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Lauren Beukes

Broken Monsters Kindle Edition

by Lauren Beukes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

518 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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A criminal mastermind creates violent tableaus in abandoned Detroit warehouses in Lauren Beukes's genre-bending novel of suspense.

Detective Gabriella Versado has seen a lot of bodies. But this one is unique even by Detroit's standards: half boy, half deer, somehow fused together. As stranger and more disturbing bodies are discovered, how can the city hold on to a reality that is already tearing at its seams?

If you're Detective Versado's geeky teenage daughter, Layla, you commence a dangerous flirtation with a potential predator online. If you're desperate freelance journalist Jonno, you do whatever it takes to get the exclusive on a horrific story. If you're Thomas Keen, known on the street as TK, you'll do what you can to keep your homeless family safe -- and find the monster who is possessed by the dream of violently remaking the world.

If Lauren Beukes's internationally bestselling The Shining Girls was a time-jumping thrill ride through the past, her Broken Monsters is a genre-redefining thriller about broken cities, broken dreams, and broken people trying to put themselves back together again.

"Scary as hell and hypnotic. I couldn't put it down...I'd grab it if I were you." -- Stephen King

Print length

449 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Mulholland Books
Publication date

September 16, 2014
File size

2240 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Exquisitely paced and impeccably controlled . . . An enormously satisfying novel that employs the best attributes of multiple genres to dramatize big ideas about art, the Internet and urban decay. . . . Beukes moves effortlessly through many of the city's worlds, from police precincts to the Internet-driven secret lives of teenage girls and the homeless shelters and mostly dead neighborhoods of a hobbled American city, all while teasing a disturbingly beautiful and possibly supernatural universe existing at its borders."―New York Times Book Review

"Captivating . . . A thoroughly modern, supernatural thriller."―Karolina Waclawiak, Los Angeles Times

"Simple, elegant prose . . . The anticipation and dread Beukes crafts is remarkable. Also remarkable is Beukes's ability to blend genres, seamlessly incorporating horror, fantasy and traditional crime in ways that highlight the best parts of each. It feels new--unprecedented, in a way."―Madison Vain, Entertainment Weekly

"Flawless--I haven't read a scarier, more tense book in years. . . . It's hard to overstate how ambitious Broken Monsters is, maybe because Beukes somehow manages to make it look easy. Her prose is unhindered, exuberant and something like addictive--you can tell yourself you're just going to read one chapter, but before you know it, you've gone through 100 pages. You could say that she's as edgy as James Ellroy, as creepy as Stephen King and as darkly funny as Kurt Vonnegut, but Beukes is an author whose work is resistant to easy comparisons. Broken Monsters is one of the most remarkable books of the year, and one of the best suspense novels you'll read in quite some time."―Michael Schaub, NPR.org

"Scary as hell and hypnotic. I couldn't put it down. . . . I'd grab it, if I were you."―Stephen King

"Dig it: what a brilliant crime-phantasmagoria novel this is!!!!! This splendid novel is THE new primer on urban decay to the nth degree. I unhesitatingly urge you to buy it and read it now!"―James Ellroy, author of American Tabloid --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Lauren Beukes writes novels, comics and screeplays. She's the author of the critically-acclaimed international bestseller Broken Monsters; The Shining Girls, about a time traveling serial killer; Zoo City, a phantasmagorical Joburg noir and winner of the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award; and the neo-political thriller Moxyland. She worked as a journalist and as show runner on one of the South Africa's biggest animated TV shows, directed an award-winning documentary, and wrote the New York Times bestselling graphic novel, Fairest: The Hidden Kingdom. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00I828856
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mulholland Books (September 16, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 16, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2240 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 449 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #20,287 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #96 in Occult Horror
- #141 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #157 in Occult Fiction

Customer Reviews:
518 ratings

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Lauren Beukes

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Lauren Beukes is a novelist, TV scriptwriter, documentary maker, comics

writer and occasional journalist.

She won the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award for her novel Zoo City, set in a

fantastical Johannesburg where guilt manifests as spirit animal familiars. Her

previous works include Moxyland, a dystopian cyberpunk thriller set in Cape

Town under corporate apartheid.

She helped create South Africa's first half-hour animated TV show, URBO: The

Adventures of Pax Afrika, and has written kids animated shows for Disney

UK and Millimages in France.

