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Udyr #1
Beasts
A Quiet Place meets Cormac McCarthy's The Road in this intense YA horror read.
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures—and each other. Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run, their last hope to escape through the forest and to the sea. As they recall the strange events that led to the beasts' arrival, and how the two of them got to where they were, they must ask themselves who they can trust—and what they will do to survive.
From Norway comes an international hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures—and each other. Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run, their last hope to escape through the forest and to the sea. As they recall the strange events that led to the beasts' arrival, and how the two of them got to where they were, they must ask themselves who they can trust—and what they will do to survive.
From Norway comes an international hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2023
18 people are currently reading
774 people want to read
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June 24, 2025
The waking nightmare of survival horror while hunted by mysterious beasts was not the teen dream of 13 year old Abdi. Yet, along with his 5 year old sister Alva, he’ll have to trod a treacherous path to safety as the death throes of society plunge the world into unsettling silence. Beasts, the YA monster horror from Norwegian author Ingvild Bjerkeland, is a quietly ferocious tale told with maddening tension and atmosphere as humanity falls prey not only to the violent beasts leaving a path of death and destruction but also to its own foibles as ‘selfishness spreads like wildfire.’ This slim novel delivers chills thrice its own weight with a translation into English by Rosie Hedger that is as sharp as the claws claiming lives across the countryside and as sparse as the hopes left for humanity. Like a cross between
A Quiet Place
and The Road by Cormac McCarthy for a middle-grade audience, Beasts is hauntingly upsetting and while it may be a bit predictable with a rushed second half, I suspect this will give some sleepless, white-knuckled reading nights to its target audience. What works best in the novel, however, is the sense of ambiguity that lends itself to near-allegorical assessment painting in broad strokes that contain a multitude of metaphorical meanings. Beasts is a thrilling—if perhaps occasionally generic survival horror—and uneasy read where, as the old world bleeds out and the new one aches into existence, tenderness and small acts of kindness might be what lights the beacons of hope to navigate uncertain futures.
‘It felt wrong running away from people—from a warm house with food—and into a forest where beasts hunted us. But something bad was bound to happen if we stayed, I could feel it in my bones.’
Bjerkeland’s Beasts is already a hit in her homeland of Norway, having been voted by readers for the highest bookseller award and nominated for the Nordic Council Children and YA prize and it is easy to see why this book resonates so well. This frenetic fable-like tale, or parable perhaps, on the horrors that lurk within the human heart as well as external evils stalking the lands arrives squarely between survival horror and contemporary dystopia and, despite a few quick nods to the now defunct cellphones in a world where the electric grid has failed, has a sense of timelessness to it. The brother and sister duo have fled their home after witnessing their own mother devoured by the titular beasts, but few can be trusted as men have taken up arms to protect their stockpiles of goods, including former family friends who changed ways after ‘Kai persuaded him that the world isn’t what it once was, that the normal rules no longer apply.’ Hungry, tired, and with Alva struggling with sickness, their only hope is to reach the coast (very The Road, mind you) and hope to reach their father who is working offshore. And so they set off toward the end of the world as the world around them ends.
‘The fear was like an enormous black bird within me. It beat its wings in panic.’
There is a rather sweet dynamic between the siblings here, with Alva’s innocence offsetting Abdi’s anxiety and grief. Not unlike the way the small kindnesses and moments of innocence in the boy from The Road represents a sort of hope, so too do the actions of these kids reflect a hope for humanity. While the prose here is quite sparse and direct—it reflects the frenzied nature of their predicament and the snap-judgement decisions they are forced to endure—Abdi’s inner dialogue bends towards the poetic in the quiet moments when he is able to reflect on his fears and aspirations. ‘Alva was my responsibility now,’ Abdi considers, ‘I had to look after her; I had to make sure she had whatever she needed to survive.’ This sense of duty to others, even at one’s own expense which is also reflected by Lucy late in the novel, is in stark contrast to the cruelty and selfishness depicted by the adults like Kai. And in this sense of duty there is an inner strength that allows Abdi and Alva to press on in the many moments of sheer terror. ‘The fear within me had neatly folded back its wings and tucked them in, at rest,’ Abdi thinks, swallowing fear.
‘If only someone, somewhere could tell me what to do.’
The depiction of teens who find themselves rudderless in a crumbling world takes a shape that stretches beyond the confines of the dystopian narrative to nudge reflection of our own times in which the adult world has failed the youths. Climate crisis, political violence, wars, and more can be read into this and the adults taking up arms to rob each other and defend their territories instead of working together against the hoard of beasts. Depictions of stores still operating despite the chaos and lack of supplies might recall the scenes of “essential workers” going about like normal during the pandemic and Abdi’s depiction of the slow, surreal slide into the slaughterhouse of his present reflects the general numbness one might experience seeing major world events occurring at a distance on the news:
Once the attacks begin, chaos ensues, the government and military fail to protect the citizens, power grids fail, and eventually society itself collapses. ‘All of our systems have failed,’ we are told and one must recognize that normalcy is a frail and fragile state.
‘The beasts had reached us in the end.’
Most impactful, I found, was the ambiguity around the beasts themselves which gives them a sense of existing more as a symbolism for cruelty than anything else. The ambiguity of the novel and the relative non-ending (which is ripe for a sequel though one is certainly not needed) imply the point is more the abstraction of the allegory than a narrative cohesion. Concrete conclusiveness would spoil the dynamic symbolism anyhow. One on hand we can take the beasts as direct fact. We don’t know where they come from, what they are, and we only get a few glimpses of their horrifying form. Yet peppered throughout the novel are several off-hand comments about them possibly being an invasion disguised as animals. One can dismiss this, or consider the metaphor. We witness a beast act like a human at a doorway performing trickery and the idea of people adorned in animal skin recalls ancient warfare of animal skin armor and battle costume. There is also a moment when Abdi finds maps on a wall with strike zones circled—the beasts entered the major cities first out of nowhere—and red arrows to show their slow spread across Europe not unlike troop movements. One might be reminded of the slow creep of fascism or the Nazi invasions across Europe (Norway, for instance, was invaded on April 9th, 1940). The beasts take on a dynamic metaphor of human cruelty, fascism, or any sort of vague evil interpretation, which is ultimately more frightening than a beast we can see and recognize.
