Modern Monsters by Kelley York Review!

Modern Monsters

Author: Kelley York

Average Rating: 4.08/5.0

Personal Rating: 5.0/5.0

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: 2 June 2015

According to Goodreads: 

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went…

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic is responsible. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie's best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened at the party, they realize that while the truth can set Vic free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life…

My Opinion:

I received an e-copy from the publisher via Netgalley, but in no way does that have an impact on my opinions. 

Modern Monsters covers the topic of rape. There are many books out on the shelf that tell the story of a rape from the victim's point of view, but there are not too many that tell the story from the point of view from the wrongly accused suspect. Modern Monsters does just that. 

Meet Victor Howard, Vic to most people. He talks with a stutter, and could be classified as a loner. He does have one really close friend, Brett. Brett has always protected Victor, and is more like a brother to him than a friend. He always has Vic tag along to parties, dinners, and plan old hangouts at the house. The party scene isn't Vic's scene at all, and he knows that he is the designated driver for Brett so he has to go and stay. Friday night starts out as any other Friday night party, but by Monday evening everything Vic thought he knew gets turned upside down. 

As I mentioned before, Modern Monsters was written from the point of view of the person who is wrongly accused of raping a girl. In this case, Vic is our narrator and prime suspect in the rape of Callie Wheeler. However, Vic knows that he wasn't involved what-so-ever, but he was also the last person people saw with her that night. It also doesn't help that he is quiet and a loner, which rubs people the wrong way making him an easy scapegoat. Meanwhile, his mom is becoming more and more distant and cold towards him. Vic has no idea why and longs for the motherly love that Brett's mom has given him. Then he finds out the truth about his father. I'm going to say there are a few implied comments made that make you realize what happened between him and Vic's mom, but it still hits you hard when Vic's mom finally tells him what happened and what he is. While of these conflicting emotions are running through Vic's and our heads, Vic and Autumn are determined to find out who is the real rapist. The more and more time they spend together the more those romantic feelings fly. 

So, as you can probably tell the plot is quite complex, and that is no different with the characters. I believe the biggest change in character was Vic. We meet him when he's basically Brett's shadow. He clings to and worships the ground Brett walks on. And why not? Brett is heading to Ivy League schools, athletic, and is popular among all of his peers and strangers. Basically, everything Vic can only dream about. However, by the end of the book, after everything has taken place with the case, his mom, his dad, etc, we see him be able to walk on his own two feet. He can make his own decisions without double checking with Brett or anyone else. He knows he doesn't have to walk in any more shadows. You can't help but feel proud of him by the end of the novel. 

Being falsely accused of rape can ruin one's life, and Kelley York does an amazing job in writing the traumatic experience from the innocent suspect's view. Modern Monsters is a heart-wrenching and unpredictable story of a boy wrongly accused for raping a girl at a party. You will feel all the emotions that all the characters are experiencing as they try to figure out who is the real suspect. The ending took me so off guard that I am still in shock who the real rapist was. York keeps your mind racing the whole time as you yourself try to solve the case. 

Purchase Links:

Barnes & Noble / Amazon