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The Beast and the Bethany #1
The Beast and the Bethany
Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this riotously funny, deliciously macabre, and highly illustrated tale of a hungry beast, a vain immortal man, and a not-so-charming little girl who doesn’t know she’s about to be eaten.
Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents.
But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast.
The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?
Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents.
But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast.
The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2020
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1550 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 482 reviews
September 21, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
511-year-old Ebenezer Tweezer lives in a 15 storey house with a beast living on the top floor. The beast started as a small creature but over the years he mithered Ebenezer to bring him food in exchange for gifts which he would vomit up, plus he also provides him with a special potion to keep him looking young. The food the beast wanted kept on getting bigger and bigger until he demands that Ebenezer brings him a child to eat.
Ebenezer doesn’t know where to get a child from and quite frankly he doesn’t really want to feed one to the beast but the beast refuses to provide Ebenezer with his potion for this year unless he brings him a child.
After talking to the man who owns the bird shop where he has been purchasing birds from to feed the beast, he suggests Ebenezer try the local orphanage. This is where he meets and takes home naughty, sarcastic, trickster Bethany. But the beast wants her fattening up before he will eat her, and so Ebenezer is to spend the next few days making her eat all manner of delicious food whilst having to put up with her ill-behaviour and attitude.
But will the beast get his juicy meal or is naughty Bethany just a little too clever for him?
What a fun, hilarious book The Beast and the Bethany is. I adored the whole plot from beginning to end, including the section at the back title ‘The Beast and the Author’.
Ebenezer is a delightful character that over his 511 years alive has forgotten how to live. Yes, he can ask the beast for all kinds of things that would make him happy but he doesn’t have anyone for company and lives alone in his big house with a horrible beast that always wants more. It reminded me of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horror, with the ‘Feed Me’ 🙂 The more it was fed the bigger it got and the more it wanted.
Bethany was an orphan whose parents had died in a fire when she was a baby. She was so young that she doesn’t actually remember them. She too feels alone and as such spends her time being horrible to the others at the orphanage and playing tricks on the staff to make herself feel good and noticed. The owner is glad to see the back of Bethany but also worried that she will be brought back quickly like every other time someone has come to adopt her.
The storyline is pure enjoyment and the illustrations that are dotted through the book are wonderful to look at. This is a truly amazing middle-grade story. It is very imaginative and I now can’t wait to see it continue as it certainly has been left open for a sequel.
511-year-old Ebenezer Tweezer lives in a 15 storey house with a beast living on the top floor. The beast started as a small creature but over the years he mithered Ebenezer to bring him food in exchange for gifts which he would vomit up, plus he also provides him with a special potion to keep him looking young. The food the beast wanted kept on getting bigger and bigger until he demands that Ebenezer brings him a child to eat.
Ebenezer doesn’t know where to get a child from and quite frankly he doesn’t really want to feed one to the beast but the beast refuses to provide Ebenezer with his potion for this year unless he brings him a child.
After talking to the man who owns the bird shop where he has been purchasing birds from to feed the beast, he suggests Ebenezer try the local orphanage. This is where he meets and takes home naughty, sarcastic, trickster Bethany. But the beast wants her fattening up before he will eat her, and so Ebenezer is to spend the next few days making her eat all manner of delicious food whilst having to put up with her ill-behaviour and attitude.
But will the beast get his juicy meal or is naughty Bethany just a little too clever for him?
What a fun, hilarious book The Beast and the Bethany is. I adored the whole plot from beginning to end, including the section at the back title ‘The Beast and the Author’.
Ebenezer is a delightful character that over his 511 years alive has forgotten how to live. Yes, he can ask the beast for all kinds of things that would make him happy but he doesn’t have anyone for company and lives alone in his big house with a horrible beast that always wants more. It reminded me of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horror, with the ‘Feed Me’ 🙂 The more it was fed the bigger it got and the more it wanted.
Bethany was an orphan whose parents had died in a fire when she was a baby. She was so young that she doesn’t actually remember them. She too feels alone and as such spends her time being horrible to the others at the orphanage and playing tricks on the staff to make herself feel good and noticed. The owner is glad to see the back of Bethany but also worried that she will be brought back quickly like every other time someone has come to adopt her.
The storyline is pure enjoyment and the illustrations that are dotted through the book are wonderful to look at. This is a truly amazing middle-grade story. It is very imaginative and I now can’t wait to see it continue as it certainly has been left open for a sequel.
December 15, 2020
Middle grade magic at its absolute best.
September 14, 2020
This was marketed as Lemony Snicket meets Dorian Gray, and also promises the macabre humour of Roald Dahl and the warmth and charm of Despicable Me, and wow, the marketing team of this book did a great job because those are exactly what The Beast and the Bethany has delivered. Well, those and more.
This book is a delightful treat. Just a few days ago I was telling my cousin that it’s been a long while since I read for pleasure and not for a blog tour or ARC (I’m not complaining, just merely stating a fact) and then I read this book and I was more thankful that I join blog tours hosted by people whose book preferences I trust, such as Dave. Why, this book is amazing. I enjoyed it right from the start and couldn’t put it down.
It opens on a scene introducing two of the main characters, Ebenezer Tweezer and Bethany and instantly letting me know who they are and how they are as characters. They are the most interesting. The opening line promptly gives a lot about Ebenezer. It says…
Ebenezer tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life.
– JACK MEGGITT-PHILLIPS (THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY)
And then Bethany, even with her seemingly innocent first line in the book, she was obviously not a nice kid. I liked the main characters and probably the best part of this book. They’re morally grey and the author didn’t hide their flaws or rather their cruelty – Bethany with the cruelty, or naughtiness, of a child and Ebenezer who is almost heartless and whose priority is staying young. Ebenezer, in his 511 years, let his pet beast influence and dictate his actions. I would even say he was manipulated, though the beast and Ebenezer’s relationship started almost innocently.
I really, REALLY, loved reading about the main characters and seeing how they grew. It’s a bit predictable where the story is heading or how the characters will evolve by the end of the book but it’s still amazing going through the journey, seeing them develop feelings. Ebenezer and Bethany really crawled their ways to my heart. Their backstories also tugged at my heartstrings, which brings me to the mood of the book. This book seems charming and heartwarming and it is but more than that it is dark and sad at times.
One of the saddest scenes for me is when Bethany asked something from the beast. I thought she was going to ask for a pet because she wants one but she asked for something else and I almost tear up seeing her so heartbroken. You see, Bethany is an orphan. Go figure. As for Ebenezer…There is something sad about people who value their physique or beauty. This theme has always been a sensitive issue for me. I won’t talk about why but stories with this theme always hits me hard. And Ebenezer is such a very likable character, despite everything, that reading his story makes me somehow sad. Obviously this book has moral lessons, lessons I’m pretty sure we all already know but we just don’t live by them. Again, it’s sad.
The side characters are well-written as well. I liked that I felt as if I spent as much time with the side characters as with the main characters, which is impossible because most of the scenes only feature Ebenezer, Bethany and the beast. The beast is a fascinating creature. Yes, he is evil. It’s not a morally grey character, he’s really evil and has done lots of evil in the story. And yet I liked how he was written. The author obviously succeeded in writing a good antagonist.
The book is really well-written and the story engaging. The writing style is okay. It’s simple and easy to read which is expected in this genre. Though there are times that I felt the writing is trying hard to appeal to older readers, which first of all, it doesn’t have to because the story will appeal to all ages. But anyway, I guess some of the quotes won’t appeal to kids nor would they understand them. The illustrations in this book are also amazing. I love them. I’m definitely adding this book to my list of Childrens books to buy. (I will never have children but I have little cousins who I want to buy MG books for.)
As I already said, this book will appeal to all ages. Its meaningful messages will appeal to older readers and even young readers with the guidance of adults. Especially since in order to deliver those messages, this book touches difficult themes. But there’s humour in this book too which kids and kids at heart will enjoy.
This book is a delightful treat. Just a few days ago I was telling my cousin that it’s been a long while since I read for pleasure and not for a blog tour or ARC (I’m not complaining, just merely stating a fact) and then I read this book and I was more thankful that I join blog tours hosted by people whose book preferences I trust, such as Dave. Why, this book is amazing. I enjoyed it right from the start and couldn’t put it down.
It opens on a scene introducing two of the main characters, Ebenezer Tweezer and Bethany and instantly letting me know who they are and how they are as characters. They are the most interesting. The opening line promptly gives a lot about Ebenezer. It says…
Ebenezer tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life.
– JACK MEGGITT-PHILLIPS (THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY)
And then Bethany, even with her seemingly innocent first line in the book, she was obviously not a nice kid. I liked the main characters and probably the best part of this book. They’re morally grey and the author didn’t hide their flaws or rather their cruelty – Bethany with the cruelty, or naughtiness, of a child and Ebenezer who is almost heartless and whose priority is staying young. Ebenezer, in his 511 years, let his pet beast influence and dictate his actions. I would even say he was manipulated, though the beast and Ebenezer’s relationship started almost innocently.
I really, REALLY, loved reading about the main characters and seeing how they grew. It’s a bit predictable where the story is heading or how the characters will evolve by the end of the book but it’s still amazing going through the journey, seeing them develop feelings. Ebenezer and Bethany really crawled their ways to my heart. Their backstories also tugged at my heartstrings, which brings me to the mood of the book. This book seems charming and heartwarming and it is but more than that it is dark and sad at times.
One of the saddest scenes for me is when Bethany asked something from the beast. I thought she was going to ask for a pet because she wants one but she asked for something else and I almost tear up seeing her so heartbroken. You see, Bethany is an orphan. Go figure. As for Ebenezer…There is something sad about people who value their physique or beauty. This theme has always been a sensitive issue for me. I won’t talk about why but stories with this theme always hits me hard. And Ebenezer is such a very likable character, despite everything, that reading his story makes me somehow sad. Obviously this book has moral lessons, lessons I’m pretty sure we all already know but we just don’t live by them. Again, it’s sad.
The side characters are well-written as well. I liked that I felt as if I spent as much time with the side characters as with the main characters, which is impossible because most of the scenes only feature Ebenezer, Bethany and the beast. The beast is a fascinating creature. Yes, he is evil. It’s not a morally grey character, he’s really evil and has done lots of evil in the story. And yet I liked how he was written. The author obviously succeeded in writing a good antagonist.
The book is really well-written and the story engaging. The writing style is okay. It’s simple and easy to read which is expected in this genre. Though there are times that I felt the writing is trying hard to appeal to older readers, which first of all, it doesn’t have to because the story will appeal to all ages. But anyway, I guess some of the quotes won’t appeal to kids nor would they understand them. The illustrations in this book are also amazing. I love them. I’m definitely adding this book to my list of Childrens books to buy. (I will never have children but I have little cousins who I want to buy MG books for.)
As I already said, this book will appeal to all ages. Its meaningful messages will appeal to older readers and even young readers with the guidance of adults. Especially since in order to deliver those messages, this book touches difficult themes. But there’s humour in this book too which kids and kids at heart will enjoy.
December 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this!
This feel like someone threw Beauty & the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, and Lemony Snicket into a blender, and created some cool characters to act out the mixture that emerged.
There is a lot going on here and all of it is fun.
I think most middlegraders (and adults like me) will enjoy this one.
I'm excited to check out the next book.
This feel like someone threw Beauty & the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, and Lemony Snicket into a blender, and created some cool characters to act out the mixture that emerged.
There is a lot going on here and all of it is fun.
I think most middlegraders (and adults like me) will enjoy this one.
I'm excited to check out the next book.
September 17, 2020
Thanks to #TheWriteReads for making this book available to me.
I read this book under two hours because once I started I just could not put it down. I will try not to spoil this book because as with lots of Children's books, the plot isn't wide and the story is really focused on the outcome. Ebenezer is 511 years old but he looks nothing like his age because of a potion that he gets from a monster he keeps in his attic. He has basically been living a solitary life of enjoyment, he has all the money he can ever spend and if he does spend it all, the monster can just vomit some more for him. But it appears that the monster is now greedy for something and he would not be giving Ebenezer the potion that keeps him young unless he gets him what he wants. He wants a tasty plump child. The HORROR!
At this point in the book you begin to see Ebenezer's idea of morality, I mean its one thing for him to fed the monster one of the rarest birds in the world and it is another to feed it a child (I want to believe that anyone would put the child before the bird, but I cannot speak for animal rights. Don't come for me, I Eat Meat!). But Ebenezer begins to question is standing, its just one child, right? So when he finally finds the worst child he thinks he can get he decides she is perfect for the beast to feast on.
Bethany is a honestly a spoilt brat, however she did not deserve to be eaten by the beast. Getting to know Bethany better, Ebenezer finds out that she is also a creature of circumstance. A friendship buds between them and he has to chose between death and giving his friend to the beast.
