A review by alaspooriorek
The Boy and the Beast by Mamoru Hosoda

3.0

The Boy and the Beast light novel by Mamoru Hosoda was highly entertaining! Ren's mother has just passed away. Facing a future living with relatives he hates, Ren runs away and lives on the streets. While there he runs into a strange man who wants him as his apprentice. Only, man is subjective. Kamatetsu is from the land of the beasts and he's an unruly, angry, wild bear man who can't teach to save his life. Renamed Kyuta, Ren must navigate this new world and his growing relationship with his master. There's only one catch. There's a reason why humans aren't seen in the land of the beasts. They are susceptible to the great darkness in their hearts. Kyuta thought he'd left his behind, but it's not as gone as he thinks.

I had fun with this light novel. It was quick and entertaining. It was also one of the better translations that I've seen in a light novel. There were few problems, notably there were some really clunky and strange POV changes throughout the book that were confusing. The story itself is pretty succint, but the ending felt a bit contrived. I still found myself pleasantly surprised and I look forward to watching the movie that goes with the story.