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The Year of the Beasts
Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food... and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone's love and friendship to the test.
Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary novel that will break your heart and crack it wide open at the same time.
Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary novel that will break your heart and crack it wide open at the same time.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2012
17 people are currently reading
1398 people want to read
About the author
Cecil Castellucci
213 books724 followersCecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books. Titles include Boy Proof, The Year of the Beasts (illustrated by Nate Powell), First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool The Plain Janes and Janes in Love (illustrated by Jim Rugg), Tin Star Stone in the Sky, Odd Duck (illustrated by Sara Varon) and Star Wars: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure.
Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.
She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.
Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.
She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
May 12, 2020
I wish I had some kind of superpower that allowed me to touch a book and get a feel of how much it was going to destroy me.
[Also, wouldn’t that make an incrediblygeeky fantastic TV programme that only I would watch?]
Because I thought that this book was going to be a sweet book about first kisses and sisters and lovely things.
And it was.
But it was also the kind of book that punches you in the gut.
Multiple times.
And then just as you’ve got your breath back?
BOOM.
That’s it slapping you in the face.
I’m kind of tempted to leave this review there because that’s basically how I’m still feeling about this book and I finished it a good few days ago. But I like the sound of my fingers tippy-tapping against my keyboard.
This book is so clever. I didn’t really understand the connection between the two alternating chapters (one is written in prose and the next is a graphic novel) , and I can understand why people wouldn’t really like the style, but it didn’t bother me at all especially when the pictures looked like this.
Gorgeous, right?
And the thing about this book is that I can’t even say that there was a huge twist. Because it was right there in front of me from the beginning.
But that’s all I’m saying.
This book was genius and I’m still feeling a little wobbly with surprise at the turn of events.
I picked up this book because I was feeling sorry for myself and wanted a gentle book that was the equivalent of a literary cuddle. Instead I got a punch in the face and a broken heart and it was excellent.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley.
[Also, wouldn’t that make an incredibly
Because I thought that this book was going to be a sweet book about first kisses and sisters and lovely things.
And it was.
But it was also the kind of book that punches you in the gut.
Multiple times.
And then just as you’ve got your breath back?
BOOM.
That’s it slapping you in the face.
I’m kind of tempted to leave this review there because that’s basically how I’m still feeling about this book and I finished it a good few days ago. But I like the sound of my fingers tippy-tapping against my keyboard.
This book is so clever. I didn’t really understand the connection between the two alternating chapters (one is written in prose and the next is a graphic novel) , and I can understand why people wouldn’t really like the style, but it didn’t bother me at all especially when the pictures looked like this.
Gorgeous, right?
And the thing about this book is that I can’t even say that there was a huge twist. Because it was right there in front of me from the beginning.
But that’s all I’m saying.
This book was genius and I’m still feeling a little wobbly with surprise at the turn of events.
I picked up this book because I was feeling sorry for myself and wanted a gentle book that was the equivalent of a literary cuddle. Instead I got a punch in the face and a broken heart and it was excellent.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley.
June 11, 2014
I was a teenage gorgon!
Fifteen-year-old Tessa spends her time brooding about WHY Charlie, the attractive, popular boy, prefers her younger sister. In the meantime, she finds possible true love, or at least LUST, with Jasper...but, dammit! He's not socially presentable.
Wow! Such problems...
Maybe I'm just too old for this book. I no longer find teenage-girl-angst charming. I find it gratingly tedious. But my biggest problem with this one is that Tessa seems to have NOTHING ELSE going on with her life.
I was one of the angstiest teenaged girls ever! I spent hours upon hours in my room, brooding over why boys, even the nerdy ones, didn't like me. BUT, that wasn't ALL I did. I read books, drew pictures, listened to record albums (yes, I'm THAT old!) and used my roll-on deodorant as a microphone to belt out those tunes to my imaginary adoring masses.
Tessa does none of this. Her only hobby, other than ruminating, seems to be plotting revenge against her sister.
The book alternates chapters, one prose, one graphic novel. The artwork is nice, but the story, not so hot. It's honestly not very well written. None of the characters come alive and begin to breathe. The ending is horrifying and wrenching..., but that's apparently what it takes to bring Tessa out of herself. She shakes hersnakes dreads, pastes a determined smile on her face and carries on, brave girl. She's going to be okay, people.
The drama, the drama!
Fifteen-year-old Tessa spends her time brooding about WHY Charlie, the attractive, popular boy, prefers her younger sister. In the meantime, she finds possible true love, or at least LUST, with Jasper...but, dammit! He's not socially presentable.
Wow! Such problems...
Maybe I'm just too old for this book. I no longer find teenage-girl-angst charming. I find it gratingly tedious. But my biggest problem with this one is that Tessa seems to have NOTHING ELSE going on with her life.
I was one of the angstiest teenaged girls ever! I spent hours upon hours in my room, brooding over why boys, even the nerdy ones, didn't like me. BUT, that wasn't ALL I did. I read books, drew pictures, listened to record albums (yes, I'm THAT old!) and used my roll-on deodorant as a microphone to belt out those tunes to my imaginary adoring masses.
Tessa does none of this. Her only hobby, other than ruminating, seems to be plotting revenge against her sister.
The book alternates chapters, one prose, one graphic novel. The artwork is nice, but the story, not so hot. It's honestly not very well written. None of the characters come alive and begin to breathe. The ending is horrifying and wrenching..., but that's apparently what it takes to bring Tessa out of herself. She shakes her
The drama, the drama!
May 22, 2014
A strange bird here. A story with chapters of YA novel alternating with chapters of graphic novel.
Both stories are related, but the time frames don't mesh. And while the YA novel doesn't have any element of the fantastic involved, the graphic novel is full of mythic elements.
First, let me say that I've enjoyed a lot of Castellucci's work in the past. Good storyteller.
Second, I admire the hell out of her for being willing to take a risk. For being willing to try something new and different. I don't think I've *ever* run into something that was half-comic half-novel before.
That said... I don't know how successful it was.
Speaking only from my personal experience, I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a comic with an element of the fantastic. This was reinforced by the title and the cover and my previous experience with Castellucci as a comic writer.
When I opened up the book and it looked like it was mostly text.... I was disappointed, and I put it aside for over a year.
Then, when I started to read it, I found it hard to shift gears every chapter. Moving not only between comic and raw text, but between two stories featuring the same characters, but one of them full of fantastic elements, and the other perfectly mundane.
The story did come to good resolution. The relationship between the two stories becoming clear, fruitful even. But that doesn't retroactively remove the frustration I felt through most of the book.
It's possible that the true audience of this book, younger readers, would have less of a problem with this shifting of gears. They are more limber of mind and less set in their ways. They have fewer expectations crudding up their potential enjoyment of things.
In the end, I enjoyed it about 3.5 stars worth. Rounding up to 4 because I admire anyone willing to do something genuinely new and different.
Both stories are related, but the time frames don't mesh. And while the YA novel doesn't have any element of the fantastic involved, the graphic novel is full of mythic elements.