I read this book under two hours because once I started I just could not put it down. I will try not to spoil this book because as with lots of Children's books, the plot isn't wide and the story is really focused on the outcome. Ebenezer is 511 years old but he looks nothing like his age because of a potion that he gets from a monster he keeps in his attic. He has basically been living a solitary life of enjoyment, he has all the money he can ever spend and if he does spend it all, the monster can just vomit some more for him. But it appears that the monster is now greedy for something and he would not be giving Ebenezer the potion that keeps him young unless he gets him what he wants. He wants a tasty plump child. The HORROR!
At this point in the book you begin to see Ebenezer's idea of morality, I mean its one thing for him to fed the monster one of the rarest birds in the world and it is another to feed it a child (I want to believe that anyone would put the child before the bird, but I cannot speak for animal rights. Don't come for me, I Eat Meat!). But Ebenezer begins to question is standing, its just one child, right? So when he finally finds the worst child he thinks he can get he decides she is perfect for the beast to feast on.
Bethany is a honestly a spoilt brat, however she did not deserve to be eaten by the beast. Getting to know Bethany better, Ebenezer finds out that she is also a creature of circumstance. A friendship buds between them and he has to chose between death and giving his friend to the beast.
August 25, 2020
The Beast and the Bethany will be available for purchase on December eighth (Psst! This would make a great Christmas gift!).
Take The Picture of Dorian Gray , and make it less gothic and more fun, and you’ve got The Beast and the Bethany. This book follows Ebenezer Tweezer, a 511 year-old who is ridiculously rich and remarkably spry for his age. His secret? He has a beast hidden in his attic. Ebenezer feeds the beast in exchange for a potion that keeps him young. At first, the beast wants small things, but as time goes on its appetite grows and…well, let’s just say that the beast is not a vegetarian.
Eventually, Ebenezer is asked to put a child on the beast’s menu. Ebenezer finds this vaguely upsetting, but not enough to keep him from bringing Bethany home. Bethany is a brat. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Then again, can someone who’s planning on feeding his houseguest to a monster really make judgments? Ebenezer can handle her staying with him prior to the Big Meal. It’s only for a little while, after all. Then it’s bon apetit! But then something unexpected happens: Bethany and Ebenezer start to become friends! Whatever shall Ebenezer do?
This book is monstrously delightful! Bethany and Ebenezer are the most likable jerks that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about. They’re good for each other, and it was wonderful seeing them slowly change (just a little!) and learn to appreciate each other. I particularly loved Ebenezer and seeing how he’s basically been going through a mid-life crisis for the last fifty plus years.
The way the story is told is perfect for older elementary and middle-grade kids, but it will keep any age group entertained. The language is simple and snappy, and the book is a quick read, though the concepts are most understood and appreciated by the slightly older crowd. My oldest will be reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in school this year and I’m adding The Beast and the Bethany to his curriculum. I know he’ll love it! I may have to make it a read-aloud so I have an excuse to enjoy it again.
Much like the beast, I gobbled this up and I’m hungry for more. This author is fantastic! I most definitely recommend picking this book up. If you have kids, buy this for them. If you don’t, buy it for you. It’s a great read!
Take The Picture of Dorian Gray , and make it less gothic and more fun, and you’ve got The Beast and the Bethany. This book follows Ebenezer Tweezer, a 511 year-old who is ridiculously rich and remarkably spry for his age. His secret? He has a beast hidden in his attic. Ebenezer feeds the beast in exchange for a potion that keeps him young. At first, the beast wants small things, but as time goes on its appetite grows and…well, let’s just say that the beast is not a vegetarian.
Eventually, Ebenezer is asked to put a child on the beast’s menu. Ebenezer finds this vaguely upsetting, but not enough to keep him from bringing Bethany home. Bethany is a brat. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Then again, can someone who’s planning on feeding his houseguest to a monster really make judgments? Ebenezer can handle her staying with him prior to the Big Meal. It’s only for a little while, after all. Then it’s bon apetit! But then something unexpected happens: Bethany and Ebenezer start to become friends! Whatever shall Ebenezer do?
This book is monstrously delightful! Bethany and Ebenezer are the most likable jerks that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about. They’re good for each other, and it was wonderful seeing them slowly change (just a little!) and learn to appreciate each other. I particularly loved Ebenezer and seeing how he’s basically been going through a mid-life crisis for the last fifty plus years.
The way the story is told is perfect for older elementary and middle-grade kids, but it will keep any age group entertained. The language is simple and snappy, and the book is a quick read, though the concepts are most understood and appreciated by the slightly older crowd. My oldest will be reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in school this year and I’m adding The Beast and the Bethany to his curriculum. I know he’ll love it! I may have to make it a read-aloud so I have an excuse to enjoy it again.
Much like the beast, I gobbled this up and I’m hungry for more. This author is fantastic! I most definitely recommend picking this book up. If you have kids, buy this for them. If you don’t, buy it for you. It’s a great read!
August 26, 2020
Book source ~ Tour
Ebenezer Tweezer (hehe it rhymes) is 511 yrs old. Say what? Yep. You read that right. Is he a vampire? Is it magic? Nope and sorta. In order to stay young Ebenezer has to feed a beast who lives in the attic of his 15 story (!) house. Feed the beast and the beast coughs up a magical youth potion which The Ebmeister has to take once a year. The rest of the year, the beast coughs up whatever Ebbie desires. Sounds easy, right? And for a while it was. But then the beast started demanding more exotic fare which bothered Ebenezer a bit, but not enough to give up his youth. When the beast demands a child to eat, that’s when things fall to pieces. Not literally though I wouldn’t have been surprised.
So, who wouldn’t want a magical beast, no matter how gross and stinky, to barf up anything you want including potions to stay young and all you had to do was feed it things it considers nommable? Considering I cleaned up after six kids (not to mention many furkids) I think I could handle that. But feeding a child to it? Even one so extremely bratty as Bethany? I’d have to draw the line. Probably. I mean, definitely.
If you’re looking for a wildly fantastic tail tale that is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket then look no further. This is one middle grade fantasy that will entertain as well as horrify, has great characters, a decent plot, and splashes of humor tossed into the mix. In fact, I believe it would be perfect to feed to the beast. Quite unique and eminently satisfying.
Publishes in UK 10/1/2020
Publishes 12/8/2020
Ebenezer Tweezer (hehe it rhymes) is 511 yrs old. Say what? Yep. You read that right. Is he a vampire? Is it magic? Nope and sorta. In order to stay young Ebenezer has to feed a beast who lives in the attic of his 15 story (!) house. Feed the beast and the beast coughs up a magical youth potion which The Ebmeister has to take once a year. The rest of the year, the beast coughs up whatever Ebbie desires. Sounds easy, right? And for a while it was. But then the beast started demanding more exotic fare which bothered Ebenezer a bit, but not enough to give up his youth. When the beast demands a child to eat, that’s when things fall to pieces. Not literally though I wouldn’t have been surprised.
So, who wouldn’t want a magical beast, no matter how gross and stinky, to barf up anything you want including potions to stay young and all you had to do was feed it things it considers nommable? Considering I cleaned up after six kids (not to mention many furkids) I think I could handle that. But feeding a child to it? Even one so extremely bratty as Bethany? I’d have to draw the line. Probably. I mean, definitely.
If you’re looking for a wildly fantastic tail tale that is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket then look no further. This is one middle grade fantasy that will entertain as well as horrify, has great characters, a decent plot, and splashes of humor tossed into the mix. In fact, I believe it would be perfect to feed to the beast. Quite unique and eminently satisfying.
Publishes in UK 10/1/2020
Publishes 12/8/2020
April 16, 2021
Peregrinus Pincet is een vreemde man. Hij is namelijk al 511 jaar oud. Elk jaar krijgt hij van zijn monster een verjongingsdrankje, als hij maar blijft voeren waar het beest om vraagt. Maar dit jaar vraagt hij om een kind, een moddervet kind. Peregrinus gaat naar het weeshuis en zoekt het meest vreselijke kind uit: Bethany.
Het liefst wil Peregrinus haar meteen voeren aan het beest, maar ze bevalt nog niet goed genoeg. Ze moet dikker worden. Dus daar de taak van Peregrinus, hij stopt Bethany helemaal vol met (ongezond) voedsel. Ondertussen blijkt dat Bethany helemaal niet zo vreselijk is als Peregrinus in eerste instantie dacht, ze is best leuk.
In dit verhaal lees je veel grapjes, maar ook serieuze zaken zoals bijvoorbeeld je excuses aanbieden. Bethany leert van Peregrinus en Peregrinus leert dingen van Bethany. Ik vond het verhaal veel leuker dan ik in eerste instantie had gedacht.
Bethany en Peregrinus nemen je mee in hun verhaal en leren je hoe je volwassen beslissingen moet nemen. Lukt het ze op tijd om het beest gerust te stellen voordat Peregrinus overlijdt? Dat zul je lezen in dit boek.
Het liefst wil Peregrinus haar meteen voeren aan het beest, maar ze bevalt nog niet goed genoeg. Ze moet dikker worden. Dus daar de taak van Peregrinus, hij stopt Bethany helemaal vol met (ongezond) voedsel. Ondertussen blijkt dat Bethany helemaal niet zo vreselijk is als Peregrinus in eerste instantie dacht, ze is best leuk.
In dit verhaal lees je veel grapjes, maar ook serieuze zaken zoals bijvoorbeeld je excuses aanbieden. Bethany leert van Peregrinus en Peregrinus leert dingen van Bethany. Ik vond het verhaal veel leuker dan ik in eerste instantie had gedacht.
Bethany en Peregrinus nemen je mee in hun verhaal en leren je hoe je volwassen beslissingen moet nemen. Lukt het ze op tijd om het beest gerust te stellen voordat Peregrinus overlijdt? Dat zul je lezen in dit boek.
September 29, 2020
I haven’t read a good middle grade book for some time and now I have read this book it has raised the bar high. I have a young nephew that doesn’t read but I know that he would love this book. From the Beast and his antics to Bethany and hers. I’m glad to have found an author that appeals not only to children but to adults as well. mean come on we all have our inner child wanting to read a book like this!
The Beast and Bethany is a mixture of laughter, sadness, evil and light. You even have a character arc for not one but two characters in this book. I have found that Jack Meggitt-Phillips has created two very likeable characters that you can’t help but laugh at as well as cheer on.
The book is about Mr Ebenezer Tweezer. He is not the most likeable man to start with, he is selfish and has a Beast that he feeds to get what he wants. One of these things is eternal youth, I mean come on he is 511 years old! He has found himself doing what he wants when he wants and not caring about others. This all starts to change when the Beast is demaning a child to eat.
Yes you read that right! Oh right let me explain. The Beast can create items after you feed him what he wants. I love how this is described as the Beast coughing and then vomiting what Ebenezer desires. The thing is as the years have gone on the Beast has become more demanding and he has now requested a plump child as his next feast. Ebenezer isn’t too sure of this but the Beast refuses to give him the potion to keep him young and alive without being fed first. This is where the book takes a comedic turn.
Ebenezer Tweezer sets off to find a child to feed the Beast. He goes to the zoo where he tried to lure lure a child. This to me as an adult is wrong but I can see the comedic fun. He is banned for life from the zoo and stuck off he goes to the local bird shop. He propostiitons the owner who declines but mentions going to the orphanage.
Again enter more comedic fun with Bethany. She isn’t the kindest and most pleasant child. She is hurtful and doesn’t do as she is told and Ebenezer adopts her to feed to the Beast. His reasoning? she is a horrific child and no one will miss her. Thng is the Beast has found her too skinny so Ebenezer needs to fatten her up!
The relationship between Ebenezer and Bethany is brilliant. They spark off one another and Bethany doesn’t take anything lying down. She is a horror but who wouldn’t after losing her parents so tragically when she was younger and not being shown any love from the mistress of the Orphanage.
Bethany and Ebenezer form an unlikely pair but you can see the friendship forming as the book goes on. Ebenezer grows a consciences and Bethany learns about friendship. Working together they learn how to deal with the Beast and move forward together.
The book is definitely one to read yourself and with children. It has a dark humour and comedic factor throughout which I adored. The book flowed seamlessly and I was able to read it really quickly. There was enough going on that you didn’t get bored and it will hold your attention. The characters are fun and their developments is some of the best I have read in a Middle Grade book. Jack Meggitt-Phillips has definitely created something special with Bethany and Ebenezer and his humour bleeds through every page.
Highly recommend this book.
The Beast and Bethany is a mixture of laughter, sadness, evil and light. You even have a character arc for not one but two characters in this book. I have found that Jack Meggitt-Phillips has created two very likeable characters that you can’t help but laugh at as well as cheer on.
The book is about Mr Ebenezer Tweezer. He is not the most likeable man to start with, he is selfish and has a Beast that he feeds to get what he wants. One of these things is eternal youth, I mean come on he is 511 years old! He has found himself doing what he wants when he wants and not caring about others. This all starts to change when the Beast is demaning a child to eat.
Yes you read that right! Oh right let me explain. The Beast can create items after you feed him what he wants. I love how this is described as the Beast coughing and then vomiting what Ebenezer desires. The thing is as the years have gone on the Beast has become more demanding and he has now requested a plump child as his next feast. Ebenezer isn’t too sure of this but the Beast refuses to give him the potion to keep him young and alive without being fed first. This is where the book takes a comedic turn.
