This novel is stunning, a coming of age story with a healthy dose of magical realism. One of my favourites of the year.

A delightful tale--just the right amount of tension, romance, insanity, and feelings.

This isn't really sci fi/fantasy, so that's a disservice--it's far more magical realism. But it's a little less chick flick than many MR stories.

If you are looking for an easy read that will help you see the world in a slightly different hue, give this story about a boy raised by wolves and all the people he impacts through his life a read.

Wow! I’m sorry I didn’t get the opportunity to read this book sooner, but I’m very happy I finally did. This was a beautiful story of magic and love. Told from the perspectives of the different characters, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the tale of Weylyn Grey. Weylyn isn’t quite like other kids. Living with wolves aside, he has some unusual abilities that cause him both a lot of joy and heartache. Storms stop and start in his presence, plants grow, and animals of all kinds seem to communicate with him on a very deep level. A fictional world filled with such fantastic fantasy and delightful adventure, this is a book that you don’t want to miss. With just a few naughty words and nothing else of any questionable nature to cause alarm, this is a story prime for readers young and old. Grab your copy now and don’t miss out on this fabulous tale.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for hooking me up with a review copy.

Weylon Grey's story is told by a varried cast of characters consisting of people who he interacted with in his life including his adoptive sister,Lydia, and his girlfriend, Mary. Weylon was raised by wolves for several years and he can talk to the animals and perhaps he can control the weather. This is the author's first book and I look forward to her future books.

Rating 2 Stars
Weylyn Grey is not your average hero. In fact, he isn’t really a hero at all. He’s sort of a beast that controls the weather, but even that isn’t really it either. He’s a wolf boy. No, not just that. He speaks to animals…? Yes…and no. WELL, this is friggin’ hard to explain. And here lies Lang’s biggest fault. Her story wasn’t very good because it really didn’t tell you anything. We watch Weylyn, who does have unique abilities regarding the weather, animals, and nature in general, but he doesn’t really transform into anything special. He’s just a man. And in its simplicity this idea of him being “just a man” might have been something extraordinary, as Lang promises, but it just falls flat. And I think this is mostly because we know he’s aware of his capabilities pretty early on, but he lives in denial of this fact for the first half of his life.

The whisper of magic doesn’t brush past you, page after page, in order to tantalize you (which I think is a more powerful way to write magical realism). Instead, Weylyn’s magic is pretty straight forward: his emotions dictate the weather around him, he can communicate/understand animals, and he can grow any plant, anywhere, and in any season. Oh, and he can conjure up an alternative energy source

What this book is missing is a plot. We watch Weylyn grow up and then get thrown around from place to place as his abilities confound the people around him. And that is pretty much it. No dramatic reveal of his power. No explanation as to why he is the way he is. Weylyn is just different. And boy is he different. He’s so different that he refuses to sit in chairs and keeps a pet pig. Those things made him quirky at first, but ultimately this quirkiness just makes him seem utterly out of touch with his own self-awareness. Weylyn always seemed to have one foot in childhood. Always smiling, Weylyn was optimistic to a fault when it came to people, even when they were absolutely horrible to him. His slap happy attitude wasn’t pushing the story forward, it only served as a crutch, forcing the reader to sympathize with someone so pathetic. While his inability to interact with people made sense to the story, I didn’t understand why this flaw also stopped Weylyn from growing up as well. Usually, when someone so young is faced with such hardships, they seem to have a more mature sense of the world–in other words, they grow up way too soon. Instead, Weylyn never seemed to grow up. So even if the plot of the story was some sort of coming of age trope for Weylyn, Lang failed to show that growth.

This books greatest merit is its characterization (my first star). I fucking loved nearly every damn character in this book–even Weylyn for a majority of the time. Each character had a rich sense of being. A self-awareness and ability to just be exactly who they were, faults and all, made each character so fun to read. My favorite characters were probably Bobby Quin, the Mayor, and Lydia Kramer, Weylyn’s adoptive sister. I enjoyed their inner monologues the most, and felt they were the most realistic when it came to character building. They didn’t need to be weird or have some sort of odd quirk to make them lovable. They were simple people, but had strong opinions, and admitted their shortcomings in life. If Lang had done this for Weylyn, we’d be having a different conversation right now. Ultimately, I was sad that these characters didn’t really stick with Weylyn the entire story. They sort of just had their piece of Weylyn, and then disappeared for the most part. Each character had their own little story to digest, which may be interesting for some, but definitely not what I was looking for.

And that’s what really bugged about this book. Instead of having this grand adventure where Weylyn realizes his full potential, and makes these great bonds, he sort of just drifts from place to place, leaving behind places and people he loves. And that would have been fine maybe had we seen his bond with nature grow as time went on, or maybe if their was a negative force fighting against Weylyn’s powers. But the growth of his power is more “off page” action then anything else, and there is no big bad wolf to contend with here.

