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Little Monsters
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
26 posts | 22 read | 18 to read
From the author of the bestselling memoir Wild Games comes a riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families, and long-buried secretsfor fans of the New York Times bestsellers The Paper Palace and Ask Again, Yes. Ken and Abby Gardner lost their mother when they were small and they have been haunted by her absence ever since. Their father, Adam, a brilliant oceanographer, raised them mostly on his own in his remote home on Cape Cod, where the attachment between Ken and Abby deepened into something complicatedand as adults their relationship is strained. Now, years later, the siblings lives are still deeply entwined. Ken is a successful businessman with political ambitions and a picture-perfect family and Abby is a talented visual artist who depends on her brothers goodwill, in part because he owns the studio where she lives and works. As the novel opens, Adam is approaching his seventieth birthday, staring down his mortality and fading relevance. He has always managed his bipolar disorder with medication, but hes determined to make one last scientific breakthrough and so he has secretly stopped taking his pills, which he knows will infuriate his children. Meanwhile, Abby and Ken are both harboring secrets of their own, and there is a new person on the periphery of the familySteph, who doesnt make her connection known. As Adam grows more attuned to the frequencies of the deep sea and less so to the people around him, Ken and Abby each plan the elaborate gifts they will present to their father on his birthday, jostling for primacy in this small family unit. Set in the fraught summer of 2016, and drawing on the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, Little Monsters is an absorbing, sharply observed family story by a writer who knows Cape Cod inside and outits Edenic lushness and its snakes.
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review
Andrea4
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

Sucked me in & i finished it quick. Others call it a family melodrama/dysfunctional family. I'm going to say it takes “dysfunctional“ one step further & maybe a TW for some is in order though doing so also would spoil part of the book (though pretty early on it seemed obvious, but maybe that's me with the experiences I've had). In any case, this book (esp if you're a woman, I want to say) will have you wanting to throw some punches.

AmyG I am going to call it dysfunctional but I really liked it. Those are my favorites-the dysfunctional family. 9mo
Andrea4 @AmyG agreed. Often when people ask what I like to read I say “thriller, supernatural or psychological especially, some horror, oh and f*cked up *ahem* dysfunctional families. Lol 9mo
AmyG @Andrea4 Ha, what does that say about US? 🤣 9mo
Andrea4 @AmyG haha oh I know! Here's to catharsis 🤪 9mo
24 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Sara_Planz
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

I love a messy family story and this one hit all the right notes for me! Using the story of Cain and Abel to create a realistic portrayal of family, Adrienne Brodeur builds a complete portrait of a family that is flawed yet strong at the same time. I loved the multiple POVs from each main character as it let me see their own internal monologues, justifications and thought processes.

kspenmoll I enjoyed everything about this novel! 9mo
45 likes1 comment
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CBee
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

I absolutely loved this - it has everything a “dysfunctional family fiction” fan like me craves! The setting was perfect - both location-wise (Cape Cod) and political climate-wise (I‘ll never forget the election of 2016). Flawed characters, some way more so than others, found family, so many secrets. I‘ll be thinking about this one for a while.

CBee This was my first read from your fab #ALSpine list, Julie! Thank you ♥️ @RebelReader @monalyisha 10mo
RebelReader @CBee I‘m a dysfunctional fiction family fan too! So glad you loved it! 10mo
kspenmoll I really loved this for so many reasons! 10mo
See All 12 Comments
CBee @RebelReader I‘m still considering starting a petition or something to make “dysfunctional family fiction” it‘s own genre….. 😂😂😂 10mo
CBee @kspenmoll I saw your review! And you‘ve spent so much time at Cape Cod - sounds lovely ♥️ 10mo
RebelReader @CBee I‘d sign it! 🤣 10mo
Chelsea.Poole It could at least be a hashtag?? #dysfunctionalfamily —one I‘d gladly follow 😊 10mo
Amiable Sounds fabulous—stacking! 10mo
CBee @Chelsea.Poole I think we should start using that hashtag 😂 @RebelReader You too, @AmyG 😁 (edited) 10mo
kspenmoll I loved this too for similar reasons! 9mo
kspenmoll @CBee I have been blessed to have spent so much time there. This March my 3 sisters & me are spending a weekend together there. My oldest sister bought my parents house from us- consequently we are able to get there every year. 9mo
CBee @kspenmoll that sounds wonderful ♥️ 9mo
74 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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kbuggle
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Mehso-so

A messy family story set on cape cod, this didn‘t live up to my expectations. know it was a hit for a lot of folks, but i was really hoping for more from these characters

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rebbyj
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
Pickpick

Interesting story

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ilyssa.g
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

Chose this book after I saw it was one of Jennette McCurdy‘s book club picks! Such a holistic portrayal of mental illness and how it impacts families intergenerationally. The pacing was great; I was never bored. So many memorable lines and themes that will continue to stick with me! This is the book I‘ve read that portrays mental illness within a family most realistically! Most of the characters aren‘t likable but their journeys are fascinating.

