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Beastia
The meanest of the mean girls, Rebekah Austin rules her Chicago school with sharp outfits and an even sharper tongue. She has a way of making even the most beautiful and brilliant girls in her class feel like dirt. But underneath the queen-bee façade is someone who feels ugly, repulsive…beastly.
When Rebekah falls prey to a madman, the bully becomes the bullied. Scarred and tormented, she abandons her previous life and adopts a new identity, but her ghastly appearance haunts her everywhere she goes. Only with the help of determined friends can she move past her horrifying experience—and maybe even let herself be loved.
And if the madman returns to finish what he started, will she be ready, or will she give up hope?
When Rebekah falls prey to a madman, the bully becomes the bullied. Scarred and tormented, she abandons her previous life and adopts a new identity, but her ghastly appearance haunts her everywhere she goes. Only with the help of determined friends can she move past her horrifying experience—and maybe even let herself be loved.
And if the madman returns to finish what he started, will she be ready, or will she give up hope?
230 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2017
About the author
Zoe Cruz
1 book15 followersI love traveling, writing, reading, and binge watching my favorite shows on Netflix.
I'm a geek too. Anything from classic Tortallan and Hobbit lore to a DS9 Trekkie and a Browncoat. I love any good sci-fi and fantasy book, show or movie.
I've lived in Spain for almost four years, so adapting back to U.S. life for now.
I'm a geek too. Anything from classic Tortallan and Hobbit lore to a DS9 Trekkie and a Browncoat. I love any good sci-fi and fantasy book, show or movie.
I've lived in Spain for almost four years, so adapting back to U.S. life for now.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 16, 2017
Beastia by Zoe Cruz is a fast paced, dark and twisted YA thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Rebecca Austin is beautiful, rich, smart and very popular amongst her highschool peers. She had everything she could ever need and her life was perfect.... Or at least it was on the surface. Unfortunately, not everything is always as it may seem.
"No one would have believed me. I mean I had everything. What did it matter if I wasn’t happy? I was rich, I was pretty, and I hated my life."
Beck's parents have been having some serious issues with each other, and despite them trying to keep her in the dark about everything, she's had to suffer through the backlash of their marital problems. When her father meets an untimely death in a devastating train wreck, Beck is left feeling heartbroken and empty.
Her mother turned to drinking, her perfect college boyfriend Brett was busy, and she didn't feel she could open up to her closest friend, Evie. Because of her stressful home life, she abused her popularity and bullied a lot of her "lesser" peers by taking her anger out on them, so she didn't have many friends, or any "real" friends that she could count on for support. She felt alone. Instead of isolating herself and dwelling on the bad, she decides to go to a party with Evie to allow herself one more night of being carefree before letting the reality of her situation fully sink in.
Shortly after arriving at the party, Rebecca disappears and isn't seen or heard from for 43 days. She manages to survive the gruesome attack with some help, but the person who escapes her horrible captor isn't "Beck" anymore. She's the shell of her former self; she's Bea.
After enduring severe torture from the psychopath who abducted her, she moves away and tries to rebuild her life. Just as she's beginning to find happiness, her past comes back to haunt her- Can she survive the horrors of her life? Will she ever be able to love herself again?
This is definitely a gripping and suspenseful story. I was drawn to the cover and when I read the title, I figured this story would have something to do with Beauty and the Beast (especially since the new BTB movie will be coming out soon.) - it doesn't. While there are some similar themes (ie: see past the "ugly" and find love within yourself/ for another) this is not a fairytale retelling. At least, not in an obvious way. But maybe it's inspired?
I only have a few minor complaints with this book and they are: A) I wish there was a bit more emotion between the characters during a couple of parts (like when Bea came clean about her past to Will). B) I kind of wanted to know more about the 'Head Hunter' - I think it would've been cool to maybe have read a few chapters in his POV. C) Mostly I just wished this novel was longer. The story did feel complete to me, but I still wanted more! Haha.
Zoe Cruz's style of witing was great because every time I thought I figured out who the 'Head Hunter' was, I was thrown for a loop. Her characters were written well and I enjoyed how she spaced out the important information.
