The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggit-Phillips [book review]

The Beast and the Bethany Book Summary:

Ebenezer Tweezer is old. But he doesn’t look old. He’s been around for a very long time and that’s because he has something very unique in his Attic. The more Ebenezer feeds the beast in his attic the greedier he gets. But Ebenezer would do just about anything in order to stay alive. That’s when the beast asks to eat a child. It’s one of the few things he hasn’t eaten. This baffles Ebenezer and he doesn’t know exactly to go about it. The way that he justifies it is by adopting one of the worst children out there. That’s where Bethany comes in. As Ebenezer gets to know Bethany the more he starts to question his decision.

What I thought about The Beast and the Bethany:

If you like Middle-Grade books then you might also like It’s the First Day of School…Forever!

Okay, so normally I don’t read middle-grade books. I don’t mind young adult but usually, that’s my limit. The main reason is that I usually have a hard time relating to the characters and the plot. I know that really shouldn’t bother me but I really can’t help it or typically look past it.

Thankfully I was able to look past it with The Beast and the Bethany. This book is about a man named Ebenezer who is shallow and vile. He has lived for a very long time with this monster that is able to give in to his every desire. The only catch is that this monster loves to eat and he refuses to eat the same thing twice. This book explores a friendship between two people who really only think about themselves and how in the end some people really can change.

The plot

So, I know that I said that I normally don’t read middle-grade books but The Beast and the Bethany actually caught my attention. The cover is what actually grabbed my attention. Yes, I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but the style reminded me so much of Coraline and I absolutely love the movie. I honestly like the art style in that movie too.

I kind of went in the book thinking it was going to be similar and in a way it kind of was. I do have to say that the book gives off a Lemony Snicket vibe and I ended up really enjoying the books. I was obviously bound to enjoy this book too..and I really did!

The Beast and the Bethany is a really quick read, it’s fun, and a bit funny too. I couldn’t help but enjoy myself. I wondered if Ebenezer was ever going to change his mind about Bethany and if they would grow close. I’m really glad that they did because they are so similar in some ways. I figured they would get along just fine once they got used to each other.

The Characters

Some of you might disagree with me but I actually found the monster in The Beast and the Bethany to be really cool. Even though I wouldn’t like to feed it some of the things that it wants I would still love to be able to get some of the things it’s able to give you. I mean who wouldn’t want to be able to get most of the things that they want right at their fingertips?

The Beast and the Bethany is actually a pretty unique story about a man who is able to live forever. No, he’s not a vampire but he does have a monster that is able to give him things that will help him live for as long as he likes.

At first, I honestly didn’t really like Bethany. She’s such a little brat and I kind of understand why Ebenezer picked her. Even though I wouldn’t have liked it I probably would have done the same thing as him. But I can also understand why she is the way that she is. After what happened to her it became a habit to push everyone away. That’s understandable with all that she went through.

Do you read middle-grade books?

Here is my latest review of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.