Follow her on Twitter: @laurenbeukes

Photo © Casey Crafford

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

518 global ratings

5 star		43%
4 star		30%
3 star		16%
2 star		6%
1 star		4%

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xenosach

Long Live the Horror!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 15, 2015

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Lauren Beukes has been churning out some very interesting novels over the past few years and unfortunately (for me!)I have not read her earlier books. Often described as “quirky”, “Scary as Hell and Hypnotic” by the “Kings” of Horror writing -Pretty heavy-duty endorsements! So If you like your spine-chilling horror stories, then Lauren Beukes should probably figure in your top 5 writers. Right up there with Stephen King and James Elroy. I decided to dive straight into her latest book, Broken Monsters without letting the blurbs carry me away on the wings of soaring expectations.
By the time I was about 10% into this twisted exploration of a broken modern-day society set in decrepit Detroit that I knew nothing about, I was sold. Both on the terrifying premise of the story and her terrific storytelling abilities. And while yes, Lauren begs comparisons to the established greats of this genre, she definitely is striking out her own blazing path here. Broken Monsters is the latest in that growing list of achievements.
The characters of the book (And they are many!) are all so disturbingly real, broken and flawed in many ways like you and me – that you easily relate to them. Immersing us into a desolate atmospheric Detroit where most of the action takes place over a week, Lauren takes us on a tense creepy-as-hell tour of the weird and intriguing. Her writing is flawless – firmly drawing us into the murky murder mystery of a horrific nature that rocks the city of Detroit. The book starts with the discovery of a dead body – a sickening handiwork where the upper torso of an African-American boy has been glued to the lower half of a deer.

Now if you cannot stomach gruesome murder descriptions, then I’d suggest caution. Coz Lauren deftly paints up a bleak picture of the murder scene, gruesome and horrifying, the first of many such blood splashed tableau; a possible handiwork of a deranged psycho killer out on the loose. This book thus is at heart a serial-killer chase - a detailed police-procedural with Detective Gabriella Versado, one of the leading characters in the book obsessively working the clues to get to the murderer – but what really shines amidst this excess of violence and gore – is Lauren’s handling of her main characters. The tumbling thoughts, the confusions and constant struggle within each of her lead character (It’s amazing how easy her writing is, letting us deep inside their heads!) is really what holds this story together. Transforming it from a taut and bloody serial-killer chase into a much more scary and a deeply psychological horror story. Lauren doesn’t build up the tension to a grand expose as would be expected. Instead from pretty early on itself, we are privy to the dark recesses of the minds of the killer. In a way, this is a far more effective tool; talk about being insanely talented. Hats off Lauren.

So the tragic crumbling city of Detroit in its forgotten glory of the ruins and the wannabe-hipster-art ambitions is a towering presence throughout the book - the main plot is told through multiple POVs – We encounter Detective Gabbi obsessed with this curious case, her precocious daughter Layla struggling with the usual issues of a teenager( acceptance, friendship, identity crisis, internet addiction…Frankly in Layla and her best friend Cas Lauren beautifully explores the insecurities of childhood and navigating the high school in the age of Internet trawling. Personally for me their chapters were a tour-de-force, , a very compelling read, authoritatively portrayed!), a failed writer Jonno Haim in search of his big break roaming the pubs and art-parties of Detroit [Using him as a foil to take satirical digs at societal norms and aspirations around art!) A homeless man called TK in search of an abandoned house-articles that he can salvage to build a home for himself and Clayton – a restless artist/sculptor who has fallen out of grace with the art community in Detroit and is struggling with his own personal demons.

I say it again. Lauren Beukes can really write. And convey horror – in its purest and most chilling form. A deep-seated unsettling feeling that crawls up your back and lodges itself firmly in the back of your head. Broken Monsters is a “shining” example of Lauren’s abilities – with a prose honed to razor sharpness leaping between exuberant and addictive, this book is a telling exploration of the dark inside all of us in today’s society. Dark and utterly absorbing, Broken Monsters for me is the “doorway” to Lauren Beukes’ world. I got Shining Girls and Zooland next up!

