Monstrum

by Lottie Mills

By turns chilling and tender, darkly atmospheric and beautifully crafted, the stories that make up Lottie Mills' debut collection are a meditation on otherness. A mother rejects her daughter in favour of a meticulously created porcelain doll. A father and daughter build a life for themselves on an isolated beach, only to collide painfully with the outside world when their secret home is discovered. A young bride struggles to control her terror before her new husband, until she glimpses the fear that he has worked so hard to conceal. In vibrant, musical prose, Lottie Mills captures the experience of characters excluded by a society that cannot accept their difference. This eerie collection of modern fairy tales announces the arrival of an outstanding young voice.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Disability, Magical Realism, LGBT

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2024

About the author

Lottie Mills was born in Hampshire and grew up in West Sussex, Hertfordshire, and Essex. She studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge, and contributed to Varsity and The Mays during her time there. In 2020, she won the BBC Young Writers’ Award for her short story ‘The Changeling’, having been previously shortlisted in 2018. Her work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4, and she has appeared on programmes including Look East, Life Hacks, and Woman’s Hour to discuss her writing. Monstrum is her debut book.

Reviews

[Renee Godding · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

“Then she takes her husband’s hand, and they follow their merman to the place where all strange, outcast things must be carried in the end. To the sea…”

There are only a handful of short-story collections I’ve rated a full 5-stars over the past few years. It’s only normal that you will enjoy some stories more than others, and having a collection with only outstanding stories is exceedingly rare. Monstrum is that exception. Each of these stories is a tentatively tender yet subtly dark exploration of Otherness in all its monstrous beauty. A lovesong to the Monstrous and living life on the margin, with a slight dissonant note to it; exactly the way I love it.

These stories read like modern fables about characters who are, for some reason or another, outcast by society for their differences, and now make a life in the margins. We’ve seen the trope done countless times, but Lottie Mills shows us a different angle. She shows us the beauty of that marginal life, and the strange but profound connections found within it. We find patchwork families, hybrid-bodies and queer love (romantic and otherwise) here.
The metaphors in here aren’t shy about their real world counterparts; there’s a lot of disability/chronic illness, bodily difference and queerness in the widest sense of the word in here. Yet rather than feeling on the nose, that clarity helps to ground the collection. Stunning prose and imagery, heartfelt connections and a final story that actually put a lump in my throat make this into a collection I will cherish and remember for a long time to come.

If you enjoy disability-fiction, queer magical realism, or stories that otherwise explore what its like to be “othered” by the world around you (think Kirsty Logan, Jen Campbell or Julia Armfield) this one is for you!

My personal favourite stories: The Changeling, The Bear-children, The Body, The Merman.

Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Katrina Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprising, playful, dark and often sweet collection of fairy tales. Myths and characters out of folklore are pulled into a surreal present day. Really enjoyed this.

[Kobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful set of stories - one of my new favourite collections of all time. 4 stars

[froggprince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Müthiş öyküler. Gotik diyebileceğimiz, hissi kuvvetli. Ben anlamıyorum bunlar nasıl ilk kitaptan böyle başarılı olabiliyorlar? Dylan Thomas Ödülü'nde kısa listeye de kalsın umarım. Ki kazanabilir bile. Çok beğendim.

[Esmé · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual with a short story collection, I liked some more than others, but overall this was a fantastic collection. I love monsters and folklore, and Mills has such a creative and concise style. I absolutely adored The Mirror (gay monster rights), I was caught completely off-guard by The Body, and The Merman made me cry. Beautiful, monstrous, utterly enchanting.

[Marinela Florea · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 - 4*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟-𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛 - 4*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑜𝑛 - 5*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑜𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 - 5*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑜𝑜 - 3*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 - 3*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑒 - 4*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 - 4*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 - 5*

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛 - 5*

[Benevbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection heavily depicts the pains of disability through the lens of horror and supernatural tales. As well as this, all the stories in this collection demonstrate the animosity of humans in comparison to the prejudiced monstrosities of supernatural creatures.

