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The Beast of Kukuyo
For the second time in her life, 15-year-old Rune Mathura comes face-to-face with a brutal murder when her classmate Dumpling Heera goes missing and is eventually found dead.
Dumpling’s murder drags the small, rural village of Kukuyo into the national spotlight, revealing a darkness curdling in the town. But Rune knows that the memories of the villagers and police are short. Inspired by her love of detective television shows, she launches her own investigation.
Yet, Rune soon learns that real life is not the same as television and neither justice nor evil appear in black and white. Her journey takes her along a bloody trail of chicken feathers, down a muddy ravine and into a grimy den where she encounters dark secrets and a terror that is very, very real.
In this gripping new novel, Kevin Jared Hosein topples the tropes about truth and justice created in television shows and childhood detective novels like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Along her journey Rune learns that the road to justice can be paved with ill-intentions, and that truth is always complicated.
Dumpling’s murder drags the small, rural village of Kukuyo into the national spotlight, revealing a darkness curdling in the town. But Rune knows that the memories of the villagers and police are short. Inspired by her love of detective television shows, she launches her own investigation.
Yet, Rune soon learns that real life is not the same as television and neither justice nor evil appear in black and white. Her journey takes her along a bloody trail of chicken feathers, down a muddy ravine and into a grimy den where she encounters dark secrets and a terror that is very, very real.
In this gripping new novel, Kevin Jared Hosein topples the tropes about truth and justice created in television shows and childhood detective novels like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Along her journey Rune learns that the road to justice can be paved with ill-intentions, and that truth is always complicated.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2018
3 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Jared Hosein
14 books205 followersKevin Jared Hosein was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. He has published three books: The Beast of Kukuyo (2017 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature), The Repenters (Fiction shortlist, 2017 OCM Bocas Prize) and Littletown Secrets.
His writings are published in numerous regionally and internationally acclaimed anthologies and outlets including Lightspeed, Adda and Moko Arts & Letters. His other accolades include the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and being twice shortlisted for the Small Axe Literary Prize for Prose.
His writings are published in numerous regionally and internationally acclaimed anthologies and outlets including Lightspeed, Adda and Moko Arts & Letters. His other accolades include the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and being twice shortlisted for the Small Axe Literary Prize for Prose.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 22, 2018
For the second time in her life, 15-year-old Rune Mathura comes face-to-face with a brutal murder when her classmate Dumpling Heera goes missing and is eventually found dead.
Somewhere between a Trinidadian slice-of-life and a gritty YA thriller, The Beast of Kukuyo is a remarkable novel. Full of heart and evoking the village of Kukuyo in brilliant colour, it also upends the conventions of crime dramas in a really clever way.
The death of Dumpling is the catalyst for Rune's introduction to Kukuyo's criminal underbelly. Instead of delving deeper, Rune quickly recoils when she recognises that real life is nothing like TV. Far from being a hive of activity, the local police station is a boring office, with paperwork stacking up as crimes go unsolved. The bad guys are actually scary, and Rune, while retaining her natural inquisitiveness, also has a healthy sense of self-preservation overriding it.
The ending is a little messy, almost feeling like the author felt obliged to provide readers with a climactic showdown, despite leaving many threads loose. But I liked the way the workings of the law and order system were shown to be confused and unreliable.
The Beast of Kukuyo is a coming-of-age story with the suspense and tension of a thriller, and a reminder that real crime is never cozy.
Somewhere between a Trinidadian slice-of-life and a gritty YA thriller, The Beast of Kukuyo is a remarkable novel. Full of heart and evoking the village of Kukuyo in brilliant colour, it also upends the conventions of crime dramas in a really clever way.
The death of Dumpling is the catalyst for Rune's introduction to Kukuyo's criminal underbelly. Instead of delving deeper, Rune quickly recoils when she recognises that real life is nothing like TV. Far from being a hive of activity, the local police station is a boring office, with paperwork stacking up as crimes go unsolved. The bad guys are actually scary, and Rune, while retaining her natural inquisitiveness, also has a healthy sense of self-preservation overriding it.
The ending is a little messy, almost feeling like the author felt obliged to provide readers with a climactic showdown, despite leaving many threads loose. But I liked the way the workings of the law and order system were shown to be confused and unreliable.
The Beast of Kukuyo is a coming-of-age story with the suspense and tension of a thriller, and a reminder that real crime is never cozy.
