Monsters of Rookhaven
Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2022
Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for October 2021
Winner of the Honour Award for Fiction, KPMG Irish Children's Book Awards 2021
'A magnificent, shadowy, gothic adventure full of heart' – Emma Carroll, author of Frost Hollow Hall.
A thought-provoking, chilling and beautifully written novel, Pádraig Kenny's The Monsters of Rookhhaven, stunningly illustrated by Edward Bettison, explores difference and empathy through the eyes of characters you won't want to let go.
Sometimes the monsters take us. Sometimes we become the monsters.
Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world.
But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see.
'A stunning book . . . a brand new take on the monster story' – Eoin Colfer
'A wildly imaginative story . . . a triumph' – Irish Examiner
'Kenny is a thrilling writer and knows how to chill his readers' – Telegraph
Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer from County Kildare, now living in Limerick. Previously an arts journalist, a teacher and a librarian's assistant, he now writes full-time. His first novel Tin was a Waterstones Book of the Month and was nominated for the Carnegie, as well as being shortlisted for the Irish Book Award and several regional awards. He is married with four children. The Monsters of Rookhaven is his first novel with Macmillan Children's Books.
Edward Bettison is a graphic designer and illustrator, born in Hull. After studying Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University, he moved to London to work in the music industry and then on to publishing. He is known for the intricate detail in his original works, authenticity of vision and bold imagery. He lives in Brighton with his partner Susannah and his twelve year old son Kip.