As is the case with many short story collections, there are incredibly strong additions – like ‘The Toymaker’ and ‘The Body’, and some that are still well-written and enjoyable, but didn’t impact me as profusely. However, every single story was crafted incredibly intentionally with Mills’ proficiency in writing being abundantly clear. Her ability to create such poignant narratives through a limited word count was impressive. Alongside this, the stories all evoked such strong emotional reactions from me with such strong ties to what I can gather as her own experiences of disability, and that is something that is invaluable.

Horror, as a genre, has always been used as an exaggerative way to critique something within society. It enables the writer to deepen the meanings and stories behind the bogeyman, what does he represent to the author and in extension, the readers?

In Mills’ case, she illustrates the restrictions and pains of disability through the lens of horror. The short stories ‘the Toymaker’ and ‘the Body’ exhibit Mill’s critiques of society’s perspective of disability, viewing it as a flaw rather than an aspect of a human’s living experience.

Both stories feature a separate able-bodied alternative that is viewed as perfect in comparison to the ‘uncooperative’ and ‘dysfunctional’ disabled body (p. 68). In the case of ‘the Toymaker’, this is a doll replica of the titular character’s daughter, and the perfect body modified by science, abandoning the body they were born in, shown in ‘the Body.’ These stories focus on the idea of an able-bodied substitute that could fulfil a role within society, be viewed as normal and human and not an ‘abnormal shape’ as is defined by the introductory definition of the word ‘monstrum.’ (p. x)

Overall, Mill uses the idea of abnormality to highlight the prejudices that disabled people still face within society. They face questioning about their condition, are forced to minimise their reactions as we still live in an incredibly able-bodied focused world. She uses folklore to transfer this into the world of fantastical horror to exaggerate the outlandish reactions that people have towards disability, and that disabled people are often seen as ‘abnormal’ themselves. This almost made me think perhaps it is Mills' own desired able-body, the body she wishes she could have, so she could fit into society or do the activities she longs to do, in a body that doesn't allow her? I'm not sure, but either way, this was incredible!!

I could say so, so much more about this book and seriously would - but I have been struggling to write it up all day because of how incredible this book was, I don't want to do it injustice with poorly worded reviews. This truly was such an incredibly profound and moving book that I couldn't help but dive deeply into.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

cried at basically every story mate im not ok

[Rachel Louise Atkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rtc

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read

[Geertje · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Changeling” 3/5 stars
It’s interesting to me that Mills won the BBC Young Writer’s Award in 2020 (no small feat, that) with this story, which I personally found the least interesting out of the collection (save for "The Pain", that is). She writes beautifully, but I didn’t find this story memorable or particularly original.

“The Bear-Children” 3.5/5 stars
Written well and definitely more original than “The Changeling”, but there was still something missing for me.

“The White Lion” 5/5 stars
Now this one, I loved. I love the historical setting, I love the themes and symbolism, I love the main character. Easily one of the best short stories I’ve read in a while.

“The Toymaker’s Daughter” 3/5 stars
This one was too on the nose for me, I’m afraid.

“The Cuckoo” 4/5 stars
I love creepy changeling stories, so I was predisposed to love this one.

“The Pain” 2/5 stars
Too short to really do something for me. I feel a bit shitty rating this so low, but it's easily one of the least memorable stories from this collection and, imo, could easily have been cut without losing anything.

“The Selkie” 3/5 stars
I love selkies, but this one didn’t quite work for me.

“The Mirror” 4/5 stars
I love stories on the side of the monster and I love lesbians, so this sweet story hit me just right.

“The Body” 5/5 stars
This one packs a punch for sure. I highly recommend picking up this collection for this story alone. Disturbing, strange, creative; it’s a yes for me!

