Review: Very unique take on this Genre 4 1/2 stars!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 26, 2014
WOW!What a complex and refreshing take on the paranormal Were Genre. The very beginning of this story pulls you in immediately. You are thrust into this nightmarish retelling of the horrible ordeal that Jaz, our main character experiences in the middle of the night and it sets the stage for the rest of this book.Beasthood is a mixture of paranormal meets The Godfather meets Clue. There are revealed secrets, strong family ties, rivaling packs, betrayal, vicious plotting, murder, Were politics and traditions, and there is of course the underlying cause of all heartache; love. So if you are following there is a whole lot going on in this story. Jaz is thrown into a world she knows nothing about, a hidden community of Weres. There she finds out that everything she knows is a lie. She learns about her true family and who or what she will become. When she meets the mysterious and quiet but deadly Driver, Jaz can’t seem to keep herself away and soon she finds that the feelings that compel her to him are not just desire but something deep and instinctual felt in every fiber of her being. As more and more is revealed Jaz will have to decide where she truly belongs and if she is willing to become and accept who she really is in order to protect those she has come to admire and love.There is so much to like about this book, Green is a wonderful storyteller. There is so much detail and description in every aspect of this book, from the landscape to the looks of the characters and emotions felt by each.  Green spends time in developing the plot of the story and back stories for the characters; she doesn’t flutter through the storyline or try to wrap things up quickly but rather expands and drags you deeper into the mystery just making you want to unravel every itty bitty detail. Even when you find yourself thinking “A HA, I know who did it!” you are then slapped with another layer of deceit that will leave you slack-jawed and cursing. The further down the rabbit hole the plot went I felt more invested in story that I found myself feeling like a pack member worrying about what might happen to my fellow characters.  The ending of this story packs a major punch, there is an explosion of action and truth that you might need some time to recover and reflect. There is also so much heartache and emotional distress portrayed by the main character that as a reader your heart literally breaks for her and you can’t help but feel every ounce of her confusion and agony.The one small issue I have with this book is that there is an abundance of characters we are introduced to; some more briefly then others and at times I found myself a little confused trying to follow the family ties of each. I think perhaps in the second book it would be helpful to have a family tree or some kind of glossary to keep up. I understand it can’t be done in the first book as some relations are revealed slowly through the plot and some are meant to be surprises. But it would be a great addition for the second book in my opinion.I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what will be revealed in the next installment. This is a new, interesting and well done take on the Were paranormal world.