‘But Alva was standing beside me, small and scared inside the enormous raincoat, and if I didn’t save her, I’d never forgive myself. Then all would be truly lost.’
Ingvild Bjerkeland’s Beasts is a truly unsettling YA horror with layers of implications and left open for interpretation. While the latter portion, particularly the climax, seems a bit rushed and many of the major plot points are rather predictable (if not altogether cliche), this is coming from an adult perspective and will likely seem fresher and more frightening to the novel’s target audience. It is a quick read and at 120 pages I read it in a single sitting, eagerly and feverishly flipping pages fully locked in to the children’s trials and tribulations on their fraught journey to freedom and safety. A crisp and chilling book, Beasts blends horror and dystopian collapse for a thrill ride and confronts us with the question of who is the more monstrous: the beasts or our fellow humans?
3.5/5
‘It felt wrong running away from people—from a warm house with food—and into a forest where beasts hunted us. But something bad was bound to happen if we stayed, I could feel it in my bones.’
Bjerkeland’s Beasts is already a hit in her homeland of Norway, having been voted by readers for the highest bookseller award and nominated for the Nordic Council Children and YA prize and it is easy to see why this book resonates so well. This frenetic fable-like tale, or parable perhaps, on the horrors that lurk within the human heart as well as external evils stalking the lands arrives squarely between survival horror and contemporary dystopia and, despite a few quick nods to the now defunct cellphones in a world where the electric grid has failed, has a sense of timelessness to it. The brother and sister duo have fled their home after witnessing their own mother devoured by the titular beasts, but few can be trusted as men have taken up arms to protect their stockpiles of goods, including former family friends who changed ways after ‘Kai persuaded him that the world isn’t what it once was, that the normal rules no longer apply.’ Hungry, tired, and with Alva struggling with sickness, their only hope is to reach the coast (very The Road, mind you) and hope to reach their father who is working offshore. And so they set off toward the end of the world as the world around them ends.
‘The fear was like an enormous black bird within me. It beat its wings in panic.’
There is a rather sweet dynamic between the siblings here, with Alva’s innocence offsetting Abdi’s anxiety and grief. Not unlike the way the small kindnesses and moments of innocence in the boy from The Road represents a sort of hope, so too do the actions of these kids reflect a hope for humanity. While the prose here is quite sparse and direct—it reflects the frenzied nature of their predicament and the snap-judgement decisions they are forced to endure—Abdi’s inner dialogue bends towards the poetic in the quiet moments when he is able to reflect on his fears and aspirations. ‘Alva was my responsibility now,’ Abdi considers, ‘I had to look after her; I had to make sure she had whatever she needed to survive.’ This sense of duty to others, even at one’s own expense which is also reflected by Lucy late in the novel, is in stark contrast to the cruelty and selfishness depicted by the adults like Kai. And in this sense of duty there is an inner strength that allows Abdi and Alva to press on in the many moments of sheer terror. ‘The fear within me had neatly folded back its wings and tucked them in, at rest,’ Abdi thinks, swallowing fear.
‘If only someone, somewhere could tell me what to do.’
The depiction of teens who find themselves rudderless in a crumbling world takes a shape that stretches beyond the confines of the dystopian narrative to nudge reflection of our own times in which the adult world has failed the youths. Climate crisis, political violence, wars, and more can be read into this and the adults taking up arms to rob each other and defend their territories instead of working together against the hoard of beasts. Depictions of stores still operating despite the chaos and lack of supplies might recall the scenes of “essential workers” going about like normal during the pandemic and Abdi’s depiction of the slow, surreal slide into the slaughterhouse of his present reflects the general numbness one might experience seeing major world events occurring at a distance on the news:
‘I’d seen the news about the attack: hazy pictures and shaky cellphone footage. Large creatures entering the railway station in the middle of morning rush hour, or a shopping center, or an office building. Nobody knew who they were or where they’d come from. They were described by one reporter as bears., while another claimed they were terrorists dressed up in animal costumes. One witness claimed they were aliens, which had prompted laughter from the journalist.
The attack was serious. Tragic. But it was also far away.
The whole thing was a bit surreal.’
Once the attacks begin, chaos ensues, the government and military fail to protect the citizens, power grids fail, and eventually society itself collapses. ‘All of our systems have failed,’ we are told and one must recognize that normalcy is a frail and fragile state.
‘The beasts had reached us in the end.’
Most impactful, I found, was the ambiguity around the beasts themselves which gives them a sense of existing more as a symbolism for cruelty than anything else. The ambiguity of the novel and the relative non-ending (which is ripe for a sequel though one is certainly not needed) imply the point is more the abstraction of the allegory than a narrative cohesion. Concrete conclusiveness would spoil the dynamic symbolism anyhow. One on hand we can take the beasts as direct fact. We don’t know where they come from, what they are, and we only get a few glimpses of their horrifying form. Yet peppered throughout the novel are several off-hand comments about them possibly being an invasion disguised as animals. One can dismiss this, or consider the metaphor. We witness a beast act like a human at a doorway performing trickery and the idea of people adorned in animal skin recalls ancient warfare of animal skin armor and battle costume. There is also a moment when Abdi finds maps on a wall with strike zones circled—the beasts entered the major cities first out of nowhere—and red arrows to show their slow spread across Europe not unlike troop movements. One might be reminded of the slow creep of fascism or the Nazi invasions across Europe (Norway, for instance, was invaded on April 9th, 1940). The beasts take on a dynamic metaphor of human cruelty, fascism, or any sort of vague evil interpretation, which is ultimately more frightening than a beast we can see and recognize.
‘But Alva was standing beside me, small and scared inside the enormous raincoat, and if I didn’t save her, I’d never forgive myself. Then all would be truly lost.’