“The Merman” 4/5 stars
A great story to end this collection with. It contains the same themes as many of the preceding stories whilst still offering something new and interesting.

[Adam(ChaosOfCold) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collections are best savoured. Enjoyed as concentrated morsels between larger books as a palate cleanser of sorts.

With Monstrum, I devoured the collection like a picky tea* on a rare warm evening. These emotionally charged fairy tales range from the cautionary to the bizarre but each engage the reader in a story of otherness that address our concept of perception when it comes to our differences.

The writing here is tight, poetic and deeply humbling as Mills poses many significant questions with such grace these stories burst from the page.

As with all collections, some stories will hit harder than others and this is also the case here but where they fall short it’s usually because they’re too short and our time in these worlds is cut unceremoniously short.

This is a fantastic debut and an author I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for in the future.

*picky tea for the non-Brits, think Mezze, or Tapas but beige.

Thank you to Lucy at Oneworld for the finished copy it’s gorgeous

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Monsters are people too.”

Lottie Mills debut collection of stories is described as a meditation in otherness. Each story looks closely at how appearances affect and shape how society sees individuals and brings out the best and worst in people.

This collection is written beautifully, each story left you thinking about it and feeling that unease of how cruel and unfair this world can be.

All these tales address different aspects of disabilities and perception. In one a mother rejects her daughter in favour of a doll she has hand made, a father and daughter build a life for themselves on an isolated beach only to have it shattered when they are discovered by other and a merman appears to an elderly couple on a beach who take him in but once the towns people find out he captured and treated poorly.

The author with her lyrical prose looks closely at acceptance of differences within society through a black mirror style of storytelling. Some stories were darker than others and a few were pulling at my heartstrings.

I enjoyed this collection and will definitely be buying a physical copy once its published.

Many thanks to @netgalley for a copy of this collection.

[Hukka · Rating 5 out of 5]

”I do not know yet if this will be enough, if I will ever truly repair my library of self-inflicted wounds.
I hope I can.”
— The Body

Abolutely brilliant, touching, and sometimes painful short stories. All of them tell about those that do not belong, people and things that are not human enough.

As someone who is trans and disabled, these stories truly resonated with me. Amazing work.

[Melanie Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever with short stories, some of them resonated much more than others. Drawing the reader in with characters you became invested in, the weaving of fairy tale, myth and the topic of otherness was spell-binding at times.

[Lanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection so much. So much so that it has taken me almost two weeks to find the words. I have however, found myself thinking of it often and figured it was time to find some words to rave about it.

I’ll start by saying how much I love Lottie’s writing style. Her prose style lends itself so well to the unsettling fairy tale atmosphere.

Every tale in the book has a clear message/moral behind it, much like the fairy tales we all know and love, but with such depth in terms of societal commentary on disability, connection, and difference.

I was apprehensive at the start of the collection that the stories may inadvertently portray stereotypical views of disability. But I could not have been more wrong. Lottie balanced the references to stereotypes with the community and morals incredibly well.

I find myself being drawn to rereading this one already, and I cannot wait to recommend it to all my short story-loving friends.

It is rare that I give a short story collection 5 stars, but I was truly blown away by this collection and could not possibly see myself rating it any lower. I am so looking forward to what is ahead for Lottie!

If you are in any way intrigued by the idea of dark yet thought-provoking fairy tale-like stories, then look no further. This needs to be your next read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oneworld for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

monstrum n. 1. a divine omen, supernatural appearance, wonder, miracle, portent. 2. an abnormal shape, unnatural growth, monster, monstrosity.

 
I read this brilliant debut short story collection – the author’s second – due to its longlisting for the Dylan Thomas Prize, a prize for authors writing in English aged 39 and under (Thomas himself having died at that age) which is open to novels, short story collections, poetry collections and plays.
 
Together with the Republic of Consciousness Prize it is one of the few occasions on which I engage with the short story form.
 
