An online version of this reading group guide is available at. Detective gabriella versado has seen a lot of bodies. If lauren beukess internationally bestselling the shining girls was a timejumping thrill ride through the past, her broken monsters is a genreredefining thriller about broken cities, broken dreams, and broken people trying to put themselves back together again. The monster club is about dennis chetwyndhayes a heartbreaking, goofy, charming, and dark book you should absolutely not read from the beginning.
South african novelist lauren beukes discusses her latest novel, broken monsters, in which a string of murder victims are found cut in half and fused with the bodies of animals. And now we finally get to discuss this entire gem of a book. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. In some ways broken monsters is a more compact novel than the shining girlsmost of it takes place over the course of a week in detroit, whereas. Apr 23, 2015 buy broken monsters by lauren beukes isbn. As winter closes in on detroit, strange and disturbing corpses start turning up in unusual places, pulling several lives into the. All the usual suspects and even a myspace page, which means shes probably a little older than he thought. A bookclub style discussion of broken monsters by lauren beukes. Lauren beukes captivating broken monsters is centered on a woman hunting a serial killer. Chetwyndhayes through the cornball but wonderfully fun vincent price adaptation of this book. A terrifying novel that defies genres, broken monsters is a murder mystery where nothing is what it seems. Clarke awardwinner zoo city 2010, the british fantasy awardwinner the shining girls 20, and broken monsters 2014 garnered. Broken monsters lauren beukes spoilerfree horror book.
Zoo city, a phantasmagorical joburg noir and winner of the 2011 arthur c clarke award. An internationally awardwinning and bestselling south african writer lauren beukess followed her first book, the nonfiction maverick. But i have never disliked a book as much as im disliking broken monsters lauren beukes and im giving up. Broken monsters is my brand new book about hybrid bodies turning up in abandoned places in detroit, a killer possessed by a. For the most part, broken monsters recalls the best novels of richard price, in which compelling, finely etched characters collide while orbiting a series of crimes that have shaken their community to its rootsbeukes moves effortlessly through many of the detroits worlds, from police precincts to the internetdriven secret lives of. A criminal mastermind creates violent tableaus in abandoned detroit warehouses in lauren beukess genrebending novel of suspense. Detective gabriella versado has seen a lot of bodies, but this o. For the international debut of broken monsters, verushka louw and her team went all out with black dreamcatchers in the windows, a spooky shrine in the bathroom, themed food burgers and donuts with creepy labels and awesome participation packs that included a dreaming candle, lavender, chalk to diyyourowndoors, clay heads id made. Bonus and adfree content available with stitcher premium. Im lauren beukes, bestselling, awardwinning author of. Start reading broken monsters by lauren beukes mulholland books. The city of detroit is a major, tragic character in the novel some.
Detroit is sent into a panic when bodies that are half human, half animal begin appearing. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. There are similar ideas at work in broken monsters. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book club newsletter get more stories like this. Is the paranormal at all involved, or is a truly disturbed serial killer stalking the city of detroit. The only thing about broken monsters that didnt work for me was the whole magic realism aspect especially when it comes to the identity and motivation of the killer. Broken monsters by lauren beukes the bibliosanctum. Broken monsters book omaha public library bibliocommons. Part harrowing thriller, part urbangrimms fairytale, but always filled with a deeply affecting humanity, broken monsters is the kind of book youll find yourself pressing into the hands of everyone you know so they can experience it too. Broken monsters by lauren beukes nook book ebook barnes. Can someone ruin the plot of broken monsters for me. Rather than being a genreredefining thriller, broken monsters is a combination of police proceduralserial killer thriller and supernatural horror tale.
The problem is these elements are barely integrated so the story builds as one type of tale, ends as another and the climax ends up feeling distinctly at odds with what preceded it. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book club newsletter get more stories like this delivered to your inbox. Life destroyed his plans, so hes found new dreams of flesh and bone made disturbingly, beautifully real. Broken monsters a criminal mastermind creates violent tableaus in abandoned detroit warehouses in lauren beukess genrebending novel of suspense. Extraordinary women from south africas past 2006, with the novel moxyland 2008. Now you have a chance to add your voice to the chorus. Stories, essays, and other writing tachyon publications, was released in october 2016. I know this is blasphemy as so many people thought this was a masterful piece of workbut i just cant do it. Lauren beukes writes novels, comics and screeplays.