I loved Bea's little makeship family she was able to have because of her godparents (who are just amazing people!) and their Chinese restaurant. I especially enjoyed her friendships with Jo-ann and Will and everything they went through together.
This book might be filled with a lot of horrible things, but what I loved most is that almost all of these characters are survivors from some horrible thing in their lives.
If you enjoy dark YA thrillers, this book is for you.
**** I received an eBook copy of this title through Netgally, in exchange for an honest review. ****
Rebecca Austin is beautiful, rich, smart and very popular amongst her highschool peers. She had everything she could ever need and her life was perfect.... Or at least it was on the surface. Unfortunately, not everything is always as it may seem.
"No one would have believed me. I mean I had everything. What did it matter if I wasn’t happy? I was rich, I was pretty, and I hated my life."
Beck's parents have been having some serious issues with each other, and despite them trying to keep her in the dark about everything, she's had to suffer through the backlash of their marital problems. When her father meets an untimely death in a devastating train wreck, Beck is left feeling heartbroken and empty.
Her mother turned to drinking, her perfect college boyfriend Brett was busy, and she didn't feel she could open up to her closest friend, Evie. Because of her stressful home life, she abused her popularity and bullied a lot of her "lesser" peers by taking her anger out on them, so she didn't have many friends, or any "real" friends that she could count on for support. She felt alone. Instead of isolating herself and dwelling on the bad, she decides to go to a party with Evie to allow herself one more night of being carefree before letting the reality of her situation fully sink in.
Shortly after arriving at the party, Rebecca disappears and isn't seen or heard from for 43 days. She manages to survive the gruesome attack with some help, but the person who escapes her horrible captor isn't "Beck" anymore. She's the shell of her former self; she's Bea.
After enduring severe torture from the psychopath who abducted her, she moves away and tries to rebuild her life. Just as she's beginning to find happiness, her past comes back to haunt her- Can she survive the horrors of her life? Will she ever be able to love herself again?
This is definitely a gripping and suspenseful story. I was drawn to the cover and when I read the title, I figured this story would have something to do with Beauty and the Beast (especially since the new BTB movie will be coming out soon.) - it doesn't. While there are some similar themes (ie: see past the "ugly" and find love within yourself/ for another) this is not a fairytale retelling. At least, not in an obvious way. But maybe it's inspired?
I only have a few minor complaints with this book and they are: A) I wish there was a bit more emotion between the characters during a couple of parts (like when Bea came clean about her past to Will). B) I kind of wanted to know more about the 'Head Hunter' - I think it would've been cool to maybe have read a few chapters in his POV. C) Mostly I just wished this novel was longer. The story did feel complete to me, but I still wanted more! Haha.
Zoe Cruz's style of witing was great because every time I thought I figured out who the 'Head Hunter' was, I was thrown for a loop. Her characters were written well and I enjoyed how she spaced out the important information.
I loved Bea's little makeship family she was able to have because of her godparents (who are just amazing people!) and their Chinese restaurant. I especially enjoyed her friendships with Jo-ann and Will and everything they went through together.
This book might be filled with a lot of horrible things, but what I loved most is that almost all of these characters are survivors from some horrible thing in their lives.
If you enjoy dark YA thrillers, this book is for you.
**** I received an eBook copy of this title through Netgally, in exchange for an honest review. ****
March 25, 2017
Note: I got a copy from Netgalley and Createspace Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
If you do not know, I love Beauty and the Beast. I love the retellings of that fairytale. This was advertised as a Beauty and the Beast if it was flipped around genderwise. It was kind of like that but very on the surface retelling. It was much more of a thriller/mystery book and didn't really follow the story of Beauty and the Beast. I did enjoy it but I don't think it could be advertised as a retelling.
If you do not know, I love Beauty and the Beast. I love the retellings of that fairytale. This was advertised as a Beauty and the Beast if it was flipped around genderwise. It was kind of like that but very on the surface retelling. It was much more of a thriller/mystery book and didn't really follow the story of Beauty and the Beast. I did enjoy it but I don't think it could be advertised as a retelling.