Ingvild Bjerkeland’s Beasts is a truly unsettling YA horror with layers of implications and left open for interpretation. While the latter portion, particularly the climax, seems a bit rushed and many of the major plot points are rather predictable (if not altogether cliche), this is coming from an adult perspective and will likely seem fresher and more frightening to the novel’s target audience. It is a quick read and at 120 pages I read it in a single sitting, eagerly and feverishly flipping pages fully locked in to the children’s trials and tribulations on their fraught journey to freedom and safety. A crisp and chilling book, Beasts blends horror and dystopian collapse for a thrill ride and confronts us with the question of who is the more monstrous: the beasts or our fellow humans?
3.5/5
April 6, 2025
I can excuse a story to be so similar to the A Quiet Place franchise it seems part of it, but I draw the line at not giving me an ending.
↠ 2 stars
Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
↠ 2 stars
Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
April 10, 2025
Pretty standard YA monster apocalypse- I went into this completely blind and really had no idea what to expect, but yeah it was pretty straight forward but the ending was DIABOLICALLY abrupt. To a point that was almost stupid. Like, I guess it was supposed to be hopeful but yeah no that was not the play imo 😂
December 10, 2024
It's actually impossible for me to walk by a horror novella without at least looking twice, so of course Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland caught my interest as well. The premise of two young children surviving in a world overrun by beasts is intriguing for sure and I think that the given comparison to A Quiet Place is quite fitting. Other things that come to mind are Bird Box or even the early seasons of The Walking Dead, basically any kind of media that is about an apocalyptic scenario but mainly focusses on a family or small group surviving. And I think that is also the strongest part of this book. The sibling relationship was portrayed well and their journey was interesting to follow, because they were in a constant cycle of finding shelter and getting in danger again.
The writing style was simple, the sentences and chapters short. You might call it straight to the point and maybe it was fitting for a story like this, but for me the writing was really lacking descriptions of, well, everything. Hardly anything was described in a detailed way, from the characters to the beasts to the environment. The story was set in Norway for instance, but that did not make a difference at all – it could have been anywhere with a forest, really. Most missed potential was with the beasts though, because the few times they were described were actually terrifying. They are tall and slender creatures with short black fur, claws and hooves, but I think they walk on their hind legs and show strangely human behavior at times. Sadly the book wasn't heavy on the horror and so it didn't lean into that part. (But that's fine considering the book is mainly aimed at a YA audience. The gory and violent descriptions I usually want would have been inappropriate here.)
Overall I did enjoy reading this book, but I also think it could have been much better with more descriptions and a deeper exploration of the characters and the apocalyptic scenario as a whole.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
The writing style was simple, the sentences and chapters short. You might call it straight to the point and maybe it was fitting for a story like this, but for me the writing was really lacking descriptions of, well, everything. Hardly anything was described in a detailed way, from the characters to the beasts to the environment. The story was set in Norway for instance, but that did not make a difference at all – it could have been anywhere with a forest, really. Most missed potential was with the beasts though, because the few times they were described were actually terrifying. They are tall and slender creatures with short black fur, claws and hooves, but I think they walk on their hind legs and show strangely human behavior at times. Sadly the book wasn't heavy on the horror and so it didn't lean into that part. (But that's fine considering the book is mainly aimed at a YA audience. The gory and violent descriptions I usually want would have been inappropriate here.)
Overall I did enjoy reading this book, but I also think it could have been much better with more descriptions and a deeper exploration of the characters and the apocalyptic scenario as a whole.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2025
Very compelling novella about the end of the world when “beasts” come and kill almost all of the population. This tale comes from Norway, and it is author Ingvild Bjerkeland’s first novel that has been translated into English (by Rosie Hedger). It follows Abdi and his little sister Alva (13 and 5, respectively), as they make their way through the forests and abandoned landscape in search of the sea. Their father was on an island when the collapse happened, so when the children hear about a location by the sea where boats come to rescue stranded people, they immediately start their journey.
This is bleak, as you might imagine. It makes you think about what kind of person you would be if something like this happened. There are plenty of bad guys in situations like these…and not many good ones.
Be a good one.
4.5 stars, with a half star removed because the ending is abrupt. I want to know what happens next!
This is bleak, as you might imagine. It makes you think about what kind of person you would be if something like this happened. There are plenty of bad guys in situations like these…and not many good ones.
Be a good one.
4.5 stars, with a half star removed because the ending is abrupt. I want to know what happens next!
May 1, 2025
Acknowledgements and grateful thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC: 'Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland'. All opinions are my own and are not a reflection of the publishers and/or author, of which I have no association with.
Three out of five stars (3/5 stars).
Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is a short translated horror story about the end of days — the end coming on swift hooves with silky black fur.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Animal harm and death, death, violence, suicide and monsters.
Pre-Read:
//Ive always enjoyed monster books so I'm looking forward to this ARC.//
Review:
"From Norway comes an international horror hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures -- and one another. " — the GoodReads website for Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland.
— I absolutely love monster books with original monsters. I think it's why I enjoy Doctor Who so much, is the creative force behind it.
This small novel is actually pretty fantastic for younger readers. It keeps the scary edge without a lot of gore, violenc and/or bad language. I do love a good story that doesn't need those things to keep people on the edge of their seat. Not all readers prefer that though, I do know that over the years I've become more of a prude so it's probably more of a me thing than a people thing.
I was supposed to be reading my non-fiction books today, but this caught me by the hair and dragged me right into the middle of the action. Just how I like it.
We join the two children: Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva as they are on the run from the beasts that have swarmed Earth. There's nowhere safe to hide, at least, not for long. Stay a while and listen to their story be told as they try and find safety in a world lost to evil.
'Beasts/Udyr' is Ingvild Bjerkeland's first translated book to be released in English for young adults and was the winner of ARK's Children's Book prize in 2023.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ingvild Bjerkeland is a contemporary author from Norway. She was born in Haugesund in 1981. While there is not a lot about her background or her in general, Ingvild is known for her complex themes and characters. She has a PhD in film and television studies (which I assume is similar to media studies) and has attended the (creative) writing programme in Bø.
The plot kind of reminded me of 'A Quiet Place', the movie, in the way that you kind of have to stay quiet to stay alive, if any beasts came to this planet, my wife would die straight away be cause she's super noisy. Lol. I could only imagine the complexity of trying to stay alive while trying to keep quiet, keep fed and watered, it would be hard to stay quiet.
