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City of Beasts
"If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2019
26 people are currently reading
921 people want to read
About the author
Corrie Wang
2 books81 followersCorrie Wang owns and operates Jackrabbit Filly, a friendly neighborhood restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. She is passionate about libraries, recycling, and eating all the food everywhere. Her debut novel, The Takedown, received much love from the New York Public Library and YALSA.
She and her husband, Shuai, live in a cozy yellow house with their pups, Moose and Olive. You can find out very little about her at corriewang.com or on Instagram @corrie_wang.
She and her husband, Shuai, live in a cozy yellow house with their pups, Moose and Olive. You can find out very little about her at corriewang.com or on Instagram @corrie_wang.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 14, 2019
The ideas were ok but I just feel the world building was not there and also the story did feel a little convoluted some of the times. But I liked the ideas and the setting could have been great but it just needed more world building and better character development in my opinion.
December 18, 2023
I read it but it was honestly really boring and tired.
September 24, 2019
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher but I also bought my own copy early thanks to @decaturbookfest. Thanks! All options are my own!
Author: Corrie Wang
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and slight gore, some romance)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Freeform
Synopsis: "If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
Review: I loved this amazing book! I loved the commentary on gender and I thought the story did well to convey that lesson to teens. The book has great world building and amazing character development.
My only issue was that I felt the story was slow in pace in a couple of places. That's it. This is a really good book!
Verdict: A must read!
Author: Corrie Wang
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and slight gore, some romance)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Freeform
Synopsis: "If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
Review: I loved this amazing book! I loved the commentary on gender and I thought the story did well to convey that lesson to teens. The book has great world building and amazing character development.
My only issue was that I felt the story was slow in pace in a couple of places. That's it. This is a really good book!
Verdict: A must read!
January 14, 2021
I was bored.... The entire time.
The world building was almost non-existent.
The character bonding was ZERO. The supporting characters only took action when the main character decided it was okay. It was like reading through a video game script.
Things just sort of happened. The writing was choppy and scenes were I'll put together.
It was rough y'all.
The over all idea was cool. It really was, and could have been an amazing book.... But it was sharp around the edges and needed to be sanded down, a lot.
The world building was almost non-existent.
The character bonding was ZERO. The supporting characters only took action when the main character decided it was okay. It was like reading through a video game script.
Things just sort of happened. The writing was choppy and scenes were I'll put together.
It was rough y'all.
The over all idea was cool. It really was, and could have been an amazing book.... But it was sharp around the edges and needed to be sanded down, a lot.
January 4, 2020
The future is fee.
This book is as timely as they come. A dystopian set after a horrific nuclear disaster, where global warming has made the oceans rise that most Americans fled to the north, and where males and females live divided as enemies. I don't know how far off this book will be if nothing changes in our world currently, not to start out too heavy here.
But the realism is what makes this such a page-turner. Oh, that and the characters, the setting, the dialogue...oh the whole book! I absolutely adored it. I couldn't put it down until the end (the end that's not quite an end, but any more would be spoilers). Glori and Sway are my faves, hands down, no argument. They're dynamic is killer, and both learn something from the other. This is important in a book that could easily be all about hating the other.
The dialogue is very sharp, sprinkled with recognizable and purposeful slang, just different enough to feel like it developed organically within this world. The use of the terms for female and male (always female and male -- not man and women, which is an important distinction because of sex vs. gender, which is blurred in this book) --- fees and nags and beasts and norms --- clearly show the opinion of each side of the divide. And because there are people alive from before the disaster struck, so there are references from our present mixed in. This makes the book timely and timeless.
The two society's created are distinct and are a commentary on the two "perfect" societies, or at least desired societies that may be influenced by females and males; while it is clear that Wang leans toward the female camp, she does not paint a picture that males are the absolute worst. There is balance in each, highlighting both the good and the bad of the two communities.
There is science galore; you can tell that Wang did her homework while writing to make the result of climate change and a nuclear holocaust as accurate as possible. But the science doesn't detract, only enhances the story-telling. This is ultimately a character piece, reflecting on what makes us human. And I absolutely loved it.
City of Beasts is a must-read, and will go on your shelf right with The Hunger Games and Divergent when you're finished!
This book is as timely as they come. A dystopian set after a horrific nuclear disaster, where global warming has made the oceans rise that most Americans fled to the north, and where males and females live divided as enemies. I don't know how far off this book will be if nothing changes in our world currently, not to start out too heavy here.
But the realism is what makes this such a page-turner. Oh, that and the characters, the setting, the dialogue...oh the whole book! I absolutely adored it. I couldn't put it down until the end (the end that's not quite an end, but any more would be spoilers). Glori and Sway are my faves, hands down, no argument. They're dynamic is killer, and both learn something from the other. This is important in a book that could easily be all about hating the other.
The dialogue is very sharp, sprinkled with recognizable and purposeful slang, just different enough to feel like it developed organically within this world. The use of the terms for female and male (always female and male -- not man and women, which is an important distinction because of sex vs. gender, which is blurred in this book) --- fees and nags and beasts and norms --- clearly show the opinion of each side of the divide. And because there are people alive from before the disaster struck, so there are references from our present mixed in. This makes the book timely and timeless.
The two society's created are distinct and are a commentary on the two "perfect" societies, or at least desired societies that may be influenced by females and males; while it is clear that Wang leans toward the female camp, she does not paint a picture that males are the absolute worst. There is balance in each, highlighting both the good and the bad of the two communities.
There is science galore; you can tell that Wang did her homework while writing to make the result of climate change and a nuclear holocaust as accurate as possible. But the science doesn't detract, only enhances the story-telling. This is ultimately a character piece, reflecting on what makes us human. And I absolutely loved it.
City of Beasts is a must-read, and will go on your shelf right with The Hunger Games and Divergent when you're finished!
May 23, 2022
Rating: 2.5 stars
The plot had so many possibilities, so I was of course excited to read about a book with the two genders living separately. It just didn’t go as well as I would have liked from there.
Let’s start at the very beginning. The book description gave me the impression of reading about Glori’s life in her city, who Two Five is, what she thought of everything before he’s taken. But all of that, which the description included, was glossed over and she was only in her home part of the city for like 6 pages. I had no idea where it was starting and couldn’t connect it to the description.