And the author herself is perfectly suited for a prize which celebrates youthful literary prowess and established in memory of someone who first came to prominence with the publication of his poems when he was still a teenager – as she herself was shortlisted for the BBC Young Writer award in 2018 when she was only 16, and then won the prize in 2020 for her short story “The Changeling”.
 
About that story which can be listened to here:
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...'.
and which opens this collection, she says
 

As a disabled person, my stories are quite often preoccupied with ideas of otherhood, based around characters who are outcast from their society in some way or another. I had been researching fairy-related myths for a university essay and when I came across the idea of ‘changelings’, it really stuck in my mind – especially the modern theory that children suspected of being these fairy imposters were actually displaying symptoms of various disabilities. I really wanted to write a story which would show the strengths of disabled people or people who are ‘othered’ in some way, rather than portraying them as disadvantaged and in need of ‘fixing’ as so many stories do.”

 
Which is both an excellent explanation of the story – a positive spin on a “fairy child” Rowan by her mother, and an introduction to the collection itself about which she has also said “As a disabled person, I have so often been frustrated with how outsiderhood, and especially disability, has been misrepresented in fiction. I hope that my collection will subvert these ingrained narratives, and serve as a celebration of difference."

The second story “The Bear-Children” was one of my favourites – a beautiful story of a man and his daughter, both disabled (at least in the world’s eyes) and living in something of a beachside haven “They are in no hurry; time moves differently here.  It does not bustle along at an able-bodied gait. It does not impose its ugly symmetry upon the undulating little society”. – the father telling the child that their “tiptoed exploration of the world has left bear-prints scrapped in the sand” and they are both bear-children.  The story, which follows a moving arc of rescue (of an able bodied person), misguided attempts at rescue (by the able bodied community), well-intentioned and gentle fostering, near despair and then resolution, also is notable for the bold and deliberate choice of the author (who herself has cerebral palsy and who recently graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge with an English degree) to reclaim and celebrate the word spasticity (which recurs also on other stories).
 
“The White Lion” has a child given up by her parents to a “menagerie of freaks”; “The Toymaker’s Daughter” has the toymaker preferring her own handcrafted and idealistic representation of her child to the complexities and flaws of her own flesh; “The Cuckoo” is a really striking story of an interloper in a family with the daughter who dictates the story forming an eventual bond with her – and these ideas are perhaps extended in “The Mirror” which tells of the development of a queer love relationship between the narrator (a determined young girl from a fairy tale like European town) and a “monster of local legend” who lives as a young recluse in an imposing villa; “The Pain” is effectively a piece of flash fiction where a parent of a disabled child realises to his horror the torment the child has been under;  “The Selkie” continues the fairytale aspect of many of the stories and is told from the view point of someone trapped in a marriage with someone who does not understand their condition.
 
The collection ends with two more highlights: “The Body” about a world where people can effectively undergo a body transplant, but when the narrator realises she is not as prepared to separate herself from and leave behind the flaws of her existing body as she had initially thought; and the beautifully melancholic “Merman” about an old couple who scan the sea each day (for long ago tragic reasons only hinted at) and a being they rescue from the sea, only to encounter the uncomprehending hostility of their neighbours and end “follow[ing] their merman to the place where all strange, outcast things must be carried, to the sea”
 
Overall, I thought this was an absolutely outstanding collection – unique and purposeful while also eerie and fascinating.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean to be different in a world that values perfection, at any cost?

Haunting, lurid, twisted and unflinching, Monstrum is a buffet of deliciously dark delights. Debut author Lottie Mills has crafted a thought-provoking collection of short stories that are eerily beautiful, exquisitely macabre, and deeply unnerving. I don’t read short stories often, but I was excited when this was picked as a SquadPod Featured Book for June (yes, I’m late with my review, sorry), and it is without a doubt the best short story collection I’ve read so far.