September 30, 2018
...Did I read the same book as the other reviewers? Everyone seems so enamoured by it, while it was a completely underwhelming experience for me. I thought it was dull and slow, it was a drag to keep reading, while the characters had no depth and just made stupid decisions all over (I really shouldn't read books with kid protagonists anymore) It didn't even provide much of a cultural insight of Trinidad, something I was hoping for.
In the end, I still have no clue what happened to Dumpling.
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book**
In the end, I still have no clue what happened to Dumpling.
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book**
Read
May 19, 2023Stopped at about 30% - not my interest area. And just not gelling with the writing style - it seems very up and down - switching perspective - lot of detail from each characters' pov without actually understanding the characters - just not working for me.
October 24, 2018
This bad nuh bloodclaat.
(Will do a full review later)
(Will do a full review later)
July 5, 2018
I read this twice.
Once when it was still an unpublished manuscript and the second time when it was a published work. As you can imagine there are some stark differences between the two, but overall, it maintains its essential themes and atmospheres.
The book looks at the ways in which murderous personalities can be interpreted as a physical beast. I think this is true "there is a beast inside all of us," seems to ring accurately.
The protagonist is called Rune Mathura, she is a mid teen who has a reputation for getting into trouble as though she can't even help herself. Her guardian is her grandfather, whom everyone, including Rune, refers to as Sam. She also lives with her somewhat deadbeat, alcoholic brother. Rune and her family live in the village of Kukuyo, which mirrors one of many small Trinidad communities- close knit, multicultural and filled with gossip. Everyone seems to know everyone's past, of course the negative is always more pronounced and puts a veil on your eyes on how the person actually is.
I am not going to give an ordinate list of the events, as there are so many things happening. But I can tell you atmosphere, inspirations and themes.
"Trinidad writes itself."
The first time I heard these words was at Rhoda Bharath's launch of her book the Ten Days Executive, a collection of short stories reflective of Trinidad's current society. Those words have really resonated, and as I read The Beast, I saw the author taking inspiration from, what I can refer to as, Trinidad's crime history.
There are not overtly obvious, but cleverly nuanced, you have to know your local Crime History to be sure of it.
There is something of the self-fulfilling prophecy in here. Is Rune really so troublesome and miserable? Or does she find herself in these situations because of the way in which people treat her, or talk about her? The same go for many of these characters in the novel, where everyone has a slice of darkness haunting their backgrounds.
I think this is a part of Trinidad that no one has exposed, especially with a young female protagonist, who is surprisingly believable for a girl who was written by a thirty year old man.
Though the writing is overall well done and the story very engaging, I felt that some of the personifications were a little over the top, in a sort of distracting way. I don't have the book with me at the moment to give an example, but I remember some of them were very jarring and felt like a "Huh?" instead of a "ah yeah, I get this."
A good read.
Once when it was still an unpublished manuscript and the second time when it was a published work. As you can imagine there are some stark differences between the two, but overall, it maintains its essential themes and atmospheres.
The book looks at the ways in which murderous personalities can be interpreted as a physical beast. I think this is true "there is a beast inside all of us," seems to ring accurately.
The protagonist is called Rune Mathura, she is a mid teen who has a reputation for getting into trouble as though she can't even help herself. Her guardian is her grandfather, whom everyone, including Rune, refers to as Sam. She also lives with her somewhat deadbeat, alcoholic brother. Rune and her family live in the village of Kukuyo, which mirrors one of many small Trinidad communities- close knit, multicultural and filled with gossip. Everyone seems to know everyone's past, of course the negative is always more pronounced and puts a veil on your eyes on how the person actually is.
I am not going to give an ordinate list of the events, as there are so many things happening. But I can tell you atmosphere, inspirations and themes.
"Trinidad writes itself."
The first time I heard these words was at Rhoda Bharath's launch of her book the Ten Days Executive, a collection of short stories reflective of Trinidad's current society. Those words have really resonated, and as I read The Beast, I saw the author taking inspiration from, what I can refer to as, Trinidad's crime history.
There are not overtly obvious, but cleverly nuanced, you have to know your local Crime History to be sure of it.
There is something of the self-fulfilling prophecy in here. Is Rune really so troublesome and miserable? Or does she find herself in these situations because of the way in which people treat her, or talk about her? The same go for many of these characters in the novel, where everyone has a slice of darkness haunting their backgrounds.