Next up. Her grandmother being Matricula Rhodes? Not a plot twist!! Very obvious actually! Her name is Glori *Rhodes*, she references her Grand Mati, her island happens to be called *Grand* Island (I’ll let that one slide), she knows a whole lot about everything, and it’s even said Su acts like her bodyguard. It is A BIT OBVIOUS. Yet the author set it up like such a surprise and it’s like, I knew this, you mean this guy didn’t??
Grief along with shock was not my favorite part of this by far. When Sway found out about her grandmother, and then Glori’s grand died, the shock and grief from those lasted about five seconds before they were totally fine and moved on to the next thing. I don’t care how far in the future this is or that they survived a nuclear war, that’s crazy considering how much they all care for each other.
FINALLY, a decent plot twist snuck in at the end with Majesty. The thing with Liyan wasn’t surprising at all, but it was decent as well, I suppose. The entire thing with sneaking behind Glori and her not noticing for seventeen years is a little unrealistic in my eyes personally, but it was a good way to reveal the true villain and end the story. The end was a little cheesy yet sweet, so I’ll give the author props for that.
Overall, I had a couple problems with it, but there were good elements as well and had a good idea and basic plot. To be honest I probably would not reread it just because of those problems, but I am glad to have read it.
The plot had so many possibilities, so I was of course excited to read about a book with the two genders living separately. It just didn’t go as well as I would have liked from there.
Let’s start at the very beginning. The book description gave me the impression of reading about Glori’s life in her city, who Two Five is, what she thought of everything before he’s taken. But all of that, which the description included, was glossed over and she was only in her home part of the city for like 6 pages. I had no idea where it was starting and couldn’t connect it to the description.
Next up. Her grandmother being Matricula Rhodes? Not a plot twist!! Very obvious actually! Her name is Glori *Rhodes*, she references her Grand Mati, her island happens to be called *Grand* Island (I’ll let that one slide), she knows a whole lot about everything, and it’s even said Su acts like her bodyguard. It is A BIT OBVIOUS. Yet the author set it up like such a surprise and it’s like, I knew this, you mean this guy didn’t??
Grief along with shock was not my favorite part of this by far. When Sway found out about her grandmother, and then Glori’s grand died, the shock and grief from those lasted about five seconds before they were totally fine and moved on to the next thing. I don’t care how far in the future this is or that they survived a nuclear war, that’s crazy considering how much they all care for each other.
FINALLY, a decent plot twist snuck in at the end with Majesty. The thing with Liyan wasn’t surprising at all, but it was decent as well, I suppose. The entire thing with sneaking behind Glori and her not noticing for seventeen years is a little unrealistic in my eyes personally, but it was a good way to reveal the true villain and end the story. The end was a little cheesy yet sweet, so I’ll give the author props for that.
Overall, I had a couple problems with it, but there were good elements as well and had a good idea and basic plot. To be honest I probably would not reread it just because of those problems, but I am glad to have read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2019
'City of Beasts' is a eerily realistic dystopian novel that gives the reader more than just the plot to think about. The author did an amazing job creating the world that Glori lives in. The crazy part is that it all seems plausible - WWIII, nuclear bombs going off, almost everyone dying from radiation from the bombs, etc. We are taken to what used to be Buffalo, where Glori and the rest of her fee (female) family and friends live on one side of a river. On the opposite side, beasts (men) roam about doing whatever they please and stealing and killing fees whenever they feel like it. At least, that's what Glori's been taught. I loved how detailed the author was with the world building - every single thing from the aftermath of the nuclear explosions, to what life would be like starting over after that kind of disaster - everything is detailed and accounted for. I loved learning everything about this world she created - the history, the present way of life - all of it. Not to mention the characters.
All the characters were interesting and realistic, especially the main character, Glori. She's led a tough life always being prepared for the beasts and having to struggle just to stay alive. She's smart, tough, determined, loyal and loving. She has flaws too, which makes her easier to connect with. One major positive thing for me was the author's choice of writing style. She wrote the book in the first person point of view from Glori's perspective. This is my favorite style of writing because I think it allows a deeper bond between the narrator and the reader. That was definitely the case with this book. Aside from Glori, the rest of the characters were also realistic and well rounded, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them. I loved watching them grow within themselves, with each other, and within the bigger world around them. The story is post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but it's layered with major topics that are relevant today. It's a way to see what may come of our future if things don't change and it deals with issues that we all must deal with daily now. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA fiction, science fiction, dystopian, action and adventure, and even some contemporary.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
All the characters were interesting and realistic, especially the main character, Glori. She's led a tough life always being prepared for the beasts and having to struggle just to stay alive. She's smart, tough, determined, loyal and loving. She has flaws too, which makes her easier to connect with. One major positive thing for me was the author's choice of writing style. She wrote the book in the first person point of view from Glori's perspective. This is my favorite style of writing because I think it allows a deeper bond between the narrator and the reader. That was definitely the case with this book. Aside from Glori, the rest of the characters were also realistic and well rounded, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them. I loved watching them grow within themselves, with each other, and within the bigger world around them. The story is post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but it's layered with major topics that are relevant today. It's a way to see what may come of our future if things don't change and it deals with issues that we all must deal with daily now. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA fiction, science fiction, dystopian, action and adventure, and even some contemporary.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2024
Interesting concept, and well fleshed out characters. The first few pages had me worried that it was going to be overly YA with the language that was being used (fees instead of females, males referred to as beasts, etc), but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the author managed to shift my perception in a relatively short amount of time. I’m a sucker for good dystopian storylines, especially ones that seem like they could be within the realms of actual possibility.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this books rich story and its many unique characters. My only complaint was at points it got a little... weird, but having grown up with four brothers I understand why a city of men would get a little odd at times. It came with a lot of unexpected twists and I really just appreciated it because I've been in need of a high adventure book. :)
February 23, 2024
It started a little slow but the end was wild. Most of the loose ends were tied up. But End-ish? What does that even mean?
September 29, 2019
I received this book for free from Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review."Hey, Twofer, who loves you even more than she loves cornbread with berries?" - opening sentence of City of Beasts by Corrie Wang.
Glori does. Glori will do anything to get it back, even going into the City of Beasts. YA, dystopian, gender seperated
About the City of Beasts:
Excerpt from City of Beasts:
City of Beasts is one for the books. The beginning is disorienting in that wonderful sci-fi way until it’s revealed why no one else will go after Twofer and suddenly, things come into focus and we hit the ground running.
It's adventurous, and twisty search and rescue race that I couldn't put down or forget anytime soon.
The Rundown:
I adore it, the whole book was quick with great pacing, enjoyable characters, interesting setting, immediately absorbing, didn't lose my suspension of disbelief while reading.