First, let me say that I've enjoyed a lot of Castellucci's work in the past. Good storyteller.
Second, I admire the hell out of her for being willing to take a risk. For being willing to try something new and different. I don't think I've *ever* run into something that was half-comic half-novel before.
That said... I don't know how successful it was.
Speaking only from my personal experience, I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a comic with an element of the fantastic. This was reinforced by the title and the cover and my previous experience with Castellucci as a comic writer.
When I opened up the book and it looked like it was mostly text.... I was disappointed, and I put it aside for over a year.
Then, when I started to read it, I found it hard to shift gears every chapter. Moving not only between comic and raw text, but between two stories featuring the same characters, but one of them full of fantastic elements, and the other perfectly mundane.
The story did come to good resolution. The relationship between the two stories becoming clear, fruitful even. But that doesn't retroactively remove the frustration I felt through most of the book.
It's possible that the true audience of this book, younger readers, would have less of a problem with this shifting of gears. They are more limber of mind and less set in their ways. They have fewer expectations crudding up their potential enjoyment of things.
In the end, I enjoyed it about 3.5 stars worth. Rounding up to 4 because I admire anyone willing to do something genuinely new and different.
November 11, 2012
Cecil Castellucii and Nate Powell teamed up to deliver this hybrid novel whose disparate parts fail to congeal into a satisfactory whole. Castellucci's prose sections are about a young teen named Tessa whose younger sister Lulu suddenly becomes much cooler than her one summer, winning the hand of the boy Tessa likes. Powell's comics sections -- which appear as alternating chapters -- take place at a high school where everyone has turned into a mythological monster, with the main girl (Tessa) transformed into a Medusa complete with snake-hair and a gaze that turns people to stone.
Aside from being told in different media, these two stories threads also have wildly different tones. Casetllucci's prose tries for a breathless sense of adolescent optimism and magic -- similar to what Ray Bradbury achieved so brilliantly in Something Wicked This Way Comes -- and falls flat. Her characters are gratingly naive and feel much younger than they are supposed to be. Powell's comics are much darker, full of shadow, jagged panel borders, odd layouts, and artistic lettering. I'm a big fan of his work generally, and here his soft and lively line is used to create a powerful sense of menace and despair. However, his contributions are slight compared to the prose portions (which constitute about 3/4 of the book), and are of such a different tone as to be jarring rather than mysterious. It's not until the end of the book that we see the reason for these two plot strands, when a leftfield third-act plot twist brings it all lurchingly together while abruptly pushing the story into Problem Novel territory (Tess sees herself as a monster because of her sense of guilt! Get it?!?!) Some readers might be willing to follow Castellucci, but the move struck me as both manipulative and a cop out, favoring melodramatic tragedy rather than fulfilling the promise of either the complicated relationship between the sisters or the magical comics. It's a pity because what could have been a very interesting experiment of a hybrid novel ends up feeling limpid and waterlogged.
Aside from being told in different media, these two stories threads also have wildly different tones. Casetllucci's prose tries for a breathless sense of adolescent optimism and magic -- similar to what Ray Bradbury achieved so brilliantly in Something Wicked This Way Comes -- and falls flat. Her characters are gratingly naive and feel much younger than they are supposed to be. Powell's comics are much darker, full of shadow, jagged panel borders, odd layouts, and artistic lettering. I'm a big fan of his work generally, and here his soft and lively line is used to create a powerful sense of menace and despair. However, his contributions are slight compared to the prose portions (which constitute about 3/4 of the book), and are of such a different tone as to be jarring rather than mysterious. It's not until the end of the book that we see the reason for these two plot strands, when a leftfield third-act plot twist brings it all lurchingly together while abruptly pushing the story into Problem Novel territory (Tess sees herself as a monster because of her sense of guilt! Get it?!?!) Some readers might be willing to follow Castellucci, but the move struck me as both manipulative and a cop out, favoring melodramatic tragedy rather than fulfilling the promise of either the complicated relationship between the sisters or the magical comics. It's a pity because what could have been a very interesting experiment of a hybrid novel ends up feeling limpid and waterlogged.
April 30, 2012
4.5 stars
{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.
I don't know what I was expecting from The Year of the Beasts, but I definitely didn't anticipate having my heart ripped out and stomped to bits in this slim, heart-wrenching novel-meets-comic.
Young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and comic artist Nate Powell teamed up to create a fascinating story told in alternating chapters. Castellucci's chapters are straight-forward narrative about the changing relationships between two sisters as they both navigate their first romantic relationships; Powell's chapters are beautifully drawn comics of an alternate reality in which a girl with snakes for hair navigates a new school year.
Eventually the two storylines merge, and that's when the heart ripping and stomping hit.
I can't write a review of The Year of the Beasts without first discussing the format. I said, it's half comic, half traditional prose. I am a relative newbie to the world of graphic novels and comics, though I'm very interested in visual storytelling forms, and found this mix made the visual chapters very approachable. While the drawings are black and white (for some reason, I thought this would be a turn-off), they are so nuanced and detailed that the art is incredibly vibrant. The graphics draw (puns!) on the Medusa myth, creating a novel that's full of magical realist elements. It's a different approach that's very successful in The Year of the Beast.
The writing is stunning, full of pain and hope and emotion. I had not had the opportunity to encounter Cecil Castellucci's writing before, but it is such a treat to read and to linger upon. Written in third person, her words draw you into Tessa's world more so than many first-person YA novels,
I have to say, there is a massive, enormous twist in The Year of the Beasts that makes it extremely difficult to thoroughly review without completely spoiling it. Needless to say, this was not the sweet tale of summer love that the original book description led me to believe it would be. However, Castellucci and Powell's twisty story is so very worth the emotional investment and anyone who enjoys novels which experiment with storytelling forms with certainly be entranced by this distinctive novel.
FNL Character Rating: Becky Sproles, at her pained, late-season four lowpoint.
Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. No compensation or goodies were received in exchange for my honest review.
{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.
I don't know what I was expecting from The Year of the Beasts, but I definitely didn't anticipate having my heart ripped out and stomped to bits in this slim, heart-wrenching novel-meets-comic.
Young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and comic artist Nate Powell teamed up to create a fascinating story told in alternating chapters. Castellucci's chapters are straight-forward narrative about the changing relationships between two sisters as they both navigate their first romantic relationships; Powell's chapters are beautifully drawn comics of an alternate reality in which a girl with snakes for hair navigates a new school year.
Eventually the two storylines merge, and that's when the heart ripping and stomping hit.
I can't write a review of The Year of the Beasts without first discussing the format. I said, it's half comic, half traditional prose. I am a relative newbie to the world of graphic novels and comics, though I'm very interested in visual storytelling forms, and found this mix made the visual chapters very approachable. While the drawings are black and white (for some reason, I thought this would be a turn-off), they are so nuanced and detailed that the art is incredibly vibrant. The graphics draw (puns!) on the Medusa myth, creating a novel that's full of magical realist elements. It's a different approach that's very successful in The Year of the Beast.
