Beasts is a dark, atmospheric tale that pulls readers into a haunting world filled with tension, folklore, and quiet dread. Bjerkeland’s writing is lyrical and immersive, crafting a chilling story that lingers long after the last page. The pacing is slow and deliberate, building an unsettling mood that fans of psychological and gothic horror will appreciate. While not heavy on action, the eerie setting and introspective tone make this a compelling, thoughtful read. A great pick for readers who enjoy moody, character-driven horror with a literary edge.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing date: 01.04.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Two children try their best to survive a semi-apocalypse where almost everyone else is eaten by unknown beasts. Somewhat tense with a lot of slower moments, somewhat unsatisfying ending. 3 stars

Alva and Abdi have suddenly become part of a small apocalypse where a majority of the people have been eaten by beasts. They start to flee and their destination is a small island where their dad was last headed.

This story has a really simple but effective premise. Seeing two kids do their best to stick together and survive is nerve wracking. I can imagine my own thirteen year old self attempting to take care of my siblings, and I think it might have gone well ... worse than it did here.

The characters are kids, and as such they can be annoying and make stupid decisions. They are kids, it is what they do. Not a lot of personality to be seen except the usual "broody and strict" older sibling and the "sunny and naive" younger sibling.

Pacing worked well according to the page number. If it had been much longer I think it might have started to drag. However, the ending was mid. I found it a little sudden and left me with questions I wanted answered. Unsatisfying

Intended audience is a little younger than myself. Young adult, maybe even middle grade. There isn't much explicit language or events, so this fits for them. Especially considering the age of our protagonist.
I would recommend this to horror-curious kids in the 8-14 range.

Overall, this was fine. Fell slightly flat, not enough tension for me, and the writing is a little young. I did speed through the book so it gets points for that.
I give this three stars, fine for what it was, but not quite for me.

This was such a gritty novel. Coming from the perspective of children, this leans into a more chilling and heartbreaking series of events. It was very well written and the beasts are terrifying.

Ebook/Overall Story: 2.5/5

I don’t know if I’ve said this about a book before, but this was… cute. I noticed it’s marketed as young adult, but even for that age group it wasn’t scary. It felt like something I might read to my 10 year old niece. It was a nice touch to have the story told from the perspective of children. The author was able to easily capture that innocence, curiosity, and fear.

A big plus in this was the sibling dynamic between these two kids. In a lot of stories that take place in some dystopian or monstrous time we often see kids taking a long time to learn or catch on to the reality of the situation. Here I felt the author did a good job of showing that kids can adapt and still have those child like emotions. I found myself going “awww” every time the younger sister spoke up. Though they’re both grieving, she’s aware that her brother now has to protect them but still needs support himself.

What works against the story is the length. While it’s an easy and quick read, you’re so abruptly dropped into the story. By the time you begin to connect with the characters and get a sense for everything that’s occurring, the book is over. It also ends just as suddenly as it starts.

Personally, the book felt like reading a fairytale or something you might hear through folk tales. It would’ve been cooler to see this told via a graphic novel. Having that imagery might’ve added more tension and a quicker placement into the setting.

Overall the story is alright. It’s not new or something we’ve never seen done. I do think it’s an interesting start to spark the curiosity of what else this author could do with more pages.

Thanks to Levine Querido & Netgalley for this DRC.

BEASTS is a compelling story about siblings and survival in the apocalypse. The setting is vivid and the pace is quick. I appreciated the centering of a sibling relationship during the end times. A quick read that will certainly appeal to younger YA readers.

Beasts is a post-apocalyptic novella following Abdi and his sister, Alva, as they flee the remnants of their village in the aftermath of an attack by mysterious beasts. Their mother has died (happens at the beginning, so not much of a spoiler) and their father has fled, so they journey across the country in hopes of reuniting with him. As with most stories of this ilk, the beasts themselves are far from the worst threat. As the two travel, they must learn to survive in a world without power or a functioning society, and will learn from experience both the best and worst humanity has to offer.

The book is geared to a younger YA audience, so the thrills are toned down and the language is made accessible to the target age. However, the most interesting parts of the story are missing, namely who or what the titular beasts are and what the ultimate fate of Abdi and Alva is. In the absence of these pieces, we are left with a quasi-literary tale of siblings and their survival in the absence of parents. The takeaways are are simple as the story itself: some adults can be harmful but not all. I wouldn't necessarily call this book a standout, but I'm also not the target audience, so if it sounds interesting to you, maybe give it a try!

Beasts is an intense and gripping YA horror novel following Abdi and his younger sister Alva on their desperate escape from the beasts that have invaded the world, and their hopeful journey to reach their father.
This book shows how different individuals handle grief and loss in the wake of a devastating national event. I was rooting for Abdi and Alva to arrive safely at their destination the entire time.

Following a young girl confronting ancient forces in a foreboding landscape, Bjerkeland’s prose is lyrical yet accessible, creating a detailed, immersive world. I just wish it were longer, and didn't end quite so abruptly.

I enjoyed this children's/YA dystopian horror horror novel. The conflict and the monsters are, perhaps, not the most original, however I think tweens and teens will find the story suspenseful. The characters are engaging, and the trauma they endure throughout the story is heartbreaking. The horror is not extreme or graphic in any way, and I think this is appropriate for readers ages 10 and up.

I had requested the ARC for this book, not realizing it was a YA story. I usually read mostly adult horror. The premise of this novella sounded good, but didn’t live up to it’s promise for me. It seemed to rely too much on worn out tropes and previous apocalyptic survival stories and left me wanting more. I wanted more character development and a more intricate plot. The ending felt a bit rushed. While it had echoes of A Quiet Place and The Road, it didn’t deliver. It may be the case that I just wasn’t the appropriate audience for this one.

