The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
vanessamariebooks's review against another edition
3.0
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Om9MMzln28&index=44&list=PLY2zFgLQn2r1ktTYpD0L8GtsyqXskXCI8&t=14s
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
4.0
*I received this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
The Beast is an Animal is an absolutely chilling, dark, and captivating read. I havenât had that anxious pit in my stomach for a fantasy book in a long long time. The writing was very, and the descriptions were rich and lush, especially given the fact that the people in the village of Defaid were such a staid, prudish, fanatical bunch. Itâs not often that you read a story that intertwines the goodness and badness of people like Van Arsdale does in this novel. The main character Alys is a perfect example of that, she is like the âsoul-eatersâ but she is NOT like them in ways that matter more. Alys is so refreshing to read about because she is not the perfect girl, but neither is she one of those characters that have a minor flaw that makes them a âterrible personâ by the standards of the book. Alys has a darkness that she is constantly battling, the same as the soul-eater twins, but unlike them she had more than a mother who cared about her and she was not removed from the village. This meant that she has a compassion and sense of justice that the other girls donât have, and that sets her a part.
The pacing in this book is slow, there are no epic battles and sword-fights, but there is a finale that took my breath away. You may feel like youâre constantly waiting, but itâs a delicious kind of waiting that builds intensity and tension until it finally reaches the climax of the story. That being said, there were a few times that the story felt like it jumped ahead without much warning, I think that had more to do with the fact that this book spans like 10 years, but it was jarring at times. As I mentioned earlier in this review, this subject matter is dark. This is not for the faint of heart or younger readers. These girls eat souls, and the descriptions that accompany that are absolutely terrifying although they are brilliantly written. I honestly canât rave enough about this book, it was just what I needed to read after so much fluff, and a few duds. This book was absolutely wonderful, and I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/the-beast-is-an-animal-by-peternelle-van-arsdale.html*
The Beast is an Animal is an absolutely chilling, dark, and captivating read. I havenât had that anxious pit in my stomach for a fantasy book in a long long time. The writing was very, and the descriptions were rich and lush, especially given the fact that the people in the village of Defaid were such a staid, prudish, fanatical bunch. Itâs not often that you read a story that intertwines the goodness and badness of people like Van Arsdale does in this novel. The main character Alys is a perfect example of that, she is like the âsoul-eatersâ but she is NOT like them in ways that matter more. Alys is so refreshing to read about because she is not the perfect girl, but neither is she one of those characters that have a minor flaw that makes them a âterrible personâ by the standards of the book. Alys has a darkness that she is constantly battling, the same as the soul-eater twins, but unlike them she had more than a mother who cared about her and she was not removed from the village. This meant that she has a compassion and sense of justice that the other girls donât have, and that sets her a part.
The pacing in this book is slow, there are no epic battles and sword-fights, but there is a finale that took my breath away. You may feel like youâre constantly waiting, but itâs a delicious kind of waiting that builds intensity and tension until it finally reaches the climax of the story. That being said, there were a few times that the story felt like it jumped ahead without much warning, I think that had more to do with the fact that this book spans like 10 years, but it was jarring at times. As I mentioned earlier in this review, this subject matter is dark. This is not for the faint of heart or younger readers. These girls eat souls, and the descriptions that accompany that are absolutely terrifying although they are brilliantly written. I honestly canât rave enough about this book, it was just what I needed to read after so much fluff, and a few duds. This book was absolutely wonderful, and I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/the-beast-is-an-animal-by-peternelle-van-arsdale.html*
briecheezit's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism and Miscarriage
erinarkin20's review against another edition
3.0
Review to comeThe Beast is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale is one of those books that after I finished, my first thought was âhow am I going to review this?â I love the summary on this book as it draws on the creepy atmosphere that van Arsdale has created and the (beautiful) cover just brings it all to life.
The story begins with a separate story that sets the stage for the main character Alys. In the time where superstition rules peopleâs thoughts, a village needed a scapegoat to explain why their crops were failing and people were in danger. Upon noticing a star shaped mark on the farmerâs twin daughters, the villagers immediately informed the farmer they didnât blame him â it was the work of a witch (his wife) and the offspring of the Beast (his daughters). All he had to do was banish his wife and daughters and everything would be fine. With that, the farmer took his wife and daughters to the woods believing they would be safe from the angry villagers there.