Group reads discussions 2016 broken monsters final thoughts spoilers. Detective gabriella versado investigates after disturbing displays that fuse the bodies of murder victims with those of animals are uncovered in abandoned detroit buildings. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Shes seen stupidity, corruption and just plain badness.
Apr 12, 2019 a terrifying novel that defies genres, broken monsters is a murder mystery where nothing is what it seems. Broken monsters debut at the book lounge lauren beukes. She worked as a journalist and as show runner on one of the south africas. With broken monsters, the wildly talented lauren beukes has created a darkly majestic jewel of a novel, surpassing even the shining girls no mean feat. Broken monsters proved to be just the thing i needed, turning out to be a crossgenre piece with mystery and thriller elements as well. Nov 09, 2019 although there is a nod, in the broken hours, to the cosmic god cthulhu an unexplained giant tentacle that washes up on the beach actual monsters do not appear in this book. Visa, mastercard, american express paypal, diners club and discover.
Also, high time i read something from lauren beukes, and looks like ive been missing out all this time. Theres a huge amount of bitter social satire here broken monsters is very much a novel of the present. From its inception in 2008, the girly book club gbc now has over 120,000 members in 15 countries and 125 communities across the globe. Shes the author of the criticallyacclaimed international bestseller broken monsters. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. The easiest way to listen to podcasts on your iphone, ipad, android, pc, smart speaker and even in your car. Detective gabi versado has hunted down many monsters during her eight years in homicide. The easiest decluttering strategy from the book that inspired marie kondo. So true so many times or your opinion about the book is different from everyone else you know. Im really proud that its won a major horror, mystery and lit award the bfs august derleth best horror, the strand magazine critics choice award and the university of johannesburg prize. Oh, and cool pics about the ups and downs of a book lovers life. Sep 16, 2014 lauren beukes captivating broken monsters defies the standard tropes of the serial killer genre to become a thoroughly modern, supernatural thriller set against the backdrop of a crumbling american city detroit attempting to piece itself back together the books main characters are connected by nightmarish hallucinations, and while. Scifi and fantasy book club group reads discussions 2016.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The shining girls, about a time traveling serial killer. I adored the shining girls so had high hopes for broken monsters. Jul 30, 2014 in some ways broken monsters is a more compact novel than the shining girlsmost of it takes place over the course of a week in detroit, whereas beukes previous thriller was spread out across. Broken monsters is in bookstores today, and you can read the. Clayton broom is a failed artist, and a broken man. As a horror and suspense novel, broken monsters is flawless i havent read a scarier, more tense book in years. Although there is a nod, in the broken hours, to the cosmic god cthulhu an unexplained giant tentacle that washes up on the beach actual monsters do not appear in this book. The book lived up to my expectations for the most part. Sep 17, 2014 as a horror and suspense novel, broken monsters is flawless i havent read a scarier, more tense book in years. Sep 05, 2014 lauren beukes captivating broken monsters is centered on a woman hunting a serial killer. Im about halfway through and every page is a trial. No one understands my pain because none of my friends have read the book. Funny pictures about the ups and downs of a book lovers life.
Broken monsters scary books, horror books, horror novel. In july 2014, beukes published a new novel called broken monsters, which is set in detroit, michigan. Fighting monsters with math and hiphop the avatars of new york citys boroughs are assembling. Of course, the best part is the paranormal elements. The city of detroit is a major, tragic character in the novel some people have ghost towns, we have a whole ghost city. Set in detroit, the louvre for aficionados of ruinporn, graffiti and hipster art, it opens with the discovery of a body. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Broken monsters book whatcom county library system. Apr 17, 2020 vox book club, the city we became, week 2.