I think this is a part of Trinidad that no one has exposed, especially with a young female protagonist, who is surprisingly believable for a girl who was written by a thirty year old man.
Though the writing is overall well done and the story very engaging, I felt that some of the personifications were a little over the top, in a sort of distracting way. I don't have the book with me at the moment to give an example, but I remember some of them were very jarring and felt like a "Huh?" instead of a "ah yeah, I get this."
A good read.
August 13, 2018
Thoughts to come
August 15, 2018
Kevin Jared Hosein’s The Beast of Kukuyo is an engrossing and unique read with well-written characters and a fascinating setting. While I enjoyed this book, the plot could have been better crafted.
Our protagonist is fifteen-year-old Rune Mathura who lives with her brother and grandfather in the rural Trinidadian village of Kukuyo. When her classmate Dumpling Heera disappears and is found murdered, Rune launches an investigation into the death. This isn’t her first brush with brutal murder and she knows how quickly the police and her village will forget about the crime. As she seeks to unravel the truth behind Dumpling’s death, Rune uncovers the seedy underbelly of her tiny village.
Although this book can be classified as young adult, I love that Hosein avoids most of the genre’s stereotypes. While Rune’s journey is a coming age of story, Hosein avoids tropes like instant love and predictable characters. Instead, the plot is layered, providing an unflinching look at darkness and trauma but there are also moments of lightness. The characters are well-written and complex, realistically illustrating the unpredictability of people. There is an extremely minor romance between Rune and her best friend, Tiki. However, it is well-handled and both characters are fully formed outside of their brief romance.
I love the relatable and spirited Rune. My other favourite characters include Rune’s sweet but practical grandfather Sam, and Tiki whose life is painfully authentic. However, I would have liked more female characters because the book is very male-centric and the lives of the few female characters are particularly tragic and violent.
The book is interesting and nicely paced. I like that the narrative is in Trinidadian dialect which authentically grounds the setting and characters. The small and enclosed village is excellently crafted. I love the gritty and tense atmosphere of the novel.
However, while the mystery is fascinating, it could have been more developed. There are a few plot points which are left hanging. The mystery surrounding Dumpling’s death is practically forgotten by the end of the book. While I do appreciate the harsh reality that the book conveys and I understand that many things go unresolved in real life, I would have liked the plot to be more fully resolved.
The Beast of Kukuyo is an original read with well-developed characters and a captivating mystery. Although I wish the mystery plot was better written, I really like this fascinating book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Banyan Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our protagonist is fifteen-year-old Rune Mathura who lives with her brother and grandfather in the rural Trinidadian village of Kukuyo. When her classmate Dumpling Heera disappears and is found murdered, Rune launches an investigation into the death. This isn’t her first brush with brutal murder and she knows how quickly the police and her village will forget about the crime. As she seeks to unravel the truth behind Dumpling’s death, Rune uncovers the seedy underbelly of her tiny village.
Although this book can be classified as young adult, I love that Hosein avoids most of the genre’s stereotypes. While Rune’s journey is a coming age of story, Hosein avoids tropes like instant love and predictable characters. Instead, the plot is layered, providing an unflinching look at darkness and trauma but there are also moments of lightness. The characters are well-written and complex, realistically illustrating the unpredictability of people. There is an extremely minor romance between Rune and her best friend, Tiki. However, it is well-handled and both characters are fully formed outside of their brief romance.
I love the relatable and spirited Rune. My other favourite characters include Rune’s sweet but practical grandfather Sam, and Tiki whose life is painfully authentic. However, I would have liked more female characters because the book is very male-centric and the lives of the few female characters are particularly tragic and violent.
The book is interesting and nicely paced. I like that the narrative is in Trinidadian dialect which authentically grounds the setting and characters. The small and enclosed village is excellently crafted. I love the gritty and tense atmosphere of the novel.
However, while the mystery is fascinating, it could have been more developed. There are a few plot points which are left hanging. The mystery surrounding Dumpling’s death is practically forgotten by the end of the book. While I do appreciate the harsh reality that the book conveys and I understand that many things go unresolved in real life, I would have liked the plot to be more fully resolved.
The Beast of Kukuyo is an original read with well-developed characters and a captivating mystery. Although I wish the mystery plot was better written, I really like this fascinating book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Banyan Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2021
I have always been a fan of children as protagonists. I work in Pediatrics, so needless to say I find them curious, hilarious and worth the effort. Extending this to YA/middle grade literature, they never disappoint. I particularly feel that Caribbean children/youth have been portrayed so smartly as of late, I’m seriously wondering if it’s something innate to the region.
