Beast of the Earth is a story with dual perspectives that take place 20 years apart.

In the 1980s we follow Harlan LeBlanc. Harlan is a groundskeeper at the local high school. He sticks to himself and is often made fun of by students and his peers. Harlan comes off as a genuine person and for me, it was easy to picture him and relate him to someone I have experienced in my life.

The other point of view is from a boy named Michael Fischer. Michael’s father gets out of jail and returns home which then causes Michael to run away.

Until everything started to come together in the end I did not care much for Michael’s story. I was more invested and interested in Harlan’s story. One of Harlan’s young coworkers is accused of murder and Harlan believes in his innocence. I was very intrigued by how far Harlan was willing to go for the truth.

Harlan mentions his favorite book is Of Mice and Men which is a tragedy. Well, strap in because Beast of the Earth is also one and it’s one I would recommend.

A book to break your heart; beautiful rendered prose with strong, memorable characterization and settings that encompass both Texas and the Louisiana swamp. Unputdownable. I’ll be thinking of this novel for a long time.

I fell for this book because of the title and cover. It’s a sad 5⭐️ read for me. This was about a child who had a monster for a father and he grew up with so many demons.
He’s was forever haunted by the realities of his past and the mundane presence. But Beneath all of that was a lost, kind even gentle person trying to fight against it.
This was a quick read and I hope you pick this up. It’s written very well and I’m still thinking about all these characters. How it played out. What changed him and what didn’t.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator was excellent. I felt like I was there. Highly recommend!
Thanks Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley.

Thank you for ARC. There is nothing I love more than a free Audio book.
This one was weird for me. I don't listen to/read a lot of books by men. I have a hard time relating as a non man to their language and rituals, but a girl needs to explore other cultures at times.
I loved our main character. I got him. I understood most of his friends and motivations. He was pretty cool.

The Narrator couldn't have been more perfect for the role. He was spot on.