In the end, this book is a story about how one unique person affected the lives of several flawed people. And that is a beautiful concept, hence my second star. But it left so much to be desired. There was no build-up, the ending was much too rushed for that. And the plot wrapped itself up with a nice, little happy ending for Weylyn. Don’t get me wrong, I love happy endings, in fact I prefer them. But it needs to be earned. And sadly, Weylyn didn’t really earn it in my opinion. This book was something I should have loved, but in the end was left feeling disappointed.

Why you should read:
-Characters are great
-Writing is easy to read, and it flows

Why you should skip it:
-No significant plot line!!!!! Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
-Dialogue was very crappy at times. Especially for the character Roarke. No pre-teen uses big words in his head like that…nope
-Rushed ending
-Happy ending with no payoff
-Romance plot isn’t great, just subpar
-Magic isn’t slowly revealed, just sort of there
-Also the timeline throws me off because she tells you what year it is, but by the way the characters acted and spoke, it didn’t feel like the decades she described..? Idk if that makes sense.

Will I be recommending to a friend: Nope.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22353170-pauline-aguayo
For more reviews please visit, https://vanitychild.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/vanity-book-review-beasts-of-extraordinary-circumstance/

Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was.

That tornado was the first of many strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave.



* * * * *



This book is one of those that is hard to categorize. It's a love story overall but there is so much more to it. Weylyn is a man with a large heart and special gifts. He has the ability to control the weather and to talk to the animals. Now those would be great gifts except for the fact that he doesn't always control those gifts so he can be a dangerous man to be around.



This story is told by the people whose lives have been touched by Weylyn. We see a man with a high IQ who would like to fit in but he can't quite squirm into that round hole. Everyone loves and welcomes him into their homes but they are quite accustomed to him disappearing for years. We see the difficulties he can cause as well as how he enriches the lives of those who love him.



I found BEASTS OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE confusing at first because I do like books that will fit nicely into a genre. It didn't take long however before I was swept away. I want to give huge kudos to debut author Ruth Emmie Lang for writing such a quirky and engaging novel. I do recommend it to any of my readers who are looking for a delightful and unusual story.



*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Weylyn was raised by wolves. Although we all know a kid like that, Weylyn’s tale is a unique one. I call it a tale, because it is one. It is charming, magical, funny, and sometimes sad.
The story is told by people whose life was affected by him. They all had complex and interesting personalities. We get a glimpse into their lives as Meylyn passes by. Unfortunately, he was the flattest character. He is the ultimate positive protagonist: golden hearted, smart, and has some magic in him. Still, I would have wanted more of him, more of his thoughts, and more of his past. I would have wanted to know more about his time as a minor in the human world. I guess the point was to keep his character mysterious, but that just left me wanting more.
Other than this, it was quite a charming story, and although there were no big surprises there, it was captivating and hard to put down. A magical debut, Ms Lang!

This was a surprisingly a good read for me. I loved Weylyn. His story was both endearingly hopeful and heartbreaking at times. It is very character driven book with magical elements to it.

I read Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance and to be quite honest, it’s probably the reason why I didn’t get through as many advanced review copies as I would normally read in the holiday season (including a few Christmas reads.) I just had to slow down and savor it – it was just mesmerizing.

And when I finished it? I just wanted to linger in it. And maybe pick it up and read it again. This is one of those books for which I’m given a digital copy and end up buying the hard copy.

From the opening chapter – no, from the first few paragraphs – I was hooked.

The moment Weylyn took his first bewildered gulp of fresh air, it began to snow. Not just a few flurries, but buckets of the stuff, tumbling through the sky and belly flopping on the ground outside the hospital room window. By the tie the nurses had him cleaned and swaddled there was a good six inches on the ground.
It was June 29.
Debut author Ruth Emmie Lang has your attention now, doesn’t she?
Now, I’ve seen Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance described as magical realism – which I’m a HUGE fan of, by the way – but I’m honestly not sure whether it fits in magical realism or fantasy. Weylyn is a boy raised by wolves, but I’m not sure if it is this or just his own personality that gives him this raw honesty and a touch of naiveté that is appealing. He has powers, and like those characters found in magical realism novels, he doesn’t seem certain of them, he doesn’t always wield them intentionally and he often seems hesitant to use them. Until he does – and when he does, it’s pretty amazing.

He can control the weather, has a bit of a hold over nature and can communicate with animals, but this isn’t Charlotte’s Web or Doctor Dolittle.

One of the reasons I lingered so over the book is because it DOES require your attention, as the story is primarily told from the viewpoint of those he encounters throughout his life. Additionally, the timeline in which those viewpoints are shared jumps around from different points in his past and present and back to the past again, but not necessarily in chronological order. This was a book that told me “keep up, now” as his story unfolds, layer by layer. It’s like eating a slice of chocolate layer cake, but taking a bite of the raspberry filling in the middle, then the cake, then a nibble of icing alone, and then a bite combined. No seeming order to the timeline, but it comes together beautifully.

