Although the jumps between time periods and narrators rhe author employs were confusing, the story Lang spins is a wonderful one. Her characters are quite real, despite the "magic" of the story. I wanted Weylyn Grey to be my friend, and I wanted to chat with Mary over tea. I will definitely recommend this books to my patrons.

"Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance"

By: Ruth Emmie Lang

Don't be discouraged in the beginning of this book. It's not as complicated to follow as it seems. See, this is a book told by multiple characters and their recollections of a young man named Weylyn Grey. A young man who may or may not have control of the weather and was raised by wolves after loosing his entire family.

Now Weylyn is a unassuming character who has a magical pig. Named Merlin of course. Merlin was born with a single small bump in the middle of his forehead and that must make him magical. But then on the day Weylyn was born, there was a snowstorm....and it was the middle of summer! So it's really hard to tell who really has the magic.

Even thought I was having a little trouble jumping right into the purpose of this story I was enticed into continuing by the individual stories told. There were a total of 9 characters giving accounts of Weylyn's life events. Three of those became central to the story but all added dimensions to the development of Weylyn's character. I liken it to painting a picture. In the beginning all you may see is the stark outline of something that becomes a masterpiece by the end. Interesting concept, great writing and just enough info in the separate tales to want to keep you pushing forward to "see" the finished product!

Jeanie G

Getting 4.5 "Extraordinary" sheeP

You MUST go into this book knowing that it is full of magic! It is a wonderful story about the people that we meet and what we leave them with.

While this book is not my usual cup of tea, I was entertained. I am very happy that I read this book and hope that you will be, too.

My thanks to netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy.

The story is told through the eyes of the people Weylyn Grey encounters in his life.

And what a life it has been! He lost his parents at a young age and ended up living with a pack of wolves before he was taken in by his first foster family. And always, always no matter where he goes, whispered rumours of his ability to talk to animals and affect the weather follow suit.

There was a sweet innocence to this story. When trauma or difficulty faced the characters, it was done with light strokes, humor and a little magic.

Ultimately the book asks the question, is home a person or a place?

I enjoyed the reading experience and can recommend this for readers who may have found The Summer that Melted Everything too dark or disturbing.

Oh goodness! you say. How could a book about a boy raised by wolves be anything other than cheesy? I mean, after "The Jungle Book" and "Julie of the Wolves," it's all kind of downhill, isn't it?

Well, I am pleased to say that "Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances" is a lovely and very readable addition to this genre. It's billed as magic realism, and it might as well be called that as anything else, but it doesn't really fit into any genre classifications. It's part magic realism, part urban fantasy, part contemporary literary fiction of a distinctly American flavor. It follows--sort of--the life of Weylyn Grey, who has strange silver eyes and can communicate with animals and control the weather. When his parents die in a freak snowstorm, he runs away and joins a wolf pack. Several years later he's pulled back into human society and adopted, only to cause, inadvertently, problems within his adoptive family. He bounces from home to home, touching the lives of those he encounters, but never feeling like it's safe for him to stay.

The action is narrated by the people he encounters, some of whom become deeply involved with him, some of whom hardly get to know him at all, but whose lives he changes profoundly. There are multiple little subplots and side arcs to the story from all these people, and the main story only emerges gradually, as Weylyn's life takes shape around the people in it. It isn't until the latter half of the book that the heart of the story is revealed.

These interwoven plot lines require the reader's attention, but this isn't a difficult book to read--the language is casual and conversational, peppered with moments of humor, especially when the child narrators speak. This isn't "light" or "genre" fiction, but it isn't heavy or dense either: a good choice for those who want to read something a little more literary but don't want to saddle themselves with something really long and challenging, or those who just want a little more magic in their lives.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was one of the most pure and beautiful and wholesome books I've ever read. I loved everything-- the plot, the structure, the characters. What a cozy, lovely story. I'm already looking forward to rereading it someday.

