We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis is a gripping exploration of survival and transformation set in a world where nature and humanity collide. The narrative follows a group of characters navigating challenges and discovering their inner strength amid chaos. Griffis’ vivid storytelling brings the setting to life, immersing readers in a rich, atmospheric experience. The themes of resilience, community, and the primal instinct to survive make this novel both thrilling and thought-provoking. It’s a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure!

Feminine rage on repeat. It's a interesting story with historical background. The main character is one who follows the beat of her own drum and doesn't fit the mold of what is socially acceptable. It comes off strong within the book and her love for others is very warming but the book is repetitive. It is the same story line over and over with slight variations and gets a tad bit tiring. There really isn't any growth in character or anything which was a tad disappointing. I loved the premise of the story and enjoyed the first half of the book but then 2nd half I got a tad bored.
Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.

What originally drew me to this book was the cover. It is gorgeous and I would buy it just based off the cover. The writing was beautiful and I adored the relationship between Josephine and Clara. This was for sure a YA horror (I don’t think I’d classify it as horror at all), overall it was a great YA book and worth the read.

I really liked this one! It was fast paced, creepy, and the way it ended was awesome.

I loved the themes of feminism and girls helping girls. And how beats can just be men in normal clothing.

This is a great spooky YA

A super compelling novel combining its historical and horror elements perfectly. This is my second Gigi Griffis book and I'm excited to read more from her.

I did not like nor hate this read I think it was just a right book wrong time situation! I know someone I’d recommend this read to though!

This was an interesting book. It was a step into a new genre for me as I've never really read a book that combined historical fiction and horror but I really enjoyed it! The writing was great and it was interesting to see a reimagined tale of the Beast of Gevaudan. It was my first time hearing this story and I thought that it was really interesting.

A great mix of man and beast and the unsure nature of what is truly plaguing this quiet, quaint town.

I found the idea of this book and subsequently, its execution so compelling. When young girls are being killed by this beast that roams the woods, the remaining girls in town live in fear. Occasionally, the beast kills a boy, and when a boy is found mauled to death, the town is in an uproar.

In order to save a little girl from the same fate, a fate far worse than what the beast could have in store, our protagonist, strong, brave and harsh Josephine will stop at nothing. She wishes someone would have been there to save her when she was a child.

The discussion of the ways of men was such an integral part of my enjoyment of this book. They take and they take, giving very little in return, and then turn and wonder why there is nothing left. Some are oblivious to it, some are very, very aware. Both can have terrible consequences, especially for those girls in the town.

There were many levels to this book, with a fabulous cast of characters and an ending that had me feeling all of the emotions.

We Are the Beasts is a fantastic story based on true historical events that examines what happens when girls learn to stand up for themselves.

I adored the juxtaposition of the beast against the very real threat of the patriarchy in this little French village. I did NOT see the ending coming -- I thought I had it all figured out, but was completely wrong -- and the historical context at the end was absolutely fascinating. I didn't realize this book would contain not just one, but two really important messages about society and the ways the privileged and powerful can cause so much harm.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical stories with a feminist bent.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the arc! To be honest, I don’t remember much of this story, as I tried to read it back when I first received the arc, but I remember not enjoying it enough, and so I put it down. Unfortunately, it didn’t interest me, even with the quick start and pace, and didn’t leave a mark on me either. Of the 3 chapters I read, I remember nothing. I don’t think it was a bad book, but it didn’t hold my attention personally.

Okay this gives the hounds of baskerville, but what if there were actual hounds, and women characters, and maybe a horror element, and oh also suspense. It leaves you on the edge of your seat as the body count grows and you try to figure out what's happening.

Thank you for the advanced read of We Are the Beasts! I loved the cover and knew that I needed to read this book. The cover is stunning!

With evocative prose and rich character development, Griffis explores themes of identity, power, and survival in a compelling narrative. The book's blend of psychological depth and social commentary makes it a stimulating read, offering both engaging storytelling and insightful reflections. Ideal for readers who appreciate nuanced characters and provocative themes.

3.5 This one is hard to rate. Ultimately, I did get sucked into the story. However, disbelief was hard to suspend. Some readers, out for the blood of retelling every historical event through our contemporary lense, will love it. But, fact cannot die on the altar of fiction.
The simple truth is that our main character is NOT a French peasant girl of the 1700s. Rather lazily, the author has given us a post pandemic, post #metoo teenager, with an unabashedly American slant, living in an 18th century French village. It’s a disservice to superimpose our thoughts and emotions onto historical people. There’s so much about history that is beautiful and interesting. In 1700s France,the average life span was 25 years, the country was leaning into the Enlightenment, the smallpox vaccine was going to be invented, and France would soon begin to tear itself apart with Revolution. If you’re going to write history, let the past speak. God knows we ought to stop talking, and listen to it. We have much to learn.

This was on of my most anticipated releases, unfortunately it fell flat for me. I’m not sure if it was a mood thing or what but I struggled with this one.

I was not able to finish this book for time constraint reasons, but did read through the first 25% and really enjoyed it. It was very emotionally low given the setting of a misogynistic 18th century French town, so I would say it leans more toward older teen readers. Otherwise a good historical fiction-horror that I would like to finish at a later date.

Big shoutout to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in return for my honest thoughts.

I had a blast reading this story! It’s such a great mix of historical fiction and horror. Griffis’ interpretation of the Beast of Gévaudan was fantastic.

The character development was impressive. The horror elements were crafted really well and caught me off guard at times. I’ll definitely be telling everyone who’s into horror with strong female characters to check this one out!

Loved it! Compelling writing and story. I love the examples of bravery, resilience and fortitude. It speaks of monsters, imagined and real. And how the real “monsters” are the ones we need to fear.

This is such an intriguing concept for a story but there were bits that really didn’t work for me. Two girls in 1700s France, realize that there is a beast attacking children and use it to cover the escape of girls in their village who have been treated horribly by their families. It has some strong feminism going through it that really just beats you over the head with the idea by the end. The two main girls don’t have a lot of personality aside from being the “feral” one and the one that takes care of everyone. The language was the biggest turn off for me. Girls in 1700s are not saying “not today, satan” or “hell no.” I wasn’t expecting perfect historical language but it took me out of the timeframe. The camaraderie and idea of saving these other girls was a good start but overall the story would have been better as a short story.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read & review this book.

The girls are tired and hungry. They tend the sheep, they keep the house, they do the work. But the whole village is struggling, barely making ends meet and praying to God to not starve through the winter… and then the first murder happens. A beast, a monstrous creature, has made its way through the country and to their village, sewing discord and blood in its path.

But is it truly this monstrous beast who is wreaking havoc on this village’s occupants, or is something more sinister happening? When daily life in this village can be far more terrorizing for the countless girls making a life here - harassment, a stray fist from a man, belittled to put back in their place. Caught in the middle of this village’s plight, sixteen-year-old Josephine and her best friend Clara are determined to do right by the girls and protect them by escaping - but can they fight against both their unjustly patriarchal society and the monster hiding in the forest?

This book was so beautifully written. I found myself going over passages that would make my body shiver in awareness… almost as if I were being told to pay attention. I loved the bravery these girls had in righting the wrongs they came across in the village but also when it came to personal relationships.

Final rating: 4 stars

Recommended if you like: mystery/thriller, YA, lgbt+ inclusion, feministic writings