The writing is stunning, full of pain and hope and emotion. I had not had the opportunity to encounter Cecil Castellucci's writing before, but it is such a treat to read and to linger upon. Written in third person, her words draw you into Tessa's world more so than many first-person YA novels,
They weren't just making promises with words, but with their bodies. She lay back on the blanket that he always had spread on the ground, a childhood comforter, worn down from use, splattered with cowboy themes that bucked beneath her. She was overcome in waves. Was this what bliss was, or pure joy? Complete happiness? She imagined that it was. She imagined that this moment, frozen, was the one that she would carry with her in her heart forever. Outside was full of stars. They went about their business of warming up distant planets. A part of their light reached Tessa. She was warm on arms full of promises and potential.
I have to say, there is a massive, enormous twist in The Year of the Beasts that makes it extremely difficult to thoroughly review without completely spoiling it. Needless to say, this was not the sweet tale of summer love that the original book description led me to believe it would be. However, Castellucci and Powell's twisty story is so very worth the emotional investment and anyone who enjoys novels which experiment with storytelling forms with certainly be entranced by this distinctive novel.
FNL Character Rating: Becky Sproles, at her pained, late-season four lowpoint.
Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. No compensation or goodies were received in exchange for my honest review.
June 27, 2012
Cecil Castellucci inspired me with this book. After finishing the last page and glancing at her credits, I thought aloud, "I really need to get involved in writing childrens books". I tore through 'The Year of the Beasts' in just a couple hours, anxious for the emotions that previous reviewers said would come exploding out of my chest. I wanted those tears. My patience was rewarded with the thought that young people today, young readers, must be grossly misjudged in their ability to interpret and contemplate literature. The only thing positive I can say about this work is that Nate Powell overextended himself in forming character depth with what Cecil Castellucci's writing gave him. However, that overextension comes with its consequences. Why the obscure mythological references? Outside of Tessa(the protagonist of the story) having insecurity issues with her incouragable curly hair I see no correlation to her as a Medusa metaphor. If you must use that trope, then why conglomerate it with a Minotaur and a Centaur. Classical mythos just got basterdized. Yeah, the corn maze ending isn't lost on me, but, at this point both artists in this half prose half graphic novel excercise are just reaching. We never really learn anything about the characters involved outside of slight sibling jealousy and kissy kissy early teen 'I want a boyfriend' mentality. Throw in a tragedy and patch it up quickly with an unfounded re-emergement into the light and you have yourself, 'The Year of the Beasts'. I want to gather all the kids and adults who have read this book, run back into the corn maze, and try to find another way out.
November 27, 2014
This is one of those books where you realize you are not the target audience the author intended this book for. I felt like a mom while reading this one. I was cringing at the too-many scenes of 13 year old kids making out. I know I was once this age reading Are You There God? It's Me Margaret and thinking that was the best book ever with all its frankness about boys, puberty, and making out. That's why when I found myself having mom-dialogue in my head as I read this book I realized that some books are just not meant for everybody.
Aside from all that, I found the book to be a bit on the boring side and very cliche. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl's sister more...a bit predictable for me. The characters were very one-dimensional so it made it hard for me to care what happened to any of these characters.
I thought the format of this book was a great idea. It has alternating chapters where we get the background story in novel narrative style and then it switches to graphic novel style. The artwork was beautiful but was a bit confusing.
Two stars because it was readable and I flat out did not hate it but it's not a book I'd recommend to a friend.
Aside from all that, I found the book to be a bit on the boring side and very cliche. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl's sister more...a bit predictable for me. The characters were very one-dimensional so it made it hard for me to care what happened to any of these characters.
I thought the format of this book was a great idea. It has alternating chapters where we get the background story in novel narrative style and then it switches to graphic novel style. The artwork was beautiful but was a bit confusing.
Two stars because it was readable and I flat out did not hate it but it's not a book I'd recommend to a friend.
January 28, 2014
A magical YA graphic novel, that made me cry in public. Fuck, I'm so mad at Tessa for Obviously, the story had me gripped.
October 12, 2012
CLN - Printz possibility #3
"The Year of the Beast," which is getting some Printz buzz, is told in alternating chapters of prose and graphic novel formats. The prose chapters concern two sisters, Tessa and Lulu. When Tessa's younger sister:
1. gets the boy Tessa thinks she likes, Charlie
2. starts hanging out with Tessa's best friend, Celina
3. grows taller and more beautiful
Tessa is consumed with jealousy. Because of her envy, she makes Lulu's life miserable, all the while carrying on a secret relationship with an edgy, outcast boy, Jasper. Her jealousy leads to tragedy and loss. The alternating chapters, told in graphic novel format, use Medusa mythology as a metaphor for Tessa's story - the water imagery, the hair, the jealousy, are all there. They foreshadow what will happen to Tessa and her sister. We know early on in the book where this is all going to lead.
I liked the unusual format of this novel - it made for a fast read. I enjoyed some of the characters, especially the edgy, "alternative" parents and Jasper. However, all of the characters could have been more well-developed.
I did not like how misleading the opening was for me. As I read, "They rolled into town in the middle of the day: large covered wagons and flatbed trucks hauling disassembled rides that looked like futuristic dinosaur bones," I was thinking "Something Wicked This Way Comes"? "Night Circus"? I expected a dark, mysterious story about the circus. I got a somewhat tedious novel about childish jealousies. Tessa's petty jealousies and immature ploys to pay her sister back - for what I am not sure - got tiresome. She was not a likeable character. Therefore, when her world fell apart, it was difficult to feel any sympathy for her. She was cruel to everyone she loved and cared about, and ended up destroying them all. And, this was another one of those "literary" books that will probably win awards this season and that most teens won't persist through. How many of them will have any understanding of the Medusa mythology that makes up the core of the graphic novel chapters in the book? Many of the "literary" aspects of the book will be lost on many teens. As an adult with some knowledge of this myth, I could appreciate and mostly understand what the authors were getting at. And, while I appreciate authors who believe in the ability of teens and write "smart" books, their expectations can be totally unrealistic at times. And I deplore it when adults award "teen" books that teens have no interest in.
So, while, I had no trouble getting through the book (it did keep my interest), I don't think most teens will enjoy it. I have had it on display for the entire school year and no one has picked it up. It will require hand selling - the cover doesn't help.
"The Year of the Beast," which is getting some Printz buzz, is told in alternating chapters of prose and graphic novel formats. The prose chapters concern two sisters, Tessa and Lulu. When Tessa's younger sister:
1. gets the boy Tessa thinks she likes, Charlie
2. starts hanging out with Tessa's best friend, Celina
3. grows taller and more beautiful
Tessa is consumed with jealousy. Because of her envy, she makes Lulu's life miserable, all the while carrying on a secret relationship with an edgy, outcast boy, Jasper. Her jealousy leads to tragedy and loss. The alternating chapters, told in graphic novel format, use Medusa mythology as a metaphor for Tessa's story - the water imagery, the hair, the jealousy, are all there. They foreshadow what will happen to Tessa and her sister. We know early on in the book where this is all going to lead.