March 13, 2017
This book was very interesting I'm not quite sure what genre I would characterise it as. It's not light-heart. I would say it's closer to the dark side however it has a bit of everything, and it's not scary. It's a story of finding your way in the world and seeing your inner beauty. I was hoping for the Disney fantasy ending, but I guess I don't live in the real world. This book does have the happy ever after and a good moral fibre.
Rebekah has a perfect life. The beautiful face, the rich spoilt family and the mean girl personality to match. In one day her life changed forever. She lost everything including her beauty. Now it's time to start living and discovering there is more to life than plastic.
I loved the quotes at the beginning of every chapter.
4 stars out of 5.
*I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Rebekah has a perfect life. The beautiful face, the rich spoilt family and the mean girl personality to match. In one day her life changed forever. She lost everything including her beauty. Now it's time to start living and discovering there is more to life than plastic.
I loved the quotes at the beginning of every chapter.
4 stars out of 5.
*I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
March 14, 2017
Bestia is a really intriguing book that you won't want to put down! Great character development and a really interesting storyline. Highly recommend!
March 10, 2017
Gripping – had to keep reading. Something you’ll want a weekend for, unless you won’t miss a night’s sleep. Characters pulled me in and had me trying to think of a way to help them, and then I remembered it was a book. One of the best gritty YAs I’ve read. Really identified with Beastia.
March 26, 2017
So I’m part of the blogging tour for Beastua written by Zoe Cruz! Shout out to Andrea Thatcher who organized this Blog Tour.
First off, the intell on the book:
Beastia by Zoe Cruz
Synopsis:
The meanest of the mean girls, Rebekah Austin rules her Chicago school with sharp outfits and an even sharper tongue. She has a way of making even the most beautiful and brilliant girls in her class feel like dirt. But underneath the queen-bee façade is someone who feels ugly, repulsive…beastly.
When Rebekah falls prey to a madman, the bully becomes the bullied. Scarred and tormented, she abandons her previous life and adopts a new identity, but her ghastly appearance haunts her everywhere she goes. Only with the help of determined friends can she move past her horrifying experience—and maybe even let herself be loved.
And if the madman returns to finish what he started, will she be ready, or will she give up hope?
Secondly, some info on the author, Zoe Cruz:
I love traveling, writing, reading, and binge watching my favorite shows on Netflix.
I’m a geek too. Anything from classic Tortallan and Hobbit lore to a DS9 Trekkie and a Browncoat. I love any good sci-fi and fantasy book, show or movie.
I’ve lived in Spain for almost four years, so adapting back to U.S. life for now.
Thirdly, my thoughts on the book:
The premise is a lot of fun. A twist on Beauty and the Beast, this time with a girl in the “beast”-role. I found this very interesting, definitely because there is a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way in today’s society. The book is written in a very fast paced way, it just really grabs you and pulls you along for the ride. I enjoyed this pacing in a way because of my massive reading slump and this really helped me get over that a bit by just making me want to read more and get to the ending sooner. But the speedy pacing really also left things a bit superficial. I feel like sometimes it dances around a bit (too) much to get a lot of depth to situations at times, sometimes you just seem to get some snippets from Bea’s life where there is a lot of telling instead of showing going on. It also left me feeling pretty detached from Bea herself, and I love feeling connected to the main character in a story. And I did miss that here. Especially because, like Beast in the original story, she is very defensive about a lot of things which make her seem very unlikable to people. We know it’s just a facade and her way of protecting herself, but when you add this to the high pace it leaves you at a certain distance from Bea. In a way it’s nice that everyone here seemed to have a bit of a complicated backstory, because people are complex and no one really has it easy, but at times it felt a bit much.
In the end it was a fun read and a quick one at that.
Sidenote: this is great timing on the publisher’s part what with the new Beauty and the Beast movie coming out!
First off, the intell on the book:
Beastia by Zoe Cruz
Synopsis:
The meanest of the mean girls, Rebekah Austin rules her Chicago school with sharp outfits and an even sharper tongue. She has a way of making even the most beautiful and brilliant girls in her class feel like dirt. But underneath the queen-bee façade is someone who feels ugly, repulsive…beastly.