Trans inclusive in the text, (but not one in the cast.)
Nonbinary isn’t specifically mentioned. I think the fee society would be inclusive, but the beasts are drowning in toxic masculinity.
Makeover scene
Puppies!
Violent fighting, not gory or particularly awful
Talk of rape in the past to other characters, but none on the page
The Beast City has a prison like culture, where regular movies are treated like porn, with weaker ones being prey.
Effeminate gay boys have their own subculture & approval. But I don’t know if there’s anything like bears or androgynous.
Glori - I love this fierce softie. Her funniest moments are when she's playing it straight. She's a great fighter, but
Su - the best friend, the Jane Lane to Glori's Daria.
Sway - the non jerkwad beast, metrosexual working for the money, honey
Comma - the comic relief, the typical gay boy best friend
No idea what would happen next at any time while reading
I love it. Have I mentioned I love this?
Ends at the perfect spot, but I’d love to find out what happens next, and further still down the line.
One of the best things is that City of Beasts doesn't feel gimmicky or forced with the separated society, unlike some books that shall not be named here. *cough*
Perfect for fans of YA dystopians, and feminist literary badassery like Orleans , by Sherrie L. Smith, which I'm still desperately wanting a sequel to.
Also, loved Wang's previous book The Takedown, another sci-fi that quickly sucked me in & kept me going.
Favorite Quotes
Giveaway:
3 winners will receive finished copies of CITY OF BEASTS, US Only.
Rafflecopter Embed Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
Glori does. Glori will do anything to get it back, even going into the City of Beasts. YA, dystopian, gender seperated
About the City of Beasts:
Excerpt from City of Beasts:
Exceprt 2 City of Beasts by Jaime Arnold on Scribd
City of Beasts is one for the books. The beginning is disorienting in that wonderful sci-fi way until it’s revealed why no one else will go after Twofer and suddenly, things come into focus and we hit the ground running.
It's adventurous, and twisty search and rescue race that I couldn't put down or forget anytime soon.
The Rundown:
I adore it, the whole book was quick with great pacing, enjoyable characters, interesting setting, immediately absorbing, didn't lose my suspension of disbelief while reading.
Trans inclusive in the text, (but not one in the cast.)
Nonbinary isn’t specifically mentioned. I think the fee society would be inclusive, but the beasts are drowning in toxic masculinity.
Makeover scene
Puppies!
Violent fighting, not gory or particularly awful
Talk of rape in the past to other characters, but none on the page
The Beast City has a prison like culture, where regular movies are treated like porn, with weaker ones being prey.
Effeminate gay boys have their own subculture & approval. But I don’t know if there’s anything like bears or androgynous.
Glori - I love this fierce softie. Her funniest moments are when she's playing it straight. She's a great fighter, but
Su - the best friend, the Jane Lane to Glori's Daria.
Sway - the non jerkwad beast, metrosexual working for the money, honey
Comma - the comic relief, the typical gay boy best friend
No idea what would happen next at any time while reading
I love it. Have I mentioned I love this?
Ends at the perfect spot, but I’d love to find out what happens next, and further still down the line.
One of the best things is that City of Beasts doesn't feel gimmicky or forced with the separated society, unlike some books that shall not be named here. *cough*
Perfect for fans of YA dystopians, and feminist literary badassery like Orleans , by Sherrie L. Smith, which I'm still desperately wanting a sequel to.
Also, loved Wang's previous book The Takedown, another sci-fi that quickly sucked me in & kept me going.
Favorite Quotes
"You walk like a mobster, fight like the patrol, and scowl better than Sway.”
Comma tsks and says, ”I do believe, the o-u-s word you’re looking for is fabulous. It’s how you carry it off that determines the prefix.”
The tension between the genders made my insides feel squishy, and I kept asking, ”Are they going to fight now?” only to have the two actors kiss instead.
"Remember what I told you, little fee. Embrace your femininity. It’s the only thing that will make you seem like a male.”
Because now that Death literally stands in front of me, I don’t care so much what rules I live by or if I wake up happy or not, so long as I get to wake up even one more time.
If you could hear dust settling before, now you can hear dust being made.
Giveaway:
3 winners will receive finished copies of CITY OF BEASTS, US Only.
Rafflecopter Embed Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
July 16, 2019
CITY OF BEASTS is the must-read dystopian of the fall. Highly recommend for fans of THE DIVERGENT, DARKEST MINDS, and/or HANDMAID'S TALE. An all new story takes us to the aftermath of WWIII in Buffalo, where men ("beasts") and women ("fees") have separated for seventeen years. Fees live on an island where they train in science and fighting techniques- and are often under attack by the beasts, but are able to fight them off.
Glori grew up after the separation, and this world has been all she knows. She grew up with her mother, grandmother, and their co-habitating partners, Su and her mother. After her mother was taken by the beasts, she returned pregnant, giving birth to a beast- Glori's beloved little brother. Glori worries he will turn into a beast from the stories, violent and cruel, but he is still her little brother. When he is captured at five years old and taken into the City of Beasts, Glori knows she would do anything to get him back.
She hatches a plan with Su, and they travel into enemy territory to save her brother. However, things are not as simple as they expected, and plots bigger than they ever could have anticipated are afoot. With amazing characters and messages about looking deeper than the stereotypes pervading the novel, this book is an incredible read.
What I loved: The characters, the world building, and the whole book are just amazing! Glori is really well-crafted- she is intelligent and an amazing fighter, and we understand her conflicts and struggle as she comes to terms with the world she has known and the world she finds now. Through her eyes, we see not only this dystopian future but also our lives as they are now and the inherent sexism in the everyday (advertisements, expectations, etc.). In terms of the secondary characters, they are also fully three-dimensional and complex- with so many I absolutely fell in love with.
The world is similarly well-crafted and so easy to imagine. The science is logical and makes sense. Furthermore, this all develops without dragging the plot or slowing the pace. This book is really beautifully written. There is appropriate humor (laugh-out-loud while reading funny), tension (thriller-like danger in places), complex theories (great discussions about sexism, stereotypes, science), and a dash of romance to complete this engrossing novel.
Final verdict: CITY OF BEASTS is an incredible read, and I highly recommend for any fans of YA dystopian/sci-fi. Engaging, complex, and completely entertaining, this book will keep you turning pages quickly until the satisfying end.