Most children are forced to grow up quite fast in these parts. Unlike the typical “grow up fast” in the West, it usually means you’re the more mature one in the house, raising your grandpa and brother while dealing with issues like death of a mom and an absentee father (as is the plot in BoK). The Beast of Kukuyo is now the third book from a Caribbean author that portrays a teenage protagonist smartly and without the annoyances I’ve learnt to associate with Western teens.
We meet 15 year old Rune who is trying her best to find out what happened to her classmate who just disappeared. She is disappointed by society that has basically left this disappearance as an unsolved mystery. She appears to be the only one bothered by it, as it reminds her of other disappearances and brutalities in the community including the death of her mother. We follow Rune as she deals with this and other issues closer to home. She is both lovable and full of all the great things you’d wish in a teen, even the part where she is an avid fan of Murder She Wrote.
I loved the community that was portrayed. Again, a typical Caribbean issue was highlighted in the form of drinking and its abuse, especially by the community’s young and impressionable men. I saw this in The Dark of the Sea x Imam Baksh (another lovely YA I reviewed this last week) and love that authors have faced it head on. The way Rune navigated this felt so realistic to me. The family dynamic between Rune and her grandfather/brother also highlighted that mixed family unit that is so popular today. It also felt like the village was raising the child, a concept that has stood for many small communities today. My absolute favorite part was the fact that Hosein chose a female to lead this story. I’m always excited with my underdog males but a young girl full of bravery and no nonsense inspired even me, an oldie who isn’t even half as brave, to want to push against society to help her solve her case.
I find young people unassuming and full of bravery we oldies don’t have. Maybe we lost it. But Rune reminded me of my younger self who would be inspired by Angela Lansbury to find out why, oh why... did my cat go missing. Mine was a less colorful life than Rune 🤣
The Beast of Kukuyo is a murder mystery like you’ve never read before. It’s set in Trinidad and exudes that Caribbean feel. Props to Hosein for keeping that rich dialect on the paper and introducing characters that you think of for days, who remind you of that braver you of yesteryear (s). This is another Blouse and Skirt book I will be adding to the stack of greats. I am now 3 for 3 and grateful that such rich and quality reads are coming from a region I call home.
Most children are forced to grow up quite fast in these parts. Unlike the typical “grow up fast” in the West, it usually means you’re the more mature one in the house, raising your grandpa and brother while dealing with issues like death of a mom and an absentee father (as is the plot in BoK). The Beast of Kukuyo is now the third book from a Caribbean author that portrays a teenage protagonist smartly and without the annoyances I’ve learnt to associate with Western teens.
We meet 15 year old Rune who is trying her best to find out what happened to her classmate who just disappeared. She is disappointed by society that has basically left this disappearance as an unsolved mystery. She appears to be the only one bothered by it, as it reminds her of other disappearances and brutalities in the community including the death of her mother. We follow Rune as she deals with this and other issues closer to home. She is both lovable and full of all the great things you’d wish in a teen, even the part where she is an avid fan of Murder She Wrote.
I loved the community that was portrayed. Again, a typical Caribbean issue was highlighted in the form of drinking and its abuse, especially by the community’s young and impressionable men. I saw this in The Dark of the Sea x Imam Baksh (another lovely YA I reviewed this last week) and love that authors have faced it head on. The way Rune navigated this felt so realistic to me. The family dynamic between Rune and her grandfather/brother also highlighted that mixed family unit that is so popular today. It also felt like the village was raising the child, a concept that has stood for many small communities today. My absolute favorite part was the fact that Hosein chose a female to lead this story. I’m always excited with my underdog males but a young girl full of bravery and no nonsense inspired even me, an oldie who isn’t even half as brave, to want to push against society to help her solve her case.
I find young people unassuming and full of bravery we oldies don’t have. Maybe we lost it. But Rune reminded me of my younger self who would be inspired by Angela Lansbury to find out why, oh why... did my cat go missing. Mine was a less colorful life than Rune 🤣
The Beast of Kukuyo is a murder mystery like you’ve never read before. It’s set in Trinidad and exudes that Caribbean feel. Props to Hosein for keeping that rich dialect on the paper and introducing characters that you think of for days, who remind you of that braver you of yesteryear (s). This is another Blouse and Skirt book I will be adding to the stack of greats. I am now 3 for 3 and grateful that such rich and quality reads are coming from a region I call home.