I liked the unusual format of this novel - it made for a fast read. I enjoyed some of the characters, especially the edgy, "alternative" parents and Jasper. However, all of the characters could have been more well-developed.
I did not like how misleading the opening was for me. As I read, "They rolled into town in the middle of the day: large covered wagons and flatbed trucks hauling disassembled rides that looked like futuristic dinosaur bones," I was thinking "Something Wicked This Way Comes"? "Night Circus"? I expected a dark, mysterious story about the circus. I got a somewhat tedious novel about childish jealousies. Tessa's petty jealousies and immature ploys to pay her sister back - for what I am not sure - got tiresome. She was not a likeable character. Therefore, when her world fell apart, it was difficult to feel any sympathy for her. She was cruel to everyone she loved and cared about, and ended up destroying them all. And, this was another one of those "literary" books that will probably win awards this season and that most teens won't persist through. How many of them will have any understanding of the Medusa mythology that makes up the core of the graphic novel chapters in the book? Many of the "literary" aspects of the book will be lost on many teens. As an adult with some knowledge of this myth, I could appreciate and mostly understand what the authors were getting at. And, while I appreciate authors who believe in the ability of teens and write "smart" books, their expectations can be totally unrealistic at times. And I deplore it when adults award "teen" books that teens have no interest in.
So, while, I had no trouble getting through the book (it did keep my interest), I don't think most teens will enjoy it. I have had it on display for the entire school year and no one has picked it up. It will require hand selling - the cover doesn't help.
November 12, 2012
Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...
4.5 stars
Such an interesting novel that will definitely get a second read. Told in a dual format of prose and graphic novel, Cecil Castellucci tells us the story of two very different girls- One is a modern day Medusa who hates what she has become and keeps turning everyone she loves into stone; the other is a teenage girl filled with jealousy for her younger sister who is dating the boy of her dreams. When finished with the book, you will definitely see why I want to go back and reread.
The Year of the Beasts is one of those books that exudes teen angst right from its core. Both girls have such a repulsion filling their being that it is almost hard to read at times; however, also hard to stop. And it is a feeling that almost all of us felt in those high school years.
I found it fascinating how the author used the Greek monster, Medusa, to embody one of her characters. She along with other monsters and creatures in the graphic novel section, are symbols for the person inside of the monster. It is so much more than it seems on the surface.
I'll be completely honest; I was so confused throughout most of the book. Not because either story is confusing, but because I didn't understand how they fit together. They seemed like such a dichotomy, but there is a method to the madness that makes it all the more powerful. This book will be one that the reader will have trouble forgetting.
4.5 stars
Such an interesting novel that will definitely get a second read. Told in a dual format of prose and graphic novel, Cecil Castellucci tells us the story of two very different girls- One is a modern day Medusa who hates what she has become and keeps turning everyone she loves into stone; the other is a teenage girl filled with jealousy for her younger sister who is dating the boy of her dreams. When finished with the book, you will definitely see why I want to go back and reread.
The Year of the Beasts is one of those books that exudes teen angst right from its core. Both girls have such a repulsion filling their being that it is almost hard to read at times; however, also hard to stop. And it is a feeling that almost all of us felt in those high school years.
I found it fascinating how the author used the Greek monster, Medusa, to embody one of her characters. She along with other monsters and creatures in the graphic novel section, are symbols for the person inside of the monster. It is so much more than it seems on the surface.
I'll be completely honest; I was so confused throughout most of the book. Not because either story is confusing, but because I didn't understand how they fit together. They seemed like such a dichotomy, but there is a method to the madness that makes it all the more powerful. This book will be one that the reader will have trouble forgetting.
October 9, 2012
Tessa and Lulu are sisters, and along with Tessa's best friend Celina, they form a boy-crazy group of friends. Tessa has a major league crush on Charlie but after being paired up in the tent of oddities at the carnival, Lulu and Charlie come out holding hands and suddenly, just like that, are inseparable boyfriend/girlfriend. Tessa is beyond jealous until she starts secretly making out with the odd-boy-out, Jasper. Tessa's secret relationship with Jasper puts her at odds with her group of friends who like to do teenage kinds of things and she finds that if she is going to join her friends in going to movies, etc. then she must do so without the quirky Jasper.
About three-quarters of the way through the book, Tessa and the group of friends go swimming in the river and Lulu drowns, Celina is paralyzed, and Tessa is changed forever.
This book is told through alternating chapers of narrative and graphic novel formats.
I was really disappointed in this book. I was very confused by the alternating chapters, mostly because I thought the graphic format actually detracted from the storyline instead of helping to move the story along. The content is possibly the most shallow storyline I've ever read in young adult literature. There was lots of kissy, kissy and longing but I never developed an appreciation of the characters. The character development was weak at best. And then, WHAM! Lulu is dead, Jasper is gone, Tessa is cutting herself . . . there's lots of emotion and angst but because I didn't feel for the characters before this point, this turn of events didn't affect me the way it should've. Unimpressed.
About three-quarters of the way through the book, Tessa and the group of friends go swimming in the river and Lulu drowns, Celina is paralyzed, and Tessa is changed forever.
This book is told through alternating chapers of narrative and graphic novel formats.
I was really disappointed in this book. I was very confused by the alternating chapters, mostly because I thought the graphic format actually detracted from the storyline instead of helping to move the story along. The content is possibly the most shallow storyline I've ever read in young adult literature. There was lots of kissy, kissy and longing but I never developed an appreciation of the characters. The character development was weak at best. And then, WHAM! Lulu is dead, Jasper is gone, Tessa is cutting herself . . . there's lots of emotion and angst but because I didn't feel for the characters before this point, this turn of events didn't affect me the way it should've. Unimpressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
Name: Quinten Kempf
Book title: The Year of the Beasts
Personal response
Personally, I really liked the book The Year of the Beasts . I kinda liked that the story did not have a happy ending, because for the majority of the book it was disgustingly happy. I also liked the mysterious side story that tied into the book, later on, it confused me at first but I ended up kinda thankful that they added it, so you were not left on a cliffhanger.
Plot Summary
The book is about how a 15-year-old girl named Tessa, that is jealous of her younger sister because she got the popular guy in school. In the midst of her brooding, she fell in love with a seemingly weird and shy boy named Jasper. Even after finding the guy of her dreams she still plots against her sister. Jasper and Tessa, one day get in a fight because Tessa wants to show him off, but he is not a very sociable guy. After they seemingly broke up a very big storm rolled in and kept everyone the two from each other and talking. When the storm passed Tessa, her younger sister Lulu and a few friends decided to go swimming in the river. Little did they know the river's current got a lot stronger from the recent rain. The current pulled under the three girls, it Paralyzed Tessa’s friend from the waist down, it killed Tessa’s little sister, and it almost killed her, but Jasper saw the whole affair, and jumped in after her and was able to resuscitate her. From there on she developed depression, Jasper moved away, but she
Characterization
At the beginning of the book, The Year of the Beasts Tessa was an old sister to a very popular and pretty girl, unlike her. Over the course of the book Tessa became better friends with her younger sister, in fact, they became best friends. Tessa also became more popular due to the fact that she became more outgoing and friendly, she even found a boyfriend. But due to a tragic event, her little sister died and that put her in a very depressive, suicidal state, but in the end, she got to the road of recovery.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to younger audiences, 13 and up. I would recommend this because the book is fairly easy to read, due to the illustrations, and it is a very interesting story and not typically what you would expect from this type of book. I would also say that anyone who only likes happy endings in a book should shy away from this one.
