Among Monsters

Red Hill #1.5

by Jamie McGuire

Being thirteen has pitfalls of its own, but growing up has never been this hard.

Jenna had promised her mother that if the worst happened during her dad’s weekend, they would meet at Red Hill Ranch. When she finds seven words spray-painted on her dad’s wall the morning after a deadly outbreak, she makes a promise to herself: to get to the ranch with her seven-year-old sister, Halle, and to get them both there alive.

Among Monsters is the companion novella to Red Hill, both exploring from different perspectives what many broken families experience every other weekend: What if your children aren't with you when the world ends? What would you do to get to them? What would they go through to get to you?

For Jenna, seeing her mother again is worth everything. Determined to keep her promise, she is faced with experiences and decisions that force her to leave her childhood behind.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Novella, New Adult, Dystopia, Apocalyptic, Paranormal

172 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2014

About the author

Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.

Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in all four categories. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. In 2015, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, respectively, also topped the New York Times, as well as a Beautiful series novella, Something Beautiful. In 2016, Beautiful Burn made an appearance on the New York Times and USA Today, and was also named iBooks' Romance Book of the Year. The same year, A Beautiful Funeral also topped the New York Times bestseller list.

Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: apocalyptic thriller and 2014 UtopYA Best Dystopian Book of the Year, Red Hill; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters, Happenstance: A Novella Series, and Sins of the Innocent.

Jamie is the first indie author in history to strike a print deal with retail giant Wal-Mart. Her self-published novel, Beautiful Redemption hit Wal-Mart shelves in September, 2015.

Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.

Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Instagram.

Reviews

[exploraDora · Rating 5 out of 5]

***5 stars***

I can't remember the last time this happened, but at the end of this book, I bawled my eyes out. Not sad tears, but tears of happiness because it ends so beautifully ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

When I started reading this, I was a bit skeptical because it's a novella about Scarlett's daughters and their journey to reach their mom. In Red Hill, we barely got to meet them, so there was barely an emotional connection to either of the girls and as we know from book one - they do find their mom eventually. That's why I didn't think I'd be invested in this story. Boy, was I wrong! Right from the start you're worried for Jenna and Halle, even though they're traveling with their father. He's a capable guy, but I immediately had this feeling that he won't make it out alive (well, you actually know this from Red Hill, but still).

Seeing the world through the eyes of Jenna, who's only thirteen years old, brings it home how terrifying such an outbreak would be. She's determined to reach Red Hill at any cost, so she is faced with experiences and decisions that force her to quickly leave her childhood behind. She's not your average girl, she's fierce, strong and badass just like her mother and she deals with everything so maturely, that I was beyond impressed with her the whole time.

I loved every twist and turn and most of all, I loved the surprise appearance of a few familiar characters. We get to see the other side of the story, which was so satisfying, without feeling repetitive at all. This book was also thrilling from start to finish. It made my heart race and made my cry in anticipation of what was going to happen. I don't often cry - let me tell you that.
But the raw emotion of what is happening in the last few chapters, man! What an amazing story!

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Don’t tell me we might not make it to Red Hill. I won’t accept that.”

Jamie McGuire has done it again. Among Monsters is the companion novella to Red Hill, and it is absolutely wonderful. While she is best known for romance novels, I personally feel that Red Hill and Among Monsters is her best work. In Red Hill, we met Scarlett, a divorced mother who is forced to live for months and months during the zombie apocalypse not knowing where her two young daughters are or if they have survived. If you’ve read Red Hill then you know how this ends, but you don’t know the whole story. We finally get to hear 13 year old Jenna’s side.

I loved Jenna. Her emotions and reactions to the horrors around her were real and honest. At 13, it can be hard enough to navigate the world and figure out who you are becoming. It is a hundred times harder when the world is coming to an end your 7 year old sisters survival is completely dependent on you. Her will and determination to fulfill her promise to her mother and her sister are what keep Jenna going when it would have been so much easier to give up.

I think the tension was even higher in this telling of the journey to Red Hill. There were so many close calls. The girls were so close to their mother, yet so far away. I think I appreciated this POV so much more because I already knew who was waiting on the other side. This story is absolutely brilliant in the fact that I already knew the ending, yet I sat and read the entire thing in one sitting.

5 amazing stars!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!! More zombies! I loved Red Hill.