June 12, 2024
In this novel by Trinidadian Kevin Jared Hosein, I met 15-year-old Rune Mathura who will remain one of my favourite characters for many years to come.
And even though she has a lot to learn about life, her steadfastness and resolve to do better, find justice and help others is what I remember.
This novel, set in Kukuyo Village, Trinidad in 1992, is gripping from start to finish. What started out as Rune's determination to unearth her classmate's Dumpling murderer, ended up being a discovery of self, family, love, faith, and friendship, encased in the ability to turn one's life around in the face of adversity and circumstance.
I was rooting her Rune the whole way and had faith she would beat those beasts which came in the form of classmates, circumstances, environment and that while doing so she would help her brother Nick beat his demon.
I like the fact that she learnt that justice and evil is not black and white and that sunshine, most days, comes after the rain.
And even though she has a lot to learn about life, her steadfastness and resolve to do better, find justice and help others is what I remember.
This novel, set in Kukuyo Village, Trinidad in 1992, is gripping from start to finish. What started out as Rune's determination to unearth her classmate's Dumpling murderer, ended up being a discovery of self, family, love, faith, and friendship, encased in the ability to turn one's life around in the face of adversity and circumstance.
I was rooting her Rune the whole way and had faith she would beat those beasts which came in the form of classmates, circumstances, environment and that while doing so she would help her brother Nick beat his demon.
I like the fact that she learnt that justice and evil is not black and white and that sunshine, most days, comes after the rain.
June 25, 2021
The Beast of Kukuyo was well written. The dialogue is poignant, and the pull quotes from each chapter are stellar. Just reading them alone drives the plot. It’s a clever strategy. There are so many life lessons summed in a single sentence. Hosein writes well. Rune, the main character, is incredibly likeable. She’s bold and loyal and strong. The characters around her are also well crafted as they interact in service to her development.
My critique is the plot. So much happened so fast at the end, and yet, the main murder that opens the book is never fully addressed. I mean, we assume we know who the killer is, but we don’t know why or how. I like a book that wraps things up. It’s the whole point of reading fiction. There are so many unanswered questions in the real world, I want this fake world, especially one that gets more tragic as I turn the pages to at least offer me some explanations for why the bad guys do what they do.
There’s quite a bit of content in the book that doesn’t serve the story. It’s just there just because. The book is short enough for it to not really be a problem, but if you finish and feel as if something is missing, it’s because there is. I would have loved it if Hosein filled in a few of those gaps with more content about Trinidad and its Indian culture, but this is actually not a book that caters to outsiders, which I also fully appreciate. The beast demands that you enter its world, and which means survivors will have to live with their unanswered questions.
My critique is the plot. So much happened so fast at the end, and yet, the main murder that opens the book is never fully addressed. I mean, we assume we know who the killer is, but we don’t know why or how. I like a book that wraps things up. It’s the whole point of reading fiction. There are so many unanswered questions in the real world, I want this fake world, especially one that gets more tragic as I turn the pages to at least offer me some explanations for why the bad guys do what they do.
There’s quite a bit of content in the book that doesn’t serve the story. It’s just there just because. The book is short enough for it to not really be a problem, but if you finish and feel as if something is missing, it’s because there is. I would have loved it if Hosein filled in a few of those gaps with more content about Trinidad and its Indian culture, but this is actually not a book that caters to outsiders, which I also fully appreciate. The beast demands that you enter its world, and which means survivors will have to live with their unanswered questions.
February 12, 2019
I absolutely loved this atmospheric novel set in Trinidad. The description and the characters' dialect took me right into their world. It's sad and quite charming at the same time. I will read more books from this author.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.
February 5, 2023
This book kept me riveted from beginning to end. The characters are believable and familiar, and the author imbues them with qualities that make you want to root for them.
December 28, 2018
A definite Caribbean YA must read!
June 7, 2019
Possible 4.5er? 4.somethinger. Lemme sleep on it.