Imagination is the key here, and this book is full of creativity and complex themes that will have you buried in the novel in no time. I do have to point out that I was a little disappointed with the ending, as many have been, as it just stops out of nowhere, with no satisfying end. You're left wondering and thinking, which is not an entirely bad thing, but it does leave much to be had.
All in all, the three stars were well earned and I would probably read this again, no problem.
Three out of five stars (3/5 stars).
Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is a short translated horror story about the end of days — the end coming on swift hooves with silky black fur.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Animal harm and death, death, violence, suicide and monsters.
Pre-Read:
//Ive always enjoyed monster books so I'm looking forward to this ARC.//
Review:
"From Norway comes an international horror hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures -- and one another. " — the GoodReads website for Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland.
— I absolutely love monster books with original monsters. I think it's why I enjoy Doctor Who so much, is the creative force behind it.
This small novel is actually pretty fantastic for younger readers. It keeps the scary edge without a lot of gore, violenc and/or bad language. I do love a good story that doesn't need those things to keep people on the edge of their seat. Not all readers prefer that though, I do know that over the years I've become more of a prude so it's probably more of a me thing than a people thing.
I was supposed to be reading my non-fiction books today, but this caught me by the hair and dragged me right into the middle of the action. Just how I like it.
We join the two children: Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva as they are on the run from the beasts that have swarmed Earth. There's nowhere safe to hide, at least, not for long. Stay a while and listen to their story be told as they try and find safety in a world lost to evil.
'Beasts/Udyr' is Ingvild Bjerkeland's first translated book to be released in English for young adults and was the winner of ARK's Children's Book prize in 2023.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ingvild Bjerkeland is a contemporary author from Norway. She was born in Haugesund in 1981. While there is not a lot about her background or her in general, Ingvild is known for her complex themes and characters. She has a PhD in film and television studies (which I assume is similar to media studies) and has attended the (creative) writing programme in Bø.
The plot kind of reminded me of 'A Quiet Place', the movie, in the way that you kind of have to stay quiet to stay alive, if any beasts came to this planet, my wife would die straight away be cause she's super noisy. Lol. I could only imagine the complexity of trying to stay alive while trying to keep quiet, keep fed and watered, it would be hard to stay quiet.
Imagination is the key here, and this book is full of creativity and complex themes that will have you buried in the novel in no time. I do have to point out that I was a little disappointed with the ending, as many have been, as it just stops out of nowhere, with no satisfying end. You're left wondering and thinking, which is not an entirely bad thing, but it does leave much to be had.
All in all, the three stars were well earned and I would probably read this again, no problem.
June 20, 2025
Abdi was living an ordinary teenage life…until the beasts came. These monstrous creatures have wreaked havoc on his region of Norway, mercilessly slaughtering the humans who live there. When Abdi’s mother is killed by them, he must care for his little sister, Alva, as the children make their way to a port in an effort to escape.
This book felt super real, to the point where I was SO stressed thinking about these children in danger. The beasts are not the only evil entities in this story. Some of Abdi’s human neighbours prove to be just as monstrous, but in a much more mundane way, denying the children shelter and assistance in order to protect themselves. Others are good, and the wide spectrum of ways the humans in this book react to catastrophe heightened the sense of realism.
This is a masterful work of survival horror with characters the reader will come to care about. I read it weeks ago and still can’t get this story out of my head!
This book felt super real, to the point where I was SO stressed thinking about these children in danger. The beasts are not the only evil entities in this story. Some of Abdi’s human neighbours prove to be just as monstrous, but in a much more mundane way, denying the children shelter and assistance in order to protect themselves. Others are good, and the wide spectrum of ways the humans in this book react to catastrophe heightened the sense of realism.
This is a masterful work of survival horror with characters the reader will come to care about. I read it weeks ago and still can’t get this story out of my head!
March 31, 2025
Beasts is a YA apocalyptic horror novel following a boy and his younger sister after the appearance of strange beasts has caused widespread panic and lead to deaths everywhere. When the siblings lose their mother to the creatures, 13-year-old Abdi must take on the role of primary caregiver to his 5-year-old sister, Alva. The two face monsters both human and not in their fight to survive and reunite with their father.
This was very fast-paced, and the writing was easy to digest, making it a great read for the younger audience. The story wastes no time getting started and the author does a great job of setting the tone and also setting up the reader to be connected with the characters. The horror elements, specifically the descriptions of these creatures, were well executed and even spooked me a bit! This would make a great introduction to creature horror/apocalyptic horror. The only thing that I disliked about this one was the ending, because it was non-existent. There is no resolution or conclusion to the story and seems to end abruptly, leaving our characters in the middle of a scene. In the end, I wanted a bit more than this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to review.
TBH, I didn't realize this was a ya/teen book until I started it. I probably would not have requested this if I had realized that sooner, so I just wanted to note that I am not the intended audience for this book!
This was very fast-paced, and the writing was easy to digest, making it a great read for the younger audience. The story wastes no time getting started and the author does a great job of setting the tone and also setting up the reader to be connected with the characters. The horror elements, specifically the descriptions of these creatures, were well executed and even spooked me a bit! This would make a great introduction to creature horror/apocalyptic horror. The only thing that I disliked about this one was the ending, because it was non-existent. There is no resolution or conclusion to the story and seems to end abruptly, leaving our characters in the middle of a scene. In the end, I wanted a bit more than this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to review.
TBH, I didn't realize this was a ya/teen book until I started it. I probably would not have requested this if I had realized that sooner, so I just wanted to note that I am not the intended audience for this book!
March 22, 2025
thank you to Netgalley & Levine Querido for access to this eARC! all opinions are my own.
_________
I didn't actually know this was a middle-grade book when I requested it, but I had a really good time reading it. Short, at under 200 pages, and very easy to read. The idea of the beasts arriving in the world and immediately sending everything into a panic felt very accurate to how people would react.
The main characters absolutely felt like the anxious, trying the best they could children that they were, and you couldn't help but root for them to get to safety. In such a world, even people become unsafe, and the sense that they couldn't trust anyone was very prevalent, and made you worried for them at all times.