Ebenezer Tweezer sets off to find a child to feed the Beast. He goes to the zoo where he tried to lure lure a child. This to me as an adult is wrong but I can see the comedic fun. He is banned for life from the zoo and stuck off he goes to the local bird shop. He propostiitons the owner who declines but mentions going to the orphanage.
Again enter more comedic fun with Bethany. She isn’t the kindest and most pleasant child. She is hurtful and doesn’t do as she is told and Ebenezer adopts her to feed to the Beast. His reasoning? she is a horrific child and no one will miss her. Thng is the Beast has found her too skinny so Ebenezer needs to fatten her up!
The relationship between Ebenezer and Bethany is brilliant. They spark off one another and Bethany doesn’t take anything lying down. She is a horror but who wouldn’t after losing her parents so tragically when she was younger and not being shown any love from the mistress of the Orphanage.
Bethany and Ebenezer form an unlikely pair but you can see the friendship forming as the book goes on. Ebenezer grows a consciences and Bethany learns about friendship. Working together they learn how to deal with the Beast and move forward together.
The book is definitely one to read yourself and with children. It has a dark humour and comedic factor throughout which I adored. The book flowed seamlessly and I was able to read it really quickly. There was enough going on that you didn’t get bored and it will hold your attention. The characters are fun and their developments is some of the best I have read in a Middle Grade book. Jack Meggitt-Phillips has definitely created something special with Bethany and Ebenezer and his humour bleeds through every page.
Highly recommend this book.
August 30, 2020
This Review is part of #TheBeastandtheBethany #UltimateBlogTour hosted by The WriteReads.
Thanks a ton, Dave from @TheWriteReads and the author-Jack Meggitt-Phillips for giving me this opportunity and providing me with a free e-book copy of ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ on exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
The Beast and the Bethany is a middle grade fantasy novel which, besides from being an extremely humorous yet a bit dark tale, is equally an emotionally influential journey of a man and a child.
Ebenezer Tweezer is a 511 year old man! Yes, you heard that right! 511! And what’s the secret behind such a long life? Well, he keeps a beast hidden in the attic of his 15 storeys tall house. This beast demands food of various nature from Ebenezer and in return the beast spurts out anything that Ebenezer wishes to have including an elixir which keeps Ebenezer young and charming.
We first meet Ebenezer and Bethany (briefly) at a local bird shop where Ebenezer buys a very rare and exotic Purple Parrot. Sadly, the parrot becomes a meal for the beast and this is where things starts getting a bit dark.
At the beginning, we follow a guileless and jolly plot, where we encounter the beast for the first time. The beast appears to be quite funny and gregarious (except the fact that it has a wobbly body, three eyes and two tongues, which makes it look gross) and the friendly Purple Parrot. However, things take a turn when a seemingly casual and chummy conversation between the beast and the Parrot suddenly snaps and the beast just gobbles up the parrot! That was something completely unexpected and sad!
Ebenezer is a kind of a man who seems to lack even the slightest bit of geniality, warmth or decency. He has no family, no struggle, no passion. Everything about the man is pretentious. His house and all his wealthy possessions, these are not things which he has passionately desired from the inner core of his heart. These are things which he has desired to possess only to prove himself to be superior, rich and unique compared to others. However, there is only one thing which matters to Ebenezer and that is the potion which keeps him young and beautiful. There is nothing in this world that he won’t do to have that potion. Fortunately enough for him though the only thing which he has to do to get that potion is to feed the beast whatever he desires. This time however the beast wishes to eat something different and something which might seem quite shocking- a child! Yes, the beast wants to feed on a fleshy and sweet human child this time! And that is when, for the first time we see Ebenezer getting a bit uncomfortable and reluctant, however not enough to stop him from his desire of having the potion at any cost.
And now Bethany enters! Bethany is like the most naughty and incorrigible child that I have come across in a book. She lives at an orphanage and constantly pulls out vile and dirty pranks on the other children at the orphanage. The head of the orphanage just wants to get rid of the girl however no one wants to adopt such an unruly child. Well, wouldn’t say “no one” because there IS one person who is exactly looking to adopt someone like Bethany and that’s Ebenezer. Yes, Ebenezer is looking for a child to adopt who is as notorious as can be possibly imagined!
Ebenezer and Bethany are such unlikable characters! One is downright selfish and the other one is an ill-mannered, impudent little girl. However, they do not remain that way throughout the story and THAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS BOOK! From the moment Ebenezer meets Bethany, Bethany acts in a churlish way as is her nature. Ebenezer doesn’t pay much heed at the beginning as his only goal is to take the child home and feed her to the beast. However, things are not that easy. Bethany is skinny and the beast wants some flesh and so it’s the beast’s order to feed the child to make her gain some weight. It is during this period of time that Ebenezer and Bethany get to know each other at a deeper level.
As we approach with the story, we see the gradual change in their behavior towards each other. The inner turmoils and the emotions of each character come to light and we learn that a person cannot be defined by any one definite adjective. Human beings are an amalgam of adjectives and emotions. Some are expressed or displayed right away but most are hidden within, which can only be unraveled over a longer period of time, under the influence of certain circumstances or by developing a relationship at a deeper level with that person. We see how these two incorrigible characters who at first seemed so detestable, have much more to their life and thoughts than what is portrayed at a glance. We witness how beautifully these two characters, through their flaws, desire to change their ways of living for the sake of each other’s happiness. Bethany being a miserable prankster by nature, chooses to minimize causing troubles to Ebenezer and Ebenzer being a selfish, heartless person chooses to be compassionate to Bethany. I really got to like Bethany and Ebenezer towards the end of the story, although I did find Bethany’s character to be full of humour from the very beginning. Even though she’s a notorious trouble maker, she has something quite funny about her nature and her Frank way of speaking also sometimes impressed me and made me laugh!
I tremendously loved the concept of how two repellent beings, when they come together, have the inherent capacity to bring out the better part- that has remained dormant, hidden within themselves- without any definite intention. This is an obvious proof that conscience is something which a person can never lack, it is there always just obscured by a darker side sometimes. I just LOVED the thought behind this story and I really appreciate how the author remarkably through this children’s story let out a much profound message which even the elders oftentimes find hard to cognize or comprehend. And so a MASSIVE 5 STARS TO THIS BOOK!
Albeit this is a middle grade fantasy novel, the dark and vile portions we encounter in this story, especially the deeds of the beast, might even shock the elders! So be careful children! This might not be a regular fantasy bedtime story! Besides all these elements, I loved the illustrations, they made the story more vivid. Also, a big kudos to the author for putting these fervent thoughts in the story, a story which can be completed within a span of 3 hours! I mean that is amazing, you can just casually complete reading this book before going to bed and yet you will have this perfervid sensation of enlightenment before dozing off! Ah, amazing!
The ending though! Just when we thought everything will follow a happy course from now on, we find that we are not that lucky enough! Yes! And that makes me more eager to read the next installment and find out what else is up with these people!
What becomes of the beast in the attic? Does Bethany become the beast’s most desired meal or is there a different turn to the story? Is the beast even corrigible?
The Beast and the Bethany is my first 5 STAR read of the year! I couldn’t find no flaws with this book. It just amazed me and kept me hooked so much so that whilst reading the book lying on my bed, I had the same posture from the beginning to the end of this story, I didn’t move or even, for once, got my eyes off the pages of the book!
The book is set to release on October 1st, 2020. I highly recommend this fantasy novel to anyone who has children and even to those who don’t. Read it for yourself and enjoy!
Thanks a ton, Dave from @TheWriteReads and the author-Jack Meggitt-Phillips for giving me this opportunity and providing me with a free e-book copy of ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ on exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
The Beast and the Bethany is a middle grade fantasy novel which, besides from being an extremely humorous yet a bit dark tale, is equally an emotionally influential journey of a man and a child.
Ebenezer Tweezer is a 511 year old man! Yes, you heard that right! 511! And what’s the secret behind such a long life? Well, he keeps a beast hidden in the attic of his 15 storeys tall house. This beast demands food of various nature from Ebenezer and in return the beast spurts out anything that Ebenezer wishes to have including an elixir which keeps Ebenezer young and charming.
We first meet Ebenezer and Bethany (briefly) at a local bird shop where Ebenezer buys a very rare and exotic Purple Parrot. Sadly, the parrot becomes a meal for the beast and this is where things starts getting a bit dark.
At the beginning, we follow a guileless and jolly plot, where we encounter the beast for the first time. The beast appears to be quite funny and gregarious (except the fact that it has a wobbly body, three eyes and two tongues, which makes it look gross) and the friendly Purple Parrot. However, things take a turn when a seemingly casual and chummy conversation between the beast and the Parrot suddenly snaps and the beast just gobbles up the parrot! That was something completely unexpected and sad!
Ebenezer is a kind of a man who seems to lack even the slightest bit of geniality, warmth or decency. He has no family, no struggle, no passion. Everything about the man is pretentious. His house and all his wealthy possessions, these are not things which he has passionately desired from the inner core of his heart. These are things which he has desired to possess only to prove himself to be superior, rich and unique compared to others. However, there is only one thing which matters to Ebenezer and that is the potion which keeps him young and beautiful. There is nothing in this world that he won’t do to have that potion. Fortunately enough for him though the only thing which he has to do to get that potion is to feed the beast whatever he desires. This time however the beast wishes to eat something different and something which might seem quite shocking- a child! Yes, the beast wants to feed on a fleshy and sweet human child this time! And that is when, for the first time we see Ebenezer getting a bit uncomfortable and reluctant, however not enough to stop him from his desire of having the potion at any cost.
And now Bethany enters! Bethany is like the most naughty and incorrigible child that I have come across in a book. She lives at an orphanage and constantly pulls out vile and dirty pranks on the other children at the orphanage. The head of the orphanage just wants to get rid of the girl however no one wants to adopt such an unruly child. Well, wouldn’t say “no one” because there IS one person who is exactly looking to adopt someone like Bethany and that’s Ebenezer. Yes, Ebenezer is looking for a child to adopt who is as notorious as can be possibly imagined!
Ebenezer and Bethany are such unlikable characters! One is downright selfish and the other one is an ill-mannered, impudent little girl. However, they do not remain that way throughout the story and THAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS BOOK! From the moment Ebenezer meets Bethany, Bethany acts in a churlish way as is her nature. Ebenezer doesn’t pay much heed at the beginning as his only goal is to take the child home and feed her to the beast. However, things are not that easy. Bethany is skinny and the beast wants some flesh and so it’s the beast’s order to feed the child to make her gain some weight. It is during this period of time that Ebenezer and Bethany get to know each other at a deeper level.
As we approach with the story, we see the gradual change in their behavior towards each other. The inner turmoils and the emotions of each character come to light and we learn that a person cannot be defined by any one definite adjective. Human beings are an amalgam of adjectives and emotions. Some are expressed or displayed right away but most are hidden within, which can only be unraveled over a longer period of time, under the influence of certain circumstances or by developing a relationship at a deeper level with that person. We see how these two incorrigible characters who at first seemed so detestable, have much more to their life and thoughts than what is portrayed at a glance. We witness how beautifully these two characters, through their flaws, desire to change their ways of living for the sake of each other’s happiness. Bethany being a miserable prankster by nature, chooses to minimize causing troubles to Ebenezer and Ebenzer being a selfish, heartless person chooses to be compassionate to Bethany. I really got to like Bethany and Ebenezer towards the end of the story, although I did find Bethany’s character to be full of humour from the very beginning. Even though she’s a notorious trouble maker, she has something quite funny about her nature and her Frank way of speaking also sometimes impressed me and made me laugh!
I tremendously loved the concept of how two repellent beings, when they come together, have the inherent capacity to bring out the better part- that has remained dormant, hidden within themselves- without any definite intention. This is an obvious proof that conscience is something which a person can never lack, it is there always just obscured by a darker side sometimes. I just LOVED the thought behind this story and I really appreciate how the author remarkably through this children’s story let out a much profound message which even the elders oftentimes find hard to cognize or comprehend. And so a MASSIVE 5 STARS TO THIS BOOK!
Albeit this is a middle grade fantasy novel, the dark and vile portions we encounter in this story, especially the deeds of the beast, might even shock the elders! So be careful children! This might not be a regular fantasy bedtime story! Besides all these elements, I loved the illustrations, they made the story more vivid. Also, a big kudos to the author for putting these fervent thoughts in the story, a story which can be completed within a span of 3 hours! I mean that is amazing, you can just casually complete reading this book before going to bed and yet you will have this perfervid sensation of enlightenment before dozing off! Ah, amazing!
The ending though! Just when we thought everything will follow a happy course from now on, we find that we are not that lucky enough! Yes! And that makes me more eager to read the next installment and find out what else is up with these people!
What becomes of the beast in the attic? Does Bethany become the beast’s most desired meal or is there a different turn to the story? Is the beast even corrigible?
