Never a hero (monster #2)

What worked: This story starts right off where Only a Monster ended. In the current timeline, Joan has mixed feelings about rewinding time but finds she can't stop following Nick, the boy she loves. This is where things pick up really fast. Once more she finds herself back in the Monster world only in this version Aaron, her former friend, now is her foe. There's lots of action while Joan and Nick rush to make sense of what's happening to stop a horrific world of Monsters from existing.

I really enjoyed Only A Monster with its unique twist on time traveling. In this case, Joan is a 'monster' in that she can steal time from humans in order to time travel. The Monster slayer is one that slays monsters. In this follow-up novel though I found the pacing was off and I grew impatient for there to be a resolution. All of Joan's doubts, and questions slowed down an otherwise captivating novel.

The sparks do ignite when Nick is around. What's sad is he doesn't quite remember their relationship from the previous timeline. And when he finds out what Joan did? Yes, there's betrayal involved, not only with Joan but with other members of the monsters.

I wanted to see more of her grandmother, but there was only a quick glimpse of a younger, not-too-nice version. Saying that though the reveal at the conclusion did take me back and opened up the possibility of a third novel in this series. There's no way the author can leave readers hanging on what has to be the final conclusion.

Unique twist on time traveling where a girl finds her destiny involves not only saving her family but also her heart.

Happy Scream for finally getting to read the second installment and it was everything I wanted and more. Joan is sick after unmaking Nick in the old timeline. She misses him terribly and is facing an existence without him, but then a new boy shows up at her school and it is Nick! This is a Nick with a happy home life and no knowledge of monsters. She tries to stay away but the pull of the true timeline wants them together. However, with every step together she has a soul-deep love for him and a terrible distrust of him making for heart-wrenching drama.
I love that we learn about the identity of the mysterious woman who broke Nick into becoming the monster slayer. Her plan had twists that I did not see coming and an outcome that had me on the edge of my seat. I was surprised to find out about the origins of Joan's abilities and why the king changed the timeline originally.
I am happy for the return of Aaron and in an ironic mirror image of events from book one, he is now the person after Joan. I loved finally finding out about his past and getting him on her side again. Yet, because of twisty timeline events, you must wonder if he is truly on her side or if he is waiting to betray her.
The setting for this story is wonderfully engaging. I love the idea of time travel and am as awestruck as Joan is about getting to see the past yet it comes at a terrible price. While this book answered so many questions from book one there is still a terrible dilemma, they must combat in book three and can I just go ahead and time travel to the future so I can read book 3? I also am as torn as Joan on whether she can love and trust Nick and Aaron and I have no idea who to root for most for her affections.

What I liked:
Never a Hero is the second book in the Only a Monster Trilogy; I was wary of starting it as it is a second book, and we all know second books, while they add to the overall story, they seem to be a bit on the humdrum side of things. Never a Hero is any of that; Nick and Joan have a lot of anguish and tension as they come to terms with the issues from book one. Joan is from a family of monsters and has been told never to tell humans about monsters. That rule has been broken, and now she changed the timeline so that everyone killed by Nick has survived, but will she survive the new timeline and the truths she uncovers about her true family?
Final Verdict:
Joan learns a lot about her true family, the cost of changing the timeline, and of course, even more about who monsters are and what they believe. Never a Hero is based around stories that demons have been told about heroes, powers, and founding families, and it all gets turned on its head by the end of this sequel. I am eager to see what we uncover in book three now that all has been revealed, or has it?