Book title: The Year of the Beasts
Personal response
Personally, I really liked the book The Year of the Beasts . I kinda liked that the story did not have a happy ending, because for the majority of the book it was disgustingly happy. I also liked the mysterious side story that tied into the book, later on, it confused me at first but I ended up kinda thankful that they added it, so you were not left on a cliffhanger.
Plot Summary
The book is about how a 15-year-old girl named Tessa, that is jealous of her younger sister because she got the popular guy in school. In the midst of her brooding, she fell in love with a seemingly weird and shy boy named Jasper. Even after finding the guy of her dreams she still plots against her sister. Jasper and Tessa, one day get in a fight because Tessa wants to show him off, but he is not a very sociable guy. After they seemingly broke up a very big storm rolled in and kept everyone the two from each other and talking. When the storm passed Tessa, her younger sister Lulu and a few friends decided to go swimming in the river. Little did they know the river's current got a lot stronger from the recent rain. The current pulled under the three girls, it Paralyzed Tessa’s friend from the waist down, it killed Tessa’s little sister, and it almost killed her, but Jasper saw the whole affair, and jumped in after her and was able to resuscitate her. From there on she developed depression, Jasper moved away, but she
Characterization
At the beginning of the book, The Year of the Beasts Tessa was an old sister to a very popular and pretty girl, unlike her. Over the course of the book Tessa became better friends with her younger sister, in fact, they became best friends. Tessa also became more popular due to the fact that she became more outgoing and friendly, she even found a boyfriend. But due to a tragic event, her little sister died and that put her in a very depressive, suicidal state, but in the end, she got to the road of recovery.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to younger audiences, 13 and up. I would recommend this because the book is fairly easy to read, due to the illustrations, and it is a very interesting story and not typically what you would expect from this type of book. I would also say that anyone who only likes happy endings in a book should shy away from this one.
September 7, 2018
HI MY NAME'S TREVOR AND I READ THE YEAR OF THE BEASTS BY CECIL CASTELLUCCI. THIS STORY HAS TWO SISTERS AND THE OLDER SISTER IS JEALOUS BECAUSE HER YOUNGER SISTER HAS A BOYFRIEND AND SHE WANTED THAT BOYFRIEND AND SHE LIKE-LIKED HIM. THEN THERE'S A TRAGEDY AND ALSO A GIRL WITH MEDUSA HAIR AND ALSO A MINOTAUR AND A MERMAID. SO IF YOU LIKE STORIES ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND ALSO CONFUSING GREEK MYTHOLOGY INTERLUDES YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS BOOK LIKE I LIKED THIS BOOK. BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
July 11, 2012
This book is more a 4.5 star book for me, but I'm rounding up because 1) The prose-graphic novel hybrid genre was unique and pretty dang spectacular and worth an extra point or two, and 2) Cecil is my homegirl, and 3) Why not? Sometimes this book did indeed amaze me.
I really liked the sad, dark places this book went--not only in the events, but the feelings of its main character, Tess. She has some pretty unsavory thoughts about her sister; they are selfish thoughts: immature and complicated and utterly, utterly true. This made for a complicating reading experience that I think readers--young and fully-grown--can get into. I also liked the fairy tale old-timey quality to it: it's a contemporary world, but there are old-school carnivals and fluttery feelings about boys, and doll houses, and make-out sessions in the woods, and melting ice cream. The tone felt in-tune with the graphic sections, which were beautifully drawn and perfectly mysterious, and sometimes so dark and scary I felt ill (in a good way). There is an other-worldly quality to both sections; they're otherworldly in different ways, but they complemented each other.
The loneliness in this book was my favorite part. It's a deeply lonely book--it captures that feeling with a PING!
There were a few sentences I desperately wanted to rephrase to be cleaner and more fluid. Overall, I liked the prose (trademark Castellucci!), but sometimes it felt less polished than it could have been. And I wished the graphic sections and the prose sections interacted in a more surprising and clever way at the end. I think my expectations were way, way too high, but whatever, it's worth saying: I thought they were going to seriously collide, and they didn't exactly.
This is the strongest Cecil Castellucci book I've read so far: it's lovely, strange, unique, sensitive, sad, insightful, heartfelt. I recommend it!
I really liked the sad, dark places this book went--not only in the events, but the feelings of its main character, Tess. She has some pretty unsavory thoughts about her sister; they are selfish thoughts: immature and complicated and utterly, utterly true. This made for a complicating reading experience that I think readers--young and fully-grown--can get into. I also liked the fairy tale old-timey quality to it: it's a contemporary world, but there are old-school carnivals and fluttery feelings about boys, and doll houses, and make-out sessions in the woods, and melting ice cream. The tone felt in-tune with the graphic sections, which were beautifully drawn and perfectly mysterious, and sometimes so dark and scary I felt ill (in a good way). There is an other-worldly quality to both sections; they're otherworldly in different ways, but they complemented each other.
The loneliness in this book was my favorite part. It's a deeply lonely book--it captures that feeling with a PING!
There were a few sentences I desperately wanted to rephrase to be cleaner and more fluid. Overall, I liked the prose (trademark Castellucci!), but sometimes it felt less polished than it could have been. And I wished the graphic sections and the prose sections interacted in a more surprising and clever way at the end. I think my expectations were way, way too high, but whatever, it's worth saying: I thought they were going to seriously collide, and they didn't exactly.
This is the strongest Cecil Castellucci book I've read so far: it's lovely, strange, unique, sensitive, sad, insightful, heartfelt. I recommend it!
January 17, 2018
Picked this up cause it was in the manga section at the library plus cause the Gorgon on the front was well drawn and cool looking. Come to find out the concept of the book was really awesome it's a mix of manga/graphic novel and part teen book book. See I have no prob with that since I normally read both.the first couple of chaps where we'll writting and drew me in but after that I grew very bored of the book cause to me it just seemed like two sister every day normal life which I don't like thoes sorta stuff I much rather read a book bout the Gorgon in the cover that's what u signed on for but nope what a let down. But ohhh wait when u read the manga part of it come to find out the main character which isn't in told is the Gorgon with her sister the mermaid. So all I really ended up doing after reading half the book and got bored I only flipped through it to read the manga part.only thing I didn't like bout the manga part was they never said names so you had to freaking guess who every one was at first it was hard I'm like wtf this story is bout sister no where in the book did they say they were mythical creatures. But over all u only liked the manga part I really disliked the writing part sorry.