The Beast and the Bethany is my first 5 STAR read of the year! I couldn’t find no flaws with this book. It just amazed me and kept me hooked so much so that whilst reading the book lying on my bed, I had the same posture from the beginning to the end of this story, I didn’t move or even, for once, got my eyes off the pages of the book!
The book is set to release on October 1st, 2020. I highly recommend this fantasy novel to anyone who has children and even to those who don’t. Read it for yourself and enjoy!
August 15, 2020
I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you so much to the blog tour organiser, the author, the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
This is a middle grade fantasy with a really dark and sometimes quite sad atmosphere. We first meet the two main characters in a bird shop, where Ebenezer, a 511-year-old man has gone to buy a bird to feed to his beast. His beast isn't a normal beast, it's a magic beast and asks Ebenezer for special meals in exchange for presents and a serum he takes yearly to stay young and beautiful. This year, the beast has asked for something special to eat, and Ebenezer doesn't hesitate to go off in search of this meal and doesn't think anything of it, that is until he meets her.
This was my first time reading a book that was this dark and sometimes sad, but that also had such cruel, mean, badly behaved, morally grey characters and I loved it so much because of the evolution and growth throughout the book. Ebenezer is quite cruel and morally grey, the beast is downright evil and Bethany is very badly behaved. Bethany, our second main character is an orphan and is the worst behaved child you might read about, however, there is a lot more to his misbehaviour than you would expect. I really loved reading all about these characters and see them grow, most importantly, see them become better together.
This book has a really dark atmosphere and a lot of bad and cruel things happen, but there are also some very important and meaningful messages in this book and those are what really made this book special to me. Ebenezer has become cruel over the years, you could say he doesn't even have a heart or an ounce of decency and he has let himself be influenced by the beast for over 5 centuries, but Bethany's arrival changes everything and even his thoughts about right and wrong. This book also touches very importantly on themes such as the death of a parent, grief, greed, bad behaviour, and cruelty. It also shows that whatever bad you've done, it can be amended if you apologise and the wheel is constantly turning, so good will always win.
I loved the whole structure of this book and the illustrations in this book were just great and so much fun. It was so well-written, it was dark, it was even sad, but it was also funny, and snarky and had proper humour. I think that this was an absolutely great book, and I can't wait for book two.
I gave this book 5 stars, I loved it from start to finish and was hooked. I loved to see the characters evolve, the side characters were also hilarious and the house in which Ebenezer lives was so intriguing to me. I loved seeing how everything happened, the plot was so unique and great. I would highly recommend this book to children and adults alike, as long as you are aware of the cruel, sad and dark atmosphere at times!
This is a middle grade fantasy with a really dark and sometimes quite sad atmosphere. We first meet the two main characters in a bird shop, where Ebenezer, a 511-year-old man has gone to buy a bird to feed to his beast. His beast isn't a normal beast, it's a magic beast and asks Ebenezer for special meals in exchange for presents and a serum he takes yearly to stay young and beautiful. This year, the beast has asked for something special to eat, and Ebenezer doesn't hesitate to go off in search of this meal and doesn't think anything of it, that is until he meets her.
This was my first time reading a book that was this dark and sometimes sad, but that also had such cruel, mean, badly behaved, morally grey characters and I loved it so much because of the evolution and growth throughout the book. Ebenezer is quite cruel and morally grey, the beast is downright evil and Bethany is very badly behaved. Bethany, our second main character is an orphan and is the worst behaved child you might read about, however, there is a lot more to his misbehaviour than you would expect. I really loved reading all about these characters and see them grow, most importantly, see them become better together.
This book has a really dark atmosphere and a lot of bad and cruel things happen, but there are also some very important and meaningful messages in this book and those are what really made this book special to me. Ebenezer has become cruel over the years, you could say he doesn't even have a heart or an ounce of decency and he has let himself be influenced by the beast for over 5 centuries, but Bethany's arrival changes everything and even his thoughts about right and wrong. This book also touches very importantly on themes such as the death of a parent, grief, greed, bad behaviour, and cruelty. It also shows that whatever bad you've done, it can be amended if you apologise and the wheel is constantly turning, so good will always win.
I loved the whole structure of this book and the illustrations in this book were just great and so much fun. It was so well-written, it was dark, it was even sad, but it was also funny, and snarky and had proper humour. I think that this was an absolutely great book, and I can't wait for book two.
I gave this book 5 stars, I loved it from start to finish and was hooked. I loved to see the characters evolve, the side characters were also hilarious and the house in which Ebenezer lives was so intriguing to me. I loved seeing how everything happened, the plot was so unique and great. I would highly recommend this book to children and adults alike, as long as you are aware of the cruel, sad and dark atmosphere at times!
August 30, 2020
Full review available on my blog on September 19th: https://inkandplasma.wordpress.com/20...
Rating: 4 stars!
Thanks to Egmont Publishing for the review copy of this book, and to Write Reads for letting me join the tour – it has not affected my honest review.
This was such a sweet middle grade story that it actually pulled me straight out of a vicious reading slump as I read it in one sitting. Ebenezer Tweezer (best name ever, by the way) and Bethany had a delightfully Despicable Me dynamic that I adored. The development of their relationship feels really authentic and beautiful and I loved to see it happen. There’s something about reluctant caregiver turned found family that melts my icy heart!
Bethany vacillates between outright rude and hilariously cheeky, but I did feel like she was well-rounded enough that she didn’t feel like a naughty kid stereotype – and to be fair, her pranks were pretty funny at points. This book is actually far funnier than I ever expected. Other reviews called it hilarious, but for some reason I didn’t believe it. I was wrong. There were several laugh out loud moments, not least of them Ebenezer’s complete lack of awareness of the value of money. Big ‘It’s a banana, Michael’ energy, and I would thoroughly enjoy reading this to my nieces when they’re a bit older – great for adults and kids alike!
I didn’t actually know quite how Dorian Gray this was going to be, and as Dorian Gray is one of my favourite books, it was a great surprise. The premise is simple, Ebenezer will live forever, as long as he pleases the beast. The beast wants to eat a child. Ebenezer does not like Bethany. Sounds like an easy solution – but of course in the days Ebenezer spends with Bethany, things get a little complicated. The growing relationship between Ebenezer and Bethany is lovely to watch and while I think this works really well as a standalone, I’m excited to read the next book and see, hopefully, some wonderful and no doubt mischievous adventures with the newly created Tweezer family.
Rating: 4 stars!
Thanks to Egmont Publishing for the review copy of this book, and to Write Reads for letting me join the tour – it has not affected my honest review.
This was such a sweet middle grade story that it actually pulled me straight out of a vicious reading slump as I read it in one sitting. Ebenezer Tweezer (best name ever, by the way) and Bethany had a delightfully Despicable Me dynamic that I adored. The development of their relationship feels really authentic and beautiful and I loved to see it happen. There’s something about reluctant caregiver turned found family that melts my icy heart!
Bethany vacillates between outright rude and hilariously cheeky, but I did feel like she was well-rounded enough that she didn’t feel like a naughty kid stereotype – and to be fair, her pranks were pretty funny at points. This book is actually far funnier than I ever expected. Other reviews called it hilarious, but for some reason I didn’t believe it. I was wrong. There were several laugh out loud moments, not least of them Ebenezer’s complete lack of awareness of the value of money. Big ‘It’s a banana, Michael’ energy, and I would thoroughly enjoy reading this to my nieces when they’re a bit older – great for adults and kids alike!
I didn’t actually know quite how Dorian Gray this was going to be, and as Dorian Gray is one of my favourite books, it was a great surprise. The premise is simple, Ebenezer will live forever, as long as he pleases the beast. The beast wants to eat a child. Ebenezer does not like Bethany. Sounds like an easy solution – but of course in the days Ebenezer spends with Bethany, things get a little complicated. The growing relationship between Ebenezer and Bethany is lovely to watch and while I think this works really well as a standalone, I’m excited to read the next book and see, hopefully, some wonderful and no doubt mischievous adventures with the newly created Tweezer family.
October 16, 2020
I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by The Write Reads. Special thanks to Netgalley and Egmont Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars
The best thing about participating in blog tours is that I get to learn about fantastic books that I otherwise never would've heard of--and I'm so glad this one was put on my radar! The Beast and the Bethany was such a well-written, engaging and fast read with some good lessons that both children and adults will be able to enjoy. The book includes illustrations that are really well done and that help to bring the characters and story even more to life. This served major Roald Dahl vibes that had me reminiscing on my childhood days reading those magical, sometimes grotesque, and often weird and funny stories, and I loved every minute of it!
The very first sentence of this book worked its magic to reel me in because I was so very curious to know why Ebenezer Tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life. Tweezer spent the majority of his life catering to The Beast in exchange for his selfish desire to be eternally youthful. He never cared to consider the consequences of his actions until Bethany comes into his life. Bethany was a cheeky little troublemaker and you knew it from the moment we meet her. She's continuously playing pranks and making mischief but we learn that her outward behaviour is a defense against the vulnerability she feels being an orphan. Tweezer and Bethany start off as very morally grey characters and I loved to see that in a MG book! But while they start off as morally ambiguous, their characters experience such great growth as the story goes on.
I loved how they both discovered the joy of being kind and how they both found their rhythm in being 'better people', without being too nice, of course 😉 These two characters often had me cracking up with their hilarious and crazy antics (the things they'd get up to while completing Bethany's bucket list really had me LOLing) and I loved seeing them open up to each other and become their own weird little family. The Beast was an interesting and purely evil character, but I was interested in learning more about the origin of the giant blob (I would definitely get eaten alive for saying that) and I'm hoping that since the story will continue, we'll find out more in the next book!
TL;DR: A wonderfully weird middle-grade story with characters you will root for and a magical beast that you will be more than happy to see vanquished. It's an unexpectedly heartwarming story with perfect accompanying illustrations and is an absolute delight to read for both young(er) and old(er) audiences.
The best thing about participating in blog tours is that I get to learn about fantastic books that I otherwise never would've heard of--and I'm so glad this one was put on my radar! The Beast and the Bethany was such a well-written, engaging and fast read with some good lessons that both children and adults will be able to enjoy. The book includes illustrations that are really well done and that help to bring the characters and story even more to life. This served major Roald Dahl vibes that had me reminiscing on my childhood days reading those magical, sometimes grotesque, and often weird and funny stories, and I loved every minute of it!
The very first sentence of this book worked its magic to reel me in because I was so very curious to know why Ebenezer Tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life. Tweezer spent the majority of his life catering to The Beast in exchange for his selfish desire to be eternally youthful. He never cared to consider the consequences of his actions until Bethany comes into his life. Bethany was a cheeky little troublemaker and you knew it from the moment we meet her. She's continuously playing pranks and making mischief but we learn that her outward behaviour is a defense against the vulnerability she feels being an orphan. Tweezer and Bethany start off as very morally grey characters and I loved to see that in a MG book! But while they start off as morally ambiguous, their characters experience such great growth as the story goes on.
I loved how they both discovered the joy of being kind and how they both found their rhythm in being 'better people', without being too nice, of course 😉 These two characters often had me cracking up with their hilarious and crazy antics (the things they'd get up to while completing Bethany's bucket list really had me LOLing) and I loved seeing them open up to each other and become their own weird little family. The Beast was an interesting and purely evil character, but I was interested in learning more about the origin of the giant blob (I would definitely get eaten alive for saying that) and I'm hoping that since the story will continue, we'll find out more in the next book!
TL;DR: A wonderfully weird middle-grade story with characters you will root for and a magical beast that you will be more than happy to see vanquished. It's an unexpectedly heartwarming story with perfect accompanying illustrations and is an absolute delight to read for both young(er) and old(er) audiences.
September 20, 2020
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This is the type of middle grade book that I love to read! A whimsical story with interesting characters and gorgeous illustrations! This book has it all!
I loved the way the author wrote the story. Although it’s a fantasy like novel, the characters are so realistic that you can connect with. As I grow older, I wish I had the luck like Ebenezer to have my wishes granted and stay young forever. Additionally, the author also writes the story in such a whimsical way that you cannot stay mad at any of the characters, including the Beast! In fact, I enjoyed the Beast’s snarky dark humor. The story-line is also interesting and different where you really don’t know how Bethany will help Ebenezer and get rid of the Beast.
Also, I loved the illustrations by Isabelle Follath. I loved her work in the Aggie Morton series, and she brings the characters to life with her gorgeous artwork in this book. In fact, the illustrations make these otherwise dark characters feel friendly, and something that kids would not get scared of.
However, while I loved Ebenezer and Bethany together as they form their friendship, I didn’t really like Bethany as a person. I know she has suffered a lot, but she remains crass and lashes out Ebenezer even after spending time with him. I’m sure Bethany would deem me as a goody two shoes if she was a real person. However, as this story ends in a cliffhanger, I sense more development with the characters in the following book, and I am already excited to read it!
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful debut novel by the author and cannot wait to see how it continues!