Lottie Mills is a refreshing and unique new literary voice. Her writing is sublime, feeling melancholy, sinister, witty and full of deep yearning all at the same time. The stories have an otherworldly and bizarre quality, but Mills also makes them undeniably human, allowing the reader to connect to her characters. It is easy to see why she was the winner of the BBC Young Writers’ Award in 2020 and I am sure there are many more remarkable stories to come from this sensational new voice. In this collection Mills explores topics such as disability, ableism, prejudice, domestic abuse and identity, illuminating the darkest corners of our society and the experiences of those who are born different in a world that can’t accept them. As a disabled person I found myself relating to many of these stories on a personal level and I am sure they will strike a resonant chord in many readers.

The opening story, The Changeling, sets the tone well. It is harrowing, heartrending and haunting, bringing the pain felt by these characters to life in achingly vivid detail. The Bear Children was a deeply moving portrayal of disability and ableism while The White Lion was sweet karma and beautifully brutal. She even manages to make child abuse and neglect horrifically beautiful in the moving The Toymaker’s Daughter. There were a couple of stories I didn’t understand but they were still an enjoyable read that made me feel like I was seeing the world through the eyes of someone that I needed to see. The stories that I personally related to most were The Pain, The Selkie and The Body. The Selkie felt like she’d put my first marriage on paper and I was reading my own life, while The Pain and The Body are ones I felt on a visceral level. I’ve often joked that I wish I could have a new body, so when I first began reading The Body I was excited and a little jealous that this person had the opportunity to cast off their broken body for one that worked properly without pain. But as it went on I was reminded to be thankful for all my body can do and no longer sure I would switch out my body if given the chance. Meanwhile, The Merman was so moving, and probably my favourite story of all, ending the collection on a high note.

An outstanding collection of stories that will simultaneously send shivers down your spine, tug at your heart strings, and make you think, Monstrum is not to be missed.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monstrum is a beautifully gothic collection of short stories by Lottie Mills, winner of the BBC Young Writers' Award for The Changeling' (which is included in this book), and it is incredibly difficult to sum up the powerful emotions they evoked within me in a short review.

Mills weaves spellbinding themes throughout this collection, playing on the fascination with and fear of 'difference', and exploring aspects of the lives of those who are often excluded from society because of their otherness. Cleverly using the format of traditional fairy tales, speculative horror fiction, atmospheric folklore yarns, and mythological retellings, she challenges you to alter your thinking about what society considers 'normal'. Disabilities become wondrous conditions that tell of hidden magical abilities; the pursuit of perfection leads to macabre consequences; characters are subjected to misguided, or malevolent, attention; and yearnings for freedom, or kinship, create intricately involved storylines that pull you in and compel you not to look away.

These are the kinds of stories that are made up of layer upon elaborate layer, so that each time you read them you find different shades of meaning in her words, and curiously relatable echoes. Some are so eerie that they will inevitably become part of your darkest nightmares (The Body, for me), and some will have you punching the air as well deserved revenge is served cold, but among them there are also golden threads that hold you in the moment, celebrating connection, warmth, acceptance, and love.

This is impressive writing for a debut author, and this haunting little collection of stories will really stay with me. If I had to pick I favourite, I think it might be The Selkie, with its feminist themes, but they are all glorious in their own way. I am so looking forward to following Lottie Mills' career as a writer, because this is a brilliant beginning. 

[Joe Foxford · Rating 5 out of 5]

How sad, thought the toymakers daughter. How very sad and strange, to love a child who could never exist.

Monstrum is a collection of short stories loosely based on classic fairy tails but more often than not with a black mirroresque twist.

The underlying themes of body acceptance are rife throughout, highlighting the challenges of a variety of disabilities throughout and what one must endure to overcome them.

I have to say, the merman was probably my favourite short story in the collection purely for how much you could feel for a character who was completely mute, shortly followed up by the body which was possibly the most black mirror style story in the collection.