There could have been more to do with the actual beasts, but it works as a kind of mysterious presence that you must be wary about but very rarely actually see. The designs that we did see were creepy enough to get that across.
The ending is very abrupt, but on some levels it works to give readers a sense that everything is going to be okay in the character's futures and that there is hope in such a bleak world.
_________
I didn't actually know this was a middle-grade book when I requested it, but I had a really good time reading it. Short, at under 200 pages, and very easy to read. The idea of the beasts arriving in the world and immediately sending everything into a panic felt very accurate to how people would react.
The main characters absolutely felt like the anxious, trying the best they could children that they were, and you couldn't help but root for them to get to safety. In such a world, even people become unsafe, and the sense that they couldn't trust anyone was very prevalent, and made you worried for them at all times.
There could have been more to do with the actual beasts, but it works as a kind of mysterious presence that you must be wary about but very rarely actually see. The designs that we did see were creepy enough to get that across.
The ending is very abrupt, but on some levels it works to give readers a sense that everything is going to be okay in the character's futures and that there is hope in such a bleak world.
April 12, 2025
Bjerkeland's apocalyptic beastiary escapes onto the familiar territory of the hide-and-shriek play of survival and sacrifice. The siblings Abdi and Alva—clearly cut from the same cloth as countless literary orphans before them—tread well-worn paths after their mother's creature-feature demise.
"The crows gathered around the body like a black eiderdown," Bjerkeland writes, serving up imagery that's eye-catching yet oddly comforting in its genre trappings. Their by-the-books journey through toothy forests and throat-deep rivers offers few surprises for anyone who's wolfed down post-disaster fiction before.
Abdi's observation that "Things weren't like they used to be" howls with obviousness. When little Alva, predictably feverish, vomits while clutching her stomach, readers can check "imperiled child" off their apocalyptic bingo card. Thankfully, at a brisk length, this beast doesn't overstay its welcome, offering quick consumption without digestive difficulties.
Bjerkeland—previously kenneled in children's literature—brings puppy-like enthusiasm to adult horror conventions. The yellow house (shelter alert!) provides temporary refuge until—shock and fur!—danger approaches with telegraphed "stench of wet fur."
Lucy's confession, "I am, all the time... But still, I try to keep going," could have been pawed directly from any survival story's emotional playbook. The morality game repeats during Kai's betrayal over stolen food—hardly revolutionary, yet presented with enough growl to keep pages turning.
Three-star originality with four-star execution. Alva states: "Mom was killed by a beast," her words landing "like cold, smooth, slippery stones"—grief packaged neatly in an expected metaphorical container, delivered to your reading doorstep right on schedule.
This book bares its fangs through familiar chomps while never pretending to reinvent the wheel or the werewolf. "If it had just been me here, I'd have stayed this time. Fought alongside Lucy... But Alva was standing beside me," Abdi ponders, trotting along the well-traveled path of sacrifice-for-family fiction. When flames lick Lucy's cabin ... "Out of the blue, I spotted a broom handle in front of my face... I grabbed hold"—salvation by household object, trademarked by horror fiction since time immemorial.
Three-and-a-half stars for this competently crafted addition to the monster-apocalypse shelf; Bjerkeland's novel might not break new ground, but it digs efficiently into the soil of familiar fears. Even when following paw prints left by others, a story can still bite with surprising precision when it wants to.
"The crows gathered around the body like a black eiderdown," Bjerkeland writes, serving up imagery that's eye-catching yet oddly comforting in its genre trappings. Their by-the-books journey through toothy forests and throat-deep rivers offers few surprises for anyone who's wolfed down post-disaster fiction before.
Abdi's observation that "Things weren't like they used to be" howls with obviousness. When little Alva, predictably feverish, vomits while clutching her stomach, readers can check "imperiled child" off their apocalyptic bingo card. Thankfully, at a brisk length, this beast doesn't overstay its welcome, offering quick consumption without digestive difficulties.
Bjerkeland—previously kenneled in children's literature—brings puppy-like enthusiasm to adult horror conventions. The yellow house (shelter alert!) provides temporary refuge until—shock and fur!—danger approaches with telegraphed "stench of wet fur."
Lucy's confession, "I am, all the time... But still, I try to keep going," could have been pawed directly from any survival story's emotional playbook. The morality game repeats during Kai's betrayal over stolen food—hardly revolutionary, yet presented with enough growl to keep pages turning.
Three-star originality with four-star execution. Alva states: "Mom was killed by a beast," her words landing "like cold, smooth, slippery stones"—grief packaged neatly in an expected metaphorical container, delivered to your reading doorstep right on schedule.
This book bares its fangs through familiar chomps while never pretending to reinvent the wheel or the werewolf. "If it had just been me here, I'd have stayed this time. Fought alongside Lucy... But Alva was standing beside me," Abdi ponders, trotting along the well-traveled path of sacrifice-for-family fiction. When flames lick Lucy's cabin ... "Out of the blue, I spotted a broom handle in front of my face... I grabbed hold"—salvation by household object, trademarked by horror fiction since time immemorial.
Three-and-a-half stars for this competently crafted addition to the monster-apocalypse shelf; Bjerkeland's novel might not break new ground, but it digs efficiently into the soil of familiar fears. Even when following paw prints left by others, a story can still bite with surprising precision when it wants to.
May 7, 2025
3.5 Stars. Beasts was a book that never crossed my radar. I learned a little bit about it after doing some selection related things for my job. Additionally, translated works for children/teens have been a high priority for me. With that being said, I was particularly excited to pick up this horror novella. Set in Norway, it follows a brother sister duo as they navigate a world that has become overrun with wolf like beasts that terrorize the remaining humans. Readers are dumped into their world with little context and follow them as they attempt to locate their father and find sanctuary. This definitely reminded me of a few different films where unknown beings take over the planet and create a post apocalyptic environment. Though well written, engaging, and suspenseful, the vagueness of the book was hard to look past and the book ends on a rather abrupt note leaving the reader wanting more. Overall, this was a solid read and I'm looking forward to checking out more titles from Bjerkeland.
