Author: Gigi Griffis
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A, Standalone
Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication: December 10, 2024
Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
Thank you, Penguin Random House!
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Based on real-life events, We Are the Beasts explores the historical mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan, a creature that terrorized the region. I hadn’t heard of this event before reading the book, but I found it fascinating. Even today, the true identity of the beast remains uncertain. It was described as wolf-like but not quite a wolf. The novel begins with a violent killing, but as the story unfolds, it becomes a narrative of women’s empowerment and rage, breaking societal rules, sisterhood, and finding family in unexpected places. The themes and messages are something I'm sure resonate deeply with many women and girls' experiences.
What I loved most was how Griffis wove an important message into a well-known historical event. She captured the essence of what it means to be a woman or girl in a patriarchal world. Whether it’s hundreds of years ago or today in 2024, the feelings and experiences remain strikingly similar. At its core, We Are the Beasts delves into those shared experiences: being surrounded by men—fathers, brothers, uncles, priests, friends, or authority figures—who are meant to protect, but instead often inflict harm. These men, through toxic dominance, verbal abuse, and physical violence, devalue the feminine. It’s a literal perversion of the masculine archetypes.
On the other hand, the novel celebrates women’s empowerment and sisterhood. I loved seeing the girls' band together to help each other escape the "beasts" in their lives, whether those beasts took the form of unsolicited advances, abusive family members, or the oppressive forces stifling their dreams. The journey evolves from saving one girl to saving a group, culminating in Josephine’s powerful realization that she, too, needed to save herself. One of the most poignant lessons I took away from this story is that power; real or perceived, is only what we allow others to have. Without our consent or acknowledgment, they are powerless.
We Are the Beasts is a powerful and thought-provoking YA novel that fills a much-needed space in the genre. It’s a book every young woman should read. I enjoyed it far more than I expected and highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fantasy with a meaningful message.
When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.
But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity.
For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons—and this is a chance to get them out.
Using the creature’s attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends’ deaths and hide them away until it’s safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can’t brave a harsh winter with little food… If the villagers discover what they’re doing… If the beast finds them first...
Those fake deaths might just become real ones.
MY THOUGHTS
We Are the Beasts takes place in 1765 in the French countryside. The town of Gévaudan is plagued by brutal animal attacks, and the townspeople believe it to be some sort of curse. Amidst this turmoil, the tragic death of a young man sparks an unexpected opportunity for the women and girls of Gévaudan to reclaim their power.Based on real-life events, We Are the Beasts explores the historical mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan, a creature that terrorized the region. I hadn’t heard of this event before reading the book, but I found it fascinating. Even today, the true identity of the beast remains uncertain. It was described as wolf-like but not quite a wolf. The novel begins with a violent killing, but as the story unfolds, it becomes a narrative of women’s empowerment and rage, breaking societal rules, sisterhood, and finding family in unexpected places. The themes and messages are something I'm sure resonate deeply with many women and girls' experiences.
What I loved most was how Griffis wove an important message into a well-known historical event. She captured the essence of what it means to be a woman or girl in a patriarchal world. Whether it’s hundreds of years ago or today in 2024, the feelings and experiences remain strikingly similar. At its core, We Are the Beasts delves into those shared experiences: being surrounded by men—fathers, brothers, uncles, priests, friends, or authority figures—who are meant to protect, but instead often inflict harm. These men, through toxic dominance, verbal abuse, and physical violence, devalue the feminine. It’s a literal perversion of the masculine archetypes.
On the other hand, the novel celebrates women’s empowerment and sisterhood. I loved seeing the girls' band together to help each other escape the "beasts" in their lives, whether those beasts took the form of unsolicited advances, abusive family members, or the oppressive forces stifling their dreams. The journey evolves from saving one girl to saving a group, culminating in Josephine’s powerful realization that she, too, needed to save herself. One of the most poignant lessons I took away from this story is that power; real or perceived, is only what we allow others to have. Without our consent or acknowledgment, they are powerless.
We Are the Beasts is a powerful and thought-provoking YA novel that fills a much-needed space in the genre. It’s a book every young woman should read. I enjoyed it far more than I expected and highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fantasy with a meaningful message.