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kspenmoll
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

Centered around preparation‘s for their father‘s 70th birthday,this novel is propelled by family secrets.Each character is flawed; their souls deeply wounded.Their tale is told through multiple perspectives which only adds to the depth and beauty of the novel.The prose includes gorgeous nature writing in minute details & imagery of the flora & fauna of Cape Cod.(my home away from home)🌊🐚⛱️🦞🚤🔽

kspenmoll 🔼 The father once a highly regarded research scientist for the Cape Cod Institute of Oceanography, has succumbed to his mental illness.Peter,his son is riding high,making millions on his luxury living environments he created for the elderly. Abby, his daughter & artist paints & lives in her deceased mother‘s artist retreat among Truro‘s dunes, called Arcadia. Charon the turtle was a childhood mascot their father & Ken found. At one point 🔽 (edited) 1y
kspenmoll 🔼In the novel, Abby explains that her goal for her painting is “storytelling.” This magnificent novel is just that.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1y
58 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

I loved Wild Game, Brodeur‘s memoir, so I knew I had to get my hands on her first novel. I was not disappointed! This is the story of a family: absent mother, mentally ill father, and two grown siblings who‘ve each been molded by their circumstances as children. The action takes place over the course of a summer on Cape Cod, leading up to the patriarch‘s 70th birthday. Thoughtful exploration of the ripple effects of trauma. Plus excellent setting.

79 likes2 stack adds
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angieinwonderland
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
Pickpick

This book exposed the flawed human perfectly. The ugliest side of humanness with complex feelings flowed through the entire story. How two people can leave a situation with two opposing perspectives, how deep the river of denial can run in a family, how mental illness can overrun everything. The ending was what it had to be, left for interpretation and far from perfect, and exactly how it goes sometimes.

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kspenmoll
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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The author‘s writing of minute visual details & images of Cape Cod‘s natural world of the ocean sandy beaches,dunes & it‘s wildlife is gorgeous. Having grown up spending summers, & year round visits to my parents home, I feel that the author gives voice to what I can not. Reading this is a deep,down to my bones, visceral experience.

51 likes1 stack add
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marleed
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

I was particularly interested in how this story played out because I know such a scenario is possible. My daughter‘s sister-in-law was adopted and raised as an only child. Recently and much to her surprise, she was found and fully embraced by her two half siblings (a slightly older bro and slightly younger sister - all three share the same birth father) and their mother. So I was hoping for a satisfying ending to the book, as well.

73 likes2 stack adds
blurb
kspenmoll
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Little Monsters #botm #capecod
Watson‘s Choice #goldenagecrimeclub
Fleur du Sel Murders #serieslove2023
The Shop on Royal Street #audio
#rushathon

This is my last week before school starts!

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kspenmoll
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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This week finished:
~ Murder in Devil‘s Cove, #cozy #14books14weeks
~Fatal Remedies, #Brunelli #Italy #14books14weeks
~ Broken Ground, #audio #coldcase
~ Agatha of Little Neon #nunlit
In Process:
~Little Monsters, #capecod #family #mentalhealth
~Pompeii, #bookedintime
~Watson‘s Choice, #goldenagecrimeclub
#rushathon

Cuilin Yay!! 🎉 Ancient Roman Civilization ✅ 1y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
Cinfhen Are u back to school yet??? 1y
kspenmoll @Cinfhen In one week-8/28. 1y
47 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Megabooks
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

Messy family books can be a mixed bag, but after disliking Brodeur‘s memoir, I enjoyed this. The depiction of bipolar and its affects on a family was spot on for me.

Adam‘s wife died shortly after giving birth to their second child. This and his bipolar disorder had dramatic and long lasting effects on both kids well into adulthood. Their lives are about to change when an illegitimate sibling comes into the mix right before Adam‘s 70th bday.

