The Beast of Kukuyo

First of all I have to say that I know practically nothing about Trinidad. All I knew before going into this book was that it used to be a British slave colony and that it is in the Caribbean. And this book isn't really about Trinidad, but it is set there, so you can say that I had to Google many many things in order to understand what was going on. But that was actually one of my favourite things, as the author used Trini slang and hindu words to authenticate Rune's perspective.

One of my favourite aspects of this book is that it is just as much character driven as it is plot driven, so it's kind of perfect for me. I loved watching Rune grow and learn and really just become who she needed to be. The other characters are also really well written and each one has their own complexities. Nothing is black and white. Nick, for example, is irresponsible and an alcoholic but as we see him through Rune's eyes it's clear that he's not all bad.

There is only technically a romance element to this book and that's really just an awesome friendship that could lead to more at some point in the future. And I liked that. It was realistic, not all fifteen year olds have ever been in a relationship, in fact most haven't.

My one gripe (except it isn't really) is that we never get to find out who kills Dumpling. Rune laments that people will forget about Dumpling but along the way she stops being fueled by that death as well (in her defense she does have some crazy other shit going on).

"For the second time in her life, 15-year-old Rune Mathura comes face-to-face with a brutal murder when her classmate Dumpling Heera goes missing and is eventually found dead."

Somewhere between a Trinidadian slice-of-life and a gritty YA thriller, The Beast of Kukuyo is a remarkable novel. Full of heart and evoking the village of Kukuyo in brilliant colour, it also upends the conventions of crime dramas in a really clever way.

The death of Dumpling is the catalyst for Rune's introduction to Kukuyo's criminal underbelly. Instead of delving deeper, Rune quickly recoils when she recognises that real life is nothing like TV. Far from being a hive of activity, the local police station is a boring office, with paperwork stacking up as crimes go unsolved. The bad guys are actually scary, and Rune, while retaining her natural inquisitiveness, also has a healthy sense of self-preservation overriding it.

The ending is a little messy, almost feeling like the author felt obliged to provide readers with a climactic showdown, despite leaving many threads loose. But I liked the way the workings of the law and order system were shown to be confused and unreliable.

The Beast of Kukuyo is a coming-of-age story with the suspense and tension of a thriller, and a reminder that real crime is never cozy.

For Rune, investigating Dumpling’s death is her way of fighting back against the cycle of violence that has infected her community, the ‘beast’ of the title. There’s a running thread about how when someone dies, like Dumpling or Rune’s mother, their deaths are briefly mourned before their lives are seemingly wiped away and never spoken of again. Therefore, as no one is confronting the issues that led to these deaths or talking about them, violence begets violence and young people like Rune’s brother Nick perpetuate the cycle of destruction and self-destruction.

I read this book all in one sitting, and found it exhilarating and brutal and joyous. There’s a tense crime/mystery plot of sorts but the book is really a series of vignettes centred around Rune and her family’s life.
The characters and relationships are engaging and interesting, particularly the sweet and supportive relationship between Rune and her best friend Tiki, and her grandfather Sam.

I found it really interesting to read a novel about the Indo-Caribbean population of Trinidad, as it’s a subject that I’ve never come into contact with before. The novel is written in dialect to an extent, which gives a further sense of the place and context. I liked the references to Murder, She Wrote which felt strangely incongruous and also fitted in perfectly.

The plot gets a bit confusing towards the end, but the most significant part of this novel is the atmosphere it creates, the sense of injustice and disintegration that is being fought against.

I would recommend this book to people interested in reading about different cultures and darker subject matters.

This is perfection. YA mystery thriller amateur sleuth set in Trinidad. Own voices story. It was atmospheric the tension and danger was felt right up to the end. I loved the ending, this almost never happens in books. The writing is precise, no fluff. The dialogue is sharp and clear I could hear and feel Trinidad in this story.

Kevin Jared Hosein’s The Beast of Kukuyo is an engrossing and unique read with well-written characters and a fascinating setting. While I enjoyed this book, the plot could have been better crafted.

Our protagonist is fifteen-year-old Rune Mathura who lives with her brother and grandfather in the rural Trinidadian village of Kukuyo. When her classmate Dumpling Heera disappears and is found murdered, Rune launches an investigation into the death. This isn’t her first brush with brutal murder and she knows how quickly the police and her village will forget about the crime. As she seeks to unravel the truth behind Dumpling’s death, Rune uncovers the seedy underbelly of her tiny village.

Although this book can be classified as young adult, I love that Hosein avoids most of the genre’s stereotypes. While Rune’s journey is a coming age of story, Hosein avoids tropes like instant love and predictable characters. Instead, the plot is layered, providing an unflinching look at darkness and trauma but there are also moments of lightness. The characters are well-written and complex, realistically illustrating the unpredictability of people. There is an extremely minor romance between Rune and her best friend, Tiki. However, it is well-handled and both characters are fully formed outside of their brief romance.

I love the relatable and spirited Rune. My other favourite characters include Rune’s sweet but practical grandfather Sam, and Tiki whose life is painfully authentic. However, I would have liked more female characters because the book is very male-centric and the lives of the few female characters are particularly tragic and violent.

The book is interesting and nicely paced. I like that the narrative is in Trinidadian dialect which authentically grounds the setting and characters. The small and enclosed village is excellently crafted. I love the gritty and tense atmosphere of the novel.

However, while the mystery is fascinating, it could have been more developed. There are a few plot points which are left hanging. The mystery surrounding Dumpling’s death is practically forgotten by the end of the book. While I do appreciate the harsh reality that the book conveys and I understand that many things go unresolved in real life, I would have liked the plot to be more fully resolved.

The Beast of Kukuyo is an original read with well-developed characters and a captivating mystery. Although I wish the mystery plot was better written, I really like this fascinating book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Banyan Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love book set in the Carabbean and this was a perfect book.
It's full of the smell, colours and whatever you expect from a Carabbean book.
I loved the main characters, the plot - even if there's some loose threads, and the setting.
A wonderful reading.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Blue Banyan Books and Netgalley for this ARC