Eventually the mother and the girls are forgotten but over time, the girls become something else and that something else leads to the label âSoul Eatersâ. To get back at their father and the village, they let the wolves attack their livestock and that isntâ enough for them. The sisters decide to go back and seek out those that accused them and their mother of being something dangerous. They went back to make the adults of Gwenith (the village) pay and they left the children alone. This is really where Alysâ story begins.
Alys was an interesting character. She did not have an easy go of things once the adults in her village were taken by the Soul Eaters. As the only child to stay awake when the sisters visited the village, people were immediately wary of her. Add to this the fact that she tends to be in the wrong place at the wrong time fairly often and you can imagine what the villagers think about her. Alys doubts herself as well. She canât explain why she is the way she is and she almost gives in to the things she is being accused of later in the book.
As she and the children of her village are taken in by the people of Defaid, a village down the road, they are not treated in a way one would expect. When the fear takes hold of the people in charge in Defaid, they immediately build a fence and force the children to guard and protect. When the children continue to go missing or die, they are just replaced with other Gwenith children. Clearly the Defaiders donât really care about these children and are really just looking at them as an added line of defense against the Beast and the Soul Eaters. When Alys sees something she shouldnât have, she is accused of being a witch and thatâs when things take a turn for the worse for her. I honestly couldnât believe what the women and Elders put this young girl through and when her adoptive father does what he can to save her, I finally felt like he cared about her.
The secondary characters were interesting. Pawl was one of my favorites. He had flaws but they were definitely outweighed (in my opinion) by the positive things he did for Alys and the children. Through Pawl we are introduced to Cian. The interactions he an Alys had were some of my favorite parts.
As Alys confronts the Soul Eaters and the Beast, she realizes what she wants out of her lifeâŠand it definitely isnât the heartache of being a Soul Eater. When she stands up for what she really wants and ultimately helps the sisters escape the lives they have been living for so long, she also helps the people she cares about because they are no longer going to be threatened by them.
Overall I thought this was an interesting story. It was slow at times but that didnât bother me overly much. There is quite a bit I am not mentioning in my review as I donât really want to give away everything and to be honest, this one was tough for me to write about only because there are so many layers to this story that I canât really cover it all. If you are looking for something different in YA, consider checking this book out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The story begins with a separate story that sets the stage for the main character Alys. In the time where superstition rules peopleâs thoughts, a village needed a scapegoat to explain why their crops were failing and people were in danger. Upon noticing a star shaped mark on the farmerâs twin daughters, the villagers immediately informed the farmer they didnât blame him â it was the work of a witch (his wife) and the offspring of the Beast (his daughters). All he had to do was banish his wife and daughters and everything would be fine. With that, the farmer took his wife and daughters to the woods believing they would be safe from the angry villagers there.
Eventually the mother and the girls are forgotten but over time, the girls become something else and that something else leads to the label âSoul Eatersâ. To get back at their father and the village, they let the wolves attack their livestock and that isntâ enough for them. The sisters decide to go back and seek out those that accused them and their mother of being something dangerous. They went back to make the adults of Gwenith (the village) pay and they left the children alone. This is really where Alysâ story begins.
Alys was an interesting character. She did not have an easy go of things once the adults in her village were taken by the Soul Eaters. As the only child to stay awake when the sisters visited the village, people were immediately wary of her. Add to this the fact that she tends to be in the wrong place at the wrong time fairly often and you can imagine what the villagers think about her. Alys doubts herself as well. She canât explain why she is the way she is and she almost gives in to the things she is being accused of later in the book.
As she and the children of her village are taken in by the people of Defaid, a village down the road, they are not treated in a way one would expect. When the fear takes hold of the people in charge in Defaid, they immediately build a fence and force the children to guard and protect. When the children continue to go missing or die, they are just replaced with other Gwenith children. Clearly the Defaiders donât really care about these children and are really just looking at them as an added line of defense against the Beast and the Soul Eaters. When Alys sees something she shouldnât have, she is accused of being a witch and thatâs when things take a turn for the worse for her. I honestly couldnât believe what the women and Elders put this young girl through and when her adoptive father does what he can to save her, I finally felt like he cared about her.
The secondary characters were interesting. Pawl was one of my favorites. He had flaws but they were definitely outweighed (in my opinion) by the positive things he did for Alys and the children. Through Pawl we are introduced to Cian. The interactions he an Alys had were some of my favorite parts.
