The Beast Is An Animal
by Peternelle Van Arsdale Book Review by Miranda Fraser ISBN: 978-1-4814-8841-9 Picture it, a book store, a girl on a hunt for Beauty and the Beast novels, and there it was a gorgeous book cover titled, "The Beast Is An Animal". She was drawn to it immediately, and the disappointment that it had NOTHING to do with Beauty and the Beast, lasted about five seconds. It only took five seconds for the creepy poem on the back of the novel to catch my attention. And, if you've followed my book reviews, than you know the last book with a creepy poem on the back ended up being one of the best books I've ever read. three-dark-crowns.html Taking a leap of faith I held onto this, hopeful that it might be a good Halloween read. With a poem with lines like this, "The Beast is an animal/ Hear It scratch upon your door/ It sucks you soul then licks the bowl/ And sniffs around for more" I would certainly hope it gives off Halloween vibes. The story revolves around a girl named Alys who at the age of seven lost her family and her home. The Soul Eaters came, but she was not touched, nor were any of the children in her village. Why was Alys spared when she had looked upon the Soul Eaters? A question she wonders daily. Rumors of her being found awake after the attack, began to fuel gossip that she herself was no good. A vile creature. The world in which Alys lives is very old timey. I got a very Scarlet Letter vibe from the townspeople's dialect, clothing, and especially their religious guidelines. Basically this a time where anything out of the ordinary must mean witchcraft. You don't bare children? Probably a witch or cursed. You use medicine instead of prayers- you're a witch. You get the picture. So it should come as no surprise that this book has prevalent hints of Good vs Evil and what one can do to be considered one or the other. And definitely how we perceive ourselves. This girl has a connection to the Soul Eaters and The Beast that they sing poems about and the churches preach against. She hides this from all, battling it slowly within herself, terrified of what the others might do, or what her loved ones would think of her. And the Soul Eaters are causing more damage to the world of Byd than merely taking souls. As this threat grows, Alys is running out of time to confront her inner abilities and fight for all that she loves. In the darkest hours of the world, where Alys has seen little joy and kindness, she is terrified that she deserves the bad, or has somehow caused it, by having an unholy connection to these creatures. Can Alys make a change to save the world of Byd or is she damned to darkness? I loved this book so much! And I got a bonsu experience: these Soul Eaters hunt at night, and whilst I was reading this book, it's about 3 a.m., and the lights started sputtering until finally we lost power in the house. It didn't last long, but when the lights inside came back on, my neighborhoods street lights were all out... I put the book down for the night, lol! This book is very profound, and the first this author has written, though I hear she has more books in the works, and I eagerly await what she will bring to book lovers. I hope you guys enjoyed this book and find the topic of Soul Eaters fitting for a Halloween season read. And as always read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's Library!
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