November 30, 2024
If you’ve ever wondered what The Road would look like with a middle-grade makeover and a side of cryptic monsters, Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is here to answer that question. The story follows 13-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister, Alva, as they flee across a ravaged Norway after mysterious, human-hunting creatures kill their mother. Their goal? Reach the sea and reunite with their father, who’s conveniently stranded on a remote island.
The writing is crisp, light, and easy to follow. It should appeal to younger readers or anyone who wants their apocalypse served without too much grit. The story is tense, fast-paced, and filled with cliffhangers that make it hard to put down. The beasts themselves are suitably terrifying. And, because no post-apocalyptic story is complete without some human nastiness, the siblings quickly learn that the real danger isn’t always four-legged and fanged.
But here’s the thing—this novella isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. If you’ve read The Road, watched A Quiet Place, or seen Monsters, you’ll probably experience some serious déjà vu. It hits all the familiar beats: scavenging for food, meeting sketchy strangers, fleeting moments of safety before disaster strikes again. For seasoned fans of the genre, it might feel like “Post-Apocalypse 101.” That said, it’s a great gateway book for younger readers or anyone new to this kind of story.
The relationship between Abdi and Alva makes the story engaging. Watching Abdi step into a protector role in a crumbling world is genuinely touching. But the plot has holes big enough for a beast to slip through—like, how exactly do these creatures work? Why does the plan to reach Dad feel so undercooked? And the ending, while poignant, leaves a lot of questions dangling.
Overall, Beasts is an engaging, atmospheric read with plenty of thrills and heart. Just don’t expect it to break new ground or tie up every loose end. Perfect for young adventurers or anyone craving a quick, eerie survival tale.
The writing is crisp, light, and easy to follow. It should appeal to younger readers or anyone who wants their apocalypse served without too much grit. The story is tense, fast-paced, and filled with cliffhangers that make it hard to put down. The beasts themselves are suitably terrifying. And, because no post-apocalyptic story is complete without some human nastiness, the siblings quickly learn that the real danger isn’t always four-legged and fanged.
But here’s the thing—this novella isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. If you’ve read The Road, watched A Quiet Place, or seen Monsters, you’ll probably experience some serious déjà vu. It hits all the familiar beats: scavenging for food, meeting sketchy strangers, fleeting moments of safety before disaster strikes again. For seasoned fans of the genre, it might feel like “Post-Apocalypse 101.” That said, it’s a great gateway book for younger readers or anyone new to this kind of story.
The relationship between Abdi and Alva makes the story engaging. Watching Abdi step into a protector role in a crumbling world is genuinely touching. But the plot has holes big enough for a beast to slip through—like, how exactly do these creatures work? Why does the plan to reach Dad feel so undercooked? And the ending, while poignant, leaves a lot of questions dangling.
Overall, Beasts is an engaging, atmospheric read with plenty of thrills and heart. Just don’t expect it to break new ground or tie up every loose end. Perfect for young adventurers or anyone craving a quick, eerie survival tale.
June 28, 2025
Beasts is a YA translated fiction horror novel by Ingvild Bjerkeland of Haugesund, Norway. At 128 pages, this novel was a quick read - and it did keep me interested the whole time. I found the characters very likeable. The story revolves around a big brother caring for his sister during post-apocalyptic times, after their mother is suddenly killed by a Beast.
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The story was interesting, but I felt a bit bored because of the lack of descriptive details surrounding the identity and origination of said Beasts. This story read very much like a post-apocalyptic story, and I felt a lot of the details of the apocalypse were reminiscent of the COVID 19 pandemic. As with every time I read translated fiction, I wonder if some of the plot details were lost in translation? Or if the story is just a bit underdeveloped?
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Either way, I can definitely say this this is worth a read if you're looking for something quick and easy to read. I would definitely feel comfortable recommending this to someone that is interested in trying out the horror genre. There is very little gore in the story, which makes it easily palatable for new horror readers.
February 22, 2023
Denne var fascinerende og ubehagelig og så spennende at jeg slukte den i et jafs. Ligner på andre bøker, dystopier, samtidig ligner den ikke på dem.
November 20, 2025
Norjalaisen Ingvid Bjerkelandin "Paha" (Otava, 2025) on nuorille suunnattu kauhuromaani, jossa ollaan keskellä maailmanlopun tunnelmia. Salaperäiset pedot karvaisine koipineen, terävine hampaineen ja hirmuisine raatelukynsineen ovat ilmestyneet kuin tyhjästä ihmisten keskelle ja saaneet yhteiskunnan romahtamaan pahemman kerran.
Sisarukset Abdi ja Alva ovat menettäneet äitinsä hirviöiden hyökkäyksessä. Lasten pyrkimyksenä on nyt päästä rannikolle ja hankkiutua sieltä Shetlandinsaarille, jossa isä työskentelee. Se on vaan helpommin sanottu kuin tehty, sillä hirviöt vaanivat kaikkialla, ja epätoivoinen tilanne on saanut myös osan ihmisistä käyttäytymään julmasti toisiaan kohtaan.
Bjerkelandin teos ei varsinaisesti pääse ylvästelemään omaperäisyydellä, mutta on kuitenkin ihan näppärä lajityyppinsä edustaja - tai oikeammin tarinan alku, sillä teokselle on luvassa myös jatkoa. Toivottavasti kääntämistä jatketaan.
Luullakseni kirjaa voisi tarjota jo viitosluokkalaisille kauhun ja jännityksen ystäville, sillä meininki ei ylly kovinkaan kaameaksi eikä kuolemantapauksia kuvailla järin graafisesti. Jonkinlaisena sodan vertauskuvanakin hirviöiden saapumisen voi nähdä.
Jos pidit tästä ja maailmanlopun tunnelmat kiinnostavat, niin kokeilepa myös Rick Yanceyn nuortenromaania 5. aalto.
