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Beast
Returning to a favourite Northwest Territories setting, Richard Van Camp brings his exuberant style to a captivating teen novel that blends the supernatural with 1980s-era nostalgia to reflect on friendship, tradition and forgiveness.
For as long as Lawson can remember, his life in a small Northwest Territories town has revolved around “the Treaty” between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan, set down centuries ago to prevent the return of bloody warfare between the two peoples.
On the Dogrib side, Lawson and his family have done their best to keep the pact alive with the neighbouring Cranes, a family with ancestral ties to a revered Chipewyan war chief. But even as Lawson and his father dutifully tidy the Cranes’ property as an act of respect, their counterparts offer little more than scowls and derision in return, despite the fact that both families are responsible for protecting the treaty.
Worse still, it seems that one of the Cranes’ boys is doing all he can to revive the old Silver, fresh out of jail, has placed himself in the service of a cruel, ghoulish spirit bent on destroying the peace. Now it's up to Isaiah Valentine, a Cree Grass Dancer, Shari Burns, a Metis psychic, and Lawson Sauron, a Dogrib Yabati—or protector—to face what Silver Cranes has called back.
This latest feat of storytelling magic by celebrated author Richard Van Camp blends sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror as it plays out against a 1980s-era backdrop replete with Platinum Blonde songs and episodes of Degrassi Junior High. Unfolding in the fictional town of Fort Simmer—the setting of previous Van Camp stories—Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past.
For as long as Lawson can remember, his life in a small Northwest Territories town has revolved around “the Treaty” between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan, set down centuries ago to prevent the return of bloody warfare between the two peoples.
On the Dogrib side, Lawson and his family have done their best to keep the pact alive with the neighbouring Cranes, a family with ancestral ties to a revered Chipewyan war chief. But even as Lawson and his father dutifully tidy the Cranes’ property as an act of respect, their counterparts offer little more than scowls and derision in return, despite the fact that both families are responsible for protecting the treaty.
Worse still, it seems that one of the Cranes’ boys is doing all he can to revive the old Silver, fresh out of jail, has placed himself in the service of a cruel, ghoulish spirit bent on destroying the peace. Now it's up to Isaiah Valentine, a Cree Grass Dancer, Shari Burns, a Metis psychic, and Lawson Sauron, a Dogrib Yabati—or protector—to face what Silver Cranes has called back.
This latest feat of storytelling magic by celebrated author Richard Van Camp blends sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror as it plays out against a 1980s-era backdrop replete with Platinum Blonde songs and episodes of Degrassi Junior High. Unfolding in the fictional town of Fort Simmer—the setting of previous Van Camp stories—Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past.
312 pages, Paperback
Published June 3, 2025
24 people are currently reading
1796 people want to read
About the author
Richard Van Camp
54 books312 followersA Dogrib (Tlicho) Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, Richard Van Camp is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. He is the author of the novel, The Lesser Blessed, a collection of short stories, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, and two children’s books with Cree artist, George Littlechild. His new baby book: Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns is the official selection of the Books for BC Babies program and is being given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008. His new novel, Blessing Wendy, will be released in the fall of 2009 through Orca Book Publishers. Richard was awarded Storyteller of the Year for both Canada and the US by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. You can visit Richard at his website: www.richardvancamp.org.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 12, 2025
As a Filipino reader, I appreciated the diverse representation and the portrayal of community in Beast: A Novel. Van Camp brings authentic voices to the forefront, highlighting the importance of culture and connection in healing journeys. However, the way the "supernatural" elements were handled didn’t resonate with me.
I understand that Van Camp, being Indigenous, draws from his cultural context, and as someone outside that perspective, I can only share how it came across to me personally. In Beast, however, the supernatural elements felt more literal and oversimplified, almost immature for a YA novel.
Additionally, Van Camp’s writing style for this book leans closer to middle-grade fiction than YA, which might explain why the tone felt inconsistent for me. I’ve enjoyed his works aimed at younger audiences, but this one didn’t fully align with the expectations I had for a YA novel.