When Rebekah falls prey to a madman, the bully becomes the bullied. Scarred and tormented, she abandons her previous life and adopts a new identity, but her ghastly appearance haunts her everywhere she goes. Only with the help of determined friends can she move past her horrifying experience—and maybe even let herself be loved.
And if the madman returns to finish what he started, will she be ready, or will she give up hope?
Secondly, some info on the author, Zoe Cruz:
I love traveling, writing, reading, and binge watching my favorite shows on Netflix.
I’m a geek too. Anything from classic Tortallan and Hobbit lore to a DS9 Trekkie and a Browncoat. I love any good sci-fi and fantasy book, show or movie.
I’ve lived in Spain for almost four years, so adapting back to U.S. life for now.
Thirdly, my thoughts on the book:
The premise is a lot of fun. A twist on Beauty and the Beast, this time with a girl in the “beast”-role. I found this very interesting, definitely because there is a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way in today’s society. The book is written in a very fast paced way, it just really grabs you and pulls you along for the ride. I enjoyed this pacing in a way because of my massive reading slump and this really helped me get over that a bit by just making me want to read more and get to the ending sooner. But the speedy pacing really also left things a bit superficial. I feel like sometimes it dances around a bit (too) much to get a lot of depth to situations at times, sometimes you just seem to get some snippets from Bea’s life where there is a lot of telling instead of showing going on. It also left me feeling pretty detached from Bea herself, and I love feeling connected to the main character in a story. And I did miss that here. Especially because, like Beast in the original story, she is very defensive about a lot of things which make her seem very unlikable to people. We know it’s just a facade and her way of protecting herself, but when you add this to the high pace it leaves you at a certain distance from Bea. In a way it’s nice that everyone here seemed to have a bit of a complicated backstory, because people are complex and no one really has it easy, but at times it felt a bit much.
In the end it was a fun read and a quick one at that.
Sidenote: this is great timing on the publisher’s part what with the new Beauty and the Beast movie coming out!
June 12, 2017
Beastia by Zoe Cruz is a YA/NA contemporary novel. Its much darker than I expected and I don't know that it would be appropriate for younger readers.
Rebekah is the beautiful mean girl in school. She has an alcoholic mother and a nearly absentee father and lashes out at others. When tragedy strikes her family, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol at a party. In her inebriated and grief stricken state, she allows an unknown man to care for her. This man drugs and kidnaps her. He holds her for 40 days while he tortures and disfigures her. A chance escape allows her freedom but she is now a beast. She has to learn to live in a new body and learn how to let people into her life again.
This is a modern version of Beauty and the Beast and I thought it was well done. I really liked the dark aspect of the story. Although I also thought it could have gone further. It was already pretty horrific so more explanation wouldn't have hurt. Also I was curious about some of the things that happened to her and I would have liked an explanation. For instance, the tattooing is not only an artistic skill but the choice of tattoos were significant. I wanted to know why the kidnapper chose certain things and what his artistic background was.
I liked the character development with Bea and Joann. I was glad that regardless of what she had been through, there were people that were in her life to stay. The one thing I would have liked to see what more about Rebekah before the kidnapping. It was clear she was mean to others but there was actually very little of story devoted to that. Although I understand that the point was that she wasn't a good person, but I wanted more examples of her ugliness on the inside.
Rebekah is the beautiful mean girl in school. She has an alcoholic mother and a nearly absentee father and lashes out at others. When tragedy strikes her family, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol at a party. In her inebriated and grief stricken state, she allows an unknown man to care for her. This man drugs and kidnaps her. He holds her for 40 days while he tortures and disfigures her. A chance escape allows her freedom but she is now a beast. She has to learn to live in a new body and learn how to let people into her life again.
This is a modern version of Beauty and the Beast and I thought it was well done. I really liked the dark aspect of the story. Although I also thought it could have gone further. It was already pretty horrific so more explanation wouldn't have hurt. Also I was curious about some of the things that happened to her and I would have liked an explanation. For instance, the tattooing is not only an artistic skill but the choice of tattoos were significant. I wanted to know why the kidnapper chose certain things and what his artistic background was.
