The concept was interesting, but as the book went on it just kept throwing more and more stuff in there that the world building kind of fell apart, there didn't really seem to be any limits or rules to it, except make it as weird and violent as possible.

"Everyday Monsters" by Travis Betz is a darkly humorous and heartwarming tale that delves into the themes of revenge, isolation, and the quest for connection in a world that often seems monstrous. This unique narrative weaves together elements of horror, comedy, and emotional depth, creating a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

The novel centers on Derek Stabbers, a young man driven by a thirst for vengeance after his parents are convicted of brutally murdering their neighbors—a crime he believes was caused by monsters, not mental illness. Derek’s grim mission takes an unexpected turn when he encounters Paxton Hellswood, a reclusive ghost who has spent the last century avoiding human interaction. When a bizarre accident leaves Paxton's spirit trapped inside Derek's body, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance.

Betz's writing excels in blending the macabre with the mundane, bringing out the humor in Derek and Paxton's predicament without undermining the emotional stakes. Derek's single-minded pursuit of revenge contrasts sharply with Paxton's desire for solitude, creating a dynamic that is both comedic and poignant. As they navigate their shared existence, the narrative explores deeper themes of fear, loneliness, and the human need for connection.

The characters are richly developed and relatable, despite their extraordinary circumstances. Derek's rage and determination are tempered by his vulnerability, while Paxton's initial detachment hides a longing for the life she once knew. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and unexpected moments of tenderness, highlighting the complexities of their relationship.

The plot of "Everyday Monsters" is both imaginative and engaging, filled with twists and turns that keep readers invested in Derek and Paxton's journey. Betz skillfully balances the supernatural elements with grounded, emotional storytelling, creating a world where monsters are not always what they seem and where even the most isolated individuals can find common ground.

Overall, "Everyday Monsters" is a standout novel that combines dark humor, supernatural intrigue, and heartfelt emotion to tell a story about the monsters within us and the connections we all crave. With its unique premise and compelling characters, it earns a solid rating of 4 out of 5. Fans of quirky, genre-blending fiction will find much to enjoy in Travis Betz's inventive and touching tale.

This book was... weird.

That's really the best way I can describe it, although it doesn't at all do justice to just how weird it is

The concept was interesting, but as the book went on it just kept throwing more and more stuff in there that the world building kind of fell apart, there didn't really seem to be any limits or rules to it, except <I>make it as weird and violent as possible</I>

Don't get me wrong, I love me some weirdness and violence, but it got to the point it didn't feel there was any reason for it other than shock value, but when it's constant like that any shock value wears off and I just found myself trudging through to get to the end

However, I did find myself getting somewhat invested in and rooting for the main characters, even though I struggled to keep track of all of them at first

This book was going so well until it wasn't. It's only saving grace was the humour which I did find pretty good. The author did a very good job at dark, sarcastic humour.
But I didn't like the swapping and changing of story telling perspectives. In essence I should have loved this book from the synopsis but it ended up just being average.

Wayyyy too much going on for me to even understand the plot or even try to take a tan at the plot.

I am not used to 3rd person POV and I know it works but it did not work for this book

This book wasn’t for me at all! I didn’t like the characters nor the writing style. It is fully a me issue! I could see other people really enjoying this’

I liked this book. It was pretty slow to start but interesting enough to keep me reading.
I didn’t love that there was so many characters to keep up with but I did find myself laughing out loud quite a bit which is nice! (When you’re reading alone and not in public haha!) It was a bit weird of a read which I’ve seen lots of people say in the reviews but not in a bad way.

Everyday Monsters is a cute, OK read, in my opinion. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. Allow me to explain: I’m going to deviate from the way I’ve done the last few reviews because, well, there’s a lot going on.

For one, there are just too many characters that end up being central to the story to sit here and try to tell you a bit about each one and whether or not I liked them. I’m not used to seeing so many characters that are not only central to the story, but are the main featured character when a scene changes.

Everyday Monsters is written in the third person, which is a good thing, since the scene changes don’t always happen at chapter changes – or even with a dividing line1. Unfortunately, the amount of scene changes in the book make it slightly difficult to follow – at least I had a hard time keeping up with what was going on at times.