August 8, 2013
I picked this up because of the two creators, mainly for Nate Powell but I was also familiar with some of Cecil Castellucci's work. Alternating chapters of prose and graphic novel. Halfway through the book, I asked myself why am I reading this god-awful teenage romance story of secret trysts and sister rivalry and wondered how the graphic portion tied in with the story, thinking this would be better appreciated by tween girls. But a tragedy towards the end redeems the story and cleverly unites the different portions of the book. You get a much better appreciation rereading Nate Powell's part afterward. Not recommended for those who are easily offended by stupid teenage drama but the concept of prose mixed with graphic form is novel.
August 4, 2016
This book was a gloriously frustrating and unsettling mystery. It is very short and a mix of prose and comic panels. The prose story is complete realism, the story of a conflict between two teenage sisters. The graphic novel is a disturbing story about a girl who woke up one day with medusa hair, and her classmates are now various mythical creatures. You know something happened, but no one is talking about it. In the prose story, you know something will happen, but you don't know what it is. The disconnect between the two stories creates a marvelous tension as you gather clues to connect the two stories.
February 22, 2012
While I thought the mixed method approach to story telling was neat and well-woven, the story as a whole didn't work for me. There's a mythology to it, and while I got it, I thought the stronger storyline -- the notion of being lost in the shadow of your sister, of being lost in the shadow of yourself -- got swallowed in the mythology. Castellucci writes in a way I really appreciate. It's tight and it's direct, but I felt this book suffered from too much concept and not enough development.
Interestingly, this is the third book this year that's dealt with self-mutilation in some way.
Interestingly, this is the third book this year that's dealt with self-mutilation in some way.
August 11, 2016
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. The graphics part threw me off most of the time I was reading, but once I got to the end, it made so much more sense. I had to go back and reread the graphic part to make sure I understood all of the metaphors.
August 28, 2016
Good God.
Sob.
That's all b/c I've given away too much already.
Sob.
That's all b/c I've given away too much already.
June 27, 2012
A compelling tale of jealousy, life-altering tragedy, shame, and grief told in chapters alternating in prose and graphic narrative.
October 30, 2012
Simple story, nicely woven metaphorical comics. Sad and human.
May 15, 2018
I have to say that it wasn’t really the story of the Year of the BEASTS that hooked me at first but it was the fact that this book is half graphic novel. It was refreshing to read through one or two of the chapters and then get an entire chapter in the form of a graphic novel. Too bad it was executed so poorly.
15 Year old Tessa is finally able to go to the annual summer carnival without her parents watching her every move. She and her best friend Celina have been planning this day for months, too bad that it has to be ruined by Lulu, her 13 year old younger sister. Lulu is no trouble really, but when she interferes with Tessa’s chance at possibly getting to be with her school crush, Charlie Evans, things take a turn for the worse. Jealousy corrupts Tessa’s life, anger, regret, and sadness follow her like a dark cloud above her head. What can Tessa do to spot these feelings? How will she mend her and her sister’s relationship? Will things ever go back to the way they were?
Now, while that is the main story for the entire book. The portions that were graphic novel were so confusing and made no sense at all. While she is a human girl in the rest of the book, in all of the graphic novel sections she is Medusa, for no reason at all. Yes, she may have dreads which may be where the snakes on her head come from, but not until the very end of the book. She never mentions Medusa or compares anything to Medusa, or Greek mythology in general! The graphic novels also never tell you why some people are human and some people are mythical beasts and while Medusa obviously represents Tessa, everyone else in the story is just a disappointing knock off of Percy Jackson angsty high-school teenagers as creatures in Greek mythology with no clues whatsoever about which character they represent.
In the graphic novel portions, Tessa (as Medusa) is constantly trying to not look at people because as the tale of Medusa goes she will turn them to stone, while the snakes on her head tell her things like, “If no one ssssees ussss they will be ssssafe.” and, “Just cover ussss up with a ssssscarf.” I could never tell if the snakes were supposed to be interpreted as bad snakes, or good snakes which isn’t that big of a deal but still something that could have been improved. In almost all of the graphic novel sections Tessa is trying to talk to the Minotaur who I suspect is the character in the novel known as Jasper, but as I have said before he could be anyone really because the novel is trash at identifying who is who, which was really annoying.
I do not know if the authors, Cecil Castellucci & Nate Powell, have written anything better than this book but if it’s anything like this one, I’m staying far away. Overall, this book was so confusing and infuriating to read and I advise you to skip over it next time you see it in any library or shelf because this book was a nightmare.
15 Year old Tessa is finally able to go to the annual summer carnival without her parents watching her every move. She and her best friend Celina have been planning this day for months, too bad that it has to be ruined by Lulu, her 13 year old younger sister. Lulu is no trouble really, but when she interferes with Tessa’s chance at possibly getting to be with her school crush, Charlie Evans, things take a turn for the worse. Jealousy corrupts Tessa’s life, anger, regret, and sadness follow her like a dark cloud above her head. What can Tessa do to spot these feelings? How will she mend her and her sister’s relationship? Will things ever go back to the way they were?
Now, while that is the main story for the entire book. The portions that were graphic novel were so confusing and made no sense at all. While she is a human girl in the rest of the book, in all of the graphic novel sections she is Medusa, for no reason at all. Yes, she may have dreads which may be where the snakes on her head come from, but not until the very end of the book. She never mentions Medusa or compares anything to Medusa, or Greek mythology in general! The graphic novels also never tell you why some people are human and some people are mythical beasts and while Medusa obviously represents Tessa, everyone else in the story is just a disappointing knock off of Percy Jackson angsty high-school teenagers as creatures in Greek mythology with no clues whatsoever about which character they represent.
In the graphic novel portions, Tessa (as Medusa) is constantly trying to not look at people because as the tale of Medusa goes she will turn them to stone, while the snakes on her head tell her things like, “If no one ssssees ussss they will be ssssafe.” and, “Just cover ussss up with a ssssscarf.” I could never tell if the snakes were supposed to be interpreted as bad snakes, or good snakes which isn’t that big of a deal but still something that could have been improved. In almost all of the graphic novel sections Tessa is trying to talk to the Minotaur who I suspect is the character in the novel known as Jasper, but as I have said before he could be anyone really because the novel is trash at identifying who is who, which was really annoying.
I do not know if the authors, Cecil Castellucci & Nate Powell, have written anything better than this book but if it’s anything like this one, I’m staying far away. Overall, this book was so confusing and infuriating to read and I advise you to skip over it next time you see it in any library or shelf because this book was a nightmare.
September 9, 2017
I'm going to take a flyer here and suggest you read the last chapter first. Yes, it ruins the surprise ending, but otherwise nothing up to that point makes the slightest bit of sense.
The Year of the Beasts consists of two different stories, told in alternating chapters. The written text describes the events of early summer, as Tessa and her younger sister Lulu compete for male attention and try to stay on top of shifting friendships. The chapters in between are in graphic-novel format, depicting Tessa's state of mind following the Great Climactic Event towards the end of the season.