August 17, 2020
This novel shows that a book doesn’t need dozens of characters to be great. Only a handful is enough – when done right. Ebenezer Tweezer is over 5 centuries old and still kind of behaves like a child sometimes: he’s stubborn, wants what he wants when he wants it, has no sense of what’s right or wrong. Or does he? Bethany is one of the rudest and boldest children I ever read about. She lives in an orphanage and is probably the least favourite of all the other kids and the woman who looks after them (or, well, let’s just say is supposed to look after them). She is speaking her mind and never lets anyone censor herself, she’s brave and headstrong. We learn that back at the orphanage, Bethany was bullying other children, and at first she doesn’t see any fault with that. But as much as Ebenezer is bound to learn, so is Bethany. And the journey to where they are both heading together – wanted or not – was a very special one to follow.
The beast… well, that’s a different story. The beast is very charming, very eloquent, it could make the impression of being not much of a monster at all – if it were not for his three eyes, two tongues and IMMENSE hunger. Ebenezer did a good job of feeding the beast for the past centuries, but now the beast’s appetite has gotten out of control. I loved seing the conflicting emotions arise in Ebenezer, when he realises what’s good for him and what’s good.
This excellently written middle grade is funny, entertaining, shocking, sad, dark, deep, and touches upon some very important topics. I raced through it and couldn't stop before I hadn't turned the last page, and now I cannot wait for the next book!!! This was a 5 star read from start to finish! I hope you pick it up, it publishes on the first of October, so mark that date in your calendar!!! Check out my full review over on my blog https://theartsyreader.com/thewritere...
The beast… well, that’s a different story. The beast is very charming, very eloquent, it could make the impression of being not much of a monster at all – if it were not for his three eyes, two tongues and IMMENSE hunger. Ebenezer did a good job of feeding the beast for the past centuries, but now the beast’s appetite has gotten out of control. I loved seing the conflicting emotions arise in Ebenezer, when he realises what’s good for him and what’s good.
This excellently written middle grade is funny, entertaining, shocking, sad, dark, deep, and touches upon some very important topics. I raced through it and couldn't stop before I hadn't turned the last page, and now I cannot wait for the next book!!! This was a 5 star read from start to finish! I hope you pick it up, it publishes on the first of October, so mark that date in your calendar!!! Check out my full review over on my blog https://theartsyreader.com/thewritere...
September 3, 2020
Ebenezer Tweezer is a terrible man with a wonderful life. Five Hundred and Twelve years old, but looks like a Twenty year old lives in a huge home, Fifteen storeys high and a few elephants wide, it is indeed a gargantuan place. He lives alone with only a company of a beast. A beast on the top most floor, with three black eyes and two black tongues. The Beast and Ebenezer have a pact and that is how they have mutually survived. The beast asks for food and in return has the power to get anything that Ebenezer wants, Until one day the food request from the beast becomes something different and difficult.
Bethany is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. Have lost her parents in a fire, she has nowhere but the orphanage to live in. Roguish, prankish and troublesome, Bethany was always upto some mischief. One day, Ebenezer visits the orphanage to bring home a kid. He has neither a choice nor a preference as to what kind of kid he wants to take home. So when the Director, Miss Fizzlewick asks him to choose, he is flabbergasted. But then he decided to get Bethany home since she is the most troublesome.
– What is that food request the beast has made?
– How has the man survived for 512 years?
– Why does Ebenezer find that food choice onerous?
– Why is a kid required?
– What happens when Bethany comes home with Ebenezer?
Rating – 4/5 Stars
Recommendation – High
Conclusion, This lovely book takes us through the story shared between a hungry beast, a vain immortal human and the irksome little orphan girl. With mellifluous illustrations, this is a delight to read. The beast has to have his hunger satiated. The man needs to keep his beauty intact. The girl needs to keep herself from dying. The characters are developed well and the plot is very intriguing. Overall a great read.
P.S – A Huge Thank you – The Write Reads Tours for organizing and Egmont Books UK, NetGalley for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
Bethany is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. Have lost her parents in a fire, she has nowhere but the orphanage to live in. Roguish, prankish and troublesome, Bethany was always upto some mischief. One day, Ebenezer visits the orphanage to bring home a kid. He has neither a choice nor a preference as to what kind of kid he wants to take home. So when the Director, Miss Fizzlewick asks him to choose, he is flabbergasted. But then he decided to get Bethany home since she is the most troublesome.
– What is that food request the beast has made?
– How has the man survived for 512 years?
– Why does Ebenezer find that food choice onerous?
– Why is a kid required?
– What happens when Bethany comes home with Ebenezer?
Rating – 4/5 Stars
Recommendation – High
Conclusion, This lovely book takes us through the story shared between a hungry beast, a vain immortal human and the irksome little orphan girl. With mellifluous illustrations, this is a delight to read. The beast has to have his hunger satiated. The man needs to keep his beauty intact. The girl needs to keep herself from dying. The characters are developed well and the plot is very intriguing. Overall a great read.
P.S – A Huge Thank you – The Write Reads Tours for organizing and Egmont Books UK, NetGalley for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2020
ARC recieved for blog tour
With a whimsical narrative, monstrous beasts and life lessons, Phillips writes an invaluable book perfect for every child's library. I loved this one, and devoured it in less than twenty-four hours. It's fast, fun, and doesn't take it's self too seriously. The narration was phenomenal, and I was instantly hooked by the descriptions and details Phillips threw this rich book. It actually made me chuckle a few times, so The Beast and The Bethany will no doubt make children laugh.
The characterization of Ebenezer Tweezer is great. He lives in a house with fifteen floors and a room for anything you can imagine - a room for contemplation, luggage, and fridges dedicated to cake. A handsome five-hundred-and-eleven year old man who tries to charge a child £253.62 for sweets, and finds himself confused when he receives a life time ban from the Zoo after trying to smuggle children away from their parents into a bag sums him up well. Like a child, he's dangerously innocent, unable to understand how the world works. He'd never even heard of an orphanage until the bird-keeper told him to go there after Ebenezer Tweezer announced he wanted to buy a child from the pet store, even the bird-keepers little boy.
The plot keeps the reader on their toes, and I had no idea where it was going. There were moments I never expected, others that made me smile This book manages to weave deep, meaningful lessons about life, kindness, friendship and grief.
Overall, this was a really quick and fun read, and one I'll be keen to share with younger readers. If you're looking for something witty, sharp, and suspenseful, this is for you.
https://halfwildbooksblog.wordpress.com/
With a whimsical narrative, monstrous beasts and life lessons, Phillips writes an invaluable book perfect for every child's library. I loved this one, and devoured it in less than twenty-four hours. It's fast, fun, and doesn't take it's self too seriously. The narration was phenomenal, and I was instantly hooked by the descriptions and details Phillips threw this rich book. It actually made me chuckle a few times, so The Beast and The Bethany will no doubt make children laugh.
The characterization of Ebenezer Tweezer is great. He lives in a house with fifteen floors and a room for anything you can imagine - a room for contemplation, luggage, and fridges dedicated to cake. A handsome five-hundred-and-eleven year old man who tries to charge a child £253.62 for sweets, and finds himself confused when he receives a life time ban from the Zoo after trying to smuggle children away from their parents into a bag sums him up well. Like a child, he's dangerously innocent, unable to understand how the world works. He'd never even heard of an orphanage until the bird-keeper told him to go there after Ebenezer Tweezer announced he wanted to buy a child from the pet store, even the bird-keepers little boy.
The plot keeps the reader on their toes, and I had no idea where it was going. There were moments I never expected, others that made me smile This book manages to weave deep, meaningful lessons about life, kindness, friendship and grief.
Overall, this was a really quick and fun read, and one I'll be keen to share with younger readers. If you're looking for something witty, sharp, and suspenseful, this is for you.
https://halfwildbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 27, 2020
What a fantastic, fabulous book The Beast and the Bethany is. I was hooked from the first page. To kick off the story with the statement that Ebenezer Tweezer is 511 years old but only looks twenty will undoubtedly grab your attention. We quickly meet Bethany and the Beast, although I wasn’t entirely sure which one was the beast. Bethany is an obnoxious orphan who will never find a family to adopt her with the attitude she displays.
The story moves at a steady clip that rarely gives you time to catch your breath, let alone put the book down. The humor is dark but so very entertaining. There are several twists to shake up your emotions while changing your idea of just where the story is headed. The book info says middle-school, but this grandma loved it. I think it will appeal to all ages from about 10 years old and up.
The book has wonderful illustrations provided by Isabelle Follath. They capture the essence of the story while adding a touch of reality to the scenes.
I sincerely hope you will order a copy of this book. Even though it won’t be released until later this fall, you don’t want to take a chance on forgetting it.
It’s that good!
https://ginaraemitchell.com/the-beast...
The story moves at a steady clip that rarely gives you time to catch your breath, let alone put the book down. The humor is dark but so very entertaining. There are several twists to shake up your emotions while changing your idea of just where the story is headed. The book info says middle-school, but this grandma loved it. I think it will appeal to all ages from about 10 years old and up.
The book has wonderful illustrations provided by Isabelle Follath. They capture the essence of the story while adding a touch of reality to the scenes.
I sincerely hope you will order a copy of this book. Even though it won’t be released until later this fall, you don’t want to take a chance on forgetting it.
It’s that good!
https://ginaraemitchell.com/the-beast...
September 24, 2020
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY ABOUT?
Ebenezer Tweezer has one goal in life—to keep on living. And he's been doing a good job of that for over five centuries. He's able to do this because of potions given to him by a magical Beast he met as a child. To keep the potions coming, he has to bring food to the Beast (who is only slightly more mobile than a caged bird). In return, the Beast magics money, treasures, and other gifts for Ebenezer.
The thing is, The Beast has peculiar tastes—monkeys, cacti, Ebenezer's beloved cat, endangered species, and so on. Now, it has a specific task for Ebenezer. The Beast wants to eat a human child. A nice plump one with rosy cheeks. Initially horrified, Ebenezer decides that he's really more interested in prolonging his own life enough that he can probably find a child easily enough.
It's actually not as easy as he initially thought, but he eventually brings one home and sets to fattening it up a little bit for The Beast. In those few days, Ebenezer starts to think that maybe there are things more important than living to 512.
THE BEAST
Shockingly, The Beast is the least interesting thing in this book. It's a large, grey, probably hideous looking, blob with tiny hands and feet. Its mouth is anything but small, much like its appetite. And that's the problem.
This amorphous and amoral antagonist has an avaricious appetite. It has an overwhelming desire for more and for novelty. It's not satisfied with being gluttonous, it wants something new, new experiences, new tastes, new flavors. If, like with its first victim in the book, the food happens to be rare, that's all the better. But what seems to drive it more than anything else is something it hasn't had before. For parents, caretakers, teachers who like to make young readers think about what they read will probably have a lot of fodder there.
But let's not get bogged down in that—it's mean, it's greedy, and it's not that bright and fairly helpless. It's these two things that will help the protagonists.
THE BETHANY
(I love that the title uses the definite article for her...I can just see the beleaguered teachers at her school doing that. "Oh, you've got The Bethany in your class this term? Better you than me..." "Did you hear what The Bethany did today?")
Bethany is...and I mean this in the strictly technical sense...a horrid, obnoxious, pill. And yes, yes, there are reasons for that, and we ought to understand that and exercise empathy toward her and try to help her. But at the beginning of this book, that's not the point. The point is that she's an ill-mannered bully, and that if Ebenezer had to pick a child to feed to the monster, you can certainly grant that she'd make a worthy nominee. Put in a slightly less homicidal way, Bethany is precisely the kind of girl who'd make Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle think of retiring.
Until—and this is the key—until she's shown some kindness (unintentionally, sure, but that's not important). When Ebenezer does nice things for her, extends her some courtesy—and inadvertently acts like a friend. That makes all the difference to Bethany, and she responds in kind (and probably ends up losing her definite article along the way). Those parents, caretakers, and teachers I mentioned earlier can really camp out on this point, I'm sure.
EBENEZER TWEEZER
When the book starts, it's easy to write off Ebenezer as merely The Beast's errand-boy. Sure, a 511-year-old errand boy, but an errand boy nonetheless. Then once you understand what he's doing and why...well, you lose pretty much all sympathy for him. Sure, some sort of alien, magical creature that only wants to eat is one thing, you can get that impulse. But Ebenezer has sold his metaphorical soul to him, in his Faustian bargain for a long life, Ebenezer has helped facilitate a swath of destruction through this world. And that just seems worse than The Beast's actions.
And for what? Money, years, and nice things? He might as well be Smaug.
But as soon as you're about to name him the true villain of the piece, he shows a little bit of a conscience. A teeny, tiny hint of one, but a conscience. Then, like the Grinch's heart, that conscience grows three sizes. And once he accidentally befriends The Bethany? Suddenly, this villain becomes something approximating a hero. Then when Bethany reciprocates his kindness, his friendship, well, then you can't help but cheer him on and wish him all the success. Parents, caregivers, teachers—you get where I'm going with this.
Throw in a backstory worthy of Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Ebenezer Tweezer turns out to be a character that could become a favorite after a re-read or two.
A BIT ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS
I've proven time and time again, that I'm just not that good with describing visual art or my reactions to it. So let me start with the simple—I liked Follath's work, it seemed to fit the flavor and feel of the text. Which is just what you're looking for, right?