July 23, 2018
First of all I have to say that I know practically nothing about Trinidad. All I knew before going into this book was that it used to be a British slave colony and that it is in the Caribbean. And this book isn't really about Trinidad, but it is set there, so you can say that I had to Google many many things in order to understand what was going on. But that was actually one of my favourite things, as the author used Trini slang and hindu words to authenticate Rune's perspective.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is that it is just as much character driven as it is plot driven, so it's kind of perfect for me. I loved watching Rune grow and learn and really just become who she needed to be. The other characters are also really well written and each one has their own complexities. Nothing is black and white. Nick, for example, is irresponsible and an alcoholic but as we see him through Rune's eyes it's clear that he's not all bad.
There is only technically a romance element to this book and that's really just an awesome friendship that could lead to more at some point in the future. And I liked that. It was realistic, not all fifteen year olds have ever been in a relationship, in fact most haven't.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is that it is just as much character driven as it is plot driven, so it's kind of perfect for me. I loved watching Rune grow and learn and really just become who she needed to be. The other characters are also really well written and each one has their own complexities. Nothing is black and white. Nick, for example, is irresponsible and an alcoholic but as we see him through Rune's eyes it's clear that he's not all bad.
There is only technically a romance element to this book and that's really just an awesome friendship that could lead to more at some point in the future. And I liked that. It was realistic, not all fifteen year olds have ever been in a relationship, in fact most haven't.
Read
September 8, 2025The main protagonist in the story is Arundhati aska rune, a teenage girl living in a fictional town Kuyuko in Trinidad. Her classmate Devi aka dumpling goes missing and body later found in a shallow grave. Runes spider senses start tingling and she can’t leave Dumpling’s death alone. this leads to a series of events happening, some very sad and unfortunate.
it started off very promising. The language used and imagery painted the author felt so authentically Trini (however, if you are not trinbagonian, it may feel like the culture wasn’t explained, its like a ‘you get it if you get it, if you don’t, you don’t) I was fully immersed. it felt like the story was happening/ unfolding right in front of me. Then it kind of lost me in the middle, then picked back up in the end.
i feel like we were left with some loose threads however. We started the story trying to figure out who killed Dumpling, but I felt like through the book we totally forgot about her. the end as well didn’t have a proper wrap up about her death. Who really liked her? What about her parents etc.?
it started off very promising. The language used and imagery painted the author felt so authentically Trini (however, if you are not trinbagonian, it may feel like the culture wasn’t explained, its like a ‘you get it if you get it, if you don’t, you don’t) I was fully immersed. it felt like the story was happening/ unfolding right in front of me. Then it kind of lost me in the middle, then picked back up in the end.
i feel like we were left with some loose threads however. We started the story trying to figure out who killed Dumpling, but I felt like through the book we totally forgot about her. the end as well didn’t have a proper wrap up about her death. Who really liked her? What about her parents etc.?
July 26, 2020
To me, among the catalogue of West Indian literature, there hasn't been many works done that attempt to represent the Indo-Trinidadian village life. KJH's story is the much-needed spice added to the West-Indian pot.
The tale is part cultural commentary, part Nancy Drew, the latter for all you detective thriller fans out there. The characters all feel like real people, particularly for residents who live more in the central, and southern parts of Trinidad.
In all, it's an ideal examination of our insidious penchant for looking the other way, particularly when the elephant is in the room, sitting on one's favourite couch destroying it in the process.
Fresh read from one of our contemporary writers.
The tale is part cultural commentary, part Nancy Drew, the latter for all you detective thriller fans out there. The characters all feel like real people, particularly for residents who live more in the central, and southern parts of Trinidad.
In all, it's an ideal examination of our insidious penchant for looking the other way, particularly when the elephant is in the room, sitting on one's favourite couch destroying it in the process.
Fresh read from one of our contemporary writers.
September 8, 2018
A full review to come. I need to think about a few matters. I need to calm down.
Great storytelling. Set in Trinidad in the 1990s. It's a YA mystery unlike another book within the genre. It is atmospheric and the ending is perfection. This captured in such precise language the small town Caribbean dynamics. The ethnic and religious backgrounds of the characters is uniquely Trinidadian but as a Jamaican I understood fully well Rune's motivation.
Did I just ramble on when I said that I needed more time to process?
Thanks to Blouse and Skirt Books (an imprint of Blue Banyan Books) and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me.
Great storytelling. Set in Trinidad in the 1990s. It's a YA mystery unlike another book within the genre. It is atmospheric and the ending is perfection. This captured in such precise language the small town Caribbean dynamics. The ethnic and religious backgrounds of the characters is uniquely Trinidadian but as a Jamaican I understood fully well Rune's motivation.
