Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Quierdo Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beasts is a YA horror translated from Norwegian. It follows Abdi and Alva, a brother and sister who are on the run from beasts that have arrived suddenly and are attacking all major cities. Their mother dead, their father in another country they are fighting to survive in their new reality.

At 128 pages long this book is short and sweet. It keeps the reader interested with it's fast paced action and evolving story. Some parts of the apocalyptic narrative feels quite reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic... Particularly the selfishness and cruelty of individuals and the isolationism.

My main issues with this book is whilst the story is fast paced, parts of the plot feel quite underdeveloped. This is potentially a translation issue but I feel like that is not the case due to having some quite large gaps. I feel like this story could have been better served expanded into a full length novel. It is never explained what the beasts are or why they're there... There are also a few hanging plot threads and repeated sentences and points that don't go anywhere. The story itself ends quite abruptly.

I still found this as quite an enjoyable read and for anyone who enjoys horror and wants a quick read may enjoy this.

Short and on point. I loved this. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was very excited to get to review Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland as my first NetGalley ARC! The synopsis captured my attention as it seemed like a suspenseful, action filled novella. Just what I love!

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read at less than 150 pages! Vivid descriptions really pulled me into the story and allowed me to visualise the terror of the characters as they were hunted down by the beasts. At times, even as I read cosily in bed, I felt unsettled at the thought of being stalked by these terrifying beasts.

The author has a particular talent in building suspense and causing the reader to be suspicious of every new character that was introduced. I felt like screaming 'DON'T TRUST THEM!' as the characters took chances that I would have steered away from! I would have loved to see what direction the story could have taken if one particular character had had different intentions.

The only real criticism I have is that the ending fell a little flat for me. I can imagine it could have hit harder if I had read the book in one sitting, but personally I think the ending would have been more impactful if it had been a little more developed... it left me with so many unanswered questions and felt a little unsatisfying.

All things considered, I rated this book 4 stars.

If you’ve ever wondered what The Road would look like with a middle-grade makeover and a side of cryptic monsters, Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is here to answer that question. The story follows 13-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister, Alva, as they flee across a ravaged Norway after mysterious, human-hunting creatures kill their mother. Their goal? Reach the sea and reunite with their father, who’s conveniently stranded on a remote island.

The writing is crisp, light, and easy to follow. It should appeal to younger readers or anyone who wants their apocalypse served without too much grit. The story is tense, fast-paced, and filled with cliffhangers that make it hard to put down. The beasts themselves are suitably terrifying. And, because no post-apocalyptic story is complete without some human nastiness, the siblings quickly learn that the real danger isn’t always four-legged and fanged.

But here’s the thing—this novella isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. If you’ve read The Road, watched A Quiet Place, or seen Monsters, you’ll probably experience some serious déjà vu. It hits all the familiar beats: scavenging for food, meeting sketchy strangers, fleeting moments of safety before disaster strikes again. For seasoned fans of the genre, it might feel like “Post-Apocalypse 101.” That said, it’s a great gateway book for younger readers or anyone new to this kind of story.

The relationship between Abdi and Alva makes the story engaging. Watching Abdi step into a protector role in a crumbling world is genuinely touching. But the plot has holes big enough for a beast to slip through—like, how exactly do these creatures work? Why does the plan to reach Dad feel so undercooked? And the ending, while poignant, leaves a lot of questions dangling.

Overall, Beasts is an engaging, atmospheric read with plenty of thrills and heart. Just don’t expect it to break new ground or tie up every loose end. Perfect for young adventurers or anyone craving a quick, eerie survival tale.

As someone who loves a good thriller or horror book this is something I would 100% pick up in a bookstore. I didn’t realise it was YA till I started reading but it didn’t put me off. Short novella which is perfect, read in an afternoon so didn’t feel like I had spent much time at all sat reading the book.

I didn’t think I would like it as it followed two young children however I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

Thank you!

