Not the Worst Book, Just Written Like It
I can't say I started this book with high expectations—because I didn’t—but even my low bar wasn’t prepared for just how bland the writing would be.
Held by a Monster by Kenzie Kelly sells itself as an action-and-spice-packed romp, and to its credit, those elements are present. Unfortunately, they're delivered with all the finesse of a first draft fanfic written at 3am on an expired energy drink. The plot? Surprisingly tolerable. The execution? About as elegant as a brick through a window.
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Kendal, our resident damsel with a death wish, reads like someone who’s been pushed past the brink—and maybe she has, given she’s kidnapped, hunted, and then rescued by a band of custom-built supernaturals. Fair. But her internal monologue swings between deranged stream-of-consciousness and awkward self-awareness, and the real kicker? You have to play a fun little game of "Whose POV Is It Anyway?" every chapter because the book doesn't bother telling you.
Every voice sounds the same—flat, forced, and dripping with recycled fantasy-romance vocabulary. The descriptions of people, places, creatures, and inner thoughts made me pause more than once just to double-check I hadn't accidentally skipped a paragraph (or wandered into another genre altogether).
Now, credit where it’s due: there’s blessedly no manufactured, eye-roll-worthy misunderstanding to tear the leads apart. Kendal might be a hot mess, but her reactions are refreshingly grounded in actual human behavior—denial, gallows humor, and blurting out her thoughts like she’s allergic to a filter. That part, weirdly enough, worked.
So no, this wasn’t the worst book I’ve read. The plot was passable—enough to keep me flipping pages despite the prose trying its best to make me quit. If you can stomach clunky dialogue and narration that feels like a fantasy Mad Libs, you might find a sliver of entertainment here.
That said, will I be reading the sequel? Not a chance. I'm curious about what happens next, sure—but not curious enough to subject myself to another round of this writing.
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