The story is beautifully told. For me, it is a story of being different and of finding acceptance. Weylyn often puts Mary’s happiness in front of his own – but doesn’t consider what his choice for HER actually means for her. All too often, we think we are doing what is best for someone else before we actually ask them what THEY want. I could relate to his struggles in that regard.

Ruth Emmie Lang has written an epic book with heart. It is truly magical (and not just because Weylyn can call up a storm or grow flowers or talk to his pet pig – who has horns.)

This was a cute little book. I think middle school students who enjoy animals or have suffered the loss of a parent might enjoy this book.

This book sucked me right in in the first sentence. It was such an enjoyable, adventurous story with memorable characters. I have grown to love magical realism and Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance gets a gold star from me.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

"Our howls reached the moon just in time. A few moments later, the clouds returned, and our wolf song slipped behind them with the moon, the stars, and the rest of the night sky."

This review has been a long time coming! I finished reading this back toward the end of November, and I initially struggled writing this because I was having difficulty putting my thoughts about this book into words. Then it was Thanksgiving, then the holidays, then I decided to write other reviews first while they were fresh on my mind, and here we are. However, even in the six weeks that it’s been since reading the last page, this book has stuck with me.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is the debut novel of Ruth Emmie Lang about a boy’s journey to try to find his place in the world.

Weylyn Grey was born in 1968. As noted by Dr. Daniel Foust:

"The moment Weylyn took his first bewildered gulp of fresh air, it began to snow. Not just a few flurries, but buckets of the stuff, tumbling through the sky and bellyflopping on the ground outside the hospital room window. By the time the nurses had him cleaned and swaddled, there was a good six inches on the ground.
It was June 29."

I loved Weylyn Grey. He was just your ordinary orphan-raised-by-wolves who also happened to have mysterious powers. Weylyn was so sweet and well-meaning, but because of his powers, he inadvertently ran the risk of hurting the ones he loved – and so, he chose to isolate himself from the rest of humanity rather than potentially causing others harm. His story was told through the eyes of the people he met on his journey – those he loved, those he helped, and those whose lives he impacted in some way – and it isn’t until the end that we even get a glimpse into Weylyn’s head.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance was a coming-of-age story sprinkled with magic and beasts: wolves that roamed the wild, bees that made luminescent honey, and a magical pig named Merlin. It was fun and hopeful, yet also inextricably sad.

"He had the pained look of a man who had wandered for so long that he had forgotten what he was looking for."

Although I didn’t love this quite as much as I was hoping to – I was secretly hoping for more magic – Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance was still a very good book. The characters were well-developed, the writing was beautiful, and the story itself was intricately woven and well-told. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Ruth Emmie Lang’s work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this eBook, as well as to LibraryThing for a copy of this audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. Weylyn made me want to become a better person. We just had to share this amazing book with the world and have included it as our December Once Upon a Book Club box.

I loved this book. Though, I am hard pressed to put into words what was so wonderful about it. It is listed as magical realism. I didn’t even know that was a category, but it fits it. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is the story of Weylyn Grey. When Weylyn’s parents die in a snow storm, he runs off into woods and is raised by wolves. He has the ability to create relationships with animals and also to control the weather.

When Weylen is eventually pulled out of the woods and back into humanity, his story is told through several other characters. They tell of how he entered into their lives and how he left their lives. Through these narrations we learn the story of Weylyn. We watch him with his new adoptive family as he falls in love with their daughter Mary. We learn how he had to leave and how he never forgets Mary.

This book is beautifully written, it forces you to immerse yourself in the book. There is humor, love, and magic. Characters that you care about. I loved it!

I received an ARC of this book.

An interesting premise, but slow in parts. Overall, an entertaining read.

g stars and a place on my 2017 favorites list!

Every once in a while you come across a character in a book that grabs your heart and just won’t let go. For me, Weylyn is that character. Weylyn has made a lasting impression not only on everyone he meets in the pages of this novel, he’s made a lasting impression on me.

Weylyn Grey's story arc is the stuff of fairy tales. Orphaned and raised by wolves, he has magical powers, and struggles to fit into the world. The reader learns about Weylyn from the perspective of the characters he meets along the way. I normally dislike this method of storytelling, but in this book, it works, and it works beautifully. Weylyn is the glue that holds all the stories together. The descriptions of the places he visits are so beautiful I could envision being there. The magic is so well done it never felt out of place because, while it was fantastical, it was all grounded in the real world, with real characters.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the lonely misfit, and Weylyn touched my heart. I loved his child-like wonder at the world, his appreciation for all the things that we often take for granted, his goodness of heart. And while he didn’t fit into society and was thought of as weird, he often didn’t care what people thought, and followed his instincts. But down deep he longed to fit in and live a “normal” life.

