This was a fantastic little book to read!

It was dark and creepy and had me gasping out loud in a couple of places!

It has unlikeable characters who manage to redeem themselves slightly and I cannot wait to see where this series goes next!

This is such a grippingly dark story for children with vibes reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Beast and the Bethany does well to balance both a grim and dark world with more comedy and hopeful parts as the story goes on!

The story follows two leads- Ebenezer and Bethany as their paths meet and takes them on quite a harrowing journey.

Ebenezer is a 511 year old with the appearance of a 20 year old. He is vain and selfish and possesses no redeemable qualities. His main goal is to lead a long and fulfilling life and will do anything to maintain that.

The younger of the duo is Bethany, a rude and a not very pleasant child who likes to be mean to others, do pranks and all manners of horrible things.

The dynamic of these two characters shines throughout the story as they are the same side of the coin. They are both not very nice people to start off with and I loved to see them clash against one another, with Bethany being a thorn in Ebenezer's life and Ebenezer not wanting to deal with her. As the book goes on, they begin to understand more of each other and how their actions affect others and the pains that people go through in life. We see such a wonderful redemption arc for these two characters, that its good to be nice to others, and that you will receive the same treatment back