I liked the character development with Bea and Joann. I was glad that regardless of what she had been through, there were people that were in her life to stay. The one thing I would have liked to see what more about Rebekah before the kidnapping. It was clear she was mean to others but there was actually very little of story devoted to that. Although I understand that the point was that she wasn't a good person, but I wanted more examples of her ugliness on the inside.
March 13, 2017
Beastia by Zoe Cruz was an interesting and yet unusual read for me, however I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The cover is really attractive and that's what caught my eye...
I loved the writing style, written in the first person, the voice and the mind of Rebekah (Bea) unraveling the story of her life as you read. I really enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter making you wrestle with the themes threaded through the story. Relevant, interesting, varied and challenging they launch you into the chapter alert and thinking. But then I am a 'quote' person. My favourite was:
"there came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin
The plot is fast paced and keeps you entangled whilst the character development of each person you meet is intense and real. You journey with each one as they deal with their own lives and Bea's as they intersect, but you never stop "being" Bea - feeling her pain, her struggle and her fight within herself. She's brave, courageous and beautiful. You finish the story smiling, feeling brave, courageous and beautiful.
A great debut novel that is sure to be a hit with the young adults it was written for.
The cover is really attractive and that's what caught my eye...
I loved the writing style, written in the first person, the voice and the mind of Rebekah (Bea) unraveling the story of her life as you read. I really enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter making you wrestle with the themes threaded through the story. Relevant, interesting, varied and challenging they launch you into the chapter alert and thinking. But then I am a 'quote' person. My favourite was:
"there came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin
The plot is fast paced and keeps you entangled whilst the character development of each person you meet is intense and real. You journey with each one as they deal with their own lives and Bea's as they intersect, but you never stop "being" Bea - feeling her pain, her struggle and her fight within herself. She's brave, courageous and beautiful. You finish the story smiling, feeling brave, courageous and beautiful.
A great debut novel that is sure to be a hit with the young adults it was written for.
March 22, 2017
This is a brilliant Y.A. thriller. A real shocking Beauty and the Beast story. Rebekah is very superficial, everything about her is false. Beautiful yes, she truly is. but only on the outside really, like a lot of her friends. It is how they judge each others status. Being beautiful, having the right clothes and car, not who they really are just how good they look. Even her family is the same. It is all about how others see them. She hates her life, especially at home, but no one knows. She feels ugly inside.
When tragedy strikes and the lies fall away. Rebekah gets more then a taste about how important her family were to her not just what they could give her. She has to get out, feel as normal as she can but when her friend goes off with a boy at a party no one notices that Rebekah has disappeared. She has been abducted and over weeks of being captive she is tortured daily, cut, pinned and tattooed everywhere. Until someone mysteriously dumps her on the street among rubbish. The psychopath is still out there and Rebekah is grossly changed so much that she is impossible to mend and put back together. With a new identity she forges a new life, she is now Bea.
I was truly fascinated with this story where I really began to root for Bea, to see her for who she was becoming inside, the true beauty of her. The story had a really good pace through out that kept me on my toes, continually wondering if it was the psychopath that had come back in her life ever time someone new came into the story. It was edgy without being frightening. I loved seeing Bea change over time. Brilliant conclusion to the story. It really does make you realise how superficial people are.
When tragedy strikes and the lies fall away. Rebekah gets more then a taste about how important her family were to her not just what they could give her. She has to get out, feel as normal as she can but when her friend goes off with a boy at a party no one notices that Rebekah has disappeared. She has been abducted and over weeks of being captive she is tortured daily, cut, pinned and tattooed everywhere. Until someone mysteriously dumps her on the street among rubbish. The psychopath is still out there and Rebekah is grossly changed so much that she is impossible to mend and put back together. With a new identity she forges a new life, she is now Bea.
I was truly fascinated with this story where I really began to root for Bea, to see her for who she was becoming inside, the true beauty of her. The story had a really good pace through out that kept me on my toes, continually wondering if it was the psychopath that had come back in her life ever time someone new came into the story. It was edgy without being frightening. I loved seeing Bea change over time. Brilliant conclusion to the story. It really does make you realise how superficial people are.