The concept is interesting but the execution is terrible. The two stories fight against each other, with the result that neither has enough room to breathe. You get the feeling that the writer and the artist weren't communicating clearly with each other, and the end product is an uncoordinated mess.
First, the writing. The book gets off to a weak start, with a lot of telling-not-showing, although things improve slightly as the action gets underway and we spend more time inside Tessa's head. The written chapters are only about 5-10 pages long, which isn't enough room for character development. All the characters feel like cardboard cutouts (Tessa in particular is almost a parody of a teenage girl) and their interactions are like one of those sex-ed textbooks they made you read in eighth grade.
Next, the graphics. The artwork is beautiful, with fluid brushstrokes and wonderful expressions. The staging of individual scenes is effective. Unfortunately, because all the visuals take place after the written part of the book, the artist constantly has to dodge and weave to avoid spoilers, and the narrative is almost impossible to follow. () It doesn't help that none of the characters are introduced by name. (It took me forever to work out who the mermaid was.)
I'm sure either Castellucci or Powell could have produced a fine work on their own, but their collaboration doesn't fly. Two stars for an interesting idea that should have been scrutinized a lot more heavily.
The Year of the Beasts consists of two different stories, told in alternating chapters. The written text describes the events of early summer, as Tessa and her younger sister Lulu compete for male attention and try to stay on top of shifting friendships. The chapters in between are in graphic-novel format, depicting Tessa's state of mind following the Great Climactic Event towards the end of the season.
The concept is interesting but the execution is terrible. The two stories fight against each other, with the result that neither has enough room to breathe. You get the feeling that the writer and the artist weren't communicating clearly with each other, and the end product is an uncoordinated mess.
First, the writing. The book gets off to a weak start, with a lot of telling-not-showing, although things improve slightly as the action gets underway and we spend more time inside Tessa's head. The written chapters are only about 5-10 pages long, which isn't enough room for character development. All the characters feel like cardboard cutouts (Tessa in particular is almost a parody of a teenage girl) and their interactions are like one of those sex-ed textbooks they made you read in eighth grade.
Next, the graphics. The artwork is beautiful, with fluid brushstrokes and wonderful expressions. The staging of individual scenes is effective. Unfortunately, because all the visuals take place after the written part of the book, the artist constantly has to dodge and weave to avoid spoilers, and the narrative is almost impossible to follow. () It doesn't help that none of the characters are introduced by name. (It took me forever to work out who the mermaid was.)
I'm sure either Castellucci or Powell could have produced a fine work on their own, but their collaboration doesn't fly. Two stars for an interesting idea that should have been scrutinized a lot more heavily.
August 10, 2018
There are two different story formats between the covers of this novel. On one hand, we have the 'traditional' written word--the story follows two sisters that are both interested in the same boy. There is a rivalry here but each sister ends up finding a respective boyfriend. On the other hand, there is some gorgeously illustrated graphic novel-type chapters that I really appreciated (and I felt like I wasn't going to). This story reveals different mythological creatures are also attending high school and are having their own issues. By the end of the story, the two separate methods blend and you get the "full picture" (which I will not disclose here).
I was quite uncertain when I picked this book up at the local library. I'm not a general reader of the graphic novel and thought this was a shorter YAL title (around 190 pages, making for a quick read). Yet a local librarian had set this on their 'must read' shelf and so I decided to take a gamble. I was actually pleasantly surprised and thought the story grew stronger as it went on. At first, I was a little turned off by the sister rivalry (isn't there a clear sister code that if both are interested in the same boy... no one gets him?). The girl group drama was a little bleh. But once you start to see the rest of the story unfold, and the sudden....(no spoiler here!)... then it all makes sense.
A pleasant surprise -- worthy of five stars.
I was quite uncertain when I picked this book up at the local library. I'm not a general reader of the graphic novel and thought this was a shorter YAL title (around 190 pages, making for a quick read). Yet a local librarian had set this on their 'must read' shelf and so I decided to take a gamble. I was actually pleasantly surprised and thought the story grew stronger as it went on. At first, I was a little turned off by the sister rivalry (isn't there a clear sister code that if both are interested in the same boy... no one gets him?). The girl group drama was a little bleh. But once you start to see the rest of the story unfold, and the sudden....(no spoiler here!)... then it all makes sense.
A pleasant surprise -- worthy of five stars.
January 28, 2018
I have never stumbled upon a book of this style before. Half prose, half graphic novel, I was tickled and delighted in the trendiness of The Year of the Beasts.
My issue? The story has no heartbeat.
The characters are nonsensical. They lack grit and soul. Tessa, our main girl, is spiraled around Charlie, a boy who falls fatally for her younger sister. Of course Tessa is jealous. Tessa doesn’t deal well with the situation, and by the end of the book, she...Hasn’t really changed.
There’s a grim twist that could’ve really led down an interesting path, but in reality morphs into a very blasé event. Tessa, and all the other paper characters, learning pretty much nothing. Even Coraline’s mother had more to her than this.
I get the analogy of the snake-haired, comic Tessa to the human one, but it really lends nothing to the story.
Also! The book summary doesn’t really match up with the story itself; in the intro, the yearly carnival is highly emphasized. No clue why, seeing that the events in said location are summarized and disappear after chapter one.
I’ve rewarded a 3/5 due to the unique format, but found the story lackadaisical. The two main pros include the change in pace in terms of presentation and how quickly one can zoom through this book.
Read if you’re bored, skip if you’re looking to be moved.
My issue? The story has no heartbeat.
The characters are nonsensical. They lack grit and soul. Tessa, our main girl, is spiraled around Charlie, a boy who falls fatally for her younger sister. Of course Tessa is jealous. Tessa doesn’t deal well with the situation, and by the end of the book, she...Hasn’t really changed.
There’s a grim twist that could’ve really led down an interesting path, but in reality morphs into a very blasé event. Tessa, and all the other paper characters, learning pretty much nothing. Even Coraline’s mother had more to her than this.
I get the analogy of the snake-haired, comic Tessa to the human one, but it really lends nothing to the story.
Also! The book summary doesn’t really match up with the story itself; in the intro, the yearly carnival is highly emphasized. No clue why, seeing that the events in said location are summarized and disappear after chapter one.
I’ve rewarded a 3/5 due to the unique format, but found the story lackadaisical. The two main pros include the change in pace in terms of presentation and how quickly one can zoom through this book.
Read if you’re bored, skip if you’re looking to be moved.
March 9, 2023
My rating - 3.5 stars.
I didn’t know what to expect from the young-adult novel ‘The Year of the Beasts’ by Cecil Castellucci because I simply bought it due to a crazy discount and hadn’t ever heard of the title or the author before. It turned out to be an engaging read, even though the principal protagonist is an angsty-jealous-self-centred teen.
