Review: The Beast Is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale

The Beast Is an Animal by Paternelle van Arsdale is a compelling tale with pretty dark overtones. Alys is left orphaned by "soul eaters," twin sisters who float about the countryside with the promise of rest for the weary. Alys and the other surviving children of the village are taken to a new village, where they are forced to work nights, protecting the sheep and the citizens from the threat of the soul eaters. Alys learns as she grows that she is different than the other children and the citizens of her adoptive town, and she is forced to strike out on her own to set things right.

I particularly love this book because of how it plays off the ideas of what is truly good and what is truly evil, and how each individual can decide that for themselves. It's a good message for young readers, that right and wrong can be subjective and just because someone is in power doesn't make them good. The world-building and atmosphere of the book were also well done, so all in all it is a very satisfying read. According to the author's page on Amazon, this is being developed into a feature film, which I am very much looking forward to. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages, though it is marketed as YA.

I got the audiobook of this using my library card and the Libby app. You should do the same!