Glori grew up after the separation, and this world has been all she knows. She grew up with her mother, grandmother, and their co-habitating partners, Su and her mother. After her mother was taken by the beasts, she returned pregnant, giving birth to a beast- Glori's beloved little brother. Glori worries he will turn into a beast from the stories, violent and cruel, but he is still her little brother. When he is captured at five years old and taken into the City of Beasts, Glori knows she would do anything to get him back.
She hatches a plan with Su, and they travel into enemy territory to save her brother. However, things are not as simple as they expected, and plots bigger than they ever could have anticipated are afoot. With amazing characters and messages about looking deeper than the stereotypes pervading the novel, this book is an incredible read.
What I loved: The characters, the world building, and the whole book are just amazing! Glori is really well-crafted- she is intelligent and an amazing fighter, and we understand her conflicts and struggle as she comes to terms with the world she has known and the world she finds now. Through her eyes, we see not only this dystopian future but also our lives as they are now and the inherent sexism in the everyday (advertisements, expectations, etc.). In terms of the secondary characters, they are also fully three-dimensional and complex- with so many I absolutely fell in love with.
The world is similarly well-crafted and so easy to imagine. The science is logical and makes sense. Furthermore, this all develops without dragging the plot or slowing the pace. This book is really beautifully written. There is appropriate humor (laugh-out-loud while reading funny), tension (thriller-like danger in places), complex theories (great discussions about sexism, stereotypes, science), and a dash of romance to complete this engrossing novel.
Final verdict: CITY OF BEASTS is an incredible read, and I highly recommend for any fans of YA dystopian/sci-fi. Engaging, complex, and completely entertaining, this book will keep you turning pages quickly until the satisfying end.
August 4, 2019
If you're into post-apocolyptic distopian future novels, this is a must-read. Wang has wonderfully tied together a realistic possible future...complete with realistic science, projected cultural adaptations, and kid-frendly (and sure-to-be-parent-approved) romance. Also added in with no-nonsense flair are activism issues of our present-day, including: sexism, racism, the mother wound, and LGBTQ+ issues with an overall emphasis on loving inclusion. This is a must-read because, yes, we should try to save them all. 🙏
September 27, 2019
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When Glori's mom was returned, they didn't tell anyone that she gave birth to a beast. But regardless of what Two Five is, Glori loves it. When Two Five gets taken, Glori and her best friend Su will brave the divide and enter the Beast's land to try and retrieve her baby brother.
City of beasts is so very unlike any dystopian book I have ever read before. It was interesting, while at the same time being so incredibly quirky and unique. The entire book was basically non-stop action, beginning with the girls (or rather Fees...or nags depending on who you ask) going on a dangerous mission to the beasts to bring back their own secret beast, ending up in one dangerous scenario after another. But nothing is very straightforward on this quest, instead they encounter the bizarre and the normal all tangled together, completely throwing the girl's expectations out the window. As a side note, how can you not love a book where the "hero" uses a t-shirt gun as a weapon, the girls save themselves here, and the actual females need to be prettied up to pass for the beautiful Swan boys?
We are dropped into the story without any background, the world building comes as the book progresses, with little snippets and ideas dropped like bread crumbs to piece the world together and I actually really appreciated that about the book. I liked the pacing the author used, keeping me engaged and on my toes the entire time instead of bogging me down with backstory at the beginning. I liked finding the clues and painting my own version of this seemingly crazy yet all too plausible future.
I liked how this felt like a mix of modern, futuristic as well as the simplistic past blended together to create both sides. I went into the story with no first impressions (or real idea what the book was about to be honest) and I think that was the best way since I got to be a blank slate to experience this world. I am 99% positive that City of Beasts is a standalone story which makes it even more incredibly what the author was able to do within the pages of a single story. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking for for something new, something quirky, something fast paced.
When Glori's mom was returned, they didn't tell anyone that she gave birth to a beast. But regardless of what Two Five is, Glori loves it. When Two Five gets taken, Glori and her best friend Su will brave the divide and enter the Beast's land to try and retrieve her baby brother.
City of beasts is so very unlike any dystopian book I have ever read before. It was interesting, while at the same time being so incredibly quirky and unique. The entire book was basically non-stop action, beginning with the girls (or rather Fees...or nags depending on who you ask) going on a dangerous mission to the beasts to bring back their own secret beast, ending up in one dangerous scenario after another. But nothing is very straightforward on this quest, instead they encounter the bizarre and the normal all tangled together, completely throwing the girl's expectations out the window. As a side note, how can you not love a book where the "hero" uses a t-shirt gun as a weapon, the girls save themselves here, and the actual females need to be prettied up to pass for the beautiful Swan boys?
We are dropped into the story without any background, the world building comes as the book progresses, with little snippets and ideas dropped like bread crumbs to piece the world together and I actually really appreciated that about the book. I liked the pacing the author used, keeping me engaged and on my toes the entire time instead of bogging me down with backstory at the beginning. I liked finding the clues and painting my own version of this seemingly crazy yet all too plausible future.
I liked how this felt like a mix of modern, futuristic as well as the simplistic past blended together to create both sides. I went into the story with no first impressions (or real idea what the book was about to be honest) and I think that was the best way since I got to be a blank slate to experience this world. I am 99% positive that City of Beasts is a standalone story which makes it even more incredibly what the author was able to do within the pages of a single story. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking for for something new, something quirky, something fast paced.
February 25, 2023
I read a review on here that said the idea was good but the world building just wasn’t there. I do agree.
I went into reading this thinking it was going to be similar to what most would compare to The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, etc. Essentially, I was assuming it was going to be a world after some big event that was left in a different government system. It was pretty much that, but the events and characters and just the details in the story was lacking.
You have a post WW3 city. The Night occurred and killed a major portion of the population. (I can’t recall if they book said what had happened. If so, I can’t remember.) after “The Night”, the city was separated into fees (females) and beasts (males). This is according the the “fees”. The “Beasts” called the females Nags and referred to each other as bruths multiple times. So the wording was everywhere. It was hard keeping up with the different names that they called each other.
At first, the storyline made it sound like it was immediately after “The Night” that they separated. But later on, it said that the “fees” left after something happened.It felt like some things contradicted themselves as the story continued.
The wording was also very strange. One line referred to the “fees” as a Heinz-57, multi ethnic. They made the “beasts” characters speak as if they weren’t as intellectual as the “fees”. (It was also said how the “beasts” were stuck in the past, whereas the “fees” had moved on to be self sufficient.)