My memory of Quentin Blake's work is pretty dim, but I can see why people would compare these illustrations to his work (although most of that probably has to do with comparisons to Dahl, see below). But the artist that came to mind—repeatedly—for me while reading this was Jules Feiffer. Stylistically, there's a lot to distinguish the two—but there's some quality that I can't put a name to that made me think of Feiffer.
I'm also not sure how big the art is in hard copy, how much of a page it'll take up. In my eARC, the illustrations are typically pretty small—like they wouldn't take up much room on a page. That's a shame—if that's true for the hard copy, I'd recommend getting a magnifying lens, so you can take in the detail. If you're reading an e-copy, you should be able to zoom in/magnify the pictures with a click or a reverse pinch. Do so, you'll be glad you did.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY?
I think it's pretty clear that I liked The Beast and the Bethany—I've certainly talked enough about it. It's a solid story with great characters, told in a clever way—just enough humor and wit to make this truly disturbing tale pretty entertaining and diverting. There's even a nice little moral or two embedded in the text, but delivered in such a way that the target audience can ignore them so they can focus on Bethany's efforts not to get eaten.*
* While the morals percolate in the reader's subconscious, where it'll do some good.
I've seen a lot of comparisons to Roald Dahl used in discussions of this book. Those may be fair and apt, I don't remember enough of Dahl's work to make them myself (nothing against the guy, I remember positive experiences with his works, but he was never a favorite). For me, this reads like a latter-day Daniel M. Pinkwater.* I don't know what kind of audience he has today (I certainly had a hard time finding his stuff when I had kids the right ages), but I remember spending a lot of time in elementary school rereading and rereading books like Lizard Music, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, I Was a Second Grade Werewolf—which combined horror elements, odd humor, and snappy writing. Just like this book. I couldn't tell you the last time I thought about him—but I wasn't far into this book when I started thinking about Pinkwater.
* It may not be fair to say latter-day, as Pinkwater's still putting out books.
Put another way, this is the kind of book to give a middle grader that you want to turn into an A. Lee Martinez fan. I'm not sure how many people have that as a goal (it'd be a worthy one), but it'd work. If you are an A. Lee Martinez reader and are thinking about reading this book yourself or getting it for someone younger, this is right up your alley.*
* Conversely, if you're looking for something like this written for adults, check out Martinez.
For laughs, for a warm fuzzy or two, for a little bit of horror, for a fun read for readers of all ages, The Beast and The Bethany is an almost sure-fire winner.
My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel from Egmont Publishing via Netgalley) they provided.
---
WHAT'S THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY ABOUT?
Ebenezer Tweezer has one goal in life—to keep on living. And he's been doing a good job of that for over five centuries. He's able to do this because of potions given to him by a magical Beast he met as a child. To keep the potions coming, he has to bring food to the Beast (who is only slightly more mobile than a caged bird). In return, the Beast magics money, treasures, and other gifts for Ebenezer.
The thing is, The Beast has peculiar tastes—monkeys, cacti, Ebenezer's beloved cat, endangered species, and so on. Now, it has a specific task for Ebenezer. The Beast wants to eat a human child. A nice plump one with rosy cheeks. Initially horrified, Ebenezer decides that he's really more interested in prolonging his own life enough that he can probably find a child easily enough.
It's actually not as easy as he initially thought, but he eventually brings one home and sets to fattening it up a little bit for The Beast. In those few days, Ebenezer starts to think that maybe there are things more important than living to 512.
THE BEAST
Shockingly, The Beast is the least interesting thing in this book. It's a large, grey, probably hideous looking, blob with tiny hands and feet. Its mouth is anything but small, much like its appetite. And that's the problem.
This amorphous and amoral antagonist has an avaricious appetite. It has an overwhelming desire for more and for novelty. It's not satisfied with being gluttonous, it wants something new, new experiences, new tastes, new flavors. If, like with its first victim in the book, the food happens to be rare, that's all the better. But what seems to drive it more than anything else is something it hasn't had before. For parents, caretakers, teachers who like to make young readers think about what they read will probably have a lot of fodder there.
But let's not get bogged down in that—it's mean, it's greedy, and it's not that bright and fairly helpless. It's these two things that will help the protagonists.
THE BETHANY
(I love that the title uses the definite article for her...I can just see the beleaguered teachers at her school doing that. "Oh, you've got The Bethany in your class this term? Better you than me..." "Did you hear what The Bethany did today?")
Bethany is...and I mean this in the strictly technical sense...a horrid, obnoxious, pill. And yes, yes, there are reasons for that, and we ought to understand that and exercise empathy toward her and try to help her. But at the beginning of this book, that's not the point. The point is that she's an ill-mannered bully, and that if Ebenezer had to pick a child to feed to the monster, you can certainly grant that she'd make a worthy nominee. Put in a slightly less homicidal way, Bethany is precisely the kind of girl who'd make Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle think of retiring.
Until—and this is the key—until she's shown some kindness (unintentionally, sure, but that's not important). When Ebenezer does nice things for her, extends her some courtesy—and inadvertently acts like a friend. That makes all the difference to Bethany, and she responds in kind (and probably ends up losing her definite article along the way). Those parents, caretakers, and teachers I mentioned earlier can really camp out on this point, I'm sure.
EBENEZER TWEEZER
When the book starts, it's easy to write off Ebenezer as merely The Beast's errand-boy. Sure, a 511-year-old errand boy, but an errand boy nonetheless. Then once you understand what he's doing and why...well, you lose pretty much all sympathy for him. Sure, some sort of alien, magical creature that only wants to eat is one thing, you can get that impulse. But Ebenezer has sold his metaphorical soul to him, in his Faustian bargain for a long life, Ebenezer has helped facilitate a swath of destruction through this world. And that just seems worse than The Beast's actions.
And for what? Money, years, and nice things? He might as well be Smaug.
But as soon as you're about to name him the true villain of the piece, he shows a little bit of a conscience. A teeny, tiny hint of one, but a conscience. Then, like the Grinch's heart, that conscience grows three sizes. And once he accidentally befriends The Bethany? Suddenly, this villain becomes something approximating a hero. Then when Bethany reciprocates his kindness, his friendship, well, then you can't help but cheer him on and wish him all the success. Parents, caregivers, teachers—you get where I'm going with this.
Throw in a backstory worthy of Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Ebenezer Tweezer turns out to be a character that could become a favorite after a re-read or two.
A BIT ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS
I've proven time and time again, that I'm just not that good with describing visual art or my reactions to it. So let me start with the simple—I liked Follath's work, it seemed to fit the flavor and feel of the text. Which is just what you're looking for, right?
My memory of Quentin Blake's work is pretty dim, but I can see why people would compare these illustrations to his work (although most of that probably has to do with comparisons to Dahl, see below). But the artist that came to mind—repeatedly—for me while reading this was Jules Feiffer. Stylistically, there's a lot to distinguish the two—but there's some quality that I can't put a name to that made me think of Feiffer.
I'm also not sure how big the art is in hard copy, how much of a page it'll take up. In my eARC, the illustrations are typically pretty small—like they wouldn't take up much room on a page. That's a shame—if that's true for the hard copy, I'd recommend getting a magnifying lens, so you can take in the detail. If you're reading an e-copy, you should be able to zoom in/magnify the pictures with a click or a reverse pinch. Do so, you'll be glad you did.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY?
I think it's pretty clear that I liked The Beast and the Bethany—I've certainly talked enough about it. It's a solid story with great characters, told in a clever way—just enough humor and wit to make this truly disturbing tale pretty entertaining and diverting. There's even a nice little moral or two embedded in the text, but delivered in such a way that the target audience can ignore them so they can focus on Bethany's efforts not to get eaten.*
* While the morals percolate in the reader's subconscious, where it'll do some good.
I've seen a lot of comparisons to Roald Dahl used in discussions of this book. Those may be fair and apt, I don't remember enough of Dahl's work to make them myself (nothing against the guy, I remember positive experiences with his works, but he was never a favorite). For me, this reads like a latter-day Daniel M. Pinkwater.* I don't know what kind of audience he has today (I certainly had a hard time finding his stuff when I had kids the right ages), but I remember spending a lot of time in elementary school rereading and rereading books like Lizard Music, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, I Was a Second Grade Werewolf—which combined horror elements, odd humor, and snappy writing. Just like this book. I couldn't tell you the last time I thought about him—but I wasn't far into this book when I started thinking about Pinkwater.
* It may not be fair to say latter-day, as Pinkwater's still putting out books.
Put another way, this is the kind of book to give a middle grader that you want to turn into an A. Lee Martinez fan. I'm not sure how many people have that as a goal (it'd be a worthy one), but it'd work. If you are an A. Lee Martinez reader and are thinking about reading this book yourself or getting it for someone younger, this is right up your alley.*
* Conversely, if you're looking for something like this written for adults, check out Martinez.
For laughs, for a warm fuzzy or two, for a little bit of horror, for a fun read for readers of all ages, The Beast and The Bethany is an almost sure-fire winner.
My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel from Egmont Publishing via Netgalley) they provided.
August 27, 2020
511 year old Ebenezer Tweezer isn’t a nice man. He lives with a Beast in his attic who he feeds all manner of things and in return the beast vomits out anything Ebeneezer wants. Days before his 512th birthday the beast feels hungry again, and while Ebenezer needs the beast to give him a special potion to help him stay young (a potion he receives every year) the beast wants a special meal in return. The Beast tells Ebeneezer to find him something new…he wants to eat a human child!
Wow, this book is so brilliantly funny and has such a great story. ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ is a children’s book filled with some great illustrations and a tale that’s just so funny and silly. Ebenezer Tweezer has to find a child for the beast to eat and decides to go to the orphanage where he spots Bethany, the most annoying child there. He decides she’d be a good feast for the beast, but when he gets home with Bethany the beast isn’t impressed. I don’t want to spoil the story but it really is a very funny one with Bethany’s annoying behaviour and general manner being too much for both the Beast and Ebenezer.
While Ebenezer wants to be rid of Bethany as quickly as possible the beast wants to delay in eating her and what happens next is a brilliant mix of silliness, funny moments and a few touching ones too. I really couldn’t put this book down from the minute I started reading it. Bethany is a character I actually enjoyed, and I oddly enjoyed Ebenezer’s character too, as he starts off a certain way but goes through quite a few changes over the course of the story. The tale is so funny and silly with interesting moments with the Beast and I really enjoyed how things develop between Ebenezer and Bethany. As the story goes on it ends with a brilliant climax and I just love what happened between the Beast and Bethany. The ending is really good but just as you think the whole story is finished there’s a sudden twist that I just didn’t see coming! That twist sets up a next book in the series and I just can’t wait to find out what happens next!
The book is filled with lots of lovely and fun illustrations, although in my advanced reading copy most of them were currently missing (maybe the Beast ate them? 😮 ). The illustrations are all in black, white and grey and are so funny. I like the way Ebeneezer looks and the way Bethany looks too, even her expression as a baby, is so funny to see. I do believe that with a whole set of illustrations the book will be even more amazing to read and I’m sure even more funny than it already is.
I’d definitely recommend ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ to everyone. It’s such a funny and silly story with a bit of a Roald Dahl feel to it, and it will definitely keep you turning the pages. With each chapter given a name and some odd and silly descriptions inside like a house being the width of a dozen elephants, it’s just such a funny story to read and I’m sure many children and adults will love this! There’s even a funny ‘about the author section’ which reads just like a chapter of the book too (rather than a more ‘sensible’ biography). I really can’t see anyone not enjoying what happens to Ebeneezer, Bethany and the Beast. And who knows what will happen in the next book in the series! :D
Wow, this book is so brilliantly funny and has such a great story. ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ is a children’s book filled with some great illustrations and a tale that’s just so funny and silly. Ebenezer Tweezer has to find a child for the beast to eat and decides to go to the orphanage where he spots Bethany, the most annoying child there. He decides she’d be a good feast for the beast, but when he gets home with Bethany the beast isn’t impressed. I don’t want to spoil the story but it really is a very funny one with Bethany’s annoying behaviour and general manner being too much for both the Beast and Ebenezer.
While Ebenezer wants to be rid of Bethany as quickly as possible the beast wants to delay in eating her and what happens next is a brilliant mix of silliness, funny moments and a few touching ones too. I really couldn’t put this book down from the minute I started reading it. Bethany is a character I actually enjoyed, and I oddly enjoyed Ebenezer’s character too, as he starts off a certain way but goes through quite a few changes over the course of the story. The tale is so funny and silly with interesting moments with the Beast and I really enjoyed how things develop between Ebenezer and Bethany. As the story goes on it ends with a brilliant climax and I just love what happened between the Beast and Bethany. The ending is really good but just as you think the whole story is finished there’s a sudden twist that I just didn’t see coming! That twist sets up a next book in the series and I just can’t wait to find out what happens next!
