Sunday, February 5, 2017

Review: The Beast Is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale


The Beast Is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

A girl with a secret talent must save her village from the encroaching darkness in this haunting and deeply satisfying tale.

Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village.

These soul eaters, twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly morphed into something not quite human, devour human souls. Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys.

Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside—and from within her own heart and soul. 

What I Liked:

The Beast Is an Animal is one of the strangest and most intriguing books I've read in a long time. It's one of those books that made me think, what in the world did I just read? But in a good way. From the start, I was hooked into the story and there was no stopping until I knew how it ended. I haven't seen a lot of my fellow blogging peers read this one (yet), but I certainly hope that changes, because this book is one for the ages. 

Alys was seven years old when she saw the soul eaters - the night they found her wandering in the fields, and left her alone. The next morning, every single adult in her village was dead, but all the children were alive and sleeping. Alys and the other children of Gwenith are taken to Defaid, where the Elders allow them to live, but keep them under strict rule. The children of Gwenith are charged with guarding Defaid's new Gate, to watch for the evil soul eaters. Alys has never feared the soul eaters. In fact, she has seen them many times since that night when she was seven - and she has seen the Beast too. The Beast has spoken with her, and warns her that the soul eaters must be stopped. Alys must find a way to stop them before even more people are hurt.

This book has a fairy tale vibe to it. This story could fit right in with Grimm's Fairy Tales, or some of the classic, old fairy tales that we all know and love. It has a mystical, creepy atmosphere to it, which a lot of the original fairy tales had. It's not a cutesy, happy story. It's dark and heartbreaking, but there a hopeful tone to it, especially towards the end. 

The story is written in third-person, limited to Alys's POV, and occasionally, a short narration of the soul eaters' wanderings. Having this story told in third-person was the best way to go about it, because it added to the dark fairy tale vibe. There is a Beast, and there are creepy soul eaters that are never satisfied. I am glad that van Arsdale gave us their backstory as well, to see how they grew to be what they became.

I liked Alys a lot, and my heart ached for her during the story. Her parents die, she is taken to an unfamiliar place with rigid rules and cold, harsh people, and she and her Gwenith peers are isolated from each other. Alys and the others live in Defaid for about nine years, and then things change. So about half the story takes place from Alys being seven to Alys being sixteen. This lengthy period of time is so necessary to understanding Alys, and seeing how she grows. She fears a darkness in her, a darkness that she didn't always have. 

The story was so engrossing and intriguing, and there was no way I was going to put the book down until I was finished. It went by very quickly, especially since I was so hooked. I was alternating between biting my nails and turning pages, because things started to get intense pretty quickly. Life in Defaid is cruel, and life outside of Defaid isn't much better, though it's definitely not worse. When Alys finally leaves Defaid, she finds a little comfort, but she is still trying to understand a darkness that hangs over her head.

There is a little romance that gets stronger towards the end of the book! I thought Alys and her boy were adorable together. Cian is so happy and good, and Alys is cautious and hardened from years of folding in on herself and letting no one in. The two of them are complete opposites, and yet they are exactly what each other needs. The romance is in the background and it's very subtle. The pair don't even meet until about halfway into the story, so don't think that the romance is the biggest part of the story (because it isn't). And yet, it's one of the few sweet and hopeful parts of the book.

I don't even want to begin to describe what starts to go down in this book, as it gets closer to the end! You'll have to read it to really understand. There are wonderful people and awful people in this story, and there are terrible parts and heartwarming parts. I was really satisfied with the story overall, as well as the character development, the romance, and the ending. The ending wrapped up so perfectly and neatly and I have no complaints about that. 

What I Did Not Like:

I don't think I have anything specific to complain about, really! This one isn't quite a five-star read for me (those are reserved for new favorites), but it's good and I'm very pleased.

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book for those who love fantasy, or fairy tales, or retellings, or any of those types of stories that involve a stretch of the imagination. This story belongs among the classic fairy tales, the fantasy stories that you hear about centuries later. It is dark and intriguing, with a somewhat creepy tone to it. And yet, it is hopeful and powerful too. 

Rating: 

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I am very glad that I took a chance on this book, despite knowing nothing about it before reading it. I sort of can't believe it's only van Arsdale's debut - she is such a wonderful writer! I look forward to reading more books by her.