There doesn’t seem to be just one plot going here either. We have Derek’s desire for revenge, Pax’s problems, Axe’s issues, and the whole issue with Humans Against Inhumans. I’d almost rather have seen each plotline have its own book and had this be a series than to deal with them all in one book. However, I can also see as to how it would be difficult to make each of these plot points its own separate story.

Again, the book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I enjoyed a lot of the scenes as they were happening, but I really just wasn’t too impressed with the book as a whole. I’d recommend it more for the funny parts (which aren’t all that memorable as I can’t even think of any off the top of my head) than for anything else.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a nice, entertaining read! I honestly did not expect to enjoy it the way I did, but it was cute and fun, it made me laugh out loud a lot at the weirdness for sure, but it was great overall. Recommend!

This was a crazy book—in a really good way! Vampires, werewolves, witches, robots, cannibals, ghosts....squirrels. It was funny and weird and easy to read through in a couple of days. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

The cover of this book interested me. The synopsis was very original. The story however was a bit all over the place and chaotic. I feel like with some fine tuning, it could really be a five star read for me. I did like it enough to finish it but it wasn't my favorite.

This book was slow to start but interesting enough to keep me reading. Once it picked up though I loved it. I found myself chuckling out loud a lot. It was so weird in the best way.

I tried so hard to like this book. But I couldn’t get into it. And to be honest- I forgot I even had the copy on my kindle to read. I’m sad because it seemed like a book I would be into but it didn’t keep my interest at all.

This book was pure chaos, but I kind of loved that. The characters fell into stereotypes at times, but I kind of feel like that was the point, and once I got into it and knew not to expect anything too deep I started enjoying myself! Overall, it was a wild ride of complete ridiculousness, but a FUN ridiculous ride.

I’m not sure what expected when I got on this absolute ride of a book, but it wasn’t giant squirrel men, whostpires, supernatural hate groups, and malicious supernatural tech giants. There is even a Titan thrown in, for good measure.

This book absolutely will not be for everyone, but as someone who occasionally enjoys the ridiculous, I really enjoyed it. I left the book with a “what did I just read?” Feeling, but in a good way…I think.

If you happen to like supernatural horror comedy, this is something that might interest you, but not if you expect it to stick to any rules, logical, magical, or otherwise. Just embrace the crazy and enjoy the ride. Stick in the muds need not apply.

this was a really enjoyable read, it had what I wanted from this book and had great characters. It really was really well done.

I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't for me. I ended up skimming bits and dipping in and out. There was too much going on for me and so I never really got to settle down and enjoy the book or care for the characters. I'm sure some people will love this but the horror comedy scene isn't really for me. Thank you for a copy in exchange for a review.

I wanted to like this book, but it had such a juvenile feeling to it and was all over the place.
While having a promising premise of a vampire hunter and a vampire stuck in one body on an adventure, it quickly loses itself.
We are meant to believe that monsters are secret and it seems tons of humans know they exist. Which is it?
It tries too hard to be a book of multiple genres from romance, adventure, sci-fi, horror, adult, and YA.
I found the plot a little confusing and trite. Definitely written for the YA audience. A werewolf/vampire hybrid is killed and her spirit goes into a vampire hunter and her shade and tries to figure out what to do to have both their needs met.
Some have said they enjoyed the cinematic feel of the book, but to me, that is a minus, not a plus. I felt like I was stuck watching a bad B-Grade teen horror movie.

Thanks to @Netgalley, Attack of the Killer Poodle. Inc, and Travis Betz for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is what first caught my eye. I loved it. The book was entertaining and I liked the characters, but there was a lot going on. It made it a little distracting and hard to follow.

I am a fan of comedy horror though so I still enjoyed the book. I’ll definitely try this author again.

This one was WILD haha
I went into this not really knowing what to expect but I really liked this one! I don't know if it was the humor throughout but it just worked perfectly together. Pax and Derek are so adorable and every character was instrumental to the plot. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.