As Alys confronts the Soul Eaters and the Beast, she realizes what she wants out of her lifeâŠand it definitely isnât the heartache of being a Soul Eater. When she stands up for what she really wants and ultimately helps the sisters escape the lives they have been living for so long, she also helps the people she cares about because they are no longer going to be threatened by them.
Overall I thought this was an interesting story. It was slow at times but that didnât bother me overly much. There is quite a bit I am not mentioning in my review as I donât really want to give away everything and to be honest, this one was tough for me to write about only because there are so many layers to this story that I canât really cover it all. If you are looking for something different in YA, consider checking this book out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
sarapie32's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anavaldes13's review against another edition
5.0
is not the best book, but it is interesting. I only give it 5 stars because this book got me into fantasy and it hold a special place in my heart.
nata_sa_b's review
5.0
4,5*
Predstavujem vĂĄm moju ÄalĆĄiu obÄŸĂșbenĂș knihu do zbierky.
Nemåm slov! Bolo to fantastické! Magické! Surové! Kruté! Miestami creepy a ja som si to totålne zamilovala!
Od tejto knihy neviete, Äo mĂĄte oÄakĂĄvaĆ„, ale to Äo dostanete! Och! MĂŽj ty BoĆŸe! Toto je jedna z knĂh, ktorĂș chcete ÄĂtaĆ„ a vlastniĆ„. A nielen kvĂŽli tej nadpozemsky krĂĄsnej obĂĄlke. A dokonca vĂĄm nebudĂș vadiĆ„ hluchĂ© miesta a ani ten koniec, ktorĂœ....ani neviem Äo sa tam vlastne dialo, tak ma to pohltilo:D Je to mega! Len smelo do toho, nebudete to ÄŸutovaĆ„!
Predstavujem vĂĄm moju ÄalĆĄiu obÄŸĂșbenĂș knihu do zbierky.
Nemåm slov! Bolo to fantastické! Magické! Surové! Kruté! Miestami creepy a ja som si to totålne zamilovala!
Od tejto knihy neviete, Äo mĂĄte oÄakĂĄvaĆ„, ale to Äo dostanete! Och! MĂŽj ty BoĆŸe! Toto je jedna z knĂh, ktorĂș chcete ÄĂtaĆ„ a vlastniĆ„. A nielen kvĂŽli tej nadpozemsky krĂĄsnej obĂĄlke. A dokonca vĂĄm nebudĂș vadiĆ„ hluchĂ© miesta a ani ten koniec, ktorĂœ....ani neviem Äo sa tam vlastne dialo, tak ma to pohltilo:D Je to mega! Len smelo do toho, nebudete to ÄŸutovaĆ„!
zara_sa's review against another edition
3.0
It had potential but something seemed to have gone wrong in its execution.
jordandotcom's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Took 200 pages in for me to truly be interested, and the poorly executed instalove scenario didnât do it for me at all.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: None, I bought this book on my own.
Rating: 4.5/5
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (creepy moments, death, demons, murder, possession)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 352
Amazon Link
Synopsis: 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 sparedâand 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 eatersâand of the Beast they believe guides themârule 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 outsideâand from within her own heart and soul.
Review: This book is really interesting. Itâs told in a creepy way without being overly cheesy, the book continues the creepy vibe throughout the book. The plot is intriguing and the writing flows really well. The book is also very well paced and I didnât feel there was any lag at any point in the book.
However, I was confused by the ending and I was left with a sense of lose at the end. I also feel that some of the characters werenât as well developed as others. Some of them were repeating characters in the narrative but they were hardly developed.
Verdict: A creepy story perfect for Halloween.
Rating: 4.5/5
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (creepy moments, death, demons, murder, possession)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 352
Amazon Link
Synopsis: 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 sparedâand 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 eatersâand of the Beast they believe guides themârule 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 outsideâand from within her own heart and soul.
Review: This book is really interesting. Itâs told in a creepy way without being overly cheesy, the book continues the creepy vibe throughout the book. The plot is intriguing and the writing flows really well. The book is also very well paced and I didnât feel there was any lag at any point in the book.
However, I was confused by the ending and I was left with a sense of lose at the end. I also feel that some of the characters werenât as well developed as others. Some of them were repeating characters in the narrative but they were hardly developed.
Verdict: A creepy story perfect for Halloween.