March 17, 2017
Thank you to Smith Publicity who provided an arc of the book via net galley in return for an honest review.
This could have been a great book that examined how important beauty is in society and what we will forgive a beautiful person, even if he or she is ugly on the inside. And on the flip side how beauty can incite feelings of lust and hatred in others.
The quotes that start each chapter are interesting and reflect the themes that are touched on on the book, but unfortunately these themes are not given chance to develop or grow. Everything is dealt with in a very superficial manner and the book is very much about "telling" rather than "showing". Coupled with the fast pace, I never stopped to pause or consider any of the characters emotions or actions as I would with a more nuanced approach.
The book really glossed over Rebekah's alleged mean girl status, which really seemed to consist of her spreading a rumour about a girl on Facebook, shoulder slamming her in the school corridor and ignoring someone who used to be her friend. Similarly, her realisation (post attack) that she used to be ugly on the inside is ridiculously sudden.
The serial killer angle is very much a tired trope - the wall full of photos recording his kills? check. The "complicated" issue with Mummy? check. The heroine trapped with him on her own at the end? check.
The three friends; Bea (as Rebekah becomes known), Will and Jo-Anne all have troubled backgrounds and even this felt like such a cliche.
On a more positive note the book is very fast paced, is a lot darker than other YA books in the genre, and does have a rather wonderful cover.
This could have been a great book that examined how important beauty is in society and what we will forgive a beautiful person, even if he or she is ugly on the inside. And on the flip side how beauty can incite feelings of lust and hatred in others.
The quotes that start each chapter are interesting and reflect the themes that are touched on on the book, but unfortunately these themes are not given chance to develop or grow. Everything is dealt with in a very superficial manner and the book is very much about "telling" rather than "showing". Coupled with the fast pace, I never stopped to pause or consider any of the characters emotions or actions as I would with a more nuanced approach.
The book really glossed over Rebekah's alleged mean girl status, which really seemed to consist of her spreading a rumour about a girl on Facebook, shoulder slamming her in the school corridor and ignoring someone who used to be her friend. Similarly, her realisation (post attack) that she used to be ugly on the inside is ridiculously sudden.
The serial killer angle is very much a tired trope - the wall full of photos recording his kills? check. The "complicated" issue with Mummy? check. The heroine trapped with him on her own at the end? check.
The three friends; Bea (as Rebekah becomes known), Will and Jo-Anne all have troubled backgrounds and even this felt like such a cliche.
On a more positive note the book is very fast paced, is a lot darker than other YA books in the genre, and does have a rather wonderful cover.
March 15, 2017
This was a better-than-average YA book. The horrific things that Bea went through might have stretched credulity a little, but the author still made it very convincing. I enjoyed the fact that Bea was a complicated person even before her abduction - bit of a bitch at school but a lost little girl at home. The denouement was gratifying, and I never even suspected the eventual culprit.
My only (mild) complaint is the love story, but I'm a cynical old person who prefers action over relationships!
*free copy from NetGalley*
My only (mild) complaint is the love story, but I'm a cynical old person who prefers action over relationships!
*free copy from NetGalley*
March 17, 2017
If Will and Bea's romance wouldn't have happened, this would be 1 star. It's the only element that I truly liked. Will is so sweet, man. Don't get me wrong, Bea deserved to find love, but I don't like her as a character. I understand why she was such a bitch, but it was like she couldn't make up her mind. She was friends with someone, then she wasn't. It was just annoying to read honestly. Jia and Heng were AMAZING characters. I felt like they were real people. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter probably had a purpose, but I didn't read them. They were unnecessary. I do think that the whole kidnapped, tortured, and returned element was super unrealistic. Not saying that it hasn't/couldn't happen, it just didn't feel real to me. Mostly what I didn't like was how Bea treated her "friends" and her attitude towards them. I get it, an awful thing happened to her, but I feel like she was being a bitch just to be a bitch. I was really happy when Will came along and told her about herself. I'm really glad Will was a part of this story. Jo-Ann was alright. I felt like she was there just to have another character. It's like the author wanted so much violence in this story. The stuff that happened to Bea, then Jo-Ann's mom's boyfriend being creepy, and Will's involvement in a gang. This is no disrespect to the author, I just didn't connect to any of the characters.