This is short, but far from sweet. Two children are on the run from vicious beasts after the death of their mother, and everything that can go wrong, does. You can feel the desperation of the protagonist as he races across the country, sister in tow, trying to keep her safe while he keeps his sadness and overwhelming fear in check. I wish this had been longer!

I went into this not realizing it would be more on the YA of things. So that felt a little meh for me. But it also just felt like a standard apocalyptic story with monsters. I wanted a bit more from everything. And the ending? It made me SO angry because of how abrupt it was.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! This book sucked me in and didn't let go. Post-apolyptic meets Naussica meets the Hunger Games. AAAGH. I loved it and am going to follow this author forever!

Acknowledgements and grateful thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC: 'Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland'. All opinions are my own and are not a reflection of the publishers and/or author, of which I have no association with.

Three out of five stars (3/5 stars).

<B><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217187787-beasts">Beasts</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14847929.Ingvild_Bjerkeland">Ingvild Bjerkeland</a> is a short translated horror story about the end of days — the end coming on swift hooves with silky black fur. </b>
<I>THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.</I>

<B>TRIGGER WARNINGS:</b> <I>Animal harm and death, death, violence, suicide and monsters.</I>

<B>Pre-Read:

<I>//Ive always enjoyed monster books so I'm looking forward to this ARC.//</I>

Review:</b>

<I>"From Norway comes an international horror hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.

The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures -- and one another. "</I> — the GoodReads website for Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland.

— I absolutely love monster books with original monsters. I think it's why I enjoy Doctor Who so much, is the creative force behind it.
This small novel is actually pretty fantastic for younger readers. It keeps the scary edge without a lot of gore, violenc and/or bad language. I do love a good story that doesn't <I>need</I> those things to keep people on the edge of their seat. Not all readers prefer that though, I do know that over the years I've become more of a prude so it's probably more of a me thing than a people thing.

I was supposed to be reading my non-fiction books today, but this caught me by the hair and dragged me right into the middle of the action. Just how I like it.

We join the two children: Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva as they are on the run from the beasts that have swarmed Earth. There's nowhere safe to hide, at least, not for long. Stay a while and listen to their story be told as they try and find safety in a world lost to evil.

'Beasts/Udyr' is Ingvild Bjerkeland's first translated book to be released in English for young adults and was the winner of ARK's Children's Book prize in 2023.

<B>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</B> Ingvild Bjerkeland is a contemporary author from Norway. She was born in Haugesund in 1981. While there is not a lot about her background or her in general, Ingvild is known for her complex themes and characters. She has a PhD in film and television studies (which I assume is similar to media studies) and has attended the (creative) writing programme in Bø.

The plot kind of reminded me of 'A Quiet Place', the movie, in the way that you kind of have to stay quiet to stay alive, if any beasts came to this planet, my wife would die straight away be cause she's super noisy. Lol. I could only imagine the complexity of trying to stay alive while trying to keep quiet, keep fed and watered, it would be hard to stay quiet.

Imagination is the key here, and this book is full of creativity and complex themes that will have you buried in the novel in no time. I do have to point out that I was a little disappointed with the ending, as many have been, as it just stops out of nowhere, with no satisfying end. You're left wondering and thinking, which is not an entirely bad thing, but it does leave much to be had.

All in all, the three stars were well earned and I would probably read this again, no problem.

Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is a YA horror novella, translated from the Swedish, that follows two siblings on the run for their life in a world that has been overrun by some violent beasts. Unclear how these beasts got there or why, what they look like or want - this is a very standard apocalypse story that ends without a real ending or explanation or... anything really.
It's a quick easy read, unfortunately not remarkable enough for me, but probably perfect for young readers with an interest in horror.

* I'd like to thank Ingvild Bjerkeland, Levine Querido and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this short novel.

“Beasts” have ravaged the neighborhood where our 13 year old main character lives. He, along with his five year old sister, escape to the countryside to hopefully find a safe refuge while making their way to their dad.

There are some intense scenes in the book. Very little gore, so fine for the YA audience it’s aimed for. I thought the beasts were really interesting, and I would have liked more of a backstory on them.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid story about a pair of young siblings on a mission to find their dad. Their resilience is commendable and I actually hoped they'd make it through it all after the ending.

The ending left a lot to be desired, but I really enjoyed the premise. Monster books always interest me! I love a translated novel so this definitely ticked that box.

2.5 rounded up. It was a very fast and quick read with steady enough pacing to keep me engaged. It very much felt like A Quiet Place, so it was hard not to imagine that while reading this. I don't care for not having some sort of ending. The way it stopped, I almost thought I didn't read the entire thing or missed something.

Thank you Ingvild Bjerkland, Levine Querido and NetGalley for this ARC.

Beasts is a novella about Abdi and Alva, a brother and sister duo trying to survive the end of the world.

I am such a sucker for “end of the world” stories; aliens, monsters, zombies, pandemics and asteroids, I love them all. I actually loved how little we, the readers, knew about what was happening, I loved how we could see that, whatever those Beasts were, they were spreading throughout Europe.

Although I was very annoyed by Alva, the little sister, her brother, Abdi, was a very good older brother and I wish nothing but the best for him (and Alva too, I guess).

I liked were the story ended because, if I’m being honest, I don’t think anything good will come out of that situation in which Abdi and Alva found themselves in.