Peternelle van Arsdale

Raised by strict, devout people after soul eaters attacked her village and spared only the children, Alys grows up longing for the freedom of the forest while hiding a gift that would mark her as a witch.

The Beast Is an Animal

Tae Thompson

** spoiler alert **
           Fantastic book it was creepy the whole way until you get about chapter 35 and then it just gets lazy the ending is just growing together but I'm not going to dock this book because out of 300 and some odd pages it's fantastic it's just the last 25 or so that are straight garbage and that is why it's not a 5-star

Elizabeth Garza

I've never really been one to say, "Oh, this is the their first book," in a way that suggests that a book was anything less or more than what it was - good or bad. But this book .... Hmmm.... it was a first book. 

It was not bad but it was lacking at certain points and a bit much at other points. It was very atmospheric and haunting in a way that dark folklore-ish books are, but it also felt like a giant metaphor for ... something. And, maybe I'm just a bit too dense to get the metaphor, but I felt that the book didn't explain certain plot developments enough, and that led me to feeling like I really missed something vital. Would I recommend it? Sure, but not to someone who has stringent plot standards for their reading material. 

I am looking forward to reading this authors other book though The Cold Is in Her Bones.

Sheila Goicea

Alys, in fact, had never been afraid. Her favorite nursery rhymes were the scary ones. The ones about The Beast sucking out your soul and leaving behind nothing but gristle and skin. Those were the ones Alys liked best.
  

At first, I was terrified to pick up this book. The cover is horrifying in some, unexplainable way, and the nursery rhyme in the beginning gives me the creeps. I don't do well with horror. Hence, why I don't normally read anything having to do with it (besides the rather harmless Gothic horrors that I ironically love...)

However, despite my fear, this story ensnared me. It was so unique, and unlike anything I've ever read. Not to mention, there is so much to take away from this book! (I won't discuss everything here because then my review may end up surpassing the length of the book itself. But I'll discuss a few.)

The setting in  The Beast Is An Animal isn't really disclosed, other than it taking place in a region/country/continent called Byd. But I couldn't help but feel similarities to the setting of  The Scarlet Letter. Not only are the time periods similar, (i.e. clothing, social norms, gender roles, ways of living, etc.) but also the nearly superstitious religiosity that plagued the time period. Instead of piosity being beneficial for the community, it forced hypocrisy onto its followers. As clearly pointed out in both of these books, the devotees were taking part in sinful nature behind closed doors and refused to confess their sins, rather than make them openly known for fear of mankind's judgement, rather than allowing the judging, and mercy, falling to God (referred to as "The Shepard" in this tale.)

Despite the so-called strong beliefs, of the elders and High-elder of each community, we quickly see the duplicity of their speech. They believe that the Good Shepard will watch over them, yet, their own fear cripples them. Ultimately, their fear, anger, and worry bring their demise. 

  
    They're not building a Gate to keep folks out. They're building a Gate to keep folks in.
  

Another incredibly important point this book has to offer, is not to judge people by face value. As our main character, Alys, finds out, people who appear as foe may end up being your friend. Secondly, there is a place for good and bad in everyone. But that doesn't necessarily make them good, or make them bad. 

Alys: 

  
    If I'm special at all, it's because there's something terribly wrong with me.
  
 
For a seven-year-old, Alys is faced with some truly terrible dilemmas. Not only has she lost her family, let alone majority of the town folk of Gwenith, she thinks it may somehow be her doing. On top of that, she is blamed for being responsible behind her back. What seven-year-old is capable of such treachery!? This book shows just how powerful gossip and slander are. Rather than digging down to find out the truth, people prefer speaking about hearsay. Rather than facing their fear of being wrong with their naivety, they amass into group think. 

I really appreciated the pacing of this story, and how the writing grew and matched Alys' age. The transformation she makes from being a child into a young adult, is, well, devastating. The plight she is forced into when she and the other Gwenith children are taken in by the folk of Defaid is depressing and oppressing. 

The soul eaters: The obviously ironic, but well-assigned symbolic names of the twins made them all the more interesting. Angelica (meaning "angel" in Latin) and Benedicta (meaning "blessed" in Latin) were so...creepy.

A few things I wish I could have known more about:
 
1) How, exactly, does one become a soul eater? Is it a choice? Are you born with it? 
2) Where is Byd, and is there more out there?
3) The Beast: What is It? Where did It come from? Does it symbolize more than what is revealed in the book?
4) How could Alys' make choices in her fate when the others like her seemed unable to do so? Was it merely by choice, or did something truly make her different?

Besides these points, I can't help but admit that they aren't necessary to know for this read. They are personal tidbits that I want to know more about. 

There is a lot the reader can take away from  The Beast Is An Animal. Frankly, I think that's what a good book should offer. I would highly recommend this read.

5 stars.

You can also view this review on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy

danielle bush

** spoiler alert **
           I really enjoyed the first part if the book, when we are introduced to the soul eaters, the Beast and Alys. and the events that lead up to Alys and the survivors of her town being taken in my the people of Defaid. 
I thought most of the people of Defaid were aholes. They treated the children they took in like crap, and made them walk the perimeter of the town in the middle of the night in all kinds of weather. One child even dies.. I did come to like the couple that took Alys in. I also enjoyed what takes place after she escapes the town, and the ending.
As a whole I think the book was well written, just not necessarily for me.

Paige Green

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 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.

Review: This book is really interesting. It’s 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 didn’t 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 weren’t 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.

A girl with a secret talent must save her village from the encroaching darkness in this “achingly poetic” (Kirkus Reviews) and deeply satisfying tale. Alys was seven the first time she saw the soul eaters. These soul eaters are twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly grew into something not quite human. And they feed off of human souls. When her village was attacked, Alys was spared and sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think he 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.

Gabriela Roxana 

1.5

Well, what a sore disappointment. After reading the most recent release of this author I had such big hopes for this book. If anything, I actually thought I will like it more. Unfortunately, it did not live up to any expectations. 🙁 Had to force myself to finish this one.