The moment I learnt that the new Beast
and the Bethany book has been published and is available for review, I jumped
on the blog tour by @TheWriteReads!
And the new book doesn't disappoint!
In this blog post, I'm sharing my book
review of The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast.
Synopsis:
Lemony
Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this riotously funny, deliciously macabre, and
highly illustrated sequel to The Beast and the Bethany in which Bethany and
Ebenezer try to turn over a new leaf, only to have someone—or something—thwart
them at every turn.Once
upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his
attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures and in
return the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then the Bethany
arrived.
Now
notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is
determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives and Do Good.
But Bethany finds that being a former prankster makes it hard to get taken on
for voluntary work. And Ebenezer secretly misses the beast’s vomity gifts. And
neither of them are all that sure what “good people” do anyway.
Then
there’s Claudette, who’s not been feeling herself recently. Has she eaten
something that has disagreed with her?
Book title: The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast
Author: Jack Meggitt-Phillips
Number of pages: 288 pages
Genre(s): Middle grade, fantasy, humor
Publisher: Farshore Books
Publication date: 30 September 2021
Book Review by Nadaness In
Motion
"There
was fear in their eyes, and that fear looked awfully like respect."
The Beast and
the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast is the second book in The Beast and the Bethany
book series by Jack Meggitt-Philips.
Revenge of the
Beast opens with a
flashback to Ebenezer Tweezer's life and when he first met the beast. The
chapters alternate between the past and the present, where Bethany lives with
Ebenezer in his 15-story house.
In the
present, Bethany is on a mission to "de-beast" the house, her life,
and Ebenezer's from all things beast-related. And it's going swimmingly!
"Why
do we need to de-beast?" Ebenezer asked. "Claudette killed the beast,
I'd say that's pretty thorough de-beasting already."
But things
aren't what they seem. While Bethany is trying to get rid of all reminders
of the beast, the beast is secretly alive and plotting his revenge...
And what a
revenge it is!
"Throw
me at the one with the unpleasant face, if you want to have some fun."
Like the first
book, The
Beast and the Bethany, Revenge of the Beast is filled with
laugh-out-loud speech and events.
"I
bought [these paintings] myself. If we got rid of them we wouldn't be de-beasting,
we'd be de-Ebenezering!"
In addition to
the old cast, we meet many new characters, all integral to the book's progress
and to the characters' development.
Revenge of the
Beast sees a lot of
growth for the pompous, selfish, 500-year-old Ebenezer. There's also
development for Bethany but since she's young (11-ish?), we see her become
easily influenced by others and ignore her instincts.
There were
moments where I was laughing, others when I wanted to hug Bethany, and then
there were moment where I was "Noooooo" and "Focus,
Bethany!"
If you're
reading Revenge of the Beast, you'll likely be talking to yourself so
make sure no one is in the room with you or they'll think you're crazy. And if
they see the book you're reading, they'll probably get a confirmation of that
craziness.
Overall, Revenge of the Beast is a 5-star must-read children's book.
Overall
rating of The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Philips:
5 stars.
Note:
I received a free copy of The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast
as part of a blog tour via The Write Reads Blog Tours. This has not, in any
way, affected my review.
Note:
Can't wait for book 3 in the series.
Add The Beast and the Bethany:
Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips on Goodreads.
Purchase the book via Amazon.
Check out my
review of book 1 The
Beast and the Bethany
About the Author
Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4.
He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent.
Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading P.G. Wodehouse novels.
Connect with author Jack Meggitt-Phillips via Twitter.
Check out my
review of book 1 The Beast and the Bethany
Looking for
more middle grade fantasy fiction?
Here are a few
titles I recommend: (Links will take you to my book reviews)
Looking
for Dei by David Willson
Magora:
The Gallery of Wonders by Marc Remus (Book 1)
Magora:
The Golden Maple Tree by Marc Remus (Book 2)
Tales
of the Forest by Johanna Aldridge
Ronaldo,
the Flying Reindeer Academy by Maxine Sylvester