Overall, Beast has strengths in its exploration of redemption and community, but the execution of its supernatural elements detracted from my reading experience. It’s still a meaningful story, and I admire Van Camp’s efforts to tell stories rooted in culture and identity, even if this one didn’t fully work for me.
I understand that Van Camp, being Indigenous, draws from his cultural context, and as someone outside that perspective, I can only share how it came across to me personally. In Beast, however, the supernatural elements felt more literal and oversimplified, almost immature for a YA novel.
Additionally, Van Camp’s writing style for this book leans closer to middle-grade fiction than YA, which might explain why the tone felt inconsistent for me. I’ve enjoyed his works aimed at younger audiences, but this one didn’t fully align with the expectations I had for a YA novel.
Overall, Beast has strengths in its exploration of redemption and community, but the execution of its supernatural elements detracted from my reading experience. It’s still a meaningful story, and I admire Van Camp’s efforts to tell stories rooted in culture and identity, even if this one didn’t fully work for me.
November 17, 2024
I loved reading BEAST by Richard Van Camp last month! This YA horror was the perfect October read! I was so excited to read this book since I loved his short story collection Moccasin Square Gardens and it was so lovely that Moccasin Square Gardens is mentioned in this book too. I loved the 1986 setting and all the fun music and movie references such as Mr. Roboto and The Outsiders. The grotesque description of the dead one was just the right amount of horror. I liked how the main character, seventeen year old Lawson, is dealing with so much as a teen; his crush, his grief of losing his mother, his connection to his Dogrib community in the Northwest Territories and upholding the treaty between his band and the Chipewyan. I loved this novel’s focus on storytelling, ancestry and friendships. And it’s so fun that Lawson’s playlists are included!
Thank you to the publisher for my copy!
Thank you to the publisher for my copy!
January 13, 2025
Frick yeah. Lawson was sure down bad for that red wolf.
October 12, 2025
This was like the most loving and optimistic horror story I’ve ever read.
November 3, 2025
“This was fun, being teenagers on the keemooch who’d just stopped an ancient beast from enslaving the world.”
January 7, 2025
The characters, community, and representation were good, but the way the "supernatural" elements were handled didn't really do it for me. I'm a white/settler and I know Van Camp is Indigenous, so I certainly can't speak for that perspective, but I like the way someone like Cherie Dimaline handles what we might call "mythical" creatures: my impression is that these kinds of creatures and stories are not really considered to be fictional in Indigenous communities, and that treating them as such is inappropriate. In a books like Empire of Wild and the Marrow Thieves, Dimaline balances this in a more subtle and nuanced way. I feel like Van Camp's treatment of these monsters and abilities as literal felt oversimplified and kind of immature to me for a YA book. For example, at one point the other characters can feel Shari's psychic ability: "Shari closed her eyes, and we felt the air fill with something like static electricity, pushing against us. I could see the air shimmer around her" (242). It just feels a bit silly to me and made it hard to take seriously.
Overall, I feel like Van Camp's writing feels more like middle grade/junior fiction than YA to me, and I enjoy his writing in that genre. The content and characters put this in YA territory, but the writing and the way some of the issues were handled just didn't feel mature enough. Things like the fact that felt cartoonish, it just didn't ring true as YA to me. It kind of felt like two different books: one that involved the more "real life" coming of age elements, with Lawson dealing with the loss of his mom, his uncle's alcoholism, his dad starting to date again, his friend needing to leave home because of his sexuality, and the other with the more "supernatural" adventure part, which just came across a bit flat and cartoon-ish for me.
Overall, I feel like Van Camp's writing feels more like middle grade/junior fiction than YA to me, and I enjoy his writing in that genre. The content and characters put this in YA territory, but the writing and the way some of the issues were handled just didn't feel mature enough. Things like the fact that felt cartoonish, it just didn't ring true as YA to me. It kind of felt like two different books: one that involved the more "real life" coming of age elements, with Lawson dealing with the loss of his mom, his uncle's alcoholism, his dad starting to date again, his friend needing to leave home because of his sexuality, and the other with the more "supernatural" adventure part, which just came across a bit flat and cartoon-ish for me.
