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tinyy's review
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It took me four hours to read this book. I started four hours and thirty minutes ago. Each chapter is like an episode, with a new ‘beast’ being introduced like it’s beast of the week. As such, it’s incredibly easy to read. The unnamed main character narrates the entire thing and with each chapter we learn a little bit more about her—sort of. I love the beasts, love the writing, love the characters, but it’s not five stars for me because every time the main character would figure something out, it would read “and it clicked” or some other variation and then not explain what clicked. Maddening. I had to look up an explanation and I still don’t understand the entire story. Recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Every sort of horror imaginable must be at least mentioned. Except maybe cancer. The worst offenders are body horror and death, with vivid descriptions of each. There’s also a bit of eugenics, euthanasia, and smoking.feebles640's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Vomit
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Forced institutionalization
fiveredhens's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
there were a lot of places where i couldn't follow what was going on at all and the writing was a bit... stilted i guess? i think some nuance and flow were lost in translation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Vomit, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
clarabooksit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
ana_reads's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror
rorikae's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
'Strange Beasts of China' by Yan Ge is an inciteful story that explores different facets of humanity through a speculative lens.
The story centers on the unnamed narrator who is writing a book about the different beasts that inhabit her city. These beasts resemble humans in many ways but have other characteristics like gills or more than human abilities. Each section of the story explores a new beast type and the narrator's encounters with that particular type of beast. As she explores more beast types, she begins to learn more about herself and her past.
Ge presents a look at humanity through the ways that the characters interact with these so-called beasts. The story is colored by the narrator's history and experience with the beasts but this allows the reader to better understand her as she learns more about them. There were certain beasts that I found more interesting than others though I did appreciate how the character's story advanced through the different pieces. I will say that when I read the synopsis I expected more folkloric creatures whereas the beasts are more closely tied to humanity than to animals. The sections that I enjoyed the most were tied to the beasts that I found the most interesting. For example, the section on the flourishing beasts, which are the most unique creatures in the book, was my favorite section. This section also opened up a great deal about the narrator's relationship with her mother and began the process of diving deeper into the narrator's past.
This story is short and a quick read. I am interested in what Ge writes next as I think she utilizes the speculative aspects of the story in unique ways to explore human nature.
The story centers on the unnamed narrator who is writing a book about the different beasts that inhabit her city. These beasts resemble humans in many ways but have other characteristics like gills or more than human abilities. Each section of the story explores a new beast type and the narrator's encounters with that particular type of beast. As she explores more beast types, she begins to learn more about herself and her past.
Ge presents a look at humanity through the ways that the characters interact with these so-called beasts. The story is colored by the narrator's history and experience with the beasts but this allows the reader to better understand her as she learns more about them. There were certain beasts that I found more interesting than others though I did appreciate how the character's story advanced through the different pieces. I will say that when I read the synopsis I expected more folkloric creatures whereas the beasts are more closely tied to humanity than to animals. The sections that I enjoyed the most were tied to the beasts that I found the most interesting. For example, the section on the flourishing beasts, which are the most unique creatures in the book, was my favorite section. This section also opened up a great deal about the narrator's relationship with her mother and began the process of diving deeper into the narrator's past.
This story is short and a quick read. I am interested in what Ge writes next as I think she utilizes the speculative aspects of the story in unique ways to explore human nature.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Strange is definitely the correct adjective for this book. It reads like a mix between a bestiary and a series of interconnected short stories, with an overarching meta-plot that breaks the fourth wall. At points I definitely lost track of what was going on, but for the most part I really enjoyed this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Slavery, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder
charleyroxy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"'I've read everything you've written about beasts,' he said. 'You make it all sound so real. The beasts are more human than the humans, and the humans are beastlier than the beasts.'"
Strange Beasts of China is the most recent offering from Tilted Axis Press and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Written by Yan Ge over ten years ago, when she was just 21, and recently translated beautifully from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang. I was interested, though not surprised, when I found out this novel was originally released episodically for a monthly publication. There is a definite storyline that runs throughout but each beasts profile and story could stand on its own.
We are whisked along by our nameless protagonist, who was once a promising cryptozoologist and now a novelist, to the city of Yong'an. The city is populated by a host of beasts that have sometimes visible and sometimes invisible effects on the inhabitants. The novelist is trying to make deadlines for each beast story while juggling interactions with her friends and colleagues (enigmatic former professor, her boisterous friend Charley and another zoology student, Zhong Liang), looking for the different beasts and binge drinking at the Dolphin Bar.
I really enjoyed spending time in Yong'an and, whenever I put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to the city. There many aspects of the writing I loved from the language used to the forumlaic way each chapter was organized: here is what we know about the beast, the action takes place, revelation and the truth. I was always reading with a large amount of anticipation and searching for clues everywhere. I also loved the layers. There was the story but there was also a lot of commentary as well like how as humans we often seem to be fearful of and try to destroy things we do not understand.
Strange Beasts of China is the most recent offering from Tilted Axis Press and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Written by Yan Ge over ten years ago, when she was just 21, and recently translated beautifully from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang. I was interested, though not surprised, when I found out this novel was originally released episodically for a monthly publication. There is a definite storyline that runs throughout but each beasts profile and story could stand on its own.
We are whisked along by our nameless protagonist, who was once a promising cryptozoologist and now a novelist, to the city of Yong'an. The city is populated by a host of beasts that have sometimes visible and sometimes invisible effects on the inhabitants. The novelist is trying to make deadlines for each beast story while juggling interactions with her friends and colleagues (enigmatic former professor, her boisterous friend Charley and another zoology student, Zhong Liang), looking for the different beasts and binge drinking at the Dolphin Bar.
I really enjoyed spending time in Yong'an and, whenever I put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to the city. There many aspects of the writing I loved from the language used to the forumlaic way each chapter was organized: here is what we know about the beast, the action takes place, revelation and the truth. I was always reading with a large amount of anticipation and searching for clues everywhere. I also loved the layers. There was the story but there was also a lot of commentary as well like how as humans we often seem to be fearful of and try to destroy things we do not understand.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
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