Review of A Monster Under My Bed

Unique Ego · Post by **Unique Ego** » 25 Feb 2022, 08:32

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Monster Under My Bed" by Lori Williams.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Muffy Concord is schizophrenic and battling some inner demons intent on destroying her. Her battle for survival seems to be against impossible odds. Deemed a misfit and always misunderstood, Muffy has had to navigate the intricacies of life on her own. She is determined not to be a victim of her circumstances, which leads her on a personal quest to find the man of her dreams. In her quest to find happiness, Muffy must battle her addictions and mental illnesses as she realizes that happiness may not be in the places where she seeks it. Will she ever find that which she seeks?

A Monster Under My Bed by Lori Williams evokes a myriad of emotions. One of these emotions is empathy—empathy for Muffy, who represents the numerous addicts and mentally ill individuals who, in one way or another, are not always architects of their misfortune. They seem to be victims of circumstance and, despite their best intentions, are always misunderstood and end up the worst of the lot. The other emotion is anger towards those men (and women) who contrive to take advantage of these mentally disadvantaged persons, especially when they repose their trust in them.

Muffy's story was a case study of sorts. I liked how the author used her circumstances to portray the reality of people in similar situations. Muffy was constantly trying to make sense of her life amidst the cacophony of voices in her head. It was easy to read about her and draw parallels to the people around us that we would usually consider social misfits. With all the demons and addictions they have to battle, it is probably a miracle that they can maintain any semblance of sanity.

Muffy's mental resilience and will to survive—even though she didn't always make the right decisions in this regard—stood out for me. It would have been easy to lay down and accept that she had been dealt the worst hand by fate. But her resilience and that of some of the women in her family—Myra, Sabra, and Allison—stood out for me. I was more appreciative of this resilience when looking at it in light of the backdrop of depression and suicides we see today.

The emotional and physical abuse that was rife in this book was disheartening. It was saddening to read as Muffy gave her heart to any man who so much as offered anything remotely resembling love and acceptance. The stories, however, always ended the same—abuse.

The only negative aspect is that this book was clearly not professionally edited. The punctuation was poor, and the errors I found were numerous. I, therefore, rate it 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to all who are battling any form of addiction. Lovers of fiction and anyone who works with addicts or mentally challenged people will also find this book fascinating.

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A Monster Under My Bed
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Blessing Odii · Post by **Blessing Odii** » 14 Mar 2022, 16:48

This is quite an emotional story. I hope Muffy Concord overcome this circumstance around her.

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 14 Mar 2022, 18:32

I do realize that mental illnesses exist just like physical ones. It is unfortunate that most of society can only see people like Muffy as a product of their disease. I hope practical solutions are discussed.

Aisha Yakub · Post by **Aisha Yakub** » 17 Mar 2022, 13:09

Great to see fiction mirror real life experiences. Great review.

Post by **Pauline Parnell** » 17 Mar 2022, 21:24

Ths story is so intense and sympathetic. Mental illness is only recently been brought to the fore. These people need help from us rather than our scorn. Thank you for the review.

Kehinde Hussein · Post by **Kehinde Hussein** » 20 Mar 2022, 01:29

The battle against mental illness and addiction is no easy feat. Unfortunately, people hardly notice this. I like the prospect of reading this already.