In a world suddenly overrun with beasts that one day just appeared, thirteen year old Abdi and his five year old sister Alva are on their own. It is a journey of survival to get to the sea where the beasts have supposedly not inhabited. We follow the siblings as they navigate through the treacherous country, avoiding not only the beasts, but the bad men who would do them harm. It poses the question of who is the bigger threat? Man or beast?

This short novel packs a lot into its pages. We immediately follow the children on the run. It's heart-breaking in how fast humanity falls and turns against one another. While there is violent topics in this story, most of it is off-page making it a good introductory story for middle grade kiddos wanting to dip there toes in the horror genre. I really enjoyed this story and felt it was a good representation of man's downfall if something like this would actually happen. The pacing is fast, making this a really quick read.

-2.5 stars-

Honestly, I found nothing incredibly special or exciting
about “Beasts”

In all reality this book is pretty derivative of thousands of novels and films that came before it. Part “Bird Box”, part “A Quiet Place” and part contrived plot about orphans bonding during a crisis, Everything that “Beasts” presents has been done before and done better, right up to the ambiguous ending.

The characters are simplistic, the story is pretty basic, and even the writing is unremarkable. Could it be part of something being lost in translation? I suppose that’s totally possible, since, as I said, “Beasts” isn’t a book originally penned in English, but even so, for a book that was so widely praised in its original country of Norway, I’m left wondering what I missed. I do understand that as a book intended for younger readers I’m not the target audience with this one, so I’m willing to cut it a bit of slack for being just relatively average. And in this day and age where books are being questioned for their content over their quality, “Beasts” thankfully avoids being controversial (unless woefully under-described monsters can be considered as such).

I guess, overall, this novel is perfectly fine for a 9-10 year old readers (which, hey, let’s get more kids reading, please!), and even some adults will probably find this to be a decent read but don’t go in expecting anything life changing.

Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland is a chilling horror novella about two siblings, Abdi and Alva, surviving Norway in its advanced state of collapse, while beasts are lurking around hunting for people. Having witnessed their mom die in the hands of the beasts, their next step to survival is to go to an island in the hopes of reuniting with their dad. 

This novella is told like a dark fairytale, almost reminiscent of books written by the Brothers Grimm, and for that reason I enjoyed it. It is creepy and eerie, and I find myself rooting for the kids. The writing is simple, yet it worked for me because I don't want my horror to be full of purple prose. However, the lack of information about the beasts is something I want to know and wish to have answers to. Like, what even are they? or where did they come from? And how did it all start? Those are just a few questions I have whilst reading it. Also, the ending is ambiguous and I'm not too sure if I like it that way or not.

Overall, it is still a pretty solid horror novella, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try and read horror for the first time. 

Thank you Netgalley for providing a free advance copy of this novella.

Horror that pulls on your heartstrings. Imagine the world is falling apart around you, it's just your Mom, your sister, and you, a 13yo boy in the country side of Norway. Beasts have appeared and are just terrorizing and killing without discrimination. Although you don't have many things, but you have each other. That changes fast when out of nowhere else a beast attacks. Now is just you in charge of the survival only of yourself, but of your too little to deal with all of these trauma baby sister. It's just ya'll against the beasts, the world, and sometimes even the beasts might be better chance to take. It was a fast read, a thrilling, heartbreaking horror.

The monsters were not the only monster in the woods.

Just wanted to reach in and hold Abdi and Alva and tell them everything is going to be ok. It's labeled YA or children horror, this would be more towards the 13+ as some younger kids might be a little too young for this one. I truly enjoyed this read, and I want to thank NetGalley for opportunity to read and review this e-book ARC.

4.5☆

beasts was a pleasant, albeit simple, read. i wouldn't describe beasts as thrilling or page-turning, despite the horror elements. it's moreso character driven, giving us insight into the feelings and motivations of siblings abdi and alva. i would've preferred more of a deep dive into their psyche, but i recognize that i'm not the target audience and this would be a good starting point for middle grade readers.