Then about halfway or a little later, there’s some scientific type things mentioned that really did not make sense. It felt like these topics should’ve been a little more detailed to thoroughly understand what was going on. They also went to The Fortress, which they was told was bad, but at the same time it wasn’t, but bad things also happened there. So again very contradictive.
I almost didn’t continue, but things had gotten more interesting, so I did hold out hope. It felt like it was so close to being good, and then something happened to make it not feel thoroughly put together. I will admit that it did have a happy ending that I was not expecting, and a big plot twist at the end. But it did feel very rushed at the end. Most details wasn’t explained thoroughly (more like they went to the doctor and are better) explanations.
Like I said in the beginning, the idea had so much potential, but it just wasn’t there.
I went into reading this thinking it was going to be similar to what most would compare to The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, etc. Essentially, I was assuming it was going to be a world after some big event that was left in a different government system. It was pretty much that, but the events and characters and just the details in the story was lacking.
You have a post WW3 city. The Night occurred and killed a major portion of the population. (I can’t recall if they book said what had happened. If so, I can’t remember.) after “The Night”, the city was separated into fees (females) and beasts (males). This is according the the “fees”. The “Beasts” called the females Nags and referred to each other as bruths multiple times. So the wording was everywhere. It was hard keeping up with the different names that they called each other.
At first, the storyline made it sound like it was immediately after “The Night” that they separated. But later on, it said that the “fees” left after something happened.It felt like some things contradicted themselves as the story continued.
The wording was also very strange. One line referred to the “fees” as a Heinz-57, multi ethnic. They made the “beasts” characters speak as if they weren’t as intellectual as the “fees”. (It was also said how the “beasts” were stuck in the past, whereas the “fees” had moved on to be self sufficient.)
Then about halfway or a little later, there’s some scientific type things mentioned that really did not make sense. It felt like these topics should’ve been a little more detailed to thoroughly understand what was going on. They also went to The Fortress, which they was told was bad, but at the same time it wasn’t, but bad things also happened there. So again very contradictive.
I almost didn’t continue, but things had gotten more interesting, so I did hold out hope. It felt like it was so close to being good, and then something happened to make it not feel thoroughly put together. I will admit that it did have a happy ending that I was not expecting, and a big plot twist at the end. But it did feel very rushed at the end. Most details wasn’t explained thoroughly (more like they went to the doctor and are better) explanations.
Like I said in the beginning, the idea had so much potential, but it just wasn’t there.
December 5, 2019
This book knocked 40 points off my IQ 💀
Don’t waste your time.
Don’t waste your time.
August 16, 2025
Ehhhhhhhh… it’s got a cool cover kindof?
September 19, 2019
City of Beasts is one of those books that I wanted to read the second I finished with the synopsis. A near-future post-apocalypse world where women are fees, men are beasts, and never the twain shall meet? Um, yes, please!! Well, I am so glad the synopsis hooked me, because I loved this book so much! I seriously want to sit down and re-read it now that I’m writing this review, because it’s just that good (and also I read a PDF copy where I couldn’t highlight anything and now my page-flag-adoring (and possibly abusing) self *really* wants to get into the physical copy and mark some of the awesome lines that I remember!).
Set in Buffalo and nearby Grand Island, New York, separated by a river with a lone bridge, City of Beasts introduces us to Glori and her community of fees. It is a community in which she has almost always felt safe and secure, even though she has been trained in like five different fighting techniques, can bench press her own weight, and is basically a complete BAMF. Glori has never been to the city of beasts, has never even met a beast, in fact -- except for her 5-year-old brother Two-Five (aka Twofer), who has been hidden away from virtually all the other fees on Grand Island since his birth. When the worst happens and a group of beasts invade Grand Island, killing a number of matriarchs and kidnapping Twofer, Glori and her best friend Su do the unthinkable and head across the bridge to get him back. Thus begins our adventure and Glori’s introduction to the world of beasts.
I absolutely love this exploration of how things might be different if women and men were raised separately. Would societal expectations and gender norms be obliterated? Would a community of women be peaceful, loving, and orderly, with communal living and shared resources, and would a community of men devolve into factions fighting one another in an environment of chaos? There is so much meat within these pages, so much to think about and chew on as you follow Glori and Su on their quest to recover Twofer. The beasts they meet are indeed terrifying, but there are also some who defy every expectation and stereotype Glori and Su have. All of the characters are complex and feel so alive, from Glori, Su, Grand Mati, Liyan, and the fee mercenaries to Sway, Comma, Reason, Rage, and the rest of the beasts we meet. (If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would have to be Comma. Dear, sweet Comma!) There are also quite a few surprises that await Glori, Su, Sway, and the rest, surprises that truthfully I usually did not see coming -- and I love it when a book actually smacks me in the face with a shocking twist!
I don’t want to give away any of what awaits you upon reading City of Beasts, so I’ll stop here, but ultimately what you need to know is this: from the plot to the setting to the characters to all of the underlying philosophical questions, I love absolutely everything about this book. I will be recommending City of Beasts to every single person I know who enjoys YA books, and even some who aren’t typical YA readers but whom I know would appreciate Ms. Wang’s vision as much as I do. I can’t wait to share this book with them, and I hope that you will also take the first opportunity to snatch this one up -- and let me know what you think of it when you do!
Rating: 5 luminous stars!
**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.
Set in Buffalo and nearby Grand Island, New York, separated by a river with a lone bridge, City of Beasts introduces us to Glori and her community of fees. It is a community in which she has almost always felt safe and secure, even though she has been trained in like five different fighting techniques, can bench press her own weight, and is basically a complete BAMF. Glori has never been to the city of beasts, has never even met a beast, in fact -- except for her 5-year-old brother Two-Five (aka Twofer), who has been hidden away from virtually all the other fees on Grand Island since his birth. When the worst happens and a group of beasts invade Grand Island, killing a number of matriarchs and kidnapping Twofer, Glori and her best friend Su do the unthinkable and head across the bridge to get him back. Thus begins our adventure and Glori’s introduction to the world of beasts.
I absolutely love this exploration of how things might be different if women and men were raised separately. Would societal expectations and gender norms be obliterated? Would a community of women be peaceful, loving, and orderly, with communal living and shared resources, and would a community of men devolve into factions fighting one another in an environment of chaos? There is so much meat within these pages, so much to think about and chew on as you follow Glori and Su on their quest to recover Twofer. The beasts they meet are indeed terrifying, but there are also some who defy every expectation and stereotype Glori and Su have. All of the characters are complex and feel so alive, from Glori, Su, Grand Mati, Liyan, and the fee mercenaries to Sway, Comma, Reason, Rage, and the rest of the beasts we meet. (If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would have to be Comma. Dear, sweet Comma!) There are also quite a few surprises that await Glori, Su, Sway, and the rest, surprises that truthfully I usually did not see coming -- and I love it when a book actually smacks me in the face with a shocking twist!
