A Monstrous Place (A Tale From Between Book 1)

There is a place where you're not awake but not fully asleep. Its called Between and that's where the monsters exist.After missing her dead grandmother, Molly finds Gran Between. But is it Gran or the monsters luring Molly into their trap?More of a YA horror along the same lines as RL Stein or Neil Gaiman, a quick, entertaining read.

Is there such a thing as lighthearted horror? Because if there is, then this book fits in this category.A Monstrous Place is a horror story that manages to be lighthearted, quirky, charming and suspenseful all at the same time. The main character, Molly, is this little girl who takes on the old couple next door who turn out to be horrible monsters. I liked Molly right away. She's plucky, bold and thoroughly entertaining. The sort of girl who's disappointed when the creepy old house she lives in isn't full of ghosts and other scary things.For the showdown with the monsters, she enlists the help of her other next door neighbor, an elderly army veteran named Mr. Adams who, when Molly tells him about the monsters says, "Oh ye, so you say. Monsters! Well, well. It must be very serious for you to be sneaking out of your warm home in your jim-jams at such an hour...Well there's no time to waste, is there, my girl? Let's show these monstrous blighters what for!" Like Molly, Mr. Adams is spunky and ready to take on whatever comes. He reminds me of the old RAF pilot in the movie, The Mummy.I don't know what else to say except that this story is a whole lot of fun. It's got action. It's got interesting characters and unusual scenarios. (Wait till you meet Mr. and Mrs. Fisk, the monsters, and their creepy garden filled with their prey.) It also has great descriptions such as this of the Fisks: "They had both shrunk to the size of children with age, with wispy suggestions of hair scattered atop their puckered, dusty heads."

Another debut this month, and just in time for Halloween, here comes A Monstrous Place, Matthew Stott's first book in his new Tales From Between series, aimed at early teens upwards. First thing you notice is the striking cover art, which for me always ramps up my expectations of what's inside.A Monstrous Place tells the story of Molly, a young girl who finds herself caught in a nightmarish world, as her friends and neighbours start to go missing. After a visit from her grandmother's ghost, she must enter the world between awake and asleep to thwart the evil plans of those responsible.What follows is a beautifully creepy tale brimming with vivid and macabre imagery. Stott's alternate supernatural world is stylishly constructed and populated with all manner of ghoulish characters, each more terrifying than the last, and as Molly makes her way through this hellish world, we see her character develop and adapt quickly to her new surroundings, determined to undermine the threat to her and her family at any cost.Molly's still a child however, and thankfully it's not lost in the narrative, her sense of wonder and naiveté pushes her ever-forward, often to her peril as she tends to wander into all the wrong places.A Monstrous Place is one of those gems that is becoming all too rare these days in indie publishing. It's a cleverly-constructed and superbly-written tale that's not for the faint of heart, but for those who like a scare at bedtime, you'll not find better.

A fun story that is part horror, part mystery, part magic. I don't like to tell the story in my reviews, that is why people read the books. But in this book, while basically a formula book, there is a new dimension named the between. It is that space between sleep and awake, where monsters can reside, feed, and attack. The heroine is a good and fun character and I loved the interaction of Gran, who has passed away, but not really and her solving of the mystery horror situations. A first of I hope several episodes from this fine author.

When a young girl realizes her nightly dream visits from her Gran are more than just imaginary it starts an adventure to save herself, her mother and more from monsters. The Between is where these monsters exist and are vulnerable and as Molly gathers just enough strength to face it, the Between steps in and mixes things up.I thoroughly enjoyed reading this not being able to put it down after starting. The mix up of a young girl being a hero and the monsters being the least likely people made for an enjoyable read. Molly is tough but even she needs some help along the way and her pick of the former military man from next door works perfect and is even good for bringing a laugh or two to the darkness of the story.A read that will be enjoyed by a bit older child with a different take on good vs evil and who is who.

Welcome to the in-between, where the line blurrs between the dead and the living, and where creatures of light and darkness both dwell, and where it is not always immediately possible to tell the difference. Welcome to the fertile and sideways imagination of Mr. Matthew Stott, and the first of his series of strange and wonderful tales. Welcome to Molly's world, as she learns how to not only survive, but find her voice in this landscape. Welcome to a wonderfully told story, one that remains in the twilight lands, but stays clean and bright at its heart. If you enjoy the Graveyard Book, The Thief of Always, Corroline, and similar tales, this one is at least as good, and more than deserves a spot on your digital bookshelf.

I have to say I didnt know this was written for kids when I downloaded it. Just liked the cover =) That said it was still a good read even if written for younger kids. Interesting and put a new twist to the inbetween of awake and sleep time. Even if it was for kids still interesting about a brave little girl and monsters and ghouls from the inbetween.

What a lovely little tidbit this was! A dark little snack of a story. The quirky characters live and breathe through the talented pen of the author. I love the land of Between and the delicious dark that dwells there. And that creepy little boy at the top of the stairs....

A Monstrous Place is a debut book from Matthew Stott. Wrapped in a simply lovely stylised cover, the book chronicles the adventures of Molly as she discovers Between, a distorted world that lies in the moment between Awake and Asleep.Molly is charged with the mission of saving her mother from monsters, aided by her dead Gran and a couple of others. Whether in our world or Between, the book is consistently lively, grotesque and sinister.Stott's style is highly readable, and he wears his influences (most obviously Neil Gaiman and Doctor Who, but I'd also be staggered if he hadn't read a lot of Roald Dahl) very much on his sleeve, while creating a bold new world of his own. You will often be reminded of Coraline, for example, but this book is... nastier.With its twisted fairy tale inhabitants and dreamlike inconsistencies, Between is ripe for exploration, and A Monstrous Place feels as much like proof of concept as it does a book in its own right. A clear twist in the tale for Molly is signposted but never quite delivered, suggesting that she will have more adventures in this brilliant realm.

A strange tale of the world between awake and asleep. A world where the monsters true forms reside. Where they can hide from being found. It is a place which you can be dragged into and find the dead you miss living alongside these monsters.This is a story of a girl on the hunt for her mother after being dragged into this world. I found it a compelling and fast paced story that keeps you interested. There are times where you feel like you are being talked down to or having things over explained however they are not constant or overly spoil the writing. I loved it and was unable to put the book down. I can't wait to read more about the tales of between.

A great scary story about a fierce/brave/witty young girl fighting creepy monsters in Between.Between, between Awake and Asleep, is a great idea and creates a universe that is scary and dark and disgusting, but also thrilling and funny and sweet.The dialogues sound very natural, and the characters are all interesting and very likeable. Well, not the monsters. The monsters are suitably gruesome. And bonus points for a great main character. She is not 'a girl', just a kid who happens to be female. Readers, boys and girls, will be able to relate to her easily.This book is aimed at a young audience (I’d say from 8-10) but also works really well on older readers (like a 32 yo one for example…)I am really looking forward to the next one in the series. I want to know more about what happens in Between!ps: Also… the cover! I am a little bit in love with the cover.

Creepy neighbours and a brave little girl makes this an exciting read. It is well paced with plenty of action and twists in the story, with a good kick at the end.I really enjoyed this sweet yet gruesome book.

Great story, loved it despite the fact it's aimed at a much younger audience! Looking forward to reading more