Cinfhen I preferred her memoir more than her foray into fiction…but that shouldn‘t surprise you 😜 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen we are such opposites right now!! 🤪 1y
Chelsea.Poole Great review! I just finished this too. 1y
78 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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These beach doughnuts!! 🤤
Heading home tomorrow! I finished a few books and hope to get one done on the way home, but I had four more packed just in case! 😆 #travelswithabookworm
Lots of togetherness with best friends and our kids, so reading took a back burner this trip.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds fun 🩵 1y
bibliothecarivs Nice to see someone else taking too many real books on vacation like me. 📚 I carried two short Shakespeare-related titles with me to England in June and barely had time to dip into them, but it still felt good to have them, just in case. 1y
88 likes2 comments
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VRM1975
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
Mehso-so

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Chelsea.Poole
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Beachin‘! ☕️ 📖 🌊

Cinfhen Perfect 🤩 1y
SassyBookworm Looks amazing!! Enjoy!! 1y
AmyG Nice! Enjoy! 1y
Cupcake12 That view ❤️ 1y
DivineDiana Wonderful! ❤️ (edited) 1y
99 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
peaKnit
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Best time of the day. And starting a new book 😴

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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These are my choices! I think each one offers topics that I haven‘t read much about so I‘m intrigued! I just finished Wild Game by the author in the tagged so I went for it! Moma Love sounds VERY interesting with topics such as addiction and the prison system. Happiness Falls includes autism and Angelman Syndrome which I‘ve never heard of. Looking forward to these!

What did you choose?! 📚📚📚

#BOTM

LiteraryinPA I picked Happiness Falls too! I‘ll be curious what y‘all think of the memoir because I could see reading that one as well. Enjoy! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @LiteraryinLawrence I‘m not big into memoirs, but it sounds so good! 1y
59 likes2 comments
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SerenaCrawford
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Mehso-so

Good amount of characters in this dysfunctional family set in Cape Cod 2016. I think the beginning and middle was great—-at the end I see how the author ended it softly(can‘t think of another word). Not satisfied with ending. 3/5 stars

57 likes1 stack add
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BirdLaVie
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Mehso-so

Let me preface by saying I LOVED Wild Game. Adrienne Brodeur is a smart, incisive, mesmerizing writer. Maybe family portraits aren‘t my thing…but I didn‘t feel quite as drawn into this one. It held my attention and had a steady, flowing plot with deep characters and growth, but it didn‘t feel like much of an “experience” if that makes sense. I‘d still pick up her next book because I respect her and know she can teach me and hold my interest! 3 ⭐️

Chelsea.Poole I also loved Wild Game so now I‘m worried about this one. 1y
BirdLaVie @Chelsea.Poole it‘s honestly good, I don‘t know what my problem was! I didn‘t feel as spellbound and invested as I did in Wild Game. Curious to hear what you think! 1y
11 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Mpcacher
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed these characters & the family drama and dynamics. The story is beautifully written & touched on so many issues, including misogyny, aging, mental illness, brother-sister relationships, female relationships, career choices, adultery & family drama. I was not ready to leave the characters and would love a sequel to see how they continued to grow and change as well as to see how they handled the unexpected 2016 election results. 4.5

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Alfoster
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Pickpick

Fascinating look at a mostly-dysfunctional family whose patriarch is turning 70. As they prepare we see all the secrets and lies that have begun to resurface but prove that real family outweighs all!
#NetGalley

RebelReader Sounds like my kind of book! 1y
Alfoster @RebelReader Let me know if you like it! It‘s crazy fun! 1y
66 likes2 comments
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KristiAhlers
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Mehso-so

For me this was a story that just didn't fully deliver. Although I finished it it's not one I'd tell you to rush to the store/library to get. It's a story about family but I personally didn't connect with any of the characters. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 1y
45 likes1 comment
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Cinfhen
Little Monsters | Adrienne Brodeur
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Mehso-so

Not quite as good as her memoir but a solid debut from Adrienne Brodeurr (Wild Game). Once again Adrienne explores dysfunctional families. Told in multiple pov‘s during the summer of 2016, this book hits on male privilege, family secrets, art and sexual manipulation. #ARC @SimonSchuster #BookClubFavorites

68 likes1 stack add2 comments