But to me, it isn’t about him fitting in as much as it is about the people around him accepting him for who he is. Not surprisingly, most of the people who befriend and accept Weylyn are somewhat of an outcast themselves, or they are damaged in some way. Which is a lesson to ponder. While Weylyn makes a strong impact on the people he meets along the way, and changes their lives for the better, he doesn’t see it that way. He thinks his powers ruins people’s lives and to protect them, he must keep moving from place to place, never staying in a place for long, or finding a place to call home. Other's lives are changed but his losses only multiply.

He doesn't see himself as deserving and worthy of what he wants most in the world. Can Weylyn open his heart to possibilities and find the courage to take the first step? The reader finally hears the story from Weylyn’s perspective in the last chapter, and what wonderful way to end the book it was. I closed the last page with a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. The cover of this book is beautiful, and when I finished I realized the meaning of it and loved it even more.

Magical realism has not been my go-to genre, but I’ve recently discovered I like it quite a lot. Highly recommended for those who like charming, whimsical, magical, warm-hearted, character-driven novels.

many thanks to Negalley, Ruth Emma Lang, and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy edition of this wonderful book.

I enjoy books that have a touch of magical realism, and with all the reviews I’ve read by people who were delighted by this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. The author, Ruth Emmie Lang, did a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life. They are definitely an interesting collection of people with varied personalities and range from those who care too much about material things, to the main character who has a rather nomadic life—mostly due to circumstances. It’s really easy to like and appreciate some of the people who populate this book, while on the other hand, others not as much.

The plot is certainly original; I’ve never read a book like this before. I wasn’t really sure how I’d feel about a character raised by wolves, but he did have human influences here and there while he was growing up, and I think that certainly enriched the story and definitely added to his character development. He did learn how to read as a child and didn’t spend all his time howling at the moon (although he could!).

Overall I enjoyed the book; however, there were a few curse words sprinkled in there which the story could have done without. A child even said G—damn at one point, which really bothers me because kids that young usually don’t swear, and I really don’t like to see that word in books.

DNF @ 39%

2.5 stars

Alright, so I did try to read through this one, but I have so much to read in such a short amount a time that reading something I don't care about, felt like a waste of time.

So, I think this book is well written. This is one of the reasons I almost got through it all. The writing flows and is easy to read through. There are jumps in time, but the year is clearly stated which helps keep everything together.

I found the fact that we don't (at least up til I was) ever read through the main character's POV even though this is a story about him. Weird, but I feel this is done well.

Unfortunately, none of the character's grabbed me. While most have their own quirks, the voices mostly sounded the same to me, except for Roarke who is a wild child. So, a switch from a junior high student to a teacher POV was hard to tell apart.

So, what is it that had me putting down this book? I was bored.
See, I think I'm just not a fan of magical realism??? If I needed to read this book for a challenge or with a group I could totally do it, but I just don't want to... For me, nothing is happening. I like the classic beginning, middle, and end to a story, but I don't think this one was going in that direction. Plus, magical realism tends to have a certain tone or atmosphere which I think is suppose to inspire awe in the reader or tries to create magic in the real world - I can't explain it, mostly because it doesn't work for me at all. It mostly has me rolling my eyes.

BUT, now I know this is a thing for me and can stay away from magical realism unless pushed.

Therefore, I do hope others will give this decent book a try if magical realism is a good factor for them.

This is another delightful magic-real story in the vein of "The Bear and The Nightingale" or "The Snow Child". I love them! This one is no exception. While I probably wouldn't choose this type of book everyday, I truly love the escape and magical touch that they provide after heavier reading.
This book is superbly written, describing interesting settings and characters that I grew to care about and root for. Weylyn, the "beast" was hands down, my favorite. I see him as a mash-up of Forest Gump, Grizzly Adams, and Shrek. He lives with wolves after his parents are killed. This is significant to his personality, and somehow makes his special skills and talents believable although impossible to explain. The people and animals he meets in his lifetime as also special in their own ways, and he makes a mark in each of their lives. His most significant friend is also the one he falls in love with, and yet much like a wild animal, he can't be tamed and feels the need to wander away.
I responded so well to this story and felt it tug on my heart strings. I'm betting it will still be on my mind for a long time to come. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages but particularly fans of stories about magic, nature, children, and animals. It is a lovely story, and I will certainly be looking for the next book by Ms. Lang.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

** ARC from St. Martin's Press & NetGalley **

You know when you read a book at just the right time? That was this book for me. Lang's characters are so easy to fall in love with. I love how you got to know each of them, through their storytelling. Weylyn was extraordinary & such a sweet, kind soul. I finished this in 1 day, because I loved it so much. Excited to see what Lang comes up with next!