Sisarukset Abdi ja Alva ovat menettäneet äitinsä hirviöiden hyökkäyksessä. Lasten pyrkimyksenä on nyt päästä rannikolle ja hankkiutua sieltä Shetlandinsaarille, jossa isä työskentelee. Se on vaan helpommin sanottu kuin tehty, sillä hirviöt vaanivat kaikkialla, ja epätoivoinen tilanne on saanut myös osan ihmisistä käyttäytymään julmasti toisiaan kohtaan.
Bjerkelandin teos ei varsinaisesti pääse ylvästelemään omaperäisyydellä, mutta on kuitenkin ihan näppärä lajityyppinsä edustaja - tai oikeammin tarinan alku, sillä teokselle on luvassa myös jatkoa. Toivottavasti kääntämistä jatketaan.
Luullakseni kirjaa voisi tarjota jo viitosluokkalaisille kauhun ja jännityksen ystäville, sillä meininki ei ylly kovinkaan kaameaksi eikä kuolemantapauksia kuvailla järin graafisesti. Jonkinlaisena sodan vertauskuvanakin hirviöiden saapumisen voi nähdä.
Jos pidit tästä ja maailmanlopun tunnelmat kiinnostavat, niin kokeilepa myös Rick Yanceyn nuortenromaania 5. aalto.
March 4, 2025
Despite being billed as upper middle grade, I found myself thoroughly engaged with this novella myself and think many adults would feel the same. This was a chilling horror novel and I found myself with actual goosebumps at several points while reading this. I possibly wouldn’t recommend to very young or sensitive readers for this reason, but I think a YA/older middle grade audience should be fine. I read it in one sitting (which is unusual for me) as I just needed to know what happened next! The description of the beasts - one scene in particular - had me holding my breath. The characters were relatable and sympathetic, and the older character of Abdi in particular will be relatable to middle grade readers as a peer. The short format did not allow as full a character exploration as I would have liked, but the reader is given enough information to root for the main characters and feel invested in their plight. Despite the horror elements, this book also speaks to several real-world issues. The social commentary on the things people will resort to in a crisis, particularly putting their own needs above those of others, reminded me at times almost a little too much of where we were several years ago during the Covid pandemic! Without giving too much away, I actually appreciated the way things were left off with the ending of this novel, as it leaves room for interpretation and the reader’s imagination. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read which I would recommend to not only to a middle grade audience but to an adult one as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 18, 2024
A wild and fearful adventure with two Nordic children leading us through some kind of fantastical and monstrous apocalypse. The world building should be set aside: yes, there’s a million plot holes. I read this as a fable. There are many lessons here. People can be good and bad. Kindness is human. Sometimes the best option is to run, no matter how cowardly you might feel. And other such ideas. The relationship between the children was realistic and touching. I was surprised at how much the author was able to express in so few words. I only wish that the beasts made a little more sense. There’s tantalizing hints that they aren’t really beasts, but it’s not clear what’s going on and why. Maybe they’re simply humanity’s self-destructive tendencies embodied. But I suppose it doesn’t really matter in the end.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Levine Querido for the advance copy.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Levine Querido for the advance copy.
January 31, 2025
Surprisingly touching story about survival. It's a fast read - in part because it's short but also because the story compels you to keep flipping pages.
Abdi is a big brother, aiming to keep his sister Alva safe and alive. They are on the move, starving, trying to find safety even though everything around them is dangerous. The monsters, mainly only referred to as Beasts, were so well crafted in that just their smell in the story could spook the reader. But two kids traveling alone in a world that is just trying to stay alive, it's not just the Beasts that they need to fear. I felt completely swept away with their struggle to survive and their journey.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Abdi is a big brother, aiming to keep his sister Alva safe and alive. They are on the move, starving, trying to find safety even though everything around them is dangerous. The monsters, mainly only referred to as Beasts, were so well crafted in that just their smell in the story could spook the reader. But two kids traveling alone in a world that is just trying to stay alive, it's not just the Beasts that they need to fear. I felt completely swept away with their struggle to survive and their journey.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
July 15, 2025
Read this in Dutch (titled: ‘Beesten’), can someone add this edition for me please? 🫣
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
January 26, 2025
it truly is as they describe it: A Quiet Place meets Cormac McCarthy's The Road.
we follow two children in norway, after their country is overrun with beasts that send them o the run with the promise of going to the beach where they'll take a boat to safety and to meet their father. the quiet place comparison seems to come from their life on the run and having to be so quiet, or the monsters will come and get them. the road compasion comes from the idea of going on a trip after the end of their world as they know hoping to get to that promised safe place.
I was along for the ride, since the writing style flowed so easily, but the ending was the worst part, as it feels like the end of a chapter, not the end of the story. i don't mind open endings, but this wasn't that even.
we follow two children in norway, after their country is overrun with beasts that send them o the run with the promise of going to the beach where they'll take a boat to safety and to meet their father. the quiet place comparison seems to come from their life on the run and having to be so quiet, or the monsters will come and get them. the road compasion comes from the idea of going on a trip after the end of their world as they know hoping to get to that promised safe place.
I was along for the ride, since the writing style flowed so easily, but the ending was the worst part, as it feels like the end of a chapter, not the end of the story. i don't mind open endings, but this wasn't that even.
March 24, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Levine Querido for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book in one sitting, because I simply could not take my eyes off the pages! It had shades of The Road in it, but with the characters being 13-yo Abdi and his 5-yo sister Alva. The beasts in question were eery and unsettling, seemingly with quite a bit of human-like intelligence. Extremely spooky stuff, but wrapped up in a not-too-gory package for people who aren't too into the more bloody aspects of horror, or for teenagers/young adults.
I don't read too much horror, but I venture into it occasionally when I want a good fright, and this delivered a nice and short horror story without being so scary that it haunts your dreams when you go to sleep.
The translation was good, it seemed faithful to the original and the language flowed very well. It was a book that demanded my attention, and my eyes were glued to the pages until I'd read the very last word. Definitely well worth a read!
I read this book in one sitting, because I simply could not take my eyes off the pages! It had shades of The Road in it, but with the characters being 13-yo Abdi and his 5-yo sister Alva. The beasts in question were eery and unsettling, seemingly with quite a bit of human-like intelligence. Extremely spooky stuff, but wrapped up in a not-too-gory package for people who aren't too into the more bloody aspects of horror, or for teenagers/young adults.