The book is filled with lots of lovely and fun illustrations, although in my advanced reading copy most of them were currently missing (maybe the Beast ate them? 😮 ). The illustrations are all in black, white and grey and are so funny. I like the way Ebeneezer looks and the way Bethany looks too, even her expression as a baby, is so funny to see. I do believe that with a whole set of illustrations the book will be even more amazing to read and I’m sure even more funny than it already is.
I’d definitely recommend ‘The Beast and the Bethany’ to everyone. It’s such a funny and silly story with a bit of a Roald Dahl feel to it, and it will definitely keep you turning the pages. With each chapter given a name and some odd and silly descriptions inside like a house being the width of a dozen elephants, it’s just such a funny story to read and I’m sure many children and adults will love this! There’s even a funny ‘about the author section’ which reads just like a chapter of the book too (rather than a more ‘sensible’ biography). I really can’t see anyone not enjoying what happens to Ebeneezer, Bethany and the Beast. And who knows what will happen in the next book in the series! :D
September 14, 2020
It happens very rarely, if ever, that you just hear one praise after the other from the members of your book reviewing community.
It happened with me for the very book that I am going to be reviewing here: (though not given to the use of adjectives much, I break the rules and.....) the hilarious, the fabulous, the must-read, the heart warming, the amazing.....DRUM ROLL.... THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY.
The book targeted for middle grade readers has been written by Jack Meggitt-Phillip and illustrated by Isabelle Follath. What a team have they made to bring us this delightful book!
I read it with both my kids-the12 year-old and the 5 year-old and we had some hilarious times. Let me start by giving you the blurb from Goodreads.
511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents. But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast. The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?
Now that you have seen/ read it for yourself, can you resist this modern day retelling of a favourite fairy tale? (I couldn't have and so hopped on to the blog tour organised by the very amazing Dave of The Write Reads. *Rubs hands gleefully*)
My elder daughter identified with Bethany (and was moved by her
back story) while my younger one ( who is already showing a penchant for the good life) aspires to pick up a thing or two from Ebenzer. The characters were fun and really well rounded and we loved imagining the way each one of the three main characters would speak.
The book also makes an everlasting impression on the reader because it is not always fun and games. Ebenzer's and Bethany's stories will warm the cockles of your heart and might just get you to shed a few tears. The Beast itself is a very enticing creature.
With their own unique quirks, which all the characters in the book bring to the story, The Beast and The Bethany makes for an engaging read for one and all. I personally loved the progression of the story as well as the storytelling
It happened with me for the very book that I am going to be reviewing here: (though not given to the use of adjectives much, I break the rules and.....) the hilarious, the fabulous, the must-read, the heart warming, the amazing.....DRUM ROLL.... THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY.
The book targeted for middle grade readers has been written by Jack Meggitt-Phillip and illustrated by Isabelle Follath. What a team have they made to bring us this delightful book!
I read it with both my kids-the12 year-old and the 5 year-old and we had some hilarious times. Let me start by giving you the blurb from Goodreads.
511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents. But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast. The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?
Now that you have seen/ read it for yourself, can you resist this modern day retelling of a favourite fairy tale? (I couldn't have and so hopped on to the blog tour organised by the very amazing Dave of The Write Reads. *Rubs hands gleefully*)
My elder daughter identified with Bethany (and was moved by her
back story) while my younger one ( who is already showing a penchant for the good life) aspires to pick up a thing or two from Ebenzer. The characters were fun and really well rounded and we loved imagining the way each one of the three main characters would speak.
The book also makes an everlasting impression on the reader because it is not always fun and games. Ebenzer's and Bethany's stories will warm the cockles of your heart and might just get you to shed a few tears. The Beast itself is a very enticing creature.
With their own unique quirks, which all the characters in the book bring to the story, The Beast and The Bethany makes for an engaging read for one and all. I personally loved the progression of the story as well as the storytelling
March 22, 2021
Ebenezer Pinset on nuori, komea ja upporikas mies, joka elää upeassa kartanossa. Todellisuudessa hän on kuitenkin lähestymässä 512 vuoden kunnioittavaa ikää. Ebenezerin talon ylimmässä kerroksessa elää nimittäin kammottava hirviö, jonka erittämä tinktuura pitää hänet ikuisesti nuorena.
Ilmaista lounasta ei kuitenkaan ole olemassa, sillä vastapalvelukseksi Ebenezerin on kiikutettava sille syötävää. Vuosien varrella se on ehtinyt pistää poskeensa helminauhoja, mehiläispesiä, antiikkihuonekaluja, keskikokoisen Winston Churchillin patsaan, harvinaisen papukaijan, viimeisen dodon ja jopa Ebenezerin rakkaan lemmikkikissan. Nyt hirviöllä on kuitenkin mielessään aivan jotain muuta. Se tahtoo syödä lapsen.
Ja lapsi sille myös hankitaan. Ebenezer käy noutamassa paikallisesta orpokodista pienen ja pahatapaisen tytön nimeltä Helmikki, mutta hirviö tahtookin nauttia uuden herkkupalansa pyöreämmäksi lihotettuna. Niinpä Ebenezer saa vastentahtoisesti majoittaa Helmikin kartanoonsa, mutta alkuvaikeuksien jälkeen hän vähän alkaa sääliä tyttöä ja itse asiassa kaksikon välille alkaa syntyä ihan aito ystävyys. Ikävä kyllä joka aamu hän myös herää vaivaisempana ja ryppyisempänä...
Jack Meggitt-Phillipsin kirjoittama ja Isabelle Follathin kuvittama "Hirviö ja Helmikki" (WSOY, 2021) on kaikessa kaameudessaan mieleenpainuva ja epäsovinnaisuudessaan ihan virkistävä lastenromaani, josta on tunnistettavissa aineksia Dorian Grayn muotokuvasta, Roald Dahlin karmaisevimmista lastenkirjoista ja Roger Cormanin Pienestä kauhukaupasta (1960). Lisäksi saamme kuulla, mitä lopulta tapahtuikaan karhuherra Paddingtonille.
Helmikki kiipesi neljännen kerroksen matkalaukkuvarastoon. Pari minuuttia pengottuaan hän viimein valitsi mustan selkärepun ja pienen, ruskean matkalaukun, jota koristivat kirjaimat P.K.
- Mitä nuo kirjaimet meinaavat? hän kysyi alakertaan palattuaan.
- Perulaista karhua tai jotain sellaista. Laukun omisti hurmaava pikkunalle, jonka toin hirviölle viime vuonna. (s.191-192).
Loppuratkaisu on vähän karmaiseva sekin, vaikka toistaakin kauhugenrestä tuttua konventiota. Ei tämä takuulla ihan kaikille lukijoille sovi, mutta pakkohan tämä on ottaa alakoululaisten vinkkauksiin mukaan. Varauksella kolmosille, mutta ainakin nelosille ja viitosille vinkattavaksi!
Ilmaista lounasta ei kuitenkaan ole olemassa, sillä vastapalvelukseksi Ebenezerin on kiikutettava sille syötävää. Vuosien varrella se on ehtinyt pistää poskeensa helminauhoja, mehiläispesiä, antiikkihuonekaluja, keskikokoisen Winston Churchillin patsaan, harvinaisen papukaijan, viimeisen dodon ja jopa Ebenezerin rakkaan lemmikkikissan. Nyt hirviöllä on kuitenkin mielessään aivan jotain muuta. Se tahtoo syödä lapsen.
Ja lapsi sille myös hankitaan. Ebenezer käy noutamassa paikallisesta orpokodista pienen ja pahatapaisen tytön nimeltä Helmikki, mutta hirviö tahtookin nauttia uuden herkkupalansa pyöreämmäksi lihotettuna. Niinpä Ebenezer saa vastentahtoisesti majoittaa Helmikin kartanoonsa, mutta alkuvaikeuksien jälkeen hän vähän alkaa sääliä tyttöä ja itse asiassa kaksikon välille alkaa syntyä ihan aito ystävyys. Ikävä kyllä joka aamu hän myös herää vaivaisempana ja ryppyisempänä...
Jack Meggitt-Phillipsin kirjoittama ja Isabelle Follathin kuvittama "Hirviö ja Helmikki" (WSOY, 2021) on kaikessa kaameudessaan mieleenpainuva ja epäsovinnaisuudessaan ihan virkistävä lastenromaani, josta on tunnistettavissa aineksia Dorian Grayn muotokuvasta, Roald Dahlin karmaisevimmista lastenkirjoista ja Roger Cormanin Pienestä kauhukaupasta (1960). Lisäksi saamme kuulla, mitä lopulta tapahtuikaan karhuherra Paddingtonille.
Helmikki kiipesi neljännen kerroksen matkalaukkuvarastoon. Pari minuuttia pengottuaan hän viimein valitsi mustan selkärepun ja pienen, ruskean matkalaukun, jota koristivat kirjaimat P.K.
- Mitä nuo kirjaimet meinaavat? hän kysyi alakertaan palattuaan.
- Perulaista karhua tai jotain sellaista. Laukun omisti hurmaava pikkunalle, jonka toin hirviölle viime vuonna. (s.191-192).
Loppuratkaisu on vähän karmaiseva sekin, vaikka toistaakin kauhugenrestä tuttua konventiota. Ei tämä takuulla ihan kaikille lukijoille sovi, mutta pakkohan tämä on ottaa alakoululaisten vinkkauksiin mukaan. Varauksella kolmosille, mutta ainakin nelosille ja viitosille vinkattavaksi!
September 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this story and it was great to be able to read a book to my eight-year-old daughter that kept us both entertained, but in different ways. I could appreciate the depth of the plot while my daughter was swept away with the humour and gore of the story.
As the blurb explains, Ebeneezer has to feed the beast in his attic all sorts of things and in return the beast vomits out (yes gross, but the kids love it) various items that Ebeneezer wants, including a potion that keeps him forever young. But he has essentially created a monster to feed his own selfish desires, and when the beast demands a child to eat, Ebeneezer is in two minds. He knows that this is probably a step too far, but his vanity and greed gets the better of him and he sets out to find a child for the beast. Ebeneezer eases his conscience by finding the most horrible child he can, but will his plan be as straightforward as he thinks?
Jack Meggitt-Phillips’ writing style is intelligent, witty and enthralling and it draws you into Ebeneezer’s strange little world. The descriptions are so imaginative and appealing to young children, for instance ‘the house was as wide as a dozen elephants’. You can imagine the picture this conjures up, and they will love the gruesome descriptions of the smelly beast and his eating habits. There are also references that might go over a child’s head, but which made me laugh, such as the little suitcase that Bethany finds, I won’t give anything away, but I thought that was genius.
The characterisation is brilliant. Ebeneezer is eccentric and posh while Bethany is feisty and brattish. Both are flawed characters that you just can’t help but like, and it was wonderful to see how the characters grow emotionally and how their relationship evolves throughout the book.
Aside from all the fun and silliness, the story will evoke empathy in children as orphaned Bethany has a very sad backstory, but this is hugely important for a child’s emotional development and why reading with children is so important.
The illustrations are superb and they fit perfectly with the quirky and dark nature of the book. My daughter loved studying them so much that it took a while to get back to reading at times!
The story keeps a great pace all the way through, right up until the exciting ending that will have children on the edge of their seats. This is a fabulously dark and amusing book that kids will love. My daughter and I are looking forward to the release of the movie, as well as the sequel to this book – The Beast and the Bethany 2 – Uncaged!
As the blurb explains, Ebeneezer has to feed the beast in his attic all sorts of things and in return the beast vomits out (yes gross, but the kids love it) various items that Ebeneezer wants, including a potion that keeps him forever young. But he has essentially created a monster to feed his own selfish desires, and when the beast demands a child to eat, Ebeneezer is in two minds. He knows that this is probably a step too far, but his vanity and greed gets the better of him and he sets out to find a child for the beast. Ebeneezer eases his conscience by finding the most horrible child he can, but will his plan be as straightforward as he thinks?
Jack Meggitt-Phillips’ writing style is intelligent, witty and enthralling and it draws you into Ebeneezer’s strange little world. The descriptions are so imaginative and appealing to young children, for instance ‘the house was as wide as a dozen elephants’. You can imagine the picture this conjures up, and they will love the gruesome descriptions of the smelly beast and his eating habits. There are also references that might go over a child’s head, but which made me laugh, such as the little suitcase that Bethany finds, I won’t give anything away, but I thought that was genius.
The characterisation is brilliant. Ebeneezer is eccentric and posh while Bethany is feisty and brattish. Both are flawed characters that you just can’t help but like, and it was wonderful to see how the characters grow emotionally and how their relationship evolves throughout the book.
Aside from all the fun and silliness, the story will evoke empathy in children as orphaned Bethany has a very sad backstory, but this is hugely important for a child’s emotional development and why reading with children is so important.
The illustrations are superb and they fit perfectly with the quirky and dark nature of the book. My daughter loved studying them so much that it took a while to get back to reading at times!
The story keeps a great pace all the way through, right up until the exciting ending that will have children on the edge of their seats. This is a fabulously dark and amusing book that kids will love. My daughter and I are looking forward to the release of the movie, as well as the sequel to this book – The Beast and the Bethany 2 – Uncaged!
