I would recommend this book to those looking for an interesting read. We are the Beasts tackles topics such as misogyny, abuse, and liberating people from terrible situations. The book is about a few girls that took advantage of some killings that were occurring to save the girls in their town who were being abused. They faked the girls' deaths to get them away.


I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the ARC.

Inspired by the real-life mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan, We Are the Beasts follows a cast of characters disadvantaged - through gender, sexuality, and social class - in their society. Through the backdrop of mysterious deaths and animal attacks, they finally get a glimpse of something only dreamed about - freedom.

A great alternate title for this book would be "How to Fake Your Death in 18th Century France" because I'm pretty sure the entire cast did just that at some point.
I found the characters, generally, to be very compelling and enjoyable. Josephine had a very engaging narrative voice, and I found this novel to be quite easy to read - I flew through the majority of it in a day. But I was disappointed in the lack of attention to historical detail.
I would say I'm less bothered by the anachronistic language, especially because it flowed so well, than I was by the immense lack of detail. Nothing about this story felt grounded in the 1700s, other than a handful of mentions of the Seven Years War. Mostly, I was looking for details about clothing or church doctrine that would ground this story more firmly in its setting. Unfortunately, I found mostly un-descriptive references to dresses and undergarments and some very basic religious bigotry. I absolutely love opulent historical descriptions - give me fabrics and food and tallow candlelight and bumping carriages - so I was really very disappointed. This story could just as easily have been set last week and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.
While a fun, feminist power story with some not-very-scary eerie moments, a historical horror novel, this is not. Much to my disappointment.

Girls literally choosing the risk of a beast over being around males. Faking their deaths at the hands of a beast to get away from the monsters in their lives - their families, neighbors, and religious leaders.

Josephine and Clara are the center of each other's universe, and where Clara is kind and calm (though not weak or a pushover), Josephine is a storm, determined and protective. That bubble expands outside their relationship to begin to include the other women and girls in their town, and they realize they can use the random attacks by a supposed beast to hide the ones who need to escape. That's just as risky, as they have to hide the girls in the woods where the beast lives and convince their families not to look for them.

There's a lot about the different kinds of feminine bonds and connections, about forgiveness, and about the power of one woman believing another, even when they don't like each other. The change in the dynamic between Josephine and Belle was one of my favorites.

You're also going to really love sheep by the end of this. Starting right from the first page with the fool-sheep to the whole herd, and that the loyalty of a shepherdess to her flock is mutual. There was a moment that was so fierce but also silly and adorable at the same time, I laughed with wonder. Seriously. The sheep.

I'm not normally one for historical, but this was excellent.

Oh my gosh! I did not quite know what to expect with this book but I was absolutely blown away. This is a story of feminine rage, found family, fear, and love. The storytelling was incredible and I was sucked in right away. Also the way I am obsessed with sheep now? I love them! Best part of the book. This book also made me angry and sad and frustrated with what we as women have had to suffer through the ages. It made me connect to the book in a way I wish I didn’t, but also in a way that made me appreciate the feminine rage even more. The fact that it is based on true events is so fascinating to me as well and a piece of history I did not know anything about but am now obsessed with. Overall, I’d highly recommend this book!

4 stars instead of 5 because for being set in the French countryside in 1765, there were some too modern phrases like “not today, satan” that should have been edited out.

I’ve always been intrigued by the Beast of Gévaudan and stories that blur the line between history and legend. So I was very excited when I heard about We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis. This book turned out to be different from what I anticipated (I won’t lie, I was half-expecting a werewolf tale–this is not that), but I loved how it reimagines the history and weaves in important themes.

Set in 1765 France in the small rural village of Mende, the story follows Joséphine, a young shepherdess that lives with her best friend, Clara, after her family died when she was a child. The plot kicks off when Joséphine and Clara are grazing their flock and find the body of a young villager, who appears to be killed by the as-of-yet unseen Beast of Gévaudan. But as the story unfolds, the danger proves to be much closer to home. While the elusive beast still lurks on the town’s periphery, it’s the men in the village—fueled by superstition, religion, cruelty, and control over women—that pose a more immediate threat. In response, Joséphine and Clara use the cover of the beast’s legend to fake deaths, helping young women escape dangerous families and oppressive societal structures.