March 24, 2017
In today's superficial world, this is the book that all teens need to get their hands on. Well, on that account, adults, too! People have become ugly, rude, and downright nasty in the manner that they treat others. Reading about how Rebekah goes from being "on top of the world" with her beauty to being physically transformed is quite an emotional journey. I ached for her yet felt that it was a transformation that made her find what truly matters in this world. This book is definitely one that pull emotions from your depths.
I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. This did not affect the outcome of my review!
I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. This did not affect the outcome of my review!
February 12, 2018
This story was really good. I'm not really into romance but it was mixed with just enough gore and scary stuff that I was able to handle it. I really loved Bea. Actually, I loved all the characters......well......except Brett. Gee, I wonder why??
July 18, 2018
Excellent fresh approach to traditional tale
The characters are very real and relatable. I love how the author shows growth and change in each individual when faced with what seems to be insurmountable (yet very real to life) problems.
The characters are very real and relatable. I love how the author shows growth and change in each individual when faced with what seems to be insurmountable (yet very real to life) problems.
March 15, 2017
Beastia is a great YA book! The plot and characters are spot on and the book's pace kept me entertained. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter complement the story very well and the characters are likable. I really recommend this to young adults and older adults alike. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the amazing opportunity to review this stand out book. This is the first book I have read by Zoe Cruz but after having read this I will
read more by her.
read more by her.
May 2, 2017
Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this book.
Beastia is a fast paced, relatively short YA thriller.
The story, revolving around Rebekah who is attacked and "transformed" into a beast, is an interesting one.
The characters are likeable though I would have liked to have seen more development of the others as it is clear that Jo-Ann and Will have troubled pasts too.
I enjoyed reading Beastia.
Beastia is a fast paced, relatively short YA thriller.
The story, revolving around Rebekah who is attacked and "transformed" into a beast, is an interesting one.
The characters are likeable though I would have liked to have seen more development of the others as it is clear that Jo-Ann and Will have troubled pasts too.
I enjoyed reading Beastia.
March 24, 2017
I liked this, and then I didn't like it, and then I liked it again, and then it was a bit gruesome, but overall I did like it. Although I would have liked a lot more at the start so we could properly get to know Bek before she became Bea, to make that change a bit more hard-hitting... it was meant to be such a huge change but I didn't get enough of a feel for her at the start sadly!
Neat little mystery too that has you (or at least me) suspecting everyone before you find out who the 'head hunter' is.
Neat little mystery too that has you (or at least me) suspecting everyone before you find out who the 'head hunter' is.
March 25, 2017
This book kept me interested and intrigued. I hated to put the book down for sleep and daily activities, but found myself daydreaming about what I had read so far and pondering on what was to come. Each time that I read more to add to the plot that I had created in my own mind just pulled me deeper into the story. I found myself laughing, holding my breath, rolling my eyes, balling up my fists and even cowering in on myself. A great read!
April 2, 2017
I love YA books and this was one of those books that I wished I didn't have to put down. It took me 3 days to read it but if I had some me time in my life it would have been done in an afternoon.
Zoe Cruz spins a reverse Beauty and The Beast with Beastia. Rebekah, Bek, Bea, or Beastia hasn't had it easy. She has an alcoholic mother and gets kidnapped by a masochistic manic who changes her appearance and is still out there. She is untrusting of everyone and hates being touched obviously. I found myself rooting for Bea and hoping that her friendships and future romance would help her learn to trust people and let her guard down a little while also feeling Bea was getting some of her just desserts for being a school bully. The ending was exactly what I was hoping for and wish I didn't read the book so fast because I am sad it is over.
Zoe Cruz spins a reverse Beauty and The Beast with Beastia. Rebekah, Bek, Bea, or Beastia hasn't had it easy. She has an alcoholic mother and gets kidnapped by a masochistic manic who changes her appearance and is still out there. She is untrusting of everyone and hates being touched obviously. I found myself rooting for Bea and hoping that her friendships and future romance would help her learn to trust people and let her guard down a little while also feeling Bea was getting some of her just desserts for being a school bully. The ending was exactly what I was hoping for and wish I didn't read the book so fast because I am sad it is over.