August 3, 2025
Beast is a fantastic coming-of-age story that tells the tale of Lawson Sauren, a young Dogrib teenager, who must defend his family and all future generations from a dark terror unleashed by a break in a treaty. Luckily, along the way he finds allies to help him deal with more than one enemy, and keep the peace.
Through humour and vivid imagery, Van Camp makes wonderful references to traditional practises. For example, there’s a beautiful scene where Lawson is taught how to make moose nose soup by his uncle Sonny. Throughout the preparation, Sonny and Lawson makes small offerings to the birds around them and take signs from nature to help complete the recipe. This moment and when Isaiah performs his grass dance are beautiful and meaningful passages.
Van Camp has excellent pacing and shares a lot of traditional information on several different Indigenous Nations, blending beautiful mythology and traditional stories with an excellent hero’s journey structure that never feels pedantic for younger readers. There are a few awkward and sweet teenage sexual moments and references to queer culture, and some of the moments of horror are very intense, but I would still rank this as an extremely powerful book for readers as young as 12 who are interested in learning about Dogrib (Dene) People.
There were only two small annoyances. First, the first two or so chapters repeat information and feel a little expository. But by page 48 that awkward introductory burden falls off and the rest of the book is amazing. I also did not understand why Van Camp chose to set the book in 1986 and fill it with references to bands and music from that time. While I am of a certain age and know and appreciate all of those songs, a contemporary reader probably isn’t quite so interested - and it wasn’t needed. Still, I think this is an excellent read!
Through humour and vivid imagery, Van Camp makes wonderful references to traditional practises. For example, there’s a beautiful scene where Lawson is taught how to make moose nose soup by his uncle Sonny. Throughout the preparation, Sonny and Lawson makes small offerings to the birds around them and take signs from nature to help complete the recipe. This moment and when Isaiah performs his grass dance are beautiful and meaningful passages.
Van Camp has excellent pacing and shares a lot of traditional information on several different Indigenous Nations, blending beautiful mythology and traditional stories with an excellent hero’s journey structure that never feels pedantic for younger readers. There are a few awkward and sweet teenage sexual moments and references to queer culture, and some of the moments of horror are very intense, but I would still rank this as an extremely powerful book for readers as young as 12 who are interested in learning about Dogrib (Dene) People.
There were only two small annoyances. First, the first two or so chapters repeat information and feel a little expository. But by page 48 that awkward introductory burden falls off and the rest of the book is amazing. I also did not understand why Van Camp chose to set the book in 1986 and fill it with references to bands and music from that time. While I am of a certain age and know and appreciate all of those songs, a contemporary reader probably isn’t quite so interested - and it wasn’t needed. Still, I think this is an excellent read!
September 7, 2025
Review: 3.5 stars
Lawson is a descendant of the Dogrib tribe, a tribe that has a peace treaty with its neighbors, the Crenes (who are part of the Chipewyan tribe). Lawson has been told his whole life he must uphold the peace treaty. However, the peace treaty is broken when Lawson defends himself against Silver Crenes. Silver Crenes, realizing this, commands his brother to knock Lawson out, and they bring him to meet the Dead One, an evil, demon-like spirit that is feasting on Silver's brother. Lawson must stop the Dead One to save the whole community.
This book was very interesting! It incorporated Native American beliefs and culture to it, while still being a horror/thriller. I especially appreciated the depiction of Native American culture, such as how they honor one another, respect treaties, and give back to nature. It was a pretty quick read and I found it interesting to read.
With that being said, the writing style was a bit dense. While it was shorter in page length, some of the pages were less like a thriller book. It also was a little repetitive in parts. For example, when they are talking to K'ailaza, Lawson repeats himself like multiple times. Maybe this is a part of their culture when speaking to elders, but I found this to be somewhat excessive. I also thought the dialogue at some points was a little disconnected. They would be talking about one thing and then suddenly it would switch to a whole new topic. This was a little jarring.
But overall, I enjoyed this book! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror or paranormal books. Especially if you want to learn a little about Native American culture!