This novel is a powerful exploration of important and relevant themes: the control and abuse of women by men and societal structures; the inequality between rich and poor, and the inherent danger of being poor; the double standard between men and women; and the corruption of the church/religion and the patriarchy. At the same time, it celebrates female friendship, the power of solidarity and love, the freedom of allowing oneself to be loved, and the strength women gain by fighting back against oppression and taking back their power.

The novel’s themes are tackled head-on rather than subtly, but I found myself not minding that so much. It was the substance that really mattered, and I found that the characters and events of the story were compelling and interesting enough that I found myself enjoying (for a change) topics being explored so blatantly by the story (and Joséphine, our narrator). This is not, on the whole, an action-packed story, but a slower, quieter one, focusing on the small acts of rebellion women must make to survive in a harsh world. The pacing picks up after the first half, and some scenes are genuinely tense and action-packed towards the end, but overall, it’s a thoughtful and compelling narrative.

That said, there are a few minor drawbacks: some modern phrases felt out of place for 18th-century France, and the overuse of French phrases in the prose (especially at the beginning) became distracting at times. However, these are small issues that didn’t detract from the book’s powerful messages or the enjoyment I found in reading it.

I especially appreciated the representation of queerness throughout the novel and found myself falling in love with the core group of characters. I also found myself moved to tears at one point… Maybe it’s where we are at this moment in time, but women fighting back against the patriarchy and finding their strength is something that I’m always going to cheer on and support and, yes, cry over.

If you’re looking for a story about women’s empowerment, breaking cycles of abuse, and small (yet important) revolutions, We Are the Beasts is a must read. While it’s particularly suited for teens and young adults, adults can enjoy this as well, especially if they enjoy stories with deep yet non-subtle themes. And if you like the idea of badass young shepherdesses rising up against the patriarchy with their sheep by their side, this one is definitely for you.

Read if you like:
- Women supporting women
- Female empowerment
- Quiet(er) revolutions
- Women (and allies) against the patriarchy
- Queer characters
- A band of endearing characters/found family
- Exploring social issues

Content Warnings:
- Sexual and physical abuse
- Blood
- Death/murder of children
- Religion as a weapon/religious fervor
- Starvation
- Animal death (non-graphic) and harm

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy! All opinions are my own.

We Are the Beasts follows Joséphine, a teenage girl in eighteen century France whose village is being terrorized by the Beast of Gévaudan. An unexpected discovery inspires Jo and her best friend and fellow shepherdess Clara to take advantage of the chaos. They’ve been living in fear of the men in their village their whole lives,

This book is full of very strong characters, and Jo and Clara are absolutely the right choices to be at the center. Almost every character we spend time with is a teenager, and they’re really well written and feel like people on that frantic edge of adulthood. They’re all aware that the wider world is an unfair one and that a man-eating monster might actually be the most manageable of their problems. I enjoyed watching Jo interact and bounce off with the rest of the cast, her arcs with Louis and Belle were quite good.

The amount repetition and some bizarre writing choices inhibited me from enjoying this any further. Characters regularly swear in french, which is so strange to read when you know they’d actually be speaking in french to one another. I started pretending in universe they were swearing in english because it happened so frequently. There’s also a lot of anachronisms that make this book feel like it exists in a nothing time period. Ostensibly, I felt like the only reason this book is set in the time period it is is so we can have the actual Beast of Gévaudan be featured, none of the other commentary about religion on patriarchy really felt like it gained anything from a historical setting.

Ultimately, I think this book is a little too ambitious for its own good. The horror, when we get to see it, is great, but the patriarchy is such an oppressive force in Jo’s town there’s no time for the reader to relax or spend down time with characters not in a fight-or-flight mode. I also had the frustration of really liking the main romance, but finding the stage of the relationship we saw the characters in a frustrating one that was ultimately a bit of a time suck that didn’t pace particularly well with the rest of the plot.