Did I just ramble on when I said that I needed more time to process?
Thanks to Blouse and Skirt Books (an imprint of Blue Banyan Books) and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me.
March 11, 2020
This was good. And I recommend it. I'm ambivalent about it's being a YA book - it's quite violent and sexual. Normally, I'm not against that, and I might even want to applaud it - I do think young adults can handle it - for sure, that age range will enjoy the creepy factor of the story. It's well written. And it's different. I think it's important to expose ourselves to writers that are different and I know that I have never read a Caribbean author before so in that way it was also very educational. I didn't even know there was a large ethnic population in Trinidad of people from India. I do think (or wish that this was) an up-and-coming author and found it a riveting read.
June 29, 2019
I feel like this book is a must read for caribbean people. Our issues are bared for all of us to see. Necessary in a society of people who don't see nothing and don't hear nothing. I appreciated the narrative voice. Rune could be my neighbour, my own blood. Beautiful description. The trinidadian vernacular might be off-putting for grammar nazis though. Recommended.
May 25, 2025
What a page turner! Enjoyed this!
August 10, 2021
After reading this book a little over a month ago, I am still gathering my thoughts. Now, don't think that means The Beast of Kukuyo by Kevin Jared Hosein is a bad book. IT REALLY ISN'T! I think Kevin Jared Hosein requires more spotlight. He is a magnificent author who is sadly not talked about much and that needs to change. Ps. Do understand the sincerity and openness that is this author, The UWI Book Club, Pelican Book Club interviewed him for Campus Literature Week so be sure to check out that feature (https://campuslitweek2021.weebly.com/...)
The Beast of Kukuyo focuses on the rural parts of Trinidad where we follow mainly East Indian residents, their lifestyle and struggles with crime, poverty among other things that are still prevalent in today's society. I really enjoyed reading from a child's perspective and seeing how she navigates the world. I loved the crime and crime solving elements especially showcasing a harsh truth whereby not all cases are solved leaving an air of mystery to what really happened, who truly did it.
One thing I really loved about this book is the map it provided to help the reader gain a better sense of the community's layout. One minor thing that bugged me was not seeing all places mentioned show up on the map such as the temple etc. though.
The Beast of Kukuyo focuses on the rural parts of Trinidad where we follow mainly East Indian residents, their lifestyle and struggles with crime, poverty among other things that are still prevalent in today's society. I really enjoyed reading from a child's perspective and seeing how she navigates the world. I loved the crime and crime solving elements especially showcasing a harsh truth whereby not all cases are solved leaving an air of mystery to what really happened, who truly did it.
One thing I really loved about this book is the map it provided to help the reader gain a better sense of the community's layout. One minor thing that bugged me was not seeing all places mentioned show up on the map such as the temple etc. though.
July 20, 2019
Not quite sure what I just read... I'll come back to this
Still not sure what I read but whatever it was, I really enjoyed it. This was so different from anything I've read recently. It's weirding me out that I don't know how to classify it. I'm going to re-read it again in the future to see if I can come up with an actual review because I really don't know how to write one. All I know is that the book was good and you should read it :)
Still not sure what I read but whatever it was, I really enjoyed it. This was so different from anything I've read recently. It's weirding me out that I don't know how to classify it. I'm going to re-read it again in the future to see if I can come up with an actual review because I really don't know how to write one. All I know is that the book was good and you should read it :)
August 3, 2018
I love book set in the Carabbean and this was a perfect book.
It's full of the smell, colours and whatever you expect from a Carabbean book.
I loved the main characters, the plot - even if there's some loose threads, and the setting.
A wonderful reading.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Blue Banyan Books and Netgalley for this ARC
It's full of the smell, colours and whatever you expect from a Carabbean book.
I loved the main characters, the plot - even if there's some loose threads, and the setting.
A wonderful reading.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Blue Banyan Books and Netgalley for this ARC
October 25, 2018
This book has me confused. For most of it I couldn't make any sense of it, but there was something about it that kept on drawing me forward. I thought it was about the murder of a schoolgirl, but that was just a way of starting the book, it is much blacker and grimmer than that. There is so much going on that isn't explained. The people are very alien to me, I've never met anyone like them and from reading the book I would say that I have missed out there.
February 21, 2019
For being a 'young adult' novel, I wouldn't want my daughter to read it quite yet... some graphic parts...
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