Riley and his classmates are on a field trip to Central Park when things start to go badly. The school bully steals Riley's pretzel and in the ensuing chase, five of the kids are turned into animals-the bully Dylan is a raccoon, his sister is turned into a hawk, Sarah is turned into a macaw and her protector is turned into a water bug. The kids have to try to figure out how to turn themselves back into humans and it's a wild ride! There are lots of plot twists and entertaining dialogue. This would be a great book for middle grade readers who like magical mysteries. It has themes of finding your own voice (even if you're a rat), family and taking care of each other. I think the kids are going to like this one a lot.

A group of friends are transformed into animals in Central Park. This children are on a hilarious adventure to change back to their human bodies. This story has themes of friendship, and family dynamics. The characters are fun, with fun twist and turns throughout the story.

I DNF'd this one a few chapters in. I found the footnotes distracting, in part because the NetGalley reader platform is not set up to accommodate the unusual format, but the only way I could figure out how to navigate between the text and the footnotes was to have the book open in two tabs simultaneously. I probably wouldn't have minded much if I'd thought the footnotes added to the story, but many of them seemed pretty useless. I think the tone of the book just wasn't coming across well for me.

You ever see that Magic School Bus episode "In the city" where the kids turn into foxes, opossums and other urban wildlife? This is like that but if the kids had to also figure out how to get the item that could turn them back into humans. The kids (Beasties as they call themselves) in this book must figure out how to use the skills of the animals they have become in order to get back the items needed for them to be human again. Along the way they must also figure out how to put there differences aside and work as a team.

This book was a quick fun read. There is not a lot of character development and I feel as if some character's like Carlos didn't really need to be in the story. It's definitely targeted for young kids, most of the jokes have to do with poop and farts.

The ending wraps everything up but leaves the story open for the possibility of more. If there are more books in this series then I hope future instalments focus on some of the other characters besides Riley and Kate. These two get the bulk of the focus and character development in this story so it would be nice if future instalments give some attention to other characters like Dylan, he is a bully but this story never really explains why despite dropping hints that there is a reason he picks on Riley.

I really like this book! We readers need to have a break from heavier, thought-provoking stories, especially kids! This book is outrageously funny and adventurous. Characters are developed lightly but not stereotypically. Kids, just like adults, don’t always want to read books with deep-themes and characters. VERDICT: Beasties is a good quality fun read for middle grades and reluctant readers.
Rebekah Kreitner, Youth Librarian, Virginia Beach Public Library

While on a field trip a group of friends and one that is not so friendly come in really close to an artifact that looks like poo, no why the kids would get near something that looks like poo is beyond me, but they are kids. Kids are kids. Then there is a blinding flash and they are turned into different animals. Rat, racoon, hawk, parrot, and a water loving bug. If that is not bad enough the group finds themselves in the middle of Manhattan and must fight and work together if they to find a cure to turn them back human.
Wow, what a book! I wish I knew where some of these authors get their ideas. This story is so much fun it is great for all types and ages of readers. It was great to see the kids think outside the box to get things done the way they are now. It was nice that they all did come together to work as a team. This book has so much action and suspense you just can not put it down, definitely a book that will keep you up past your bedtime

As I personally did not enjoy this book - no true character arcs, no true world building, I won't be publishing a review. I try not to be negative when I read books, but this is one I cannot support.

I loved this book. It was a fun, wild ride. I liked the idea of the characters. Very interesting and unique. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
10/10

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Peter Lerangis for the eARC of Beasties. A fun premise, a slightly dragging narrative. Worth a read for kiddos looking for a feel-good adventure who have some patience.

I loved the premise of this book - 5 kids from different social groups who get accidentally/magically turned into animals while on a field trip and have to work together to not only survive but also to figure a way out of their situation and to become human again.

There were lots of twists and turns in the story and some good discussions could be had based on this book about persevere, trust, teamwork, compassion, and that people may not be what they first seem.

I think this book may be an enjoyable read for my upper elementary school students, though I personally found the pacing a bit slow. I would still recommend it to a student looking for a relatively low stress sci-fi adventure story.

"With only three hours left as a human being, I forgot my allergy meds."

This first line will definitely come out as one of the most awesome attention-grabbing first lines I've seen recently!

A group of sixth-graders from New York City, while on a class excursion at the Central Park, encounters a strange artifact that turns them into animals. A rat, a raccoon, a hawk, a water bug, and a parrot instead of human beings, the kids now have to find a way back to their humanity, while experiencing first-hand all the dangers of the life as urban wildlife, both from people and from predators considering them prey.

It is a fun fast-paced magical adventure without exploration of any deeper themes beyond the sheer excitement of narrow escapes though. One could expect at least that this team adventure would become a humbling experience and a point of personal growth for kids whose attitudes are clearly showed as lacking in empathy and interpersonal skills at the beginning. But perhaps a character cannot grow too much within a story that is evidently only the first in a series - what would be left for them to do in the next ones?

I got a free eARC of this title through NetGalley; the review above is my honest independent opinion of it (by someone well out of the target age group).