The Monster Keeps Me Safe
(formerly Tabula Rasa)
by Kitty Thomas
What’s Real and What Isn’t…?
Shannon Mercer isn’t just a morally gray character, and he doesn’t toe the line of what society supposedly deems ‘right’ or wrong’ either. He’s a man who’s very much in tune with and comfortable in his sociopathy, which makes him all the more *chef’s kiss*. In other words, he jumps right over said societal arbitrary line, and that’s the point of it all, really (in a fictional context, I should add… y’know, just in case!).
Heros like him are a constant reminder of why I’ve been a Kitty Thomas fan for years! At the end of this, I had so many questions, so my imagination will run a little wild on this one. It was a 5-star read nonetheless.
And Elodie… where do I begin? At face value, she reads like your ‘typical’ victim, but we quickly come to find that she’s anything but. She’s just a woman who’s been dealt really shitty cards in life, ends up finding her monster (or he finds her) and the rest is history. Despite the fact that she had been put through the wringer, I particularly loved that Shannon didn’t handle her with kid gloves but had enough awareness to give her space to heal at her own pace. And that’s all anyone can ask for, really. I also can’t say any more without spoiling the story, so… if you haven’t yet, go read it!
What I enjoyed most about this story is the fact that even though it is primarily told from Elodie’s POV (and Kitty does a fantastic job of portraying her); the added prologue and epilogue from Shannon’s POV make it all that much better. Honestly. Had we gotten dual POVs throughout, it would have been a disservice to what Elodie went through. That glimpse into Shannon’s psyche only confirms what we (the reader) can discern all along – he is completely and utterly obsessed and taken with her.
Then there’s the cat… I’ll leave it at that.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
