Ordinary Monsters cover

Ordinary Monsters

by Steven Price

England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness—a man made of smoke. What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—the talents—have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie, and the rest of the talents will discover the truth about their abilities and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts. > “Ordinary Monsters is one of my favorite books of the year—it’s full of surprises, atmospheric as hell, and moves like a runaway train. Nothing in this book is what you expect it to be, and it couldn’t be more satisfying.” –Kelly Braffet, author of ‘Save Yourself’ and ‘Last Seen Leaving’.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?