A disabled person gives up their body to be cast into a new shell completely freed by their disabilities, all blemishes and marks removed a completely “normal” body only their original body comes home with them and whilst their essence is no longer in it, the shell remains caught between life and death and just exists as a constant reminder of who they were and what made them that person.

𝘐𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

Honestly, I could pick no fault with any of the stories each one hit a little differently and each hit on a different topic there was no overlapping or doubling up of themes. Each was a unique reimagining of stories we’ve heard before but not quite like this. I couldn’t recommend this book enough if i tried.

It will be publishing in May so not long to go, but as short stories go, this is a must own compilation as I can guarantee you’ve read nothing like it.

They will put a smile on your face, break you, fix you and then tip you off a sea wall to mix with the rocks and foam.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of Lottie Mills when she won the BBC Young Writers award in 2020 and as such, I was very excited to see that a compendium is due to be released in May. I was overjoyed ot be gifted an ARC from Oneworld publications and "Monstrum" is every bit as intriguing and enchanting as I expected, and then some!

The strength of the narrative is exceptional. Mills crafts a stunningly ambient space, full of fluid darkness and light, equally undulating around dthe storyline and forming into places and people as a sculptor would with clay and stone. .The reason I describe it in this form, is because the clay is carefully moulded into shape, formed and allowed to harden, whereas sculptures either chisels away at a set piece to create a thing of beauty or weaves multiple entities together to create something new entirely. Please exuse my drawn out analogies, this is purely inspiration in trying to describe this rare talent

Monstrum is a compendium of fairy tales reworked and reimagined for a contemporary world and as you are all probably more than aware by now, I adore a good fairy tale retelling and this collection is fresh and unique, ideally placed in contemporary fiction. I enjoyed this book so much that I have read it through three times over the last three weeks and it is one I will likely continue to read over and over

Absolutely a talent to watch and certainly a highly recommended compilation

Thank you to Netgalley, Oneworld Publications and the outstanding author Lottie Mills for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

#Monstrum #NetGalley

[Jodie Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rich, captivating collection of contemporary fairytales. Monstrum concerns itself with the body, in all its guises, and Mills has a talented for taking the organic – mud and flesh – and turning it magical. From the blurb: ‘the characters in these unforgettable stories are born into a society that cannot accept their difference…they have a choice: contort themselves in a bid to fit in, or find another way to live’.

This collection feels like a celebration of difference, filled with tales of anti-assimilation, of people living within margins and carving out something exciting and beautiful, against the pressures of the wider world.

Particular favourites were Cuckoo, which plays with the idea of the family invader, turning the cuckoo into a small child made of earth, and The Body, where a woman, removed from her old body and placed in a new one, has to figure out what to do with the fleshy shell of her old self.

Monstrum is an incredibly strong debut collection - every story glitters with imagination, and Mills writes in an assured, captivating manner. If you like the work of the wonderful short story writers Sharon Blackie, Kirsty Logan, and Lucy Wood, then Lottie Mills is a voice to look out for.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Monstrum' is a beautiful and eloquent collection of short stories that rework and reimagine fairy tales with a contemporary perspective. Mills writes with confidence in her vision and really draws in the reader with whimsical prose with an edge of a darker side of the stories we all knew as children.
I felt after reading this collection that I stepped away from these tales and thought more deeply about how society treats those who are considered outside or other. There is so much beauty that can come from any pain we experience from not initially finding our space, but to hold up a mirror to the cruelty that is present before self acceptance or finding our tribe is an amazing thing that Mills has achieved within this collection.
In a way 'Monstrum' reminded me of Angela Carter's work such as 'The Bloody Chamber' where darkness and sacrifice are illuminated in stunning prose and where embracing all sides of ourselves, even those aspects we hide away, pulls deeply at your emotions. Mills writes with a wisdom and narrative skill far beyond her years and I cannot wait for what she has in store next.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last couple of days with this book have been almost comical, from having to re-join the queue in case I didn't finish it by the due date, to wondering this morning if I'd be able to finish it in 7 hours while also having to work, to the loan expiring at 35 pages from the end but it then telling me I could keep it open for another hour if I wanted it and then realising the story I was reading was the last one in the collection!!