I don’t want to give away any of what awaits you upon reading City of Beasts, so I’ll stop here, but ultimately what you need to know is this: from the plot to the setting to the characters to all of the underlying philosophical questions, I love absolutely everything about this book. I will be recommending City of Beasts to every single person I know who enjoys YA books, and even some who aren’t typical YA readers but whom I know would appreciate Ms. Wang’s vision as much as I do. I can’t wait to share this book with them, and I hope that you will also take the first opportunity to snatch this one up -- and let me know what you think of it when you do!
Rating: 5 luminous stars!
**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.
May 11, 2020
I think this is the kind of book you really need to do some thinking on, which is why it's a 4-star read for me.
City of Beasts is a really fascinating book. The story follows Glori, one girl in a women-only community in a world that, post-nuclear fallout, has lead to a city that to the division of men and women - the "beasts" and the "fees." But Glori's mother gave birth to a beast, who has been raised with the fees. When the beast is taken by other beasts, Glori sets out to find her brother and infiltrates the beasts' world. But along the way, Glori makes unexpected allies with the beasts she's been taught to fight against and hate, and suddenly everything isn't so black and white, a matter that's complicated by a conspiracy that unravels as Glori's journey takes her deeper into things she could have never imagined about the beasts or their shared history.
At first, this novel is really difficult to get into. It's a hard moment to adjust to the language of this alternate future, but eventually that settles out and you start to get really invested in the story. Once things began spiraling into a mystery/conspiracy, the story was so good I couldn't put it down! And the end has so many twists and turns that you can't possibly guess what will happen next, which is stellar work on Corrie Wang's part.
I really enjoy the way this novel reimagines the future, and theorizes on what this divided world would look like. There's a lot of politics brimming under the surface of this story, particularly regarding gender, and on top of that Wang does a really fantastic job exploring the supposed dynamics attributed to each gender. I'm not sure I fully agree with the hopeful place the story ends in, but it's speculative fiction for a reason. And I'm a bit of a cynic. But, at the story's heart, Wang is trying to express that there's not a difference in people because of gender dynamics, that - at our cores - we're all similar people with similar wants and needs. I'm not sure Wang fully and successfully detaches the stereotypes and assigned roles with each gender, but to be fair, it's a YA novel and she already does a LOT of work here. The novel practically doubles as a theory on gender, which is really interesting and I think young readers who are questioning these things themselves will find this book really valuable, and certainly a conversation starter.
All in all, I'm really glad I read this book! I enjoyed it a lot, and Wang's writing easily pushes you through the story with enough twists and turns that are satisfying and make sense. Someday, I hope to see a world where our preconceived notions can be tossed aside and we can all just be. But, for now, I'll think on this book a little more and recommend it whenever I get the chance.
I received a copy of this e-ARC of this book from Edelweiss. Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss for providing me access to this title!
City of Beasts is a really fascinating book. The story follows Glori, one girl in a women-only community in a world that, post-nuclear fallout, has lead to a city that to the division of men and women - the "beasts" and the "fees." But Glori's mother gave birth to a beast, who has been raised with the fees. When the beast is taken by other beasts, Glori sets out to find her brother and infiltrates the beasts' world. But along the way, Glori makes unexpected allies with the beasts she's been taught to fight against and hate, and suddenly everything isn't so black and white, a matter that's complicated by a conspiracy that unravels as Glori's journey takes her deeper into things she could have never imagined about the beasts or their shared history.
At first, this novel is really difficult to get into. It's a hard moment to adjust to the language of this alternate future, but eventually that settles out and you start to get really invested in the story. Once things began spiraling into a mystery/conspiracy, the story was so good I couldn't put it down! And the end has so many twists and turns that you can't possibly guess what will happen next, which is stellar work on Corrie Wang's part.
I really enjoy the way this novel reimagines the future, and theorizes on what this divided world would look like. There's a lot of politics brimming under the surface of this story, particularly regarding gender, and on top of that Wang does a really fantastic job exploring the supposed dynamics attributed to each gender. I'm not sure I fully agree with the hopeful place the story ends in, but it's speculative fiction for a reason. And I'm a bit of a cynic. But, at the story's heart, Wang is trying to express that there's not a difference in people because of gender dynamics, that - at our cores - we're all similar people with similar wants and needs. I'm not sure Wang fully and successfully detaches the stereotypes and assigned roles with each gender, but to be fair, it's a YA novel and she already does a LOT of work here. The novel practically doubles as a theory on gender, which is really interesting and I think young readers who are questioning these things themselves will find this book really valuable, and certainly a conversation starter.
All in all, I'm really glad I read this book! I enjoyed it a lot, and Wang's writing easily pushes you through the story with enough twists and turns that are satisfying and make sense. Someday, I hope to see a world where our preconceived notions can be tossed aside and we can all just be. But, for now, I'll think on this book a little more and recommend it whenever I get the chance.
I received a copy of this e-ARC of this book from Edelweiss. Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss for providing me access to this title!
Read
September 18, 2019Once you get started reading this book, after the first couple of chapters, you will not want to put it down. To begin with you are thrown right into a world where the language resembles English, though the use of other languages is openly discussed, and left to flounder until you are able to infer what the unusual words mean. This is very much a dystopian novel where men and women, or beasts and fee, are separated. Since I live in Western New York it is amusing that the main city is Buffalo where the beasts live and Grand Island is where the fee are.
We begin the tale with a young girl wanting to take her younger brother on a bike ride. Of course since the nuclear bombs hit there are not supposed to be children as young as her brother (sterility from the nuclear fallout) and all males are supposed to be in Buffalo not Grand Island. Other than that, and the subsequent attack on the fee compound kidnapping her brother, this is a very sweet beginning to the story. Things get progressively better and worse as the tale progresses. There are several points in the middle where I wanted to stop, the oversimplification of human history is nauseating yet accurate from a certain perspective. Persevering through the end of the book, if I had stopped I would not have finished it, causes the twists and turns to become almost dizzying. I did enjoy how the book ended, I am not certain that the authors intended purpose of exploring how different methods of child rearing without preconceived notions can effect the children is completely proven. It almost seems that the men were raised with an eye toward consumable goods and fashion while the women were raised with a warrior mentality while maintaining strong community ties.
