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donnack's review against another edition
4.0
In this novel by Trinidadian Kevin Jared Hosein, I met 15-year-old Rune Mathura who will remain one of my favourite characters for many years to come.
And even though she has a lot to learn about life, her steadfastness and resolve to do better, find justice and help others is what I remember.
This novel, set in Kukuyo Village, Trinidad in 1992, is gripping from start to finish. What started out as Rune's determination to unearth her classmate's Dumpling murderer, ended up being a discovery of self, family, love, faith, and friendship, encased in the ability to turn one's life around in the face of adversity and circumstance.
I was rooting her Rune the whole way and had faith she would beat those beasts which came in the form of classmates, circumstances, environment and that while doing so she would help her brother Nick beat his demon.
I like the fact that she learnt that justice and evil is not black and white and that sunshine, most days, comes after the rain.
And even though she has a lot to learn about life, her steadfastness and resolve to do better, find justice and help others is what I remember.
This novel, set in Kukuyo Village, Trinidad in 1992, is gripping from start to finish. What started out as Rune's determination to unearth her classmate's Dumpling murderer, ended up being a discovery of self, family, love, faith, and friendship, encased in the ability to turn one's life around in the face of adversity and circumstance.
I was rooting her Rune the whole way and had faith she would beat those beasts which came in the form of classmates, circumstances, environment and that while doing so she would help her brother Nick beat his demon.
I like the fact that she learnt that justice and evil is not black and white and that sunshine, most days, comes after the rain.
chanteld's review against another edition
5.0
A full review to come. I need to think about a few matters. I need to calm down.
Great storytelling. Set in Trinidad in the 1990s. It's a YA mystery unlike another book within the genre. It is atmospheric and the ending is perfection. This captured in such precise language the small town Caribbean dynamics. The ethnic and religious backgrounds of the characters is uniquely Trinidadian but as a Jamaican I understood fully well Rune's motivation.
Did I just ramble on when I said that I needed more time to process?
Thanks to Blouse and Skirt Books (an imprint of Blue Banyan Books) and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me.
Great storytelling. Set in Trinidad in the 1990s. It's a YA mystery unlike another book within the genre. It is atmospheric and the ending is perfection. This captured in such precise language the small town Caribbean dynamics. The ethnic and religious backgrounds of the characters is uniquely Trinidadian but as a Jamaican I understood fully well Rune's motivation.
Did I just ramble on when I said that I needed more time to process?
Thanks to Blouse and Skirt Books (an imprint of Blue Banyan Books) and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me.
ebonyutley's review against another edition
3.0
The Beast of Kukuyo was well written. The dialogue is poignant, and the pull quotes from each chapter are stellar. Just reading them alone drives the plot. It’s a clever strategy. There are so many life lessons summed in a single sentence. Hosein writes well. Rune, the main character, is incredibly likeable. She’s bold and loyal and strong. The characters around her are also well crafted as they interact in service to her development.
My critique is the plot. So much happened so fast at the end, and yet, the main murder that opens the book is never fully addressed. I mean, we assume we know who the killer is, but we don’t know why or how. I like a book that wraps things up. It’s the whole point of reading fiction. There are so many unanswered questions in the real world, I want this fake world, especially one that gets more tragic as I turn the pages to at least offer me some explanations for why the bad guys do what they do.
There’s quite a bit of content in the book that doesn’t serve the story. It’s just there just because. The book is short enough for it to not really be a problem, but if you finish and feel as if something is missing, it’s because there is. I would have loved it if Hosein filled in a few of those gaps with more content about Trinidad and its Indian culture, but this is actually not a book that caters to outsiders, which I also fully appreciate. The beast demands that you enter its world, and which means survivors will have to live with their unanswered questions.
My critique is the plot. So much happened so fast at the end, and yet, the main murder that opens the book is never fully addressed. I mean, we assume we know who the killer is, but we don’t know why or how. I like a book that wraps things up. It’s the whole point of reading fiction. There are so many unanswered questions in the real world, I want this fake world, especially one that gets more tragic as I turn the pages to at least offer me some explanations for why the bad guys do what they do.
There’s quite a bit of content in the book that doesn’t serve the story. It’s just there just because. The book is short enough for it to not really be a problem, but if you finish and feel as if something is missing, it’s because there is. I would have loved it if Hosein filled in a few of those gaps with more content about Trinidad and its Indian culture, but this is actually not a book that caters to outsiders, which I also fully appreciate. The beast demands that you enter its world, and which means survivors will have to live with their unanswered questions.
traceymlee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
junegloome's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
starrwad's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this atmospheric novel set in Trinidad. The description and the characters' dialect took me right into their world. It's sad and quite charming at the same time. I will read more books from this author.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.
madde's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Chose this book basically at random for the read the world challenge and I am glad I did! The suspense in this novel makes it hard to put down. Hosein masterfully brought the cast of characters to life. I’ll definitely have to look into his other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Rape
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
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
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
ambi_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
knightreader1988's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0