If you’re looking for a ragtag group of gay teenagers teaming up to take on literal and metaphorical monsters, We Are the Beasts is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC.

Darkly enchanting and full of beautiful feminine rage, We Are the Beasts will have you feeling the full spectrum of emotions, On the surface this story is a retelling of the Beast of Gevaudan, but at its heart it is about women who are willing to do anything to take back their power and to protect each other.

In Mende, women and girls have been surviving, not living for years. The men and past of the village abuse and use them, and with no way out they are struggling day to day just to survive. Now there is a beast in their midst, just one more thing for them to survive.... unless they can use it as a cover to find their way out. With Josephine and Clara leading the way, can they escape this nightmare?

This story is about despair and suffering, but more importantly about strength, gumption and hope. The author pulls you into this atmospheric world that is both history and fiction, truth and almost truth. You will find yourself sucked into this retelling and wanting more at the end. My emotions were all over the place between the righteous fury I felt for the characters and the hope that they would get more. I loved everything about this book! It was moody, but also action packed. Just the full gambit of emotions and themes.

There are a lot of scenes that are violent - including abuse, sexual harrasment and killing of a child by a parent. So if these themes are ones that trigger you, then I would suggest not reading this book. But those are the only reasons that I can see for not wanting to read this darkly beautiful story.

Overall, I loved the feelings this book invoked. I truly enjoyed this version of the Beast of Gevaudan and the history end note was much appreciated. This is the first book by this author I have read, but it will certainly not be the last and I will be telling all of my bookish friends about this one!

I'm slightly obsessed with the Beast of Gevaudan, in part because my husband is from the area and I know it well. So when I saw a book set in Mende (his hometown!) combining the legendary Beast with female rage, I knew I needed to read it. This is YA horror, not a genre I usually grativate toward (although I must point out that It's Only a Game, YA thriller by Kelsea Yu, ended up being one of my favorite reads of the summer, so maybe I should be looking at this genre more often!). I really loved the idea of this book: young women escape from their abusive home lives by faking their own deaths, using the Beast's attacks as a cover.

In general, I enjoyed the historical and geographical setting, despite a few hiccups (I'd think young Mendoises would imagine escaping "to the South" meaning Nimes, Montpellier, Arles, even Stes. Maries de la Mer, but the characters plan on heading to Nice... this city was a part of Italy in the 1700s, and much farther away from Mende than you'd think!). The legend of the Bet of Gevaudan was well-researched and -integrated. I also appreciated the feminist themes and age-appropriate romance.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

We Are The Beasts is historical fiction and horror novel inspired by the mystery of the the Beast of Gévaudan. Knowledge of the Beast of Gévaudan initially drew me to this book, but it was the feminist themes and the compelling story that maintained my interest.

Set in eighteenth century France, We Are The Beasts provides a sobering portrayal of the village of Mende and the perilous existences its inhabitants-mostly women-are forced to live. Close to starvation, often-expendable and easily-scapegoated, the unorthadox decision for shepherdesses Joséphine and her best friend Clara to fake the deaths of other village girls who have been victimized by the men around them is an understandable one.

The callous indifference of the village inhabitants, the means by which religion is ultiized to oppress others and the ease by which girls and women are expected to shoulder suffering at the hands of not only other villagers, but also outsiders in the form of hunters and soldiers sent to slay the beast, are all presented in a way that is painfully relatable.

I appreciated the relationship between Joséphine and Clara, which is not free from flaws due to the trauma that Joséphine still struggles with, as well as compassion shown to the other girls in their efforts to aid them. The diverse nature of the characters was a pleasant surprise, as I was unaware of the history involving Ethiopian immigrants in France and it is interesting to see queer relationships presented as well.