April 16, 2017
This was honestly a very refreshing retold fairy tale. I adore fairy tale retellings, but often find them lackluster or very 'ahhh so happpy but a little bit of edgy BUT ULTIMATELY HAPPY.' Beastia, however, was refreshing in the way that it didn't hold back with the harsh realities of life.
The descriptions of panic attacks, reactions to men after being in a situation of abuse, the idea of less-cookie-cutter characters and more depth to a story, and families that can be mixed in many different ways, made me very happy.
There was obviously a good bit of beauty and the beast vibes coming from the idea, but Zoe Cruz did not hesitate to stray from the story at all. As I read it, it felt less like a flipped fairy tale and more of just a novel. It certainly stands on its own.
Ultimately, I did find myself relating and commiserating with Bea as a damaged woman who didn't fit the typical damaged woman stereotype. Each of the characters stand on their own, and I appreciated the diversity in their personalities and backgrounds.
This entire book was more beast than I think we're used to seeing in our Young Adult section, and therefor it felt all the more human.
I read it in one day, too, which doesn't happen often these days.
The descriptions of panic attacks, reactions to men after being in a situation of abuse, the idea of less-cookie-cutter characters and more depth to a story, and families that can be mixed in many different ways, made me very happy.
There was obviously a good bit of beauty and the beast vibes coming from the idea, but Zoe Cruz did not hesitate to stray from the story at all. As I read it, it felt less like a flipped fairy tale and more of just a novel. It certainly stands on its own.
Ultimately, I did find myself relating and commiserating with Bea as a damaged woman who didn't fit the typical damaged woman stereotype. Each of the characters stand on their own, and I appreciated the diversity in their personalities and backgrounds.
This entire book was more beast than I think we're used to seeing in our Young Adult section, and therefor it felt all the more human.
I read it in one day, too, which doesn't happen often these days.
April 25, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book. It was all about surviving trauma and learning how to live life after something horrible has happened. It's about learning to love the new you, even when you do think that's possible.
Bea looks on the outside how any survivor of trauma feels on the inside. Scarred, ugly, worthless, unloved, unwanted. But she learns throughout the story that if she lets the right people in and builds the right supports, she can learn to live with the new her. This story shows that while you can't always fix the scars or erase the trauma, you can learn to live with it. You can learn to cope. Like Bea's scars and tattoos, the trauma will always be there, but you don't have to let it control the rest of your life. It really is a wonderful story.
There's also a touch of thriller/mystery to keep things exciting and a nice little love story for the hopeless romantic.
If I had one critique? I'm all about the quotes at the start of the chapters, however I felt some of them were inappropriate and didn't suit the tone of the chapter (like there would be a light-hearted quote from a comedian, but most of the book was quite dark so it just wouldn't really fit). However, this is me being nit-picky and it really doesn't take away from the story!
Highly recommend this one! It's worth it!
I really liked this book. It was all about surviving trauma and learning how to live life after something horrible has happened. It's about learning to love the new you, even when you do think that's possible.
Bea looks on the outside how any survivor of trauma feels on the inside. Scarred, ugly, worthless, unloved, unwanted. But she learns throughout the story that if she lets the right people in and builds the right supports, she can learn to live with the new her. This story shows that while you can't always fix the scars or erase the trauma, you can learn to live with it. You can learn to cope. Like Bea's scars and tattoos, the trauma will always be there, but you don't have to let it control the rest of your life. It really is a wonderful story.
There's also a touch of thriller/mystery to keep things exciting and a nice little love story for the hopeless romantic.
If I had one critique? I'm all about the quotes at the start of the chapters, however I felt some of them were inappropriate and didn't suit the tone of the chapter (like there would be a light-hearted quote from a comedian, but most of the book was quite dark so it just wouldn't really fit). However, this is me being nit-picky and it really doesn't take away from the story!
Highly recommend this one! It's worth it!
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