2 people found this helpful

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Amy

Procedural, Horror

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 13, 2022

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Beukes is a talented writer and I'm definitely interested in her other work. Broken Monsters is a slightly challenging but ultimately fun read. The first 80% of the story is a police procedural and the final 20% switches to horror/supernatural. It may be unfair to the reader that the supernatural goings on are barely hinted at for most of the book as the killer just seems delusional. It's understandable that many may find the genre turn toward the end unappealing. But it transitions easily and avoids a typical/predictable catch-the-killer ending. I found it suspenseful and entertaining.
It takes a little patience to get to know each of the characters-Gabi the detective, Layla the daughter who (of course) gets herself in too deep with a creep, Jonno the aspiring journalist, TK the street guardian, the killer, and a few other supporting characters-and ride out their subplots until they start connecting. But the story is never dull or slow.
I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys both serial killer/police procedural and horror.

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CH

An entertaining read that suffers from it's supernatural themes

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 13, 2015

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Broken Monsters is an entertaining and interesting read, that much is sure. However, the novel is held back by a number of different flaws and an ending that while overall decent, leaves much to be desired, bringing down what was otherwise an exciting and rewarding novel.

Lauren Beukes novel is largely a crime, cop vs. killer "thriller" that takes place in the broken streets of Detroit. The premise involves a killer mutilating corpses into human-animal hybrids and leaving his victims around the city as art pieces in an attempt to garner attention to his deeds. The protagonists of the story, including Gabi, a veteran detective who attempts to decipher the killer's messages; Layla, Gabi's daughter; TK, a wanderer through the streets of Detroit, and Jonno, a washed-up reporter hoping to make it big, are all pulled into what is overall a satisfying read that is held back by a number of larger issues that inhibit the story's potential.

Broken Monsters is largely made out to be a supernatural horror/thriller. I should preface this section by saying that I have yet to read anything in which I am legitimately frightened, and thus may be biased. While the story itself is usually tense and the killer is perhaps the most interesting character of the bunch and legitimately threatening, there were no times when I was scared for the fate of any of the characters. Calling it a thriller is also a bit of a stretch, due to this fact, as it is not until towards the end that any of the primary characters are put in a very threatening situation. Granted, the second half is captivating and definitely builds up to be suspenseful, which drew me in. In terms of horror, however, what is achieved by the novel is creepy at best, but isn't quite deserving of the 'horrifying'. Similarly, the supernatural elements are almost out of place and in my opinion are poorly planned, as it isn't until towards the end that anything roughly supernatural begins to take place, and ultimately these elements confuse and muddle what could have been a fantastic and satisfying ending. Frankly, what was achieved was a somewhat messy, overdrawn and bizarre conclusion that ultimately fails to suspend disbelief. The supernatural elements are open-ended however, which makes up for it a bit depending on interpretation.

Overall, the characters are split down the middle on likabiltiy and often necessity. Gabi, or Detective Versado, is a strong, if not somewhat overdone, authority figure who has a complicated family life and carries the weight of the job on her shoulders. She is a nice piece of the puzzle, and serves as an overall solid protagonist. I also found myself very invested in TK, as his placed importance on family and friends paired with a greyed moral compass and a tragic backstory made for a lovable and relatable man who is merely struggling in rough economic times. I found Layla, the detective's daughter, necessary to Gabi's behavior, though her side-story with her friend Cas (who is almost 'too' cool) largely unnecessary and doesn't particular have any sort of relation to the overall plot, definitely not worthy of mention as one of the strong points of the book like the back cover would have you to believe. As for the journalist, Jonno, I almost despised him in the beginning and was neutral about him in the end. Maybe it was that I found him to be sort of a hack (although he does have a fairly good backstory and motivation), but I really didn't care for him. The killer was a solid villain in my opinion, tying together sick tendencies with a desire for fame, though his development does suffer from the supernatural aspects, particularly towards the end.

Overall, Broken Monsters is an entertaining read, though not a serious thriller or deserving of award. The story slugs a bit through the third or half, but is actually captivating up to the conclusion. The writing style is a bit casual for my tastes, and often Beukes throws needless cultural references in, as if to say "look at how hip and modern I am," but it generally works in such a modern setting. The characters are a bit underdeveloped, but those who are fleshed out have exciting backstories and proper motivation (even Jonno, admittedly). It is a 3.5/5 novel that could have been a solid crime novel with more refinement and the supernatural portions done away with entirely, as the 'magic' ultimately clouds the ending in an obstructive haze that diminishes what otherwise could have been a satisfying conclusion to what was otherwise a decent, largely captivating read, at least in the second half.

