Love Monster by Rachel Bright

“He decided to set out and look for someone who’d love him, just the way he was.”

It’s hard not to fall in love with the cute and cuddly Love Monster, who is trying so hard to fit in in the town of Cutesville. He wonders if a googly-eyed, hairy monster will ever fit in and goes out to search for someone who will love him just as he is. This is a sweet story about the importance of being yourself no matter how hard things seem.

In this sweet tale, we follow the journey of Monster, who is this unique red creature with his own little quirks. In this world of cute and cuddly, he is special and unlike all the other lovable creatures. Feeling the absent company of a companion, Monster sets out on a journey to find the one meant for him!

My Thoughts

I do have some mixed feelings on this children’s book. If you’ve been around me for a while, it’s very rare I find many issues with a children’s book, but this left me feeling conflicted. I truly do like this book, but it’s a little bit depressing. Let me go into to greater details!

I love a lot of aspects about this book. For starters, our main character, Monster is super cute and just the most precious thing. Even though he’s a bit unique, I love his little features and I just want to scoop him up into a hug. He also carries a monster version of a teddy bear and it is too cute! Also, I really liked the blocked lettering. It reminds me of unique poetry collections and for myself, it’s very easy on my eyes to read (although block style isn’t for everyone). I have no doubt in my mind that children will adore this book and parents will have a fun time reading this to their children.

However among all these adorable features, there’s one fact that becomes very troublesome with this book. I understand the underlying message this book is trying to get across, but this book is definitely depressing. The story-line is about a little love Monster who is so different that he’s unwanted because he’s “funny” looking and basically has distinct physical features that make him so unique. I definitely wish the author would have chosen different words to describe the little monster instead of saying “funny looking” or making it seem being different is a problem. This sweet monster feels so lonely and sad that he doesn’t have any friends or someone to love him that he sets out on a journey to find someone who will love him for him. There’s a certain point in this book where it’s so heartbreaking that it ties a knot in the pit of your stomach. With all of this being said, in general things came off very depressing and saddening, more so than necessary. I wish the author would have included a little more cheerfulness or added a little more at the end to kind of lighten things up a bit more.

“You see, sometimes, when you least expect it…love finds you.”

Overall, I did like this children’s book. It was super cute and sweet. I definitely wished a little monster plush would have come with this because the little love monster in this book is just the cutest. However, I really wish it didn’t come off as depressing. The underlying message is really great, but I would have liked to see more love near the end or something to help lighten the mood up at the end of the book. I felt that one little occurrence wasn’t enough to wave away the gloom and doom. This would definitely be a cute bedtime read for parents and their kids or even a cute story to read during Valentine’s Day.