An urban fantasy taking place in San Francisco during the Occupy Wallstreet movement. I have never felt more seen in an UF than this book. Instead of elves and vampires, there are creatures from non-Western folklore and mythology. There's a whole underground subculture of supernaturals, who are all people of color. Throw in some gang rivalry, some RiotGrrl feels, and a heroine who has no freaking clue what she is, and you have a great UF. Hopefully the start of a series! ( )

Monkey Around by Jadie Jang was a refreshingly original story that had a lot going for it. My favorite part of Monkey Around was how Jadie Jang expertly drew from a range of mythologies, not just the oft-used European mythologies. Jadie Jang skillfully wove together multiple enthralling internal and external conflicts, though there were two I felt could have been resolved more fully. I found all the characters engaging in some way, be it through their personalities or their unique abilities. I especially loved Maya. While her boy-craziness got under my skin a few times, her orneriness, charisma, and humor were wildly entertaining.

Michelle Schechter narrated the book excellently. The feeling and personality she put into her narration really helped make the characters pop. She gave each character their own voice, changing her accent and timbre as appropriate for each character and situation. I wasn't a huge fan of her portrayal of Tez, as he sounded more raspy than "creamy" to me, but I still found her narration enthralling. The audio quality was also fantastic. Not only did Michelle Schechter make the work more vivid, but there were terms I would have stumbled over without research had I not listened to the audiobook version. If any more books follow this one, it would be great if Michelle narrated them, too.

It seemed to me that, while Monkey Around stands on its own, it could be the start of a series. If it is, I'd love to find out where it goes. There’s certainly enough room for the story to continue. Maya's romantic conflict wasn’t entirely resolved (I dislike love triangles, but this one wasn't obnoxious and since it was there, I wanted more closure), and she still has so much to learn about herself. Even if Monkey Around had a more closed ending, Jadie Jang's brilliant descriptions, engrossing prose, and intriguing characters would have left me wishing for a sequel. I recommend Monkey Around for mature young adults and adults looking for a fresh, fun, action-packed urban fantasy tale.

(Disclaimer: I received a free audiobook copy of Monkey Around from Storytellers On Tour for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)

Trigger Warning: Some violence, murder, and profanity. ( )