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- author Jackie French

Tuesday 2 July 2024

Review: Never a Hero

Everything is different. Joan changed the timeline so Nick would never become the hero, never hunt monsters, never murder her family. 

Now, he doesn’t even know who she is. Aaron and Ruth don’t remember any of the things they did to help Joan stop Nick. Only Joan remembers everything that happened.

Things will never be the same.

But as Joan tries to adjust to this new world (and the differences she keeps discovering in it), fate has other ideas. 

Joan and Nick are thrown back together as monsters come after her – including Aaron.

Forced to flee, they end up in the future, with no answers and enemies hot on their tail. Joan tries desperately to keep Nick out of the monster world, but as they seek out safety and discover just how far their enemies will go to find them, they must walk deeper and deeper into the darkness that Joan worked so hard to keep Nick away from.

Torn between her love for her family and her love for Nick, Joan must decide how far she’s willing to go to save them. Because this time, everyone’s lives are at stake.

Book 2 in this brilliant YA series is a rush from start to finish. Tense, emotional and action-packed, Len keeps you on the edge of your seat even in the quiet moments. She takes you on a wild ride filled with mystery, adventure and impossible choices that make you question what you’d do in the same situations.

How do you choose between people’s lives? How do you save someone when you know it will hurt others? What do you do when you discover what you’ve made in the past has led to dire consequences?

The story world in this series is superb. It’s unique and addictive. Throughout the novel (and book 1 also) you walk a thin line between right and wrong, human and monster, good and evil, because in this world our protagonist is technically a baddie — a monster capable of stealing life from humans. It raises so many ethical issues to ponder.

Never a Hero takes us further into the monster world, connecting past with present and unravelling mysteries uncovered in Only a Monster. Here, we learn so much more about the connection between Joan and Nick. We discover more about her powers. We learn about her past.

This is a series to start at the beginning. You won’t regret going back to Only a Monster and immersing yourself in the whole experience. Do it now, so you’re ready when book 3 comes out!

Title: Never a Hero
Author: Vanessa Len
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: August 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760878351
For ages: 13 - 18
Type: Young Adult