[✿kawehi.reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Kelli Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is no secret that Jamie McGuire is my favorite author. I adored everything about Red Hill, and I was so excited to get yet another side to this apocalyptic story. Even better was that we would FINALLY know the truth about Scarlet's daughters' journey.

Reading the story through the eyes of a thirteen year old really makes you realize how catastrophic and terrifying a zombie outbreak would be. Add in the fact that you are separated from your main caregiver, your mother, is even more devastating.

Most people are afraid to read companion novellas because they feel it will be the exact same story. I can tell you that in this case, that is absolutely NOT the case with Among Monsters. This novella is nearly all new material, and will make you appreciate McGuire's imagination even further. Jenna's will to get to Red Hill and reunite with her mother is inspiring, and how I hope I'd react if I found myself separated from family in a world ending event. She helps act as her younger sister's caretaker, and their relationship is also a beautiful thing to witness.

There are so many creepy moments in Among Monsters. Along with that, you have a sense of foreboding nearly the entire time. My favorite thing about the novella, however, was how McGuire intertwined aspects of Red Hill with this story. I won't get into specifics for fear of spoiling parts of the story, but I'll say some scenes and characters you come across will be familiar in a capacity.

Among Monsters is the perfect companion to an already brilliant tale. Fans of Red Hill and Jamie McGuire will not be let down.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 GET TO YOUR MOM STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just loved Red Hill. It was a very thought provoking and character driven story. It wasn't all about the romance, and the writing was just phenomenal.
If you haven't read Red Hill I suggest you read it now, and read it first before you read Among Monsters.

Among Monsters is one very emotional book. As a mom, it really worked my heartstrings. This was written in wonderful Jamie McGuire fashion and again this was a very thought provoking book.

I knew going in that Jenna and Halle get to Red Hill. I knew they would be reunited with their mom. But almost the entire book I kept getting anxious and worried about their journey. I was on sensory overload, but in a good way. And even though Jamie managed to weave parts of Red Hill into this book it was a completely different story and not at all a retelling.

My Red Hill review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading Red Hill I kept thinking how truly UNlikely two young girls would make it four months to a specific destination during the zombie apocalypse. But I loved that book anyway. So reading how they managed was like putting the icing on the cake. Perfection. Poor, poor Andrew.

[Norav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un chouilla en dessous de Red Hill. Mais c'est peut-être dû au fait que, vu que l'histoire se déroule en parallèle avec Red Hill, on connaît déjà la fin.
Mais j'ai beaucoup aimé les interactions avec le livre principal.

[Kat Montemayor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Red Hill or bust stars

This is a companion novel to Red Hill by Jamie McGuire from the perspective of Scarlet's daughter, Jenna. Their journey to Red Hill is just as treacherous as her mother's was. Again, she weaves the storylines together in a way where almost all of the characters have crossed paths before. (In one case, it was a Ford Taurus.)
We even learn what happened to Joey and Tobin's sister and nephew.


There were times Jenna irked me. She was too hard on her father, and threw a fit when she didn't get her way. I know she's young, but it was like, "You have to treat me like an adult, even though I'm throwing a temper tantrum. You have to take me to Mom, even if others will be left in a dangerous predicament. Listen to me! I'm thirteen and I know better than you!" Wonder where she got that attitude from.

Still, towards the end, she and her dad and sister have an understanding. Andrew is a decent man who got better as the novel went along. One thing is perfectly clear: Scarlet and Andrew are better off divorced. I've read Red Hill so I know what happens. It was sad when it came to pass.


I'm glad I read the story.

[Indieflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Jamie McGuire's previous book Red Hill and this is the companion novel to it, written from another character's point of view. I found it a really fast read and unusually for me these days, read it in one sitting. There are a few things about the story that probably wouldn't stand up to close scrutiny, such as finding pretty much all of the items you'd need to survive a zombie apocalypse in a kitchen drawer at your dad's house (at my house we'd have to fight the zombies off with an old ruler, bits of string and marker pens that don't work, though I guess there could be the potential to build a rudimentary shelter from takeaway menus and instructions for appliances we no longer have) but I got swept along with the story and I liked the characters so I was able to let all that go and just roll with it. I enjoyed it so much it's made me want to read more by Jamie McGuire but unfortunately all her other books seem to be romance based and that's not really my bag.

[Danielle Lagasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie McGuire never ceases to absolute amaze me with her capability to tell a story. Among Monsters was my most anticipated read of 2014 and it was absolutely everything I hoped for. This novella was a perfect companion to Red Hill.

