  Lovely book for kids to read, does feel a bit slow at times and that it could be finished quicker than it was, the ending is different than I thought it would be. It’s great that one of the themes it looks at is death and moving on when a loved one dies.
• 
  Indie Book Reviews

  I quite enjoyed this book - it took a bit of time to get going but eventually managed to create a strong feeling of unknown menace that drew me in.
• 
  Connor

  Polly has a lovely style of writing but the mystery wasn't enough to pull me in.
  Really don't want to get rid of the book because she signed it for me! :(
• 
  Louise Elliott

  A fantastic secret ladened and emotional mystery. The plot kept thickening with each chapter preventing me from being able to put it down.
• 
  Haelwyn Greene

  The book was not a bad read, I wish the flow of the story was faster.
• 
  Lily

  Devastating and beautiful. The physical depictions of grief and its weight on the young protagonist are so intense your own body can't help but feel them in symphony.
• 
  Jessica Wickenden

  Set as a class book this term and the children thoroughly enjoyed it… as did I!
  Kept you guessing & I love a cliffhanger ending.
• 
  Camilla Chester

  I read this so quickly because I was absolutely gripped. I adore Polly’s writing. Her storytelling is compelling and Effie is a very well drawn and believable character. Clever stuff!
• 
  Pippa Wilson

  So what did I think?
  
  I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of giving away spoilers, but the main thing I want to say about this book is just how beautifully written it is. Written in the first person, Where Monsters Lie is a poignant and emotionally true portrayal of Effie and the things that matter in her world. I just love the way the tale is told in such a fluid and natural way. As a reader, we are immediately plunged into Effie's world, and questions soon pop into our head about Effie's relationship with Finn. We wonder what is this aura of strangeness that cloaks Mivtown and the loch?
  
  There is a lot of sadness in this book. And as in The Boy in The Tower, Polly demonstrates a real knack for showing how adults can react to tough times. But equally there is a lot of positivity in the portayal of friendship and community and a sense of place.
  
  As the tale unfolds, we learn more and more about the characters: layer after layer peels away.
  
  I think Polly has a real gift in showing children how mysterious and bewildering adults' behaviour can be at times, and helping them understand how there can be reasons for that.
  
  This would be a great book for year 6, and an absolute must for writers of children's fiction who want to improve their craft!
  
  A shame I have to keep checking the rabbit hutch, though...
  
  Happy Reading!
  
  Pippa Wilson
  
  21st August 2016
• 
  Pauline

  4.5 stars
  
  Polly Ho-Yen’s first novel Boy in the Tower (2015) was a very popular debut novel and her writing is improving with each novel. This novel is atmospheric and at times mysterious and creepy. One of Polly’s great skills is to write about complex issues and adult behaviours seen through a child’s perspective. The town of Mivtown has seen some hardship, tragedy and strange activities. The odd occurrences have created a culture of fear, legend and superstition. This is a very well balanced mystery story for this age group with just the right amount of tension, sadness and suspense as well as love, friendship and family relationships. Effie is a realistic character who will resonate with a lot of readers who are at that age of trying to assert their independence from parental control.
  
  Age 10+ - grief, mystery, family relationships, legends
  
• 
  Alice

  Yes, yes, yes.
• 
  Nina Spence

  This book was recommended by my son and he wasn't wrong. Intriguing, page-turner of a mystery from start to finish and the ending didn't disappoint. Would recommend from age 9/10 upwards.
• 
  Claire

  A high 4!!! 4.5!!!! I was so gripped and intrigued by this book, the mystery really had me hooked. I haven't devoured a book this fast in a while!
• 
  Emily

  Sad, mysterious and lovely.