A review of J.M. Miro's "Ordinary Monsters" (audiobook)

Dickens meets Marvel’s X-Men is the best way I can describe Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro. Orphans with extraordinary abilities from all over the world are taken to the mysterious Cairndale Institute in Scotland. Is it for their own protection and instruction, or does the owner have more nefarious plans to carry out? This book follows the adventures of one set of these orphans, each with an amazing power, as they discover whom they should trust and from whom they should run.

Many reviewers have complained about the length of the audiobook, but I enjoyed the extended time I got to spend in this amazingly well-crafted world. Miro has shown a great ability in world building, and though it takes some time to follow all the threads, the reveals are worth it in the end. The themes of trust and family run throughout. Though many of these children are alone in the world, they have each other.

I have to say I did enjoy the narrator, Ben Onwukwe. His accent lent the correct character and gravitas to the story. I hope he reprises his role when the next installment is released, as I do not think it would be as good without the same narrator.

This work would definitely suit fans of Miss Peregrine’s and Harry Potter, though for slightly more mature readers. The book is clearly a first installment, and I look forward to the next work from J.M. Miro.

I received this for review from NetGalley.

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