This is a fascinating and incredibly compelling collection of interconnected stories. The central conceit about an urban cryptozoologist and the "beasts" she studies (and interacts with) was something so unique from what I've generally come across, and it was a treat to discover this new-to-me author. Also, the translation by Jeremy Tiang seems great to my English-speaking-only 'ear,' for what that's worth.

This was wonderful! It’s both magical realism and a bit of fantasy. So atmospheric! You step right into the world of the narrator. She tells us about different human-like creatures who live in her city- every chapter features one of them. Yan Ge does a great job blending each smaller story into the larger narrative of the book.

I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be looking for more books by the author, although I know only a couple of others have been translated into English. It’s out in hardcover now, and the paperback comes out March 15. Thank you to Melville House and NetGalley for my copy.

Strange Beasts of China makes a lasting impression. It can be read almost as a collection of stories or fables but with a strong narrative thread building through the book as we grow to understand its main and supporting characters through each beast's tale. As this is literature in translation I am afraid I may have missed some cultural references, callback to myths or other literature in its native language -- but regardless, the book is completely unique, sometimes disturbing, always affecting.

**Thank you for the ARC! All opinions are my own.**

3.5-4 stars. Enthralling, slow-paced, and mystical.

SUMMARY: A former female cryptozoologist spends her days lurking a bar and writing stories about the relationships between "creatures" and humans. The creatures imagined in this book are unique and imaginative. Each relationship between creatures and humans unfolds slowly as the author introduces us to various species in an intimate and languid manner.

MY THOUGHTS: Fans of Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto might enjoy this slow-moving, dreamy book that is packed full of human emotion. I especially enjoyed the "lore" behind each of the creatures. The creatures themselves were pretty interesting and I greatly liked reading about the different human perspectives on them and reading about the beasts' relationships among themselves.

TLDR; An odd and dreamy story that builds up gradually and satisfies emotionally.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Melville House Publishing for an advanced copy of this book of speculative fiction.

Strange Beasts of China by Yen Ge, translated by Jeremy Tiang is a story that seems so simple, but like the beasts whose lives our narrator writes about, the truth is so much more than we expect. Life, love, truth, loss, what we care for and what we give up, are things that these beasts as observed are trying to show us. As the reader begins to pick up on this, a story that seemed so slight, suddenly takes on so much more meaning.

A woman, who has given up a promising career in cryptozoology, spends her days in a bar named the Dolphin Bar, in the city of Yong'an, writing about the beasts that share the town with the humans for a local newspaper. Her Professor calls and berates her about her articles, she goes and destroys his lab when she feels the need. This is her existence. Strange events begin to occur, and friends change, or disappear, love starts happening in the odd places, and mysteries are reveled.

The writing is very much like an iceberg. Doesn't seem like much, but under the surface, look out and when it hits, it causes an impact. The beginning starts not slow, but slight, like this is going to be a slight novel, if not removed, but as the reader continues it is hard to put the book down, and things that seemed uninteresting suddenly become clearer. I'm afraid I might have missed a lot do to not sharing the same cultural upbringing, which might change what the beasts mean to people, but I still enjoyed the book, and really enjoyed the way it was written.

Readers who enjoy Haruki Murakami, or Un-su Kim whose book The Cabinet would make for a great double feature on Netflix, because both these books would make great series. The writing is really well done, and the characters are interesting along with the beasts that both the narrator and Yan Ge describe. A wonderful, odd story with quite an emotional punch.