Lawson is a descendant of the Dogrib tribe, a tribe that has a peace treaty with its neighbors, the Crenes (who are part of the Chipewyan tribe). Lawson has been told his whole life he must uphold the peace treaty. However, the peace treaty is broken when Lawson defends himself against Silver Crenes. Silver Crenes, realizing this, commands his brother to knock Lawson out, and they bring him to meet the Dead One, an evil, demon-like spirit that is feasting on Silver's brother. Lawson must stop the Dead One to save the whole community.
This book was very interesting! It incorporated Native American beliefs and culture to it, while still being a horror/thriller. I especially appreciated the depiction of Native American culture, such as how they honor one another, respect treaties, and give back to nature. It was a pretty quick read and I found it interesting to read.
With that being said, the writing style was a bit dense. While it was shorter in page length, some of the pages were less like a thriller book. It also was a little repetitive in parts. For example, when they are talking to K'ailaza, Lawson repeats himself like multiple times. Maybe this is a part of their culture when speaking to elders, but I found this to be somewhat excessive. I also thought the dialogue at some points was a little disconnected. They would be talking about one thing and then suddenly it would switch to a whole new topic. This was a little jarring.
But overall, I enjoyed this book! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror or paranormal books. Especially if you want to learn a little about Native American culture!
September 22, 2025
Culturally rich horror
I read this book as part of an indigenous reading group that's focusing on horror this year. This one was a little slow to start for me, but once I got into the groove of his writing style, the story started flowing.
There's a whole cast of characters who play important parts in this story. Two tribal communities have a long lasting peace treaty that the MC Lawson’s family has long tried to protect, but another "rival" family does everything they can to skirt the rules. One such character, Silver, is especially sinister in trying to get Lawson to break the peace treaty. When Lawson and Silver come to a head one day, he finds himself in the spiritual world, face-to-face with a dark entity called "The Dead One". The Dead One seems to have a tight hold over Silver, and wants to end the peace treaty and incite war amongst these once peaceful tribes.
In a unique turn, Lawson is faced with an almost impossible task: defeat the Dead One or risk the fate of his friends, family, and rivals. Along the way, he has some help from a lot of unique characters. Spirits from the past, a lovely romantic interest (Shari) who is a big part of helping him again allies, Isaiah who brings his own unique set of skills, and numerous other surprise characters that eventually come on board to help.
There were some descriptive moments in this book that made my stomach turn a bit *cue the horror element*, but overall this was an enjoyable, culturally rich, fresh story.
I read this book as part of an indigenous reading group that's focusing on horror this year. This one was a little slow to start for me, but once I got into the groove of his writing style, the story started flowing.
There's a whole cast of characters who play important parts in this story. Two tribal communities have a long lasting peace treaty that the MC Lawson’s family has long tried to protect, but another "rival" family does everything they can to skirt the rules. One such character, Silver, is especially sinister in trying to get Lawson to break the peace treaty. When Lawson and Silver come to a head one day, he finds himself in the spiritual world, face-to-face with a dark entity called "The Dead One". The Dead One seems to have a tight hold over Silver, and wants to end the peace treaty and incite war amongst these once peaceful tribes.
In a unique turn, Lawson is faced with an almost impossible task: defeat the Dead One or risk the fate of his friends, family, and rivals. Along the way, he has some help from a lot of unique characters. Spirits from the past, a lovely romantic interest (Shari) who is a big part of helping him again allies, Isaiah who brings his own unique set of skills, and numerous other surprise characters that eventually come on board to help.
There were some descriptive moments in this book that made my stomach turn a bit *cue the horror element*, but overall this was an enjoyable, culturally rich, fresh story.
September 26, 2025
Great story!
I loved reading this book and following the characters. The ups and downs made this story so special, and the ending just tied it together perfectly. I want to read more about this town and explore it with them.
I loved reading this book and following the characters. The ups and downs made this story so special, and the ending just tied it together perfectly. I want to read more about this town and explore it with them.
January 18, 2025
This book would be a really terrifying movie. Reading it was creepy (and gross) enough. Set in the 1980s, there was a lot of '80s culture and music - and Canadian culture, which is always amazing. I also loved how the heroic teenagers use their Indigenous heritage and culture to defeat an evil spirit (called to this world by a power-hungry bully).