The story follows 15-year-old Tessa, whose younger sister Lulu begins to date her crush Charlie, and this drives the siblings apart. Honestly, now that I am writing this review, I realize this book has a lot of story tropes I typically find annoying –
+ angsty teen with nothing better to do than drool over boys.
+ siblings falling for the same person (ugh)
+ best-friends suddenly being not too nice with each-other.
+ Dating someone nice but treating them like a social pariah just because they are not popular
But despite all these typical plot points, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Year of the Beasts’! In large parts because of Cecil Castellucci’s simple smooth prose and also because the story is leisurely set during the summer school-break, so the characters have nothing better to do than eat ice-cream, hang out with friends or make-out with their boyfriends. It made me miss summer vacations sans adult responsibilities.
Full review - https://abstractaf.in/the-year-of-the...
I didn’t know what to expect from the young-adult novel ‘The Year of the Beasts’ by Cecil Castellucci because I simply bought it due to a crazy discount and hadn’t ever heard of the title or the author before. It turned out to be an engaging read, even though the principal protagonist is an angsty-jealous-self-centred teen.
The story follows 15-year-old Tessa, whose younger sister Lulu begins to date her crush Charlie, and this drives the siblings apart. Honestly, now that I am writing this review, I realize this book has a lot of story tropes I typically find annoying –
+ angsty teen with nothing better to do than drool over boys.
+ siblings falling for the same person (ugh)
+ best-friends suddenly being not too nice with each-other.
+ Dating someone nice but treating them like a social pariah just because they are not popular
But despite all these typical plot points, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Year of the Beasts’! In large parts because of Cecil Castellucci’s simple smooth prose and also because the story is leisurely set during the summer school-break, so the characters have nothing better to do than eat ice-cream, hang out with friends or make-out with their boyfriends. It made me miss summer vacations sans adult responsibilities.
Full review - https://abstractaf.in/the-year-of-the...
February 14, 2017
This was a random grab for me; the hybrid of graphic novel with traditional writing piqued my interest, despite the bland high school drama story aside.
The story wasn't really my thing; high school crushes and sisterly drama are something best left in the past. But there were portion of the writing that were... haunting? They just stuck with me and rung true for some... strange reason. Like the bit about the shoes... How something so insignificant can become a physical representation and manifestation of... everything.
The graphic novel portions were frustrating to me. Or rather trying to figure out how it fit with the story. My theory was proven right in the end. I really like the last chapter that fit all the graphic novel portions together into a coherent story, just in case the reader hadn't grasped it.
While the hybrid style was a little confusing at first, and a little frustrating to see if my theory was correct, I think it served the themes of the book wonderfully. While the overall story line was't my thing, it served as a good frame work for the themes. But I feel like the writing could have been... more mature? Overarching themes aside, it felt like high school kids writing about being high school kids.
The story wasn't really my thing; high school crushes and sisterly drama are something best left in the past. But there were portion of the writing that were... haunting? They just stuck with me and rung true for some... strange reason. Like the bit about the shoes... How something so insignificant can become a physical representation and manifestation of... everything.
The graphic novel portions were frustrating to me. Or rather trying to figure out how it fit with the story. My theory was proven right in the end. I really like the last chapter that fit all the graphic novel portions together into a coherent story, just in case the reader hadn't grasped it.
While the hybrid style was a little confusing at first, and a little frustrating to see if my theory was correct, I think it served the themes of the book wonderfully. While the overall story line was't my thing, it served as a good frame work for the themes. But I feel like the writing could have been... more mature? Overarching themes aside, it felt like high school kids writing about being high school kids.
Read
April 24, 2020 This is finally the year that sisters Tessa and Lulu are allowed to hang out at the town's annual summer carnival without tagging along after their parents.
Read p. 1: "They rolled into town in the middle of the day ... everyone in town had plans to go."
Tessa and her best friend Celina are so excited to be on their own, that is until they their hopes come true and they meet up with Charlie Evans and the other boys. "Can I come, too?" Lulu asked. Tessa's refusal to have her 8th-grade sister tag along with her and Celina, who were almost sophomores, made no impression on her parents who instructed her to watch out for her sister.
Tessa's annoyance with her Lulu seems to be growing by the day. Lulu has nicer hair that Tessa's crazy curls, her feet are larger, so she gets new shoes all the time while Tessa is told to wear Lulu's old shoes. And now, Charlie Evans goes into the dark curiosity sideshow tent with Lulu, and they come out holding hands. Tessa's curls tighten with anger as her jealousy grows.
Artist Nate Powell joins his artwork with the author's written words to show as well as tell the story of how two sisters will spend a year in competition, anger, jealousy and, finally, tragedy. It is The Year of the Beasts.
Read p. 1: "They rolled into town in the middle of the day ... everyone in town had plans to go."
Tessa and her best friend Celina are so excited to be on their own, that is until they their hopes come true and they meet up with Charlie Evans and the other boys. "Can I come, too?" Lulu asked. Tessa's refusal to have her 8th-grade sister tag along with her and Celina, who were almost sophomores, made no impression on her parents who instructed her to watch out for her sister.
Tessa's annoyance with her Lulu seems to be growing by the day. Lulu has nicer hair that Tessa's crazy curls, her feet are larger, so she gets new shoes all the time while Tessa is told to wear Lulu's old shoes. And now, Charlie Evans goes into the dark curiosity sideshow tent with Lulu, and they come out holding hands. Tessa's curls tighten with anger as her jealousy grows.
Artist Nate Powell joins his artwork with the author's written words to show as well as tell the story of how two sisters will spend a year in competition, anger, jealousy and, finally, tragedy. It is The Year of the Beasts.
May 6, 2017
I loved reading about Tessa's raw, ugly emotions. The narrative is unapologetically angsty, the angst wasn't portrayed in a a whiny, everybody-feel-sorry-for-me kind of way, but through barely bridled rage. Tessa did have a lot to complain about and boy did she complain, but I liked that her anger was directed more inward, and her friends and family weren't terribly receptive to her moping.
The combination of the two narratives was well done, it was very powerful to see it all fit together in the end. The last chapter detracted from the overall emotional impact of the story by essentially explaining the metaphorical illustrated portion of the book. It read like an outline for the illustrations. I think it's better to leave these parts of the story up to the reader's imagination and interpretation, it makes it more meaningful if the reader makes the discoveries, has to think a bit.
The power of friendships is emphasized at the end and I wish more development went into those relationships earlier on, but overall Beasts delivers a heart wrenching tale about teenage love, jealousy, and how these things can cause contradictions in our hearts and minds.
The combination of the two narratives was well done, it was very powerful to see it all fit together in the end. The last chapter detracted from the overall emotional impact of the story by essentially explaining the metaphorical illustrated portion of the book. It read like an outline for the illustrations. I think it's better to leave these parts of the story up to the reader's imagination and interpretation, it makes it more meaningful if the reader makes the discoveries, has to think a bit.
The power of friendships is emphasized at the end and I wish more development went into those relationships earlier on, but overall Beasts delivers a heart wrenching tale about teenage love, jealousy, and how these things can cause contradictions in our hearts and minds.
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