7 people found this helpful

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john dennie

Good book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 19, 2022

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Really liked it. Didn't think the side story with her daughter was necessary though. Seemed more like filler

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Amazon Customer

Disappointing

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 27, 2020

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I've always enjoyed the books by Stephen King and Dean Koontz where they get into the fantasy angle of things. They make me believe their "monsters" are real and I get quite caught up in it. Sadly, this book didn't do that for me. The "monster" wasn't explained well enough to feel real at all. I plodded through the book and didn't really get much out of it at all, even though it's a genre I'd normally enjoy. The only redeeming factor for me was the mother / daughter relationship, which I thought was well written.

Confusing and choppy

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 5, 2017

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I must not have read the description properly before picking this up. I didn't realize it would be a fantasy type crime/horror drama. I was a little surprised when "supernatural" things started to happen - they seemed out of place at first and I figured maybe it wasn't important but the next time you read about something weird happening it smacks you in the face and you're like "whoa - this book took a turn for crazy town". I found that the description of characters and atmosphere was lacking or disorientating and I was often confused why Lauren was telling us something about a character. Things seemed like they were relevant but not enough detail leaves you wondering why even bother in the first place. I really expected the different character stories to be more creatively woven together. I've seen it done many other ways and so I was disappointed. This book has a short story feel to it in that the characters and their back stories are explained quickly forcing you to piece it together but it builds so slowly that the final explanation for everything makes you think "that's it?" I can't stress enough the character development was lacking. I only finished it because I hate giving up on books. I won't read another book endorsed by Stephen King lol!

*SPOILERS BELOW*
Examples in the book where you're left feeling confused:

Early in the book Clayton meets up with his girlfriend and her son who apparently may or may not be Clayton's. You never find out if the son is Clay's, the ex gf pops up again briefly to say she saw Clay but that's it. Their relationship seems like a quick unthoughtful way to make things fit. Also this interaction is the first time we hear about Clay's "hallucinations" and it just sounds like he's sick and needs help. His career is art is poorly explained too... but all of a sudden before the Dream House Party he becomes absolutely amazing at art and the curator loves him... but doesn't find the art creepy until after he talks to the police and finds out Clayton is the murderer.

Layla and her friend Cas have this weird interaction with Velvetboy... it's like filler. They toy with him and nothing really comes of it. He shows up in the dream later on but is the reader supposed to know that he's actually part of the art installation or is he a dream? I thought it was stupid that nothing came of velvet boy. They spent a lot of time playing with him online. And don't ever get me started on Cas... her past isn't that shocking. Was she raped? Or did the boys fondle her? Who knows? And then Layla beats the shit out of Travis... was he an original poster - no, he just shared the video but Layla unleashes on him. Very weird. Who is Travis? He comes out of nowhere too. The more I think about this book the more confusing it gets.

Jen Q and Cate as Jonno's love interests. Cate doesn't EVER make it into the book other than as thoughts on Jonno's mind. Why even bother giving her a name and explaining how crushed he was she lost the baby. And Jen Q doesn't even seem into Jonno and yet they are in a relationship after a one night stand. And his age is so disjointed. All their ages are unexplained or unsuitable... I forgot multiple times that jonno is like 40, Tk is 60??? Super weird.

Honestly I feel like I had a weird copy of the book that had random pages missing from it. Did I miss chapters?? So confusing...

Amazon Customer

This sort of psycho-killer mystery wasn't bad, and the action moved quickly enough

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on September 22, 2015

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This sort of psycho-killer mystery wasn't bad, and the action moved quickly enough, there were some good moments of horror, but the ending left me very underwhelmed (I always to imagine far far worse things than authors are willing to write) and many of the concluding events seemed remarkably contrived.
.

Cathy

Unique and compelling storyline

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 19, 2022

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This was a pretty good read overall, glad to have it on my bookcase

LBM

Amazing book. Very accurately captures the dichotomy between crumbling ...

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 14, 2015

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Amazing book. Very accurately captures the dichotomy between crumbling Detroit and its new, hipster vibe. Loved everything except the ending, which seemed a bit rushed and contrived.

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