Other than that, this was the most outstanding work I've read, not just this year so far but in a really long time, which was particularly noticeable as I read two short story collections back to back and my reaction to the two couldn't be more different. Monstrum was absolutely gorgeous and restored my faith in, not so much humanity but at least the world of publishing. I have very few authors that I remain interested/loyal to after one good reading experience, and Lottie Mills is going on that list.

I'm in a very rare position of wanting to buy this for everyone I know because I think it's perfect, which adds to the irony of my request for an ARC being declined at the time.

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I recently read left me in awe. I was completely blown away by the first story and wondered if the following ones would be able to top it, but to my amazement, every single short story was a gem in its own right. It's a rare occurrence to come across a collection of stories that are all equally captivating.

The author has an exceptional talent for drawing the reader into the story. After reading this book, I have no doubt that we will be seeing great things from her in the future.

The stories are a brilliant mix of tenderness, sadness, emotion, eeriness, and a dark fairytale atmosphere. It's an experience that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. The book was so engrossing that I felt a sense of sadness when I reached the end.


Thank you to the Author, publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This review is honest and my own.

[Moon Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

This is a collection like no other. Monstrum is sticky, creepy, poetic and just so so so good!
Mills prose lends itself beautifully to the messed up fairytale esque atmosphere she has found herself in, and each short story within Monstrum grabs you with it’s long, spindly fingers and keeps you hooked on every page.
The main theme of the collection is disability and as a disabled person, I think this portrayal is perfect. Each story is unexpected, messy and so unreal (literally) that you cannot look away. Disability IS messy, so why the hell not turn it into a bunch of creepy fairytales!

This is an insane debut and I cannot WAIT to see where Mills goes!

Thank you to Oneworld Publications and Netgalley for the ARC!

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to @Oneworldpublications for my copy of Monsturm by Lotie Mills
This book is a compilation of short stories, each with its own unique theme and moral message. The stories delve into the complexities of the human body, highlighting the differences among individuals. Among the stories, I particularly enjoyed "The Body", which sent shivers down my spine and made me empathize with the protagonist. Each story carries a significant weight, touching on various aspects of disabilities and perception.


There are some darker perceptions and some that are lighter each of them absolutely devastation

[Matthew Yeldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, entertaining read. The collection starts off with a variety of what might be described as modern fairy tales, sparse and appropriately dark. The collection then veers into science fiction with its strongest entry, “The Body”. It’s well-written, meditative, and horrific. It’s unfortunate the collection ends with “The Merman”, a contemporary tale that feels the stalest of the entries and is marred by the narrator’s inability to grasp the title character’s inner workings. But I’m curious to see where Mills goes next; she’s got a firm grasp of the shadowy side of things and shows signs of inventiveness. I hope she dares herself a bit more going forward.

[Becky Swales-Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely phenomenal short story collection. The way Mills portrays compassion and acceptance is so real. I felt so moved reading this. The whimsical fairy tale approach coupled with a real reflection upon humanity and how monstrous people can be - stunning.

My favourite stories were The White Lion (highly recommend for fans of Angela Carter), The Selkie, and The Body. But the real prize of them all was The Merman. I need a full length book of this story because it was just incredible. What a debut!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

[Heather (bookish downtime) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories can be a little hit and miss for me but I really enjoyed this collection. All the stories are about being different or “other” in some way and, because they were all written by the same person, they had a sense of coherency about them.

The Body was a favourite, it felt a lot like a black mirror episode. I also really enjoyed The Merman, which made me both sad and angry. The Pain was my least favourite (but was still a 3 star story).

Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.