I don't read too much horror, but I venture into it occasionally when I want a good fright, and this delivered a nice and short horror story without being so scary that it haunts your dreams when you go to sleep.
The translation was good, it seemed faithful to the original and the language flowed very well. It was a book that demanded my attention, and my eyes were glued to the pages until I'd read the very last word. Definitely well worth a read!
February 9, 2023
Boka kunne gjerne vært 100 sider lengre for å gi den litt mer fylde. Vinglet litt mellom å gi den tre eller fire stjerner.
Men så er det bare meg liker godt den «verden har gått under» sjangeren/dystopi. «Udyr» dyppet bare storetåa ned i sjangeren. Men den gav det den lovet «lettlest & ubehagelig spennende» (blurb hentet fra beskrivelsen av boka fra nettbokhandel til Ark/Norli).
Men så er det bare meg liker godt den «verden har gått under» sjangeren/dystopi. «Udyr» dyppet bare storetåa ned i sjangeren. Men den gav det den lovet «lettlest & ubehagelig spennende» (blurb hentet fra beskrivelsen av boka fra nettbokhandel til Ark/Norli).
August 26, 2023
Kudos til forfatter som våger å vise menneskehetens brutale og egoistiske side i en barnebok! Unger må jo bare bli helt slukt av denne boka! Den gir meg assosiasjoner til «the road», «the last of us» og «I morgen er alt mørkt» Og det er virkelig et kvalitetstegn!
April 13, 2025
Just your typical run of the mill end of the world story....... it was to the point and got the job done.
Complaint:
It ends entirely too abruptly.
Complaint:
It ends entirely too abruptly.
May 29, 2025
It’s dark, bleak, very moving and fantastic. And a perfect way to introduce a new generation about the struggles of refugees.
November 20, 2025
Kun kuulin tästä kirjasta niin olin että jes, nuorille hirviökauhua ja vielä Norjasta, kuulostaapa hyvältä. Mutta sit kun sain tän käsiini niin hienoinen pettymys hiipi hipiään kun huomasin että tää on vain sata sivua pitkä, eli ei varmaan kovin monipuolista tarinaa saada. Hirviöt ovat siis hyökänneet maailmaan (mistä, miten, miksi, no näihin kysymyksiin emme saa vastausta) ja tappavat nyt ihmisiä ja yhteiskunta on vajonnut dystopia-tasolle jossa jokainen ajattelee vain itseään ja omaa selviytymistään.
Tää on karu kertomus jossa koko ajan tapahtuu, mutta asioita ei pahemmin kuvailla eikä mihinkään oikein keskitytä vaan tarinassa vaan rämmitään eteenpäin ja välillä kerrotaan takaumia siitä miten Alva ja Abdi päätyivät pakomatkalle kahdestaan. Tämä tosin varmasti menee vinkkauksissa nuorille hyvin, koska on lyhyt, on jänniä hirviöitä ja hieno kansikin, mutta toivottavasti lukijat eivät pety siihen että kirja loppuu kuin seinään, kun itseäni se kyllä turhautti vallan mahdottomasti. Mutta tälle on ilmeisesti kirjoitettu jatkoa, toivottavasti sekin käännetään ja toivottavasti siinä saadaan vähän enemmän taustoitusta asioille, sillä tarina jossa vain reagoidaan tilanteeseen voi olla tosi jännä mutta unohtuu myös suhteellisen helposti.
Tää on karu kertomus jossa koko ajan tapahtuu, mutta asioita ei pahemmin kuvailla eikä mihinkään oikein keskitytä vaan tarinassa vaan rämmitään eteenpäin ja välillä kerrotaan takaumia siitä miten Alva ja Abdi päätyivät pakomatkalle kahdestaan. Tämä tosin varmasti menee vinkkauksissa nuorille hyvin, koska on lyhyt, on jänniä hirviöitä ja hieno kansikin, mutta toivottavasti lukijat eivät pety siihen että kirja loppuu kuin seinään, kun itseäni se kyllä turhautti vallan mahdottomasti. Mutta tälle on ilmeisesti kirjoitettu jatkoa, toivottavasti sekin käännetään ja toivottavasti siinä saadaan vähän enemmän taustoitusta asioille, sillä tarina jossa vain reagoidaan tilanteeseen voi olla tosi jännä mutta unohtuu myös suhteellisen helposti.
September 11, 2025
Well this was a short, rather mysterious adventure story about two kids, 5 and 13, who are trying to escape from these dark furred beasts. It's very vivid which is why I loved reading it. You can sense the danger in here, not only from the unknown creatures but also from fellow men. Because in this life or death situation many people are out to save themselves. Yet not everyone is that way.
I liked the main characters in here: young Alva and her older brother Abdi. Poor Abdi has to shoulder so much responsibility. And both of them have seen some horrible things too. Bloody things.
The tale didn't exactly explain everything that I had wished but it was very enthralling. I was very hooked and read the entire book in one sitting. Couldn't put this down. And from my viewpoint it seems that a long time has passed since I read something that has captivated me like this. I always love a good man versus nature story and there is a lot of that in here: traveling through the woods and other isolated areas, hiding on the beasts...
This was definitely very entertaining!
I liked the main characters in here: young Alva and her older brother Abdi. Poor Abdi has to shoulder so much responsibility. And both of them have seen some horrible things too. Bloody things.
The tale didn't exactly explain everything that I had wished but it was very enthralling. I was very hooked and read the entire book in one sitting. Couldn't put this down. And from my viewpoint it seems that a long time has passed since I read something that has captivated me like this. I always love a good man versus nature story and there is a lot of that in here: traveling through the woods and other isolated areas, hiding on the beasts...
This was definitely very entertaining!
April 4, 2025
what a scary and intense novella. Seems like a simple story on the surface but has a lot to say about individualism as both cause and effect of society's downfall.
initially I found the ending quite abrupt and seemingly unfinished, but upon further reflection I think it does work with the themes.
initially I found the ending quite abrupt and seemingly unfinished, but upon further reflection I think it does work with the themes.
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