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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

Sarah's father is finding it hard to cope ever since her mother left them. And so he decides it's best for Sarah if he takes her to live with her grandparents for a while. But their house isn't exactly warm and cozy. And Sarah's grandmother isn't the caring, motherly type. As for Sarah's grandfather, well he's a little different as well. 

Turns out Sarah's family is plagued by a curse that has transformed her grandfather into a beast. Her grandmother must care for him because to leave him would mean her own certain death. Sarah's father has already begun to suffer the effects of the curse and Sarah herself is likely in line for the same fate. Unless she can find a way to break it once and for all. 

I didn't love Beastkeeper but I very much wanted to. It's a dark tale much in the tradition of the classic fairytales we all know and love. And Sarah is a spunky and clever heroine if ever there was one.

My issue was with the execution of the tale. There was a bit of repetition in the story and some confusion on my part both because of the repetition and because it sometimes felt like details were left out altogether. And no, this wasn't simply because some of the characters themselves were withholding information. It just seemed like the organization in the writing went a bit off the rails at times.

Granted it's not enough to make me outright dislike Beastkeeper, but going in I was aware of the very positive reviews it had been getting and did have high expectations. For me it was an ok read and a fun story for a cold afternoon but not one I'd likely return to down the line.

Rating: 3/5

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