Unfortunately, the use of modern colloquialisms, statements and the repetition of French phrases when the characters are meant to always be speaking French did break story immersion repeatedly. I also felt that the novel is more of a mystery than a horror novel, which didn’t take away from my enjoyment, but I was more dreading the consequences of human behavior than fearing the stalking beast. Though the resolution of that particular mystery is satisfying and reasonable.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. The themes and the plot were great. If you told me about this book, I’d want to read it. Unfortunately the execution wasn’t there for me. The characters were just okay and the writing didn’t work. There were too many phrases that broke the immersion. Too many one off lines in French (if I read “Mon dieu” one more time…) and things that felt too modern. Such a shame because the bones are great!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy. This book follows two shepherdess' as they fake the deaths of some of the girls in the small village. They use the beast that has been taking girls from around the area. Soldiers come to hunt the beast down and claim the reward from the King of France.
This book is full of tension. Between the beast lurking and the possibility of discovery the girls have their hands full.
The message of the book is clear, it's right in the title. Between the way the men of the village treat the women and girls. The way the villagers often look the other way. Escape definitely seems like the only option even though it is full of its own perils.
Sadly, this book is very relevant to today's world. As unfortunately the way people treat others and turn a blind eye has not changed much since the period of time this book takes place.

This was a book I was looking forward to, and I really wish I liked it more! While I did enjoy the themes present in the book like women supporting women and feminine rage, and I love mysteries and historical fiction, this story didn’t really feel like it fully fit into any specific genre.

The modern language threw me out of the story sometimes, and while there were French words sprinkled throughout, it wasn’t enough to make the story actually feel like it was in a historical French setting.

While this wasn’t much of a horror story like it was marketing as, I do like the message that the true “beasts” are often those people around us who are abusers, or the people who support and protect them.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 12/6/24. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.

An interesting look at societal expectations, family dynamics, the patriarchy, and class dynamics. As bodies (or parts of them) start to turn up of children across rural villages a hunt is called to find the creature responsible for it. While tending to their sheep, Joséphine and Clara stumble upon the body of a boy and in one instant make a choice that will shake up the life that they knew. This quickly evolves into our pair recognizing the harm and violence the men of the village (and surrounding areas) have no problem inflicting on the women and girls in their lives. Through many schemes and clever plans they work to try to help a handful of girls escape before it is too late. But of course this cannot be easy and we have creepy power hungry priests, no brained soldiers out to hunt and kill the beast, and powerful men who do not care who is harmed along the way.
I really appreciated the way our characters have to work through past traumas to find their power and move into the lives that they deserve. It did feel slightly repetitive at times but if this was a book that was your first exposure to feminism and the idea that you can fight back against your oppressors it wouldn’t necessarily feel that way. Knowing this is a YA novel it fills me with hope that folks reading it will realize that just like Joséphine, Clara, Charlotte, Hélène, Eugénie, Louis, and Belle that they do not have to tolerate anyone trying to destroy who they are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! We are the Beasts is a YA historical horror about orphaned main character Josephine, living with her best friend, Clara, in 1700s Mende. The small village is beset by hard winters and the mythical beast – an animal that strikes and kills young women out tending their sheep.

As a reader that doesn’t typical choose horror novels, the element of the beasts was the perfect balance of concrete and mythical for me. Griffiths’ use of the weather and elements was excellent as well for building tension – the winter storms, lightning, rain, and snow that drive down on the abandoned cottage all happened at the right moments in the narrative.

The found family element – between Josephine, Clara, and the girls they are trying to aid in escaping their abusive home situations – is heartwarming, and much needed against the dismal backdrop of death and abuse. I loved the beast’s reveal at the end, the way Josephine both used the situation to her advantage and connected with the beast as well. While there were moments I felt characters might have benefited from a bit more flushing out, overall, I found it to be a strong cast of defiant and clever female characters.

Set in the 1700s, a beast is looming around a village. Coming out to attack random people, with no one knowing who would be next. A thrilling plot, setting, and characters.

The concept of two girls in 1700s France using a mythical beast to protect their village is intriguing. However, the execution falls short in several areas. The characters lack depth, reduced to simple archetypes of the "feral" and "caretaker." The heavy-handed feminist themes, while commendable, disrupt the historical setting.

The most significant issue lies in the anachronistic language. Phrases like "not today, Satan" and "hell no" jarringly clash with the 18th-century setting. While historical accuracy isn't always paramount, such modern language choices significantly detract from the immersive experience. I tried not to dwell on it, but it was a sour point for me.