This is certainly an interesting book, and easily read in about 8 hours. Decent book, I will not be re-reading this title.
We begin the tale with a young girl wanting to take her younger brother on a bike ride. Of course since the nuclear bombs hit there are not supposed to be children as young as her brother (sterility from the nuclear fallout) and all males are supposed to be in Buffalo not Grand Island. Other than that, and the subsequent attack on the fee compound kidnapping her brother, this is a very sweet beginning to the story. Things get progressively better and worse as the tale progresses. There are several points in the middle where I wanted to stop, the oversimplification of human history is nauseating yet accurate from a certain perspective. Persevering through the end of the book, if I had stopped I would not have finished it, causes the twists and turns to become almost dizzying. I did enjoy how the book ended, I am not certain that the authors intended purpose of exploring how different methods of child rearing without preconceived notions can effect the children is completely proven. It almost seems that the men were raised with an eye toward consumable goods and fashion while the women were raised with a warrior mentality while maintaining strong community ties.
This is certainly an interesting book, and easily read in about 8 hours. Decent book, I will not be re-reading this title.
May 26, 2024
I actually liked this book and I say that in a surprised tone because this was originally a DNF, I don't exactly know why. It was actually pretty good. Goes without saying that I would not have been able to finish it if it was written by a man. It was a little cringy BUT pretty manageable overall. Too many characters with too many silly names, like Wreaker is bleeding out - Who tf is Wreaker. (Can't remember if that was the name). And Breaker, Mouse, Modem or whoever the gross-but-cute-rat was.
Sway and Glori were cute, although I kind of shipped her with Reason. CHEMISTRY. Whatever. The other characters didn't feel as fleshed out, not too nuanced. Sometimes the plot felt a little all over the place, perhaps a bit convoluted. It upheld well enough though. Maybe perhaps there is something to be said about the fact that the villain was a fee (to use the terminology) who didn't feel the maternal instinct. Even when we try to fight against it, we still perpetuate it. Still, the girls were actually badasses. I would love to see it played out in visual media. I felt like the character development didn't seem seamless. But I was happy with how everything near the end was orchestrated by females, because yeah, of course.
I am curious to - Well, you know...Live in that world. Can't help that I would like to live in a setting with no need for a job. Plus I want to learn how to fight. Happy that Shui survived, nice that his mom was alive, although there was no comment about Su being his sister. Although, I do like that both kids were named after weather elements. Nice continuity. The chapters nearly always ended in a fun, thriller way and the writing was easy to get through, juvenile as it was. Still, not bad.
Sway and Glori were cute, although I kind of shipped her with Reason. CHEMISTRY. Whatever. The other characters didn't feel as fleshed out, not too nuanced. Sometimes the plot felt a little all over the place, perhaps a bit convoluted. It upheld well enough though. Maybe perhaps there is something to be said about the fact that the villain was a fee (to use the terminology) who didn't feel the maternal instinct. Even when we try to fight against it, we still perpetuate it. Still, the girls were actually badasses. I would love to see it played out in visual media. I felt like the character development didn't seem seamless. But I was happy with how everything near the end was orchestrated by females, because yeah, of course.
I am curious to - Well, you know...Live in that world. Can't help that I would like to live in a setting with no need for a job. Plus I want to learn how to fight. Happy that Shui survived, nice that his mom was alive, although there was no comment about Su being his sister. Although, I do like that both kids were named after weather elements. Nice continuity. The chapters nearly always ended in a fun, thriller way and the writing was easy to get through, juvenile as it was. Still, not bad.
July 8, 2019
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book from BEA, and I just couldn't put it down!
City of Beasts tells the story of Glori, a girl who has grown up in the planet crashed future of Buffalo, NY where women (fees) have decided to live separate from men (aka the beasts). Due to shady family history, a boy is born into her family and she and her co-habitators raise him in secret. When the beasts find out, they steal her brother and murder lots of fees to boot. While her community is in defensive disarray, Glori and her best friend Su do the one thing they've been warned not to do for their entire lives, they cross over to the City of Beasts to rescue him.
And then the fun really begins. Glori and Su have never been around males before. All they have to go on is their own preconceptions based on what their elders have taught them. So when they encounter the fast-talking, t-shirt cannon wielding male named Sway, those preconceptions are blown to bits in lots of really hysterical ways.
Anyways, I don't want to give away too many details but from the first page to the last, it is a non-stop dystopian thrill ride. It's clever, funny, smart, and powerful. The description on this book didn't really grab me, but I can't remember reading a bloodier book, that still had me crying like a baby at the end. I really hope they make a movie out of this!
City of Beasts tells the story of Glori, a girl who has grown up in the planet crashed future of Buffalo, NY where women (fees) have decided to live separate from men (aka the beasts). Due to shady family history, a boy is born into her family and she and her co-habitators raise him in secret. When the beasts find out, they steal her brother and murder lots of fees to boot. While her community is in defensive disarray, Glori and her best friend Su do the one thing they've been warned not to do for their entire lives, they cross over to the City of Beasts to rescue him.
And then the fun really begins. Glori and Su have never been around males before. All they have to go on is their own preconceptions based on what their elders have taught them. So when they encounter the fast-talking, t-shirt cannon wielding male named Sway, those preconceptions are blown to bits in lots of really hysterical ways.
Anyways, I don't want to give away too many details but from the first page to the last, it is a non-stop dystopian thrill ride. It's clever, funny, smart, and powerful. The description on this book didn't really grab me, but I can't remember reading a bloodier book, that still had me crying like a baby at the end. I really hope they make a movie out of this!