A five+ star read from this Red Hill junkie!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know you've found a good author when you already know how the story ends, but you still cannot put the book down. Loved it!

[Ashley Rosemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it just as much as Red Hill. Great quick read!

[Matthew Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

my emotions are dead after this one. Loved this one so much. read red hill and then this one and you will have one amazing reading adventure. This is one book i am glad it was recommended to me

[Jenni DaVinCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Red Hill, I learned there was a companion novella from the perspective of two brief, though very important, characters from Red Hill. The novella documents their struggles that are occurring at the same time as the events in Red Hill.

To start, if you have not read Red Hill, don't read reviews for Among Monsters! It will totally spoil Red Hill for you. Red Hill must be read first in order to get the most out of the companion.

As I did with the first book, I loved most of these characters. They had faults and flaws, but were also very real people with real emotions. Most real people have faults and McGuire is very good at creating characters who are both relateable and realistic. I did have some issue with some of the concerns of the narrator. Specifically, when Jenna was concerned she would have to compete for her father's attention from the two single women. It was far too adult of a concern to have and seemed more like something attributed to a romance novel-type drama. Thankfully, this book didn't have as much thrown in romance as Red Hill. I know how McGuire makes her bread and butter, but Red Hill/Among Monsters seem to be her attempt at branching out into something different and she has done a fantastic job at it.

As with any zombie movie/book/show, it does contain a lot of coincidences that likely would not occur in real life but I think that zombie things can take those liberties. Otherwise, we'd be dealing with a lot of different backgrounds and stories all at once. After all, it is fiction, right? It was really nice getting some closure on events that were vague from Red Hill.

This was an easy, quick and fun read. It was an excellent companion to Red Hill and I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to it in the future. She certainly has enough material, story and characters to keep it going and I'm certain that I'm not the only person who wouldn't mind revisiting Scarlet and co. to see where they end up.

[Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started to read Among Monsters I was somehow under the impression it was a sequel to Jamie McGuire's Red Hill. It is not. Instead it is a parallel companion to the novel that focuses on two pivotal characters whose story is not covered in the original book. Part of my confusion probably lay with the ending to Red Hill, which, like a lot of books I seem to read lately, leaves the story wide open for more. Certainly a sequel would not be unreasonable to expect.

But Among Monsters tells the same story as Red Hill, except from the perspective of Jenna, the teen-aged daughter of Scarlet. By the way - this should not be a spoiler, but I flagged it as such. You have no business reading Among Monsters if you have not read Red Hill first. You'll lose a lot and be lost.

Among Monsters was an enjoyable and quick read and does a great job of filling in many of the details left out of Red Hill. It is every bit as emotional, tense and action-packed as the full novel and will have you on the same edge of your seat as the original. Of course McGuire leaves enough unresolved at the end to make that sequel I'm expecting possible and I hope one day she continues the story of these ordinary people thrust into such an extraordinary situation. Sure there are a lot of Zombie Apocalypse tales out there right now in literature, film and TV, but this is by far one of the better ones.

Unlike Red Hill, where McGuire's background and success as a romance novelist seemed to oblige her to include some panting, passion and raw sex, Among Monsters doesn't slip into her alternative genre and it is better for it. The fears of the characters and their evolution felt genuine. McGuire is great at drawing you into the story to empathize with her protagonists and struggle with them to simply survive. If you enjoyed Red Hill you will also thoroughly enjoy Among Monsters.

[Ruby McDemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia did an amazing job narrating this novella. I've read several zombie books and seen shows and movies and from what I've noticed they usually focus more on the adults. So hearing about a teenager and everything she goes through was a real difference. I really enjoyed this story because it was so different from what I'm used to. Yes it did follow the normal zombie rules, but unlike a lot of zombie related stuff it showed that women can be just as strong and smart as the men no matter what age. Plus it gives really good advice for whenever some idiot doctor finally makes zombies and we have our own outbreak.

[Michelle R · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been like 3 years since I read the first book, but this Novella was a nice side story for the other characters. I will say Jenna's character was in no way a 13 year old. I think they should have sat her to be a bit older because even before the zombies came out her personality just threw me off with her age. But other then that this was a nice quick read.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. I wish it were longer. I'm hoping the author is going to be writing more of this series.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

**My review contains spoilers if you have not read Red Hill.**

One of the three povs in Red Hill was Scarlet's. She was one tough momma. Nothing was going to stop her from reuniting with her two daughters - Jenna and Halle. And when Scarlet couldn't get to them she made sure the girls were well prepared to get to her.

