Beastkeeper

Reviewed by: Kelley Blue - Portland Public Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 23, 2015

Review

Beastkeeper is a modern fairy tale that is both timeless and entirely new. Sarah is a young teen who's lived her life on the move, never settling in one place long enough to make a single friend. Her mother says they are running away from the cold, but the mood the author casts tells us she is running from something deeper, something that is casting a shadow over her parents' ability to live and love. When her mother abruptly leaves Sarah and her father, so begins a spiral into despair and ever stranger behavior (raw meat sandwich, anyone?). It is decided that Sarah will go to live with grandparents she barely knew she had, in a sagging castle full of so many curses it's hard to keep them all straight. There are true poetic moments in this tale and the author sets an alluring atmosphere. The execution of the plot is a bit meandering for such a short novel, and the characters seem slightly incomplete. There was just something off the entire read, and that kept me from being fully engaged. These aspects aside, this reviewer encourages readers to hang on until the end, where the writing turns a corner. It isn't quite happy, but seems just right. Recommended for those who will always love fairy tales and the darker elements of them.

Overall Book Score: good