The expression of the desires of the heart can have consequences beyond one’s control.
With unusual gifts come great burdens; with loss comes appreciation, wonderment, and love.

Told through the stories of those who encountered, endured, or loved an extraordinary person throughout his life; Ruth Emmie Lang has crafted an endearing tale that is poignant, whimsical, and finally, heartwarming.

Magical realism that I actually enjoyed?
Surely not???
Though this gem of a book does feature far more of the 'magic' than the 'realism', so that's probably why it was a winner for me!

During this tale we follow the life of Weylyn Grey through the memories and stories of the people that knew him.
Weylyn isn't like other people.
He has lived with wolves, can stop storms, collect light in jars, and is under the impression that his very presence puts the people he loves in danger.
We get to visit dense woodland, travel through thick snow, and enter a house covered in spiders webs.

This book is such a magical, fantastical, touching story.

I really connected to every character we met along the way and was facinated with the life of Weylyn.
I couldn''t wait to turn the page and find out what was going to happen next!

I really enjoyed the way the story was told - from the POV of different characters and their views of the things that happened around Weylyn.
It was lovely to see how Weylyn had touched peoples lives and how they each coped with having to change their views about reality and how the world worked.

We also get to see how Weylyn himself deals with being different, his struggle with the fact that he possibly puts the people he loves in danger, and how he ultimately copes with that fact.
I loved his character so much and just wanted to give him a big hug!

It was magical, funny, touching, and at times quite sad.
It was perfect.

Just shortly, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I applaud St Martins Press and Ruth Emmie Lang for this little gem.
I cannot wait for this to be published so I can sell it.
The whole review will be published November 2017, closer to pub date. Thank you for approving me to this.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've posted a full review on Goodreads. I enjoyed this book immensely. It was whimsical, magical and engaging. I felt a deep connection with the characters - especially Weyland Grey - despite only getting to know him through other characters' observations. The author does a fabulous job writing through multiple perspectives. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a "feel-good" story that includes reality-based fantasy. I would describe as a magical love story.

Though listed as fantasy/sci fi, it's actually pretty difficult to categorize this book. That's probably right in line with the way it reads - charmingly awkward. It's not magical realism either.... this is a beast unto itself, part magic, part fairy tale.

A bit patchy at times (maybe needs a tighter edit?) But overall a very entertaining, sweet story of belonging, magic and love.

I immediately fell in love with the main character Weylyn Grey. He is so selfless it hurts. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his character through the eyes and point of views of all other characters. Although we never get to hear the stories from Weylyn Grey's perspective, I always felt that he was adequately represented and portrayed equally by each character in the same way. But something made me feel that I needed and wanted to know more.

Weylyn Grey, is the type of person who comes into other peoples lives and changes them forever. He enters their lives in moments of despair, when they need someone the most.

Weylyn Grey's tragic upbringing, and disconnect from the world - has not left him jaded, but has left him with the desire to know/ learn/ experience everyone ( he plans to meet at least one person for every name that exists) This is his greatest character trait and perhaps his greatest flaw. There is something about people who are so disconnected from the "real" world, that makes them the most genuine.

I think it is fair to say that the lesson from this book is that when you love people and have the desire to make a profound, positive impact upon the world, then will you have accomplished the meaning to live.

Once I started reading this book, I could not stop - and when I wasn't reading this book, my mind kept wandering and thinking of what is going to happen next to Weylyn Grey......

you can find my rating at @nic_jain_ on Instagram .

**Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review** (less)

This was a different genre from what I usually read. The characters were great and the story kept my interest. I would have liked a bit more magic and extraordinary things but that's just my preference. I will definitely look out for further books from this author.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance follows the life of Weylyn Grey, from childhood through adulthood and beyond. It’s a powerful story filled with kindness, love and magic. A story about how one person can influence the lives of so many. I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved Weylyn, he is so selfless that it hurts. It’s tragic and beautiful at the same time, every time you see him helping people you can’t help but feel good, but at the same time you realize that the one person that needs help the most is him. The whole book is in fact filled with the perfect balance of happiness and sadness, it feels like life.