October 13, 2023
3.5 // god this is gonna be hard to write. i just have such mixed feelings about this book! so many things i really disliked and so many thing i thoroughly enjoyed. well, maybe thoroughly enjoyed is a stretch. okay. i think the message that gender is stupid is the realest. it is dumb and pointless and, for the most part, an unnecessary way to create division between people. on the other hand, i think this story had undertones of the whole ‘not all men’ rhetoric, and i thought that was dumb. obviously not all men are bad. obviously. it just isn’t a message that i think anyone need to hear right now. i feel as though it’s quite the opposite.
moving on from theme, though, i did enjoy the story in general. the first fifty-ish pages had me slumped and dreading the book but its fast pace and unraveling mystery got me hooked pretty quickly. it wasn’t a book that i felt as though i wasted my time reading. i liked the experience.
finally, and spoilers!!!!!!!!, sway should’ve stayed dead. i honestly thought the way he died was very touching and interesting, and glori’s whole thing about life being a fleeting thing really resonated. to me, the scene was one of the best in the entire book. and then the author went on to bring him back. i mean, jesus, dude. i get it, i do. but also, i felt like his death was a really monumental moment, and just undoing it felt like a cop out.
moving on from theme, though, i did enjoy the story in general. the first fifty-ish pages had me slumped and dreading the book but its fast pace and unraveling mystery got me hooked pretty quickly. it wasn’t a book that i felt as though i wasted my time reading. i liked the experience.
finally, and spoilers!!!!!!!!, sway should’ve stayed dead. i honestly thought the way he died was very touching and interesting, and glori’s whole thing about life being a fleeting thing really resonated. to me, the scene was one of the best in the entire book. and then the author went on to bring him back. i mean, jesus, dude. i get it, i do. but also, i felt like his death was a really monumental moment, and just undoing it felt like a cop out.
September 29, 2019
Seventeen years ago, the fees separated themselves from the beasts. The divisions of the genders have allowed them to keep the world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most fees her age. She likes her neighborhood, can bench press her body weight and knows twenty-seven beast counterattack moves. Like many other fees, she never questioned why the genders are separated or the laws that govern them. However, when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori can't help but grow attached to the child.
When her brother, Twofer was snatched during a raid with the beast, Glori is willing to stop at nothing to save him. Glori and her best friend, Su, decide to infiltrate the City of Beasts to get her brother back. Glori thought it would be a simple grab and go mission but, quickly discovers that she is in for an adventure of a lifetime. Will Glori and Su be able to save her brother?
At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from the novel but, it turned out to be an interesting read. I like how it showed how things could have turned out if genders lived segregated lives. My favorite character was Twofer and how the bonds of love and family can change what society dictates to us. Overall, I thought the novel was enjoyable to read but, was predictable.
When her brother, Twofer was snatched during a raid with the beast, Glori is willing to stop at nothing to save him. Glori and her best friend, Su, decide to infiltrate the City of Beasts to get her brother back. Glori thought it would be a simple grab and go mission but, quickly discovers that she is in for an adventure of a lifetime. Will Glori and Su be able to save her brother?
At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from the novel but, it turned out to be an interesting read. I like how it showed how things could have turned out if genders lived segregated lives. My favorite character was Twofer and how the bonds of love and family can change what society dictates to us. Overall, I thought the novel was enjoyable to read but, was predictable.
September 10, 2019
What a fantastic dystopian novel! City of Beasts is about a not so far away post apocalyptic Earth. Taking place in Buffalo, NY the city has divided itself- men(beasts) on one side of the river, and women(fees) on the other side. Growing up this has been all that Glori has known. Until her mother gives birth to a Fee and she begins to wonder what's so wrong with them after all. When her brother is taken in a raid from the beasts, Glori and her bff, Su decide to go to the where the Beasts live and bring him back home.
I love a good dystopian novel that really makes you think, what if??? Wang did an excellent job of creating an apocolyptic world that captivated me from the very first page. I loved all the kick-ass characters! We not only have a complex main character, but the side characters are wonderfully developed so you can't help but get attached.
City of Beasts was full of humor, a tiny dash of romance(oh lala), some crazy topics that really make you think, action, and thrills! I was so sad when I finished it!
I love a good dystopian novel that really makes you think, what if??? Wang did an excellent job of creating an apocolyptic world that captivated me from the very first page. I loved all the kick-ass characters! We not only have a complex main character, but the side characters are wonderfully developed so you can't help but get attached.
City of Beasts was full of humor, a tiny dash of romance(oh lala), some crazy topics that really make you think, action, and thrills! I was so sad when I finished it!
September 11, 2025
City of Beasts by Corrie Wang is about a girl named Glori who leaves her hometown in order to save her little brother and joins a gang of outsiders. In this novel she faces danger, betrayal, and tough choices as she learns the truth about her corrupt world. I liked how the author mixed emotion and shocking truths while also adding violence, a bunch of gangsters, and a lot of life or death fights. I’d rate this book ⅗ because it got me really thinking about the novel even in my sleep. The only thing is, the main character has insane plot armour so the outcome was kind of predictable.
The protagonist basically faces constant danger in this corrupt world. This is pretty intense and fortunately I’m not in the face of danger at every moment. Although I’m not in constant danger I guess I can relate to the part where you will be in trouble if you don’t do this specific thing. Like homework. If you don’t do it your grades are in trouble.
The protagonist basically faces constant danger in this corrupt world. This is pretty intense and fortunately I’m not in the face of danger at every moment. Although I’m not in constant danger I guess I can relate to the part where you will be in trouble if you don’t do this specific thing. Like homework. If you don’t do it your grades are in trouble.
November 10, 2019
This book was a really good idea, but Holy crap does it go on forever. I didn't finish this book because it just went on and on. I feel like it just kept harping on the fact that society now is so different from the past. The main character is pretty cool, though. The characters are fleshed out really well. The book constantly shows the women as more civilized and mature, and the men as animal and insensitive. I didn't feel like it was that realistic since most humans have a moral compass--men and women. It was rather offensive toward men, I think. The writing is really good, and the idea is kind of cool. I just felt like the story got overshadowed by this weird societal message that just. Wouldn't. Stop. It got annoying to me.
September 15, 2022
Everyone else loves this; I got bored and didn’t finish. The narrative can’t choose between tense, scary action and silly stereotype parody. I’m unsure which it was attempting. Since I didn’t finish reading, I don’t know if the author resolved any of my questions: survivors of nuclear war, but how much of the planet was affected? No nuclear winter? Apparently women who did survive the fallout are now sterile, with no other lingering health issues? Only the uteruses were damaged? Not sure how much time has passed since all this occurred... 18 or so years, perhaps? And men and women have avoided each other for 18 years? Yeah, that sounds believable. I have a large TBR stack: moving on to something else.
August 15, 2019
City of Beasts is an extraordinary read. The author jumps right into the future, leaving the reader to wonder about this new (and dark) world. It is gradually revealed and with surprising turns, clever characters and pithy dialog, the reader can’t help but smile. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Wang had me musing over names and words and what they might mean beyond the obvious. She also had me looking things up to know more about this fascinating world she created. All I can say is: read it!
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