# Is "Pretty Monsters" by Kelly Link a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link (Viking, 2008) is identified by: Viking Children's first edition, October 2008, ISBN 0-670-01090-1 (9780670010905), with full number line ending in 1 and the Viking imprint. The US Viking hardcover (October 2008) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking Children's first edition, October 2008, ISBN 0-670-01090-1
- , with full number line ending in 1 and the Viking imprint
- Issued in the young-adult line; confirm an unclipped jacket flap price
- Selected and expanded stories collection illustrated by Shaun Tan
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kelly Link |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking Children's first edition, October 2008, ISBN 0-670-01090-1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Viking Children's first edition, October 2008, ISBN 0-670-01090-1 (9780670010905), with full number line ending in 1 and the Viking imprint. Issued in the young-adult line; confirm an unclipped jacket flap price. Selected and expanded stories collection illustrated by Shaun Tan.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking hardcover (October 2008) is the true first. The UK Canongate edition appeared in 2009, after Viking, so the US Viking is the recognized first for this collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later paperback editions lack the number line and the flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pretty Monsters* by Kelly Link a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pretty-monsters
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.