This book was addicting. At just under 130 pages it packs a punch full of horror and self reflection. The author makes you question yourself and humanity. How would YOU behave if the Beasts came to your house?
Would you defend those you know?
Would you run and leave your neighbors to die?
Would you help the helpless?
This was the perfect YA horror short story I’ve been craving & I loved that it is a translated Nordic story.

✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this e-ARC ✨

Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland plunges readers into a world ravaged by terrifying, unknown creatures. Society has crumbled—power grids have failed, highways are littered with abandoned cars, and the few survivors live in constant fear, not just of the beasts but of one another. Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run, their hope resting on escaping through the forest to the sea. As they reflect on the events leading up to the beast's arrival, they must navigate who they can trust and what it takes to survive.

This YA horror novel is fast-paced, gripping, and filled with tension. Although I don't typically gravitate toward YA, a friend suggested I try this book, and I'm glad I did. The pacing is impeccable, keeping the story moving while maintaining suspense. The plot is well-crafted, seamlessly blending action and emotional depth.

Beasts left a strong impression, and I am eager to explore more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review.

fun concept but I ultimately wasn't crazy about it. also didn't realize it was YA until I was already a quarter through so maybe that impacted by experience as well. i liked the setting/plot but just didn't really care for the characters or the writing.

Very interesting concept.
Brutal at points, but also dry at times.
Not my favorite but I've read worse.
Pretty decent.

“Beasts” is a wild ride through a post-apocalyptic world filled with chills and heart-pounding moments. The story follows Abdi and Alva as they fight to survive in a world turned upside down, and their sibling bond adds a sweet touch to all the chaos.

While the concept is super intriguing (mystery beasts?! Yes, please!), the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and I wanted to know more about the creatures and the world. That said, it’s a quick, suspenseful read that kept me turning pages. Perfect for fans of survival stories with a dash of horror!

Beasts is a middle grade horror that follows Abdi and his sister Alva. After fleeing into the woods, the pair must make their way to a large city in order to safely escape the Beasts that have ravaged their towns, and are now hunting them.

This book was creepy from the beginning. The characters were realistic (aside from a couple of side characters) and the descriptions of the beasts left scary images in my mind.
The translation and formatting were excellent on the Netgalley app. It was an easy and quick read. The story itself gave me The Quiet Place vibes mainly, but it could look similar to any book or movie where the main characters are escaping either a war, or other creatures.

The horror of the beasts, and the situation that these poor kids were in, were unique to have in a middle grade. Even upper middle grade children would likely be terrified due to how descriptive and imaginative the story was. For a middle grade horror, it was much creepier than I was expecting. But that's not a bad thing. This could lead to some important discussions with parents around what to do in emergency situations, and the importance of staying together as a family.

This horror would be suitable for people really above the age of 13. It was incredibly well written and I think people would really enjoy it. As an adult I really enjoyed it! This receives a 4 star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and Levine Querido for the Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run. From what? Beasts have been attacking major cities and after one kills their mother, they are forced to run. They are trying to survive, trying to reach the coast to get on a boat to find their father. Will they make it?

At 128 pages, this story packs a punch! Although it's a translated work, I don't feel like much is lost in translation. This is a great horror recommendation for a beginner who isn't into gore. I wish the ending had more closure, but sometimes, that's the spooky part about horror...being left in the dark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

BEASTS by Ingvild Bjerkeland is translated YA novella that has been described as a mash-up of A Quiet Place and The Road.

13 yr old Abdi is left to care for his 5 yr old sister in a world overwhelmed by killer Beasts. All power is down, food is scarce and survivors are all in hiding. The siblings are forced to escape their home town to make it to the seaboard for rescue.

I honestly forgot this was YA while reading it. The desperation of these two is chilling and heartbreaking. It’s movie worthy in my opinion.

This isn't for me, and that's partly my error for not realising it's a YA book (I requested it from the horror section on netgalley and missed that it's also teen) but also the writing just isn't doing anything for me at 25% in.

This was a very good book. I could not stop reading it. Maybe because it has children. Children ages are 5 and 13. I love to read the children's point of view in books. It makes the story so much better. This book is a good read and would strongly recommend it.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review.