August 10, 2021
Wow! Say hello to my newest book to be awarded one of my “All Time Favorites” book award!! I just loved this book! The quirky characters, the gorgeous pictures, and the underlying theme of friendship made this book a pleasure to read. For fans of Roald Dahl, I would HIGHLY recommend this book!!!
May 26, 2021
Denne var sååå bra! Fortjener all hypen! Morsom, creepy, oppfinnsom og kule karakterer! Mon tro om det blir flere bøker..?
October 8, 2022
Très sympa ! Est-ce que manger une petite filles c'est OK si c'est la pire des pestes ? A discuter... Hâte de lire la suite :D
September 21, 2020
The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips and illustrated by Isabelle Follath is unique and unexpected story with equally unique characters.
When I picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect. But what I felt after I finished it was that I didn't want it to end and that I wanted to hug the author and characters.
The Beast and the Bethany is about a mean and evil man, a mean and evil beast, and a meaner girl. And all of them learn lessons and two of them discover other sides to themselves.
The book opens with: "Ebenezer Tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life."
And no kidding!
Ebenezer Tweezer is nearing his 512th birthday. He lives "a wonderful life," and has literally everything he could ever need and everything he doesn't need.
But what gives Ebenezer his young looks and never-ending life? A massive beast resides in his attic. Every year, the beast asks for a "meal," which Ebenezer readily provides and in return gives Ebenezer a potion that stops his aging.
This year, however, the beast asks for something new. He wants to eat a child. Ebenezer, who never had feelings or a reason for them, is shocked by the request.
There's a ton of humor in The Beast and the Bethany, literally never a dull moment!
"For the first time in his life, Ebenezer was sad that he didn't have a family of his own. It would have saved so much time and energy if he could have just fed one of his children to the beast."
Enter Bethany. There's a reason this book is called "The Beast and The Bethany" because Bethany is literally a creature herself. She's a rude, mean, and angry little girl.
If this beast thinks he's large and in charge, he's got Bethany to deal with and change its life!
One of the things I liked about The Beast and the Bethany is the themes and lessons, like the quote below. There are also the themes of learning, discovering one self, learning not to be selfish, and many more.
"A wonderful life can turn someone into a terrible person. It makes you forget that there people in the world who have problems, and this can stop you from really caring or worrying about others.
So, you can understand how Ebenezer Tweezer came to be one of the most selfish men who ever lived. After spending nearly 512 years without difficulty, Ebenezer had never really learned about pain or sadness."
I was often jarred when the author spoke directly to the reader. I never like that it novels and works of fiction, it brings me out of the story. I accept it in non-fiction because the book needs to be conversational. Here, it doesn't work for me.
That said, I've never seen character development as amazing as I've seen in The Beast and the Bethany. Simply brilliant! And one of the reasons it deserves 5 stars!
Despite the three mean characters and how the story begins, The Beast and the Bethany left me feeling happy and hopeful. I was also 100% entertained.
So do I recommend this story? Absolutely! I loved it and I look forward to reading the second part in the series. Don't worry it's not a 100% open ending.
Note: I received a free advanced reader's copy (ARC) of The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips as part of The Write Reads blog tour for the book. This did not impact my review in any way.
When I picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect. But what I felt after I finished it was that I didn't want it to end and that I wanted to hug the author and characters.
The Beast and the Bethany is about a mean and evil man, a mean and evil beast, and a meaner girl. And all of them learn lessons and two of them discover other sides to themselves.
The book opens with: "Ebenezer Tweezer was a terrible man with a wonderful life."
And no kidding!
Ebenezer Tweezer is nearing his 512th birthday. He lives "a wonderful life," and has literally everything he could ever need and everything he doesn't need.
But what gives Ebenezer his young looks and never-ending life? A massive beast resides in his attic. Every year, the beast asks for a "meal," which Ebenezer readily provides and in return gives Ebenezer a potion that stops his aging.
This year, however, the beast asks for something new. He wants to eat a child. Ebenezer, who never had feelings or a reason for them, is shocked by the request.
There's a ton of humor in The Beast and the Bethany, literally never a dull moment!
"For the first time in his life, Ebenezer was sad that he didn't have a family of his own. It would have saved so much time and energy if he could have just fed one of his children to the beast."
Enter Bethany. There's a reason this book is called "The Beast and The Bethany" because Bethany is literally a creature herself. She's a rude, mean, and angry little girl.
If this beast thinks he's large and in charge, he's got Bethany to deal with and change its life!
One of the things I liked about The Beast and the Bethany is the themes and lessons, like the quote below. There are also the themes of learning, discovering one self, learning not to be selfish, and many more.
"A wonderful life can turn someone into a terrible person. It makes you forget that there people in the world who have problems, and this can stop you from really caring or worrying about others.
So, you can understand how Ebenezer Tweezer came to be one of the most selfish men who ever lived. After spending nearly 512 years without difficulty, Ebenezer had never really learned about pain or sadness."
I was often jarred when the author spoke directly to the reader. I never like that it novels and works of fiction, it brings me out of the story. I accept it in non-fiction because the book needs to be conversational. Here, it doesn't work for me.
That said, I've never seen character development as amazing as I've seen in The Beast and the Bethany. Simply brilliant! And one of the reasons it deserves 5 stars!
Despite the three mean characters and how the story begins, The Beast and the Bethany left me feeling happy and hopeful. I was also 100% entertained.
So do I recommend this story? Absolutely! I loved it and I look forward to reading the second part in the series. Don't worry it's not a 100% open ending.
Note: I received a free advanced reader's copy (ARC) of The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips as part of The Write Reads blog tour for the book. This did not impact my review in any way.
August 21, 2020
The Beast and the Bethany was such a breath of fresh air for me. As most of you know, most of the books I read are super serious thrillers, so it was great to take a break and read something so fun and silly. Middle Grade is definitely out of my usual comfort zone, but I’m trying to broaden my reading range, and I am so glad I read this book.
There are quite a few references that children might not even realise, but us adult readers definitely will. For example, Ebenezer’s artwork that he has throughout his house is described, and the artist in me just had to work out what all of the famous works of art were, before they were shown in an illustration later on in the book (I got them all right, and was extremely proud of myself).
Despite the characters not having the most likeable personalities, this is what makes them so much fun to read about, and some of them actually have really lovely character developments. I don’t want to say much about the characters, because I don’t want to ruin it for the rest of you, but I will say that given Bethany’s past, and everything she has been through, you can’t really blame her for being a bit angry at everyone around her.
There is a great meaning behind the story too. Being nice doesn’t cost anything, but it certainly gives the greatest rewards. Don’t be greedy, always tell the truth, and always try to be a good person, you’ll be much happier for it.
Jack Meggitt-Phillips is a very promising new author, and I am looking forward to reading what he has to offer in the future, including the sequel to The Beast and the Bethany. To me, this book is what you would expect if Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket had a baby, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. This is a story that adults will love, just as much as children.
I give The Beast and the Bethany a 4 star rating.
There are quite a few references that children might not even realise, but us adult readers definitely will. For example, Ebenezer’s artwork that he has throughout his house is described, and the artist in me just had to work out what all of the famous works of art were, before they were shown in an illustration later on in the book (I got them all right, and was extremely proud of myself).
Despite the characters not having the most likeable personalities, this is what makes them so much fun to read about, and some of them actually have really lovely character developments. I don’t want to say much about the characters, because I don’t want to ruin it for the rest of you, but I will say that given Bethany’s past, and everything she has been through, you can’t really blame her for being a bit angry at everyone around her.
There is a great meaning behind the story too. Being nice doesn’t cost anything, but it certainly gives the greatest rewards. Don’t be greedy, always tell the truth, and always try to be a good person, you’ll be much happier for it.
Jack Meggitt-Phillips is a very promising new author, and I am looking forward to reading what he has to offer in the future, including the sequel to The Beast and the Bethany. To me, this book is what you would expect if Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket had a baby, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. This is a story that adults will love, just as much as children.
I give The Beast and the Bethany a 4 star rating.
August 27, 2020
Imagine if you could live forever, in a huge house as wide as 12 elephants. And you could eat whatever food you wanted and have all the expensive art and anything else you heart desired. All you have to do is feed the beast whatever he wants. Easy enough when you have limitless wealth. Even the Beast's latest request, a child, doesn't actually bother Ebenezer that much. He doesn't particularly like children and anyway, one little child isn't as important as himself, is it?
The Beast is a huge, smelly, slimy thing with two tongues, Ebenezer Tweezer is an evil little man who cares for absolutely no one but himself. But probably the worst monster of all is Bethany. The naughtiest, rudest, meanest of them all! Ebeneezer picks Bethany as the Beast's next meal but unfortunately for him, things don't go smoothly at all. It's hard to say much without being spoilery, but over time Ebenezer and Bethany start an uneasy relationship. Grudgingly, they both find that they don't want to be quite as horrible to each other any more. The problem is how can they both survive the Beast?
This was so much fun to read, with just a touch of the ridiculous in the way of Alice in Wonderland. Apparently you only get 10 worms for a backpack, a flip-flop, a ruler and a half eaten biscuit. Not that you have much choice when the frog market is only open on Wednesdays. The characters are all well thought out, even the side cast who only get a few paragraphs. The illustrations are wonderful, really adding to the story.
The Beast is a huge, smelly, slimy thing with two tongues, Ebenezer Tweezer is an evil little man who cares for absolutely no one but himself. But probably the worst monster of all is Bethany. The naughtiest, rudest, meanest of them all! Ebeneezer picks Bethany as the Beast's next meal but unfortunately for him, things don't go smoothly at all. It's hard to say much without being spoilery, but over time Ebenezer and Bethany start an uneasy relationship. Grudgingly, they both find that they don't want to be quite as horrible to each other any more. The problem is how can they both survive the Beast?
This was so much fun to read, with just a touch of the ridiculous in the way of Alice in Wonderland. Apparently you only get 10 worms for a backpack, a flip-flop, a ruler and a half eaten biscuit. Not that you have much choice when the frog market is only open on Wednesdays. The characters are all well thought out, even the side cast who only get a few paragraphs. The illustrations are wonderful, really adding to the story.
April 1, 2021
"Voi olla keljun järkyttävää todeta, että on käyttäytynyt huonosti. Tuntemus ei juurikaan poikkea siitä, jonka kokee katsoessaan peiliin ja havaitessaan, että leoparditäpläiset kokotrikoot, joita on kaiken päivää käyttänyt, eivät olekaan pukevat."
Olin valmis rakastamaan tätä kirjaa pikkuisen jo pelkästään siksi, että siinä käytetään sanaa "tinktuura". Kuinka kivaa, ettei se suinkaan ollut kirjan ainoa ansio. Kerrassaan herkullisen epäsovinnainen ja tempaava kertomus kaikilla mausteilla, joista minun makuuni ovat erityisesti kumarrukset rakastamani Dorian Grayn suuntaan. Kuvitus paitsi täydentää kerrontaa hienosti, mutta myös jättää siihen tehokkaita aukkoja: hirviön olemus on visuaalisesti todella vaikuttava juuri sen ansiosta, että suurin osa siitä jätetään sopivasti ravitun mielikuvituksen varaan.
Totta kai tämä on kaikesta revittelystään huolimatta ennalta-arvattavakin, muttei se haitannut minua. Tärkeämpänä pidän sitä, ettei tässä ollut päälleliimattua "väkisin sekoilua" niin kuin monissa hillittömyyttä tavoittelevissa lastenromaaneissa. Juttu on myös koko lailla humaani. Tykkäsin siitä, ettei karnevalistisia karmeuksia lapettu tulemaan ikään kuin ne eivät tuntuisi hahmoista yhtään miltään, mitä sitäkin samantyyppisissä lastenkirjoissa tapahtuu paljon.
Olin valmis rakastamaan tätä kirjaa pikkuisen jo pelkästään siksi, että siinä käytetään sanaa "tinktuura". Kuinka kivaa, ettei se suinkaan ollut kirjan ainoa ansio. Kerrassaan herkullisen epäsovinnainen ja tempaava kertomus kaikilla mausteilla, joista minun makuuni ovat erityisesti kumarrukset rakastamani Dorian Grayn suuntaan. Kuvitus paitsi täydentää kerrontaa hienosti, mutta myös jättää siihen tehokkaita aukkoja: hirviön olemus on visuaalisesti todella vaikuttava juuri sen ansiosta, että suurin osa siitä jätetään sopivasti ravitun mielikuvituksen varaan.
Totta kai tämä on kaikesta revittelystään huolimatta ennalta-arvattavakin, muttei se haitannut minua. Tärkeämpänä pidän sitä, ettei tässä ollut päälleliimattua "väkisin sekoilua" niin kuin monissa hillittömyyttä tavoittelevissa lastenromaaneissa. Juttu on myös koko lailla humaani. Tykkäsin siitä, ettei karnevalistisia karmeuksia lapettu tulemaan ikään kuin ne eivät tuntuisi hahmoista yhtään miltään, mitä sitäkin samantyyppisissä lastenkirjoissa tapahtuu paljon.
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