4.5.  The Monsters We Defy is a fantastical heist adventure set within a wonderfully crafted historic Washington DC populated by actual historical figures - WEB DuBois, Langston Hughes, Carter Woodson, and more - that has much to say about gentrification, colourism, class division, and resistance to racism.  The plot is well paced and exciting, and I enjoyed the cast of characters very much.

This novel would make absolutely fantastic television; I'd happily read more set in this world & more from Leslye Penelope.

Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, police brutality, racist violence, hate crime, enslavement, classism, colourism