Told from Jenna's pov, Among Monsters is the story of Jenna and Halle's journey to get to their mother.

Jenna is no ordinary thirteen year old. She's strong and brave. She's smart and clever. She's not afraid to have her voice heard in a group of grown ups and she's fiercely protective of her little sister. It's no wonder Scarlet was confident she would see them again.

The girls have a tumultuous relationship with their father, Andrew, but they're stuck with him through the outbreak and panic and staying alive thereafter.

From the end of Red Hill we know Andrew didn't make it. So I thought it was cruel of McGuire to have us get to know Andrew, like him, and watch him slowly repair his relationship with his daughters just to rip him away...and to not know exactly when it was going to happen added to my anxiety. Heartbreaking.

I thought McGuire did a great job with the details. The timeline matched perfectly and I kept yelling at my kindle when I knew Scarlet, Jenna, and Halle just missed each other.

Among Monsters was an excellent companion to Red Hill. I just loved it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among Monsters is a companion novella to Red Hill.

This book is narrated by 13 year old Jenna (Scarlet's daughter) and tells the story of what they went through when the zombies hit their town. It is happening at the same time as Red Hill.

For some reason I thought that this book was only going to be the story of Jenna and her sister walking to Red Hill ranch. I wasn't expecting the story to start with Jenna at school the day of the outbreak.

I actually really liked that it included the school. I think that because Jenna is narrating this story it feels more YA.

I still really don't like zombies. But I did enjoy seeing the journey that Jenna and her little sister and dad went on to get to see Scarlet. If you liked Red Hill then I would definitely check this book out.

[Ilene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for an actual parallel and not just regurgitating the same stuff from someone else' mouth.

For a 13 year old going through utter hell, Jenna is very well spoken and brave beyond belief. I would definitely want her me while the Apocalypse was happening.

It's so crazy to see how connected everyone is, although it wasn't always that believable. It fills in the blanks about some of the people i wondered about in Red Hill. Also crazy is just how close Jenna was to her mom...so many times.

There is happiness but you can't really have a happy ending when dealing with a zombie situation.

If there is some uber smart scientist trying to reanimate people...JUST STOP!! It won't end well.

[Danielle Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zombies are still not my thing, but this book is still fantastically written. I could feel the emotions strongly along with the characters. So many times I yelled 'so freakin close' I cried at that one point where Jenna had to do something no child or person should ever have to do. My heart still raced and I had to put my kindle down a few times to take a breathe and walk away. Great follow up to Red Hill!

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5

It was a nice complement to the original novel. We get the chance to learn more about what Scarlet's girls went through of their way to Red hill. I was surprised about how grown up Jenna is acting in most situations, i get that she have to deal with everything but i'm surprised a 13yrs old girl don't freak out more, giving everything that happened.

[Lisa Twilighter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved Among Monsters!!! I loved that we got to hear Jenna and Halle's story! Jamie did a fabulous job. I loved how the characters intertwined and connections were made with the girls and Scarlet's story in Red Hill. The girls are just as strong as their momma. There were some tense moments, laughs and tears! Loved it! Highly recommend. 5 Stars! :)

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crapballs! I knew what was going on & the basics of what was going to happen, and I was still scared! Lol!!! I really did enjoy Red Hill, even though zombies are totally NOT my thing. Among Monsters was no different. Maybe a little more heartbreaking just bc of who the story was coming from, but still utterly awesome!

[Chelsea Beaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good for a novella and much better than I had expected. Probably a bit too long in my opinion. Jenna was kind of annoying. I thought she was unrealistic, she was only 13 but nothing seemed to faze her. I would recommend if you've read the novel, Red Hill.

[Sarah Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely amazing! It fills in all the little holes about the girls while everyone was waiting for them at Red Hill. My emotions are all over the place right now. This series is one of the most honest and vivid scifi/fiction/zombie type books I've read. Job well done Jamie!!

[Haidoulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg....I can't have words enough to tell how amazing this story is...I simply loved it from the first page till the very last....Thank you Jamie for giving us the chance to see what the girls have been through to make it to Red Hill...

[Autumn Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read Red Hill, I was curious to know Jenna and Halle's story. Now, I got my answers! Jenna's bravery and pure will to survive was admirable. And as a mother and a child, I could feel the determination she had to get to her mom. Well done McGuire!