Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef

Book Description

In the wake of Marjan’s father’s sudden death, she is trying to hold it all together: her schoolwork, friendships, and keeping her dad’s shoestring veterinary practice from going under. Then, one day, she receives a visitor who reveals something stunning: Marjan’s father was no ordinary veterinarian. The creatures out of the stories he told her were real—and he traveled the world to care for them. And now that he’s gone, she must take his place.

Review

Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef is a fascinating urban fantasy. Although published by a children’s fiction imprint, this novel offers something for readers of every age.

Marjan is angry. Angry that her mother died, angry that no one has solved her father’s murder, and angry that she didn’t know her family had a secret. A very big secret.

Anger is one of those emotions that “nice” girls aren’t supposed to have. But it’s real, and visceral, and tangible and we’ve all felt it, nice or not. It’s how Marjan deals with her grief which felt authentic to me.

I also loved that Monsef made Marjan half Iranian. He exactly captured that feeling of wanting to sink into part of one’s cultural heritage while feeling excluded from it. There’s an intrinsic otherness to it; like looking through a window and watching everyone else enjoying a communal meal.

One False Note

If I have one complaint about this book, it’s Marjan’s age. First, she does not act like a fifteen-year-old. Life has dealt her a bum hand, but she handles it all with a weary acceptance that feels much older than her chronological age.

But do you remember being fifteen? Feeling weird about your body, worrying about the future, the burning desire to find your place in the world. Marjan suffers none of that. Sure, she’s angry, but who wouldn’t be, given what she’s experienced?

Second, it doesn’t serve the story to make Marjan a high school kid. The character’s experience wouldn’t change a whit if she was nineteen instead of fifteen. So then, why make her a teen? To ensure booksellers shelve it with other YA fiction? Or maybe because the publishers keep trying to tie this book into the fervor around Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?

Whatever the reason, I found the tone of Once There Was closer to Menagerie by Rachel Vincent than Rowling’s historical fantasy. This novel is about an angry girl, and chock full of people who want to control the world, danger, and lies.

I enjoyed this novel. And marketing aside, what’s not to love? A secret family destiny, Persian fairy tales, and mythological beasties made real. Whether you are an adult or teen fantasy reader, give Once There Was a try!

Content Warning

Animal death, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Elmira Gokoryan on Unsplash