As a matter of fact, it only takes about 50 pages for it to pull the punches. I think it’s a new record for me, it usually takes a lot of build up to make me invested enough in the characters and the story before I become emotional. Not with this one, I was crying and feeling so many things right from the start and that was the moment when I realized that this is indeed something special and magical.

Through his life, Weylyn Grey will encounter many people. In fact, it is through the eyes of others that we get to meet and know him. This is where Ruth Emmie Lang stands out, characters come and go but in the short time that we get to spend with them, they manage to make more of an impression than other characters do in an entire book. It only takes one chapter and it will be enough to make you fall in love with the characters that the author created. It’s not only people, some of the most lovable and memorable characters are actually animals, from wolves to pigs and even bees, Weylyn’s companions come in all forms and shapes.

It’s tough to write about this book, the more I love a book, the harder it is for me to gather my thoughts, especially when the only thing I can think about are the feelings that I experienced while reading it. How could I put those feelings into words, I’m not a writer, I’m not that good with words but I think I know someone who is. If you want to experience an immersive and magical journey with characters that almost pop out of the book, you should read this. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

A cozy read. Not complicated or confusing with wide cast of characters that are touched by Weylan. Could also be a senior high school recommended reading.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance was a captivating read from start to finish. I loved the multiple-narrator approach, with different people sharing their memories of Weylyn as he moved in and out of their lives. The magical realism was so beautifully portrayed, you barely considered there was anything unusual or out of the ordinary about the things Weylyn could do. From one chapter to the next, I was eager to see how events played out, and I found the conclusion a satisfying end to Weylyn's journey. Highly recommended for fans of magic realism. I certainly hope to see more works from Lang in the future as her writing style was relaxing and engaging.

What a wonderful surprise! I've "been away" from sci fi and fantasy for a while, and this was a grand reentry. It's one of the two titles I'm recommending to everyone I talk with this month.

I downloaded Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance off NetGalley by chance. My account there had been languishing for, well, years. I decided to hop back on and see if I could find anything worth reading. And after just a few minutes, I stumbled across BoEC. I loved the cover and thought the synopsis seemed intriguing, so I downloaded my copy and set off.

To be honest, I didn't really enjoy the book as I was starting out! It took me a bit to get used to the first-person POV and the writing seemed a little infantile. I did note that the characters we heard from at first were children, so infantile was realistic. And I'm glad I pushed through and gave it a chance, because it just got better and better.

BoEC is a story set in modern America about a boy named Weylyn Grey who has inexplicable abilities, namely communicating with animals and influencing the weather. The book is a story of his life, told almost entirely through the perspective of others. The POV switches frequently, and we get to see Weylyn through many different eyes, though almost never through his own. I don't want to get too much into the plot because it's easy to give things away, but I will say that it kept me interested and that I was never quite sure what was going to happen next.

There were a couple characters that I wish had been touched on more. First, Weylyn's parents. They do come up, and we quickly learn that he's an orphan, but they just sort of feel really hollow to me. It's obvious that they were just killed in order for Weylyn to have this journey. They never really come up except when convenient to the plotline at hand. I also wish there had been more about Weylyn's adopted mom and Mary's dad. They both kind of just vanish after they serve their purpose, making them feel more like plot points than characters. This is true of some of the other secondary characters as well, but these folks feel like they should have been of more importance to both Mary and Weylyn's lives.

Overall, though, I loved this book. Once I got into the rhythm of things, I didn't want to put it down. I almost missed my T stop several times while reading. I really felt immersed in the world Ruth Emmie Lang created and sympathized so much with the characters. No spoilers, but the ending made me SO emotional and gave me so many goosebumps. Lang really knows how to thread an ending together.

Takeaway: This book is beautiful. Please read it. Please, please read it.

Really enjoyed this book, the story is original and well written, I'd read more from this author.