"...A spiritual thriller that blends the supernatural with 1980-era nostalgia to reflect on friendship, tradition and forgiveness as three teenagers (Thecho, Dene, Cree and Metis) take on an ancient darkness."
"...A spiritual thriller that blends the supernatural with 1980-era nostalgia to reflect on friendship, tradition and forgiveness as three teenagers (Thecho, Dene, Cree and Metis) take on an ancient darkness."
May 22, 2025
very fun and well written story. I could see, smell and feel everything he described. as an ignorant white person I'll say, I wish there was a glossary; many words you can understand by context but I feel like I missed things and Google was no help.
January 26, 2025
This one feels a bit like an '80s Spielberg movie - up to the kids to fight off the forces of evil, no adults allowed!
August 27, 2025
I would've enjoyed the book more without the supernatural elements (those parts seemed tedious). What I did like was that nearly all the characters were exceedingly polite and respectful.
September 6, 2025
4.25/5
June 16, 2025
It’s 1986 and Lawson just wants to listen to music on his Walkman and mourn his mother, who recently died. But his family mandates acts of service as a Yabati, protector, in the Dogrib language. Dogrib is a Dene tribe in Canada’s Northwest Territories and after a peace treaty was signed with the Chipewa at the turn of the century, it takes work to keep the peace. But it’s torture to work for the benefit of the Chipewa Cranes family. There’s something mean about the father and the son Silver is downright evil. When Lawson gets into a fight with Silver, he is knocked out and finds himself in the ‘medicine world’, where animals talk and the Dead One shows himself. Silver has essentially sold his soul to the Dead One in exchange for special powers. And he’s willing to sacrifice his brother Stanley’s soul and his gay brother Cody’s life for the demon. Lawson must figure out how to free all three Cranes brothers from the Dead One’s clutches without involving any adults, for the sake of peace. His journey is fraught because his mother died saving Stanley Cranes in a car accident.
This book is imbued with indigenous spirituality and rituals, and the horror elements are completely grisly and bloody. The horror mainly takes place in the ‘medicine world’ but is second level: there is evisceration of animals, forced swallowing of hot coals, burying people alive and terrible cruelty on the part of the demon and, consequently, Silver. Luckily, Lawson assembles a team of friends who each have special powers: Shari is a Métis who can see the dead and foretell the future; Isaiah is Cree and is a grass dancer. The three friends each contribute their spiritual abilities to stage a powerful peaceful defeat of the bad spirits. Despite the horror elements, the spirituality of the indigenous characters is really strong and interestingly described, and the teens are all in touch with their emotions in a compelling way. There’s a sweet developing romance and touching friendships.
I wish there had been a short summary of the Dogrib/Chipewa conflict to help understand the politics of the community. The gorgeous book cover belies the horrors inside!
This book is imbued with indigenous spirituality and rituals, and the horror elements are completely grisly and bloody. The horror mainly takes place in the ‘medicine world’ but is second level: there is evisceration of animals, forced swallowing of hot coals, burying people alive and terrible cruelty on the part of the demon and, consequently, Silver. Luckily, Lawson assembles a team of friends who each have special powers: Shari is a Métis who can see the dead and foretell the future; Isaiah is Cree and is a grass dancer. The three friends each contribute their spiritual abilities to stage a powerful peaceful defeat of the bad spirits. Despite the horror elements, the spirituality of the indigenous characters is really strong and interestingly described, and the teens are all in touch with their emotions in a compelling way. There’s a sweet developing romance and touching friendships.
I wish there had been a short summary of the Dogrib/Chipewa conflict to help understand the politics of the community. The gorgeous book cover belies the horrors inside!
November 21, 2025
Read this as a part of the Goodreads yearly challenge. It is great. Set in the 1980's in the Northwest Territories, a terrible supernatural danger is stalking the native population. Friendship, family, and traditional medicine powers work together to overcome the evil. Easy to read and very enjoyable. Glad I found it through Goodreads. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews