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A review by goatsrsexy
We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Inspired by true events, this book is set in rural France in the 1700s where a village is plagued by a mysterious beast that is targeting women and children.
The men in this village are generally awful and abusive, while those who don't participate in the abuse happily look the other way. A few teenage girls see the beast as an opportunity to stage their deaths and escape the village for a better life, but the beast is real and they also need to avoid actually falling victim to it.
This was a pretty good YA historical fiction with fantasy, horror, and feminist elements to it.
The writing felt a bit modern for historical fiction which I see people complaining about in other reviews. It's a legitimate complaint but it didn't bother me that much. The book is YA and the language made it more readable. Also we have to remember that teenagers in 1700s France were just normal people like us and probably thought in a way similar to us. Yeah the book didn't have old timey prose, it also wasn't in French. Whatever.
I really enjoyed the idea of women using the idea of a monster to escape the real monster in their life which is the patriarchy and religious oppression. It worked well and there were a ton of memorable lines and quotes in the book (which I won't add here since I read an arc which is subject to some changes).
I'd definitely recommend picking this one up! It's a quick easy and inspiring read. Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy!
The men in this village are generally awful and abusive, while those who don't participate in the abuse happily look the other way. A few teenage girls see the beast as an opportunity to stage their deaths and escape the village for a better life, but the beast is real and they also need to avoid actually falling victim to it.
This was a pretty good YA historical fiction with fantasy, horror, and feminist elements to it.
The writing felt a bit modern for historical fiction which I see people complaining about in other reviews. It's a legitimate complaint but it didn't bother me that much. The book is YA and the language made it more readable. Also we have to remember that teenagers in 1700s France were just normal people like us and probably thought in a way similar to us. Yeah the book didn't have old timey prose, it also wasn't in French. Whatever.
I really enjoyed the idea of women using the idea of a monster to escape the real monster in their life which is the patriarchy and religious oppression. It worked well and there were a ton of memorable lines and quotes in the book (which I won't add here since I read an arc which is subject to some changes).
I'd definitely recommend picking this one up! It's a quick easy and inspiring read. Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy!