Mid-18th century France: sixteen-year-old Joséphine is the only survivor of her family after a fever swept through the village. Now she lives with her best friend, Clara. When out grazing their sheep, the two stumble upon a boy’s mutilated body. Fearing this is the work of “The Beast” that has been preying on young girls, Clara runs for help. But Joséphine soon learns the grisly truth from the boy’s frightened sister, hiding in the woods. To save the girl from her brother’s fate, they fake her death and find her a safe house. The risk of discovery quickly heightens when soldiers arrive with orders to hunt the beast. Arrogant and ungrateful, the soldiers expect to be sheltered and fed by the poor villagers who barely have enough for the upcoming winter. However, if Joséphine and Clara’s secret is discovered, the danger posed by the villagers will be more terrifying than starvation or the Beast.

Our young characters are faced with difficult choices. Eventually, Joséphine realizes they must either “[f]ace the monsters we know or risk the ones we don’t”; this theme runs throughout the story like a dark shadow. Griffis uses the setting well to heighten the sense of unease as our characters trek through hauntingly silent fields and rainy, dark forests. The book has strong elements of found family and plenty of character development as Joséphine struggles to overcome her own fears to save those she loves.

A historical horror novel for young adult readers, We Are the Beasts was inspired by the unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan. Content warnings include abuse, racism, homophobia, depictions of violence, and strong language. With compelling twists and turns, this is a well-written story of control, overcoming trauma, and standing up for what’s right.

Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/we-are-the-beasts/

I really enjoyed this YA historical fiction! While this book does not contain graphic sexual scenes nor a significant amount of language, I do feel a mature reader is needed due to themes present: violence, abuse, abandonment, starvation, assault, racism, classism and religious persecution for starters.

I was very interested in this mystery/thriller take on the mystery of the Beast of Gevaudon. Set in 18th century France, we follow two young women on their trials while living in a village plagued by a mysterious "beast" who has been killing off young people in the area. The girls are very poor, shepherdesses living with an aged and less than lucid grandmother. Unfortunately, the danger in the wild while tending their sheep is really minimal in comparison to the danger of living in that time. The political climate of the time meant women, lower class, "foreigners" and differences in sexuality were treated as expendable, without any real rights.

It was interesting how the author so clearly showed how the King allowed the soldiers to mistreat everyone, the local officials allowed everyone under them to be mistreated, and then the Priest and men of the village were allowed to mistreat the women, etc. The abuse just rolled down hill.

I, for one, was not bothered by the lack of historically accurate language. The use of modern language actually helped me stay engaged in the story and spend less time trying to figure out what was actually being said. I also didn't mind the lack of extensive time period world building. The story was set in 18th century France, we get an idea of how poor they are, the general type of clothes they are wearing, how they are expected to act and the methods of survival (shepherding, gardening, merchants, etc) - I feel like that was more than adaquate. I did not need to know the color of every article of clothing or the shade of brown of the bed roll - that info does not help me through a story. Personal preference here, I know! I can see how one might be underwhelmed if they go into this anticipating a true historical fiction however.

I will agree, this did not feel like a horror story to me. It was definitely more of a mystery/thriller in my opinion. That being said, it was very interesting, thought provoking, maddening and entertaining for this reader!!

So, I requested this book and after it was approved, I realized it was YA. I've got nothing against YA, it's just not for me personally. I generally am not interested and choose not to read it. I prefer more adult themes in my books.

And then I read this one and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. This book is all girl power - filled with badass, bold young heroines who truly just kick ass.

I loved the characters, the story (based off the beast of Gevaudan), the representation, the pure power in this book. If I had a daughter, I would want her to read this one.

The ending made me cry, I was invested all the way through. I highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy YA horror!

Gigi Griffis’ We Are the Beasts offers a chilling look into the dark, oppressive world of 18th-century rural France, blending historical horror with a feminist undercurrent. Inspired by the true mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan, the novel crafts a daring narrative centered on two teenage girls desperate to escape the cages of their lives.

The premise is gripping: Joséphine and Clara use the chaos caused by a mysterious beast to stage their friends’ “deaths” and orchestrate their freedom from abusive homes. The story’s strength lies in its concept, where the girls’ courage and ingenuity shine through as they defy societal norms and challenge the brutality of their existence. Griffis deftly captures the bleakness of the era, weaving it with moments of dark humor and camaraderie that make the girls’ plight both heartbreaking and inspiring.

However, while the foundation of the story is solid, the execution sometimes falters. At times, the pacing feels sluggish, and the narrative could have benefited from tighter editing to sharpen its impact. Repetition in dialogue—like the overuse of “Mon Dieu” (my god) and “Oh la vache” (oh my god)—can pull the reader out of the immersive setting, and the resolution of the Beast’s identity feels predictable. Readers familiar with other interpretations of the Beast of Gévaudan may find themselves yearning for a more unique take, such as a hyena or giant wolf, rather than revisiting the lion theory.

That said, there are moments of levity that stand out, such as the humorous depiction of sheep confronting a lioness, which injects a touch of whimsy into the otherwise grim tale. These lighter notes provide a welcome contrast to the story’s darker themes, making the girls’ journey feel all the more human.

We Are the Beasts is not without flaws, but it offers an engaging exploration of resilience and rebellion against oppression. While it may not achieve the same cinematic grandeur as Brotherhood of the Wolf—a comparison the author may inadvertently invite—it still carves out its own space as a worthwhile and entertaining read. For fans of historical horror and feminist narratives, Griffis’ novel delivers a thought-provoking and adventurous story.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a lot of great promise! The story and the historical period fascinated me and I was drawn in when reading the synopsis before I applied.

The story isn’t bad, but I felt like it lost some of its historical feeling with the use of some more modern language and phrasing. If you enjoy a sapphic romance that begins with friendship, you may really enjoy this book. I think I have expected a bit more horrific events, but didn’t get the full I wanted.

Overall this was a solid 3/5. A decent story that is worth the read.

We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis is a very compelling blend of historical mystery, a little horror, and a slow-burning, comfortable sapphic love story. This is all set against the historical backdrop of the Beast of Gévaudan legend. While this leans more into the mystery than outright horror, it’s a really fun YA story that doesn’t shy away from darker aspects of these characters' lives.

I love a good creative riff on a real historical mystery. The Beast of Gévaudan has always fascinated me, and Griffis uses it brilliantly here—not just as a source of terror, but as a tool for shepherdesses Joséphine and Clara to allow young women to escape the suffocating constraints of their patriarchal village. I loved how the story explores the monstrous side of humanity alongside the physical threat of the beast. Most of the men in this village are as terrifying as any creature in the woods, and the plan to use the beast to fake deaths speaks volumes about their desperation.

The sapphic love story is a slow-burn romance rooted in friendship. I appreciated how it wasn’t flashy or overly dramatic—it felt real, tender, and deeply layered, adding some much-needed warmth to a story otherwise steeped in darkness.

And who could forget Fool Lamb? This mischievous little troublemaker provided some much-needed levity, balancing the tension with moments of humor. The sheep are wonderful, actually. I love how the sheep mean so much

That said, there were some aspects that pulled me out of the story. The modern colloquialisms, like “not today, Satan,” felt jarringly out of place in an otherwise historical setting. Similarly, the repeated French phrases could’ve been scaled back—they started to feel more like embellishments than integral parts of the narrative. It’s a very YA book in tone, which may not appeal to everyone, but for readers who love this genre, it’s a solid addition.

If you’re drawn to historical mysteries with a feminist edge and a touch of romance, this is totally worth a read. Its sharp look at humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and kindness is sure to resonate, even if it feels a bit heavy-handed at times.

Thanks so much to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Following two women in the past in France, we join them in facing both literal and figurative beasts, that of an actual beast prowling their woods and killing their peers, other young women and children, and the figurative ones, the cruel men that prowl their town and make victims of the women there.

Joséphine is headstrong and impulsive, tempered by the woman she loves, Clara, as they grew up together in their town. Joséphine often finds herself at odds with the men, both for her personality and her unwillingness to lie down and take their cruelty.

After finding the body of a young boy, and her surviving sister, they set out on a mission to rescue at first this girl and her sister, and then more, including themselves, from the men, using the beast as cover. But, as they make it seem as if the beast has more victims, they revive the beasts in the town, the superstition men seeking an answer, and the king's men trying to kill it, and eating them to the brink of starvation in the process.

This was a fantastic adventure with discussion of how women are treated and what society allowed, and forces, them to deal with. I was quite stressed the whole way through, not sure how this tale would end with both human and animal beasts seeking to harm our protagonists. The ending was great, but that would be spoilers. And that this was based on real historical events? Wild information to get at the end of the tale.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an e-arc of We Are the Beasts. Although I enjoyed parts, I felt pulled out of the book a lot with needing to remind myself of what time period it takes place in. Around 30 percent in I dnf'd.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an electronic arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis especially mentioning the monster and the time period. (I love a good historical fiction)

However, I kept forgetting when this was supposed to be taking place. The use of modern phases and words was what caused that confusion for me,

Overall though, I enjoyed the characters and I really felt like they were well fleshed out. The pace of the story felt quick and steady as well.

Ultimately. I did end up DNFing this book, however, it could just be a case of right book wrong time.

The writing style and overall story are the positives I thought of when reviewing this book. The main thing that brought it down was the confusing modern terminology mixed in.

2.5 stars - Unfortunately, this was a pretty average read for me. While I can really appreciate that this was written to be a feminist reimagining of the Beast of Gévaudan, it fell far from feeling like a historical fiction novel. I tried to get past the more colloquial language used in the novel because I wanted to enjoy the themes that were presented in the novel (as, for them to work, the characters and setting needed to feel more modern than the 1700s) but it started to grate on me the longer I read the novel. Besides slight mentions here and there of menageries (and the lack of women's rights), I kept forgetting that the novel was set during this time period - it could have very easily been set today and I don't feel like it would have made much of a difference (which can be seen as more of a critique of our current society as well I guess). While I enjoyed reading from our characters and appreciated the mission they took on within the plot of the novel, the storyline just did not pull me in enough for me to really care what was going on.

I had huge hopes for We Are the Beasts that unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. From the synopsis, I was SO excited to read about the struggle for freedom of this cast in the 1700s. I really adore historical based novels but there just was not many mentions that reminded me of the time period for this novel. Besides some quick mentions of the Seven Year War, this could have been set nearly anytime in the past. I did enjoy the characters and I felt it was a quick read. While that was a huge highlight for me, I felt that the overall novel could have been grounded better. It was a fun, female-powerful read but just didn't hit those high marks for me. Thanks

Thank you to Gigi Griffis, NetGalley, and Delacorte Press for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I read the premise of this novel: 1700s France, the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan, and the mystery of numerous missing young women. The story follows Josephine, a 16 year old shepherdess living with her best friend Clara. They live in a small village in the mountains with a harsh reality: daily risk of starvation and abuse from the village men. They live a hard life, but they have each other.
The village is plagued by a series of missing or brutally murdered young (mostly) girls. Josephine and Clara come upon a situation where they feel like have no choice but to use the mystery of the beast as an opportunity to fake the deaths of young innocents until they can escape the horrible men in their village.

This book was a pretty easy read. I thought the book started off strong but started to get bored in the middle, which is why I rated it 3 stars. However, I liked the character development, I thought Josephine and Clara's relationship was fun to read. I was just hoping for more horror.

We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis introduces a new historical horror inspired by the Beast of Gévaudan.

As a total history nerd, the premise sounded intriguing. I was all on board to love this book. However, it’s spoiled by a bizarrely modern narrative voice and shoddy technical writing.

For starters, the story is supposed to take place during the mid-1700s, and yet the writing is choppy and feels like it belongs more to a contemporary comedy. It’s filled with modern phrases like “not today, Satan. I’m not sure if the author was trying to appeal to a younger audience, but it felt so tonally off and completely took me out of the story.

The author also continually begins sentences with “And.” While this is grammatically incorrect, I’m fine with authors occasionally splitting conjunctive clauses to create emphasis and for artistic effect. However, the author abuses this technique to the point that it loses its impact and disrupts the flow of the writing.

Overall, I appreciate that the author covered a more obscure historical mystery, but the writing style itself drove me up the wall.

Thank you, NetGalley and Delacorte Press, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed how Josephine and Clara planned and got away with staging the deaths of their friends. I was also glad that they were the ones in the end that the beast was like them. I think it's fun too that it was actually a lion. From the description of it I couldn't tell at first. I was also glad how Belle helped everyone in the end. I enjoyed her as a character, along with Louis.

wow. i was not expecting this story going into this book. i was not expecting to have rage boil inside me in face of all the injustice and truths we learn in this book. Whether it was about how we value men and what they say way more than women or simply how fear can create monsters where they don't really exist.

this read as a tale and i feel as though there's so much we can learn from reading it. how women can find strenght together and how love is able to heal what was once broken.

i would like to end this review with a few of the most impactful quotes in this book:

"If a little girl would rather face the dangerous woods than the men running toward us, what have they done?"

"These are the kinds of choices we will make now, I realize. Perhaps the ones we've always made. Face the monsters we know or risk the ones we don't."

"Can it be inappropriate for ladies to see violence and yet somehow appropriate for them to be the target of it?"

"Men fancy themselves our protectors, but what have they protected us from?"

"Perhaps that's the end result of everything these men are working toward: making our bodies no longer our own."

Full disclaimer: I finished We Are the Beasts two weeks ago and have been putting off writing a review because I'm so terribly conflicted. I love everything this book sets out to do--feminine rage, thriller vibes, historical settings, queer-and-female centric cast of characters--and yet I ultimately didn't gel with the execution.

We Are the Beasts is a historical horror that uses the real-life unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gevaudan to pose the question: what if the real monster here is the patriarchy? It's a theme that's been done again and again, and yet I can never get enough of it. In this sense. We Are the Beasts soars. Main character Josephine is a young woman who knows firsthand how horrible the men of her village can be--from a father who abandoned her to a priest who preaches about the immorality of young women while leering at them (and worse)--and she's full of rage because of it. It was refreshing to have a character so willing to embrace her anger in a YA novel (and a historical one at that) so kudos to Griffis! Josephine was easily my favorite part of the book. I liked the other teens of the village as well -- Clara's a quieter, but still strong, character, and Belle ends up being a refreshing take on a tired trope.

Outside of character and setting, though, I felt there was a lot of unrealized potential here. As other reviewers have pointed out, the anachronistic language is a huge barrier. In one breath, Griffis's writing will be elegant and striking, cutting you to the bone...and the next sentence is "not today Satan." I was willing to give it a pass for being YA, until I realized that quite a few YA historical fiction authors (and YA historical horror authors!) write relatable characters without ever being anachronistic. Every time I got into the story, a phrase would just stick so awkwardly that I'd have to put it down. And the plot itself, I felt, struggled with forward momentum. After such an explosive opening, it just sort of mired itself, and didn't get going again until the middle.

I would still pick up another Gigi Griffis book--like I said, the POTENTIAL--but the execution fell rather flat for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Gigi Griffis for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I like the principle of the book which is essentially feminine rage but overall struggled to separate the language usage from the setting. The use of certain phrases and words threw me off when reading because I'm imagining a different setting for the book. I think that historical accuracy - even in fantasy - is somewhat important to add a touch of realism to an otherwise made up world/setting. But entertaining.

We Are the Beasts has beautiful prose and a very promising plot, but for some reason, I just could not get through this book. I, unfortunately, had to dnf this book at 20%. I think it was something about the dual mystery of the men in the village and the beast in the woods, they felt like they were fighting for my attention but neither of them held enough weight to me.

I really enjoyed this book, but I'm having a hard time with it being billed as horror. To me this was not at all horror, it was dark sure, but nothing about it really fits the horror genre for me.

DNF-ed. I couldn´t get even to the half-point honestly. I guess it wasn´t for me. It sounded interesting and the story wasn´t bad. I just didn´t connect with the characters.