Vanessa Len is an Australian author of Chinese-Malaysian and Maltese heritage. An educational editor, she has worked on everything from language learning programs to STEM resources, to professional learning for teachers. Vanessa is a graduate of the Clarion Workshop in San Diego, and she lives in Melbourne.
Today, Vanessa Len is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about her new young adult fantasy novel, Only a Monster. Read on!
Vanessa Len
Please tell us about your book, Only a Monster!
VL: Only a Monster is a young adult fantasy about a monster girl whose summer is ruined when the cute guy at work turns out to be a monster slayer!
It has a monster POV, a Captain America-like hero antagonist, enemy soulmates; a time travel battle; a magical underworld; a heist in a Monster Court, and a cute dog!
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
VL: Only a Monster has a central rivalry between a monster girl and a monster slayer.
I was originally inspired by the feeling when the hero of the story isn’t necessarily the hero of your story. When I was growing up, there wasn’t a lot of representation of people who looked like me in the big blockbuster action films and TV shows I loved. But I did sometimes see myself represented in the ‘bad guys’. I’d notice that sometimes Asian characters would turn up just for the fight scenes.
I have a line in the book about how in movies, the camera follows the hero after the bad guys have been killed. But I know that in my own experience, I can find myself very aware of the few people who look like me in books and onscreen, which sometimes means being very aware of people lying dead on the ground as the camera moves away.
So the first seed of inspiration was that feeling when a hero – maybe even a good, upright and decent hero – isn’t necessarily on your side; when they’re fighting against you rather than for you.
Your protagonist, Joan Chang-Hunt, is half-monster, from a family hiding some dangerous secrets. What appeals to you about writing a YA protagonist who is more antihero than hero?
VL: My main character Joan is initially a bit of a goody-two-shoes, and I wanted to follow a character like that as she’s faced with the choice of going against her own moral compass or losing her family – while being pitted against someone she cares about.
I like the dynamic of an antihero with a hero. I really love stories with big central rivalries – especially between characters who were once friends. It’s interesting to me when characters have opposing perspectives and motivations that are each understandable – while also being irreconcilable.
Is this a standalone story or do you have more plans for this world and the characters you’ve created?
VL: Only a Monster is the first in a trilogy. This first book is a complete arc – it has a wrapped-up ending – but for readers who like to solve mysteries, there are lots of hints about the big secrets of the series, and the twists and revelations to come.
‘It’s interesting to me when characters have opposing perspectives and motivations that are each understandable – while also being irreconcilable.’
Who did you write this book for? Who do you wish would read it?
VL: I suppose I wrote this book for my teenage self; I included lots of tropes and archetypes I love (time travel; heists; a magical underworld; enemy soulmates). And when I was growing up, I’d always wished that I could read about characters who looked and sounded like me having a big, exciting adventures, so I also created a main character with a similar background to mine.
I hope it’s a fun read for anyone who likes young adult fantasy, urban fantasy and time travel stories!
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey towards becoming a writer?
VL: Only a Monster is my first novel, and it started life at a dinner with some friends. We’d gotten onto the topic of writing, and it turned out that we’d all been thinking about writing books. We all made a pact to do it, and Only a Monster is just one of the books to come out of that dinner! Two others were published in 2021: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan and Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat.
Another big milestone for me was doing a six-week live-in writing workshop in San Diego called Clarion. A lot of my favourite writers had attended it, and one of my all-time favourite writers, Karen Joy Fowler, was an instructor in the year that I went.
The idea is that you write a short story each week for the six weeks, while also critiquing everyone’s else’s work. I learned so much from all the talented writers around me.
What do you love about writing and reading YA?
VL: In young adult books, characters often experience things for the first time – first love, first grief – and through those experiences they change and adapt and grow, and I find those change arcs really interesting to explore. I love following characters who are still learning new things about themselves at the same time that they’re facing challenges in their worlds.
What is the last book you read and loved?
VL: I just finished an incredible book called Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilson. It’s a young adult contemporary fantasy about three teenage girls who turn in desperation to dangerous magic after their friend dies in a car accident. The book explores grief and love – and the way they intertwine – and Riss Neilson goes deep into all of the characters so that you can’t help but fall in love with them.
What do you hope readers will discover in Only a Monster?
VL: I hope Only a Monster is a really fun, exciting, page-turning read where people can get lost for a while in a magical underworld of monsters and heroes!
And finally, what’s up next for you?
VL: I’m working on the sequel to Only a Monster right now! I love being back in this world. It’s been a lot of fun to delve deeper into the characters and the world of monsters.
Thanks Vanessa!
Thank you for these great questions!
—Only a Monster by Vanessa Len (Allen & Unwin) is out now.
Only a Monster
The Monsters Trilogy: Book 1
Only a monster would kill a hero. Right?
Every family has its secrets, but the summer Joan Chang-Hunt goes to stay with her Gran in London, she learns hers is bigger than most. The Hunts are one of twelve families in London with terrifying, hidden powers. Joan is half-monster. And what's more, her summer crush Nick isn't just a cute boy - he's hiding a secret as well; a secret that places Joan in terrible danger...
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