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

26 comments:

  1. This sounds like an interesting read! :)

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    1. I certainly thought so! Very fairy-tale-esque. :D

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  2. OOh nice! I remember seeing this one about in the blogosphere! It grabbed my attention with its fairy tale vibe but I knew noting about it else wise and it seemed no one else was reading it yet. But I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! I just might have to pick this one up someday! Great review!

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    1. It was incredibly, Jessica! Like an original fairy tale. If you read it, I hope you like it! Thank you. =)

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  3. I'm really glad you took a chance on this one as well! When I reviewed the book (also gave it 4 stars), I wrote about how it's written with a very folklore-like vibe. The writing just flowed so easily, and it was quick to read despite having a more sedate pace. Alys was also an awesome character - overall, the exploration on what makes the "beast" inside of us was really unforgettable and unique. I'm soo glad you liked this one!

    - Aila @ One Way Or An Author

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    1. Folklore! That's a good word to use when talking about this book! I like what you said about the beast being inside of us - that's an interesting way to look at things. Vice versa, Aila! <3

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  4. As soon as I seen your review pop up in my inbox I jumped to your blog to read it! I'm so glad that you liked this one! You compared it to one of Grimm's fairy tales, would you say it's pretty dark then?

    Great review! :)

    Miranda @ Miranda's Book Blog

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    1. YAY! Thank you, Miranda! It was very Grimm-fairy-tale-y. :D Dark, yes, and very atmospheric. This was not a light and happy tale, but it was also hopeful too. If that makes sense?

      Thank you!

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  5. I haven't heard of this before but I love the sound of it! An engrossing novel is one I haven't read in awhile so perhaps I should pick this up soon! Thanks for putting this on my radar!

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    1. It was such an intriguing story, Keertana! If you read it, I hope you like it. =)

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  6. How have I not heard of this one until now?! It sounds absolutely amazing and I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. I'm definitely on board for the fairy tale feel it seems to give off. I can't wait to read this one!

    Hope you're having a lovely day, Alyssa!

    Ashtyn @ Wonderland’s Reader!

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    1. It had a lot of pre-pre-pre-buzz, reaaaaaally early in 2016 (probably too early). They released eARCs entirely too early, in my opinion! People probably forgot about the book. o_o In any case, I loved the book! If you read it, I hope you love it, Ashtyn! :D

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  7. I cant wait to find time for this one. It initially caught my interest because the setting and atmosphere sounds a little like The Glass Casket, which I loved. Great review, Alyssa. I'm even more excited now!

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    1. Hmmm, I've not read The Glass Casket, but I bet if you liked that one, you'll like this one. I think you've read it by now (I feel like I remember seeing your review). :D I am so behind on comments!

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  8. I am thinking that I need to read this book. I was drawn to the cover when I first saw it weeks ago but now that you say it is strange, I am really tempted. I love strange book. Great review!

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    1. YES! You should (if you haven't already)! The cover matches the story well - dark, yet ethereal and intriguing. Thank you, Carole!

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  9. I have never heard of this book, but it sounds really interesting. Once I read the synopsis I was thinking this sounds like a strange fairytale. I like that is was so engrossing that you couldn't put it down. I will need to check it out. Great review!

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    1. A strange fairy tale indeed! Honestly the author has written an original one here, in my opinion. I loved it!

      Thank you, Kristyn!

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  10. Oh I was really curious about this one. Such a great cover. Glad it was a pretty darn good read for ya :)

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  11. Ohh amazing review Alyssa. I've been seeing this around lately but never really saw many reviews about it. But now after reading your review I am very intrigued about it, I really do love dark, creepy fairy tail esque books. And this one looks and sounds absolutely fantastic plus I really love that stunningly gorgeous cover. Thank you so much for your awesome post my friend.

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    1. Thank you, Katiria! I hadn't seen too many reviews for it either, before mine. I think people forgot about the book, LOL. It was a great story though! And the cover is definitely shelf-worthy. You're welcome and thank YOU!

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  12. I liked this one but also felt a little meh about the ending. But it was an enjoyable read!
    @TeacherofYA

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    1. Aww, that's too bad! I'm glad you liked it overall though. =)

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  13. Ohh :D I haven't really seen this before, but now you are making me so curious. Ahh. And nothing to hate about? Haha :D That's just awesome. <3 So glad you liked this book a lot Alyssa :)

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    1. Ahhh, really? I liked it so much - such a great fairy tale/fantasy story. Thank you, Carina!

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