Ultimately, "The Beast Within" is a promising concept that could have been better realized with stronger character development, a more nuanced approach to historical language, and a tighter narrative structure.

In We Are the Beasts, two young shepherdesses in the 18th-century French countryside use the chaos and confusion of the Beast of Gévaudan's siege on their village to plot the escape of several abused local girls, blaming their absence on grisly deaths at the mysterious creature's talons while concocting a plan to usher them to safety. The arrival of the King's army, intent on finding and banishing the creature - demon? spirit? witch? wolf? madman? - once and for all throws more than one wrench into their plan, requiring Clara and Josephine to get sly and creative in their continued efforts to get their neighbors (and more than one foolhardy lamb) to safety.

If I had to boil it down, I think what this book struggles with the most is not quite knowing what it wants to be. It's marketed as historical horror, but reads more contemporary mystery or thriller. The prose feels incredibly modern, and yes, the French does feel a bit pop-culture-y rather than historical(ly accurate) at times. I really had to step back from my own adult viewpoint to review this one, because that in combination with our protagonists' ideas surrounding gender and society are more foundational to feminism as a whole and less earth-shattering, groundbreakingly revolutionary.

For a YA novel, I think that's okay! I can definitely reach back in time and see 14-year-old Me thinking that this book was pretty badass. It's got blood, it's got monsters, it focuses on subversive girls and a nontraditional family; overall, I think it's a pretty solid young adult title with a bit more weight and heft behind it than the stereotypical teen story, and that if the young person in your life enjoys We Are the Beasts, they may grow up to be an adultier adult who would enjoy Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman.

Butterflies being carrion scavengers and blood drinkers is also one of my favorite nature facts that nobody ever really seems to enjoy, so I'm feeling pretty seen by Griffis with that one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the chance to share my thoughts on this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Real rating 3.5

I love the cover for this so much. It’s what drew me in. I have never read this author so that was another reason I wanted to give it a shot. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite.

I love a good feminine rage book. This had so much potential to be amazing. I really enjoyed the last half but it just seemed so easy? Like the danger never felt like it was 100% there. Josephine seemed able to do anything and get away with it. Especially for that time period. There were plenty of moments that I wanted to hit someone in this book though, so that was good. The “Beast” aspect of it felt lackluster. The standoff was interesting at least. Louis was the best character and I felt like there wasn’t enough done with him. Why did he want to leave? He seemed to have great friends and get away with things the girls couldn’t get away with. He could have stayed and made a difference! I think what is turning a lot of reviewers off is the language and it is a big jarring: I just feel like it’s way too modern for 1765 France.

3.5 Stars. The are times the book is really riveting and other times that I struggled to read on. A decent fictional spin on an old tale of the Beast of Gevaudan. I wish there had been a bit more of the storyline that pertained to that, although I know that wasn't the main focus. I do believe it did depict the reality of the older days and how women were treated. The conclusion being that in fact some of the most horrible monsters are human.
Thank you NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the ARC and the chance to read and review this book.

I love the cryptid story of The Beast of Gevaudan so of course I was thrilled to find a novel written about it.

#WeAreTheBeasts is a story about woman of all ages. Those who used to be looked upon as less and easy to use and abuse. Its a story of a terrible creature ripping through the french countryside leaving death and devastation in its wake. Its also the story of Josephine who has grown up feeling as though everyone leaves her after her mother and brother pass away and her father believing she too will die leaves her sick and alone never to return. She digs through snow and ice to go to her Clara where she feels safe. Over the years in Gevaudan she watches as girls are misused by men they are supposed to be able to depend on, beaten by those that are supposed to love them and with the beast having come to Gevaudan she sees the oppertunity to safe a few girls from what the world has given them and use the Beast as cover.

I enjoyed #WeAreTheBeasts by #GigiGriffis it is a novel that highlights a time in Gevaudan that was horrible and how woman of that time were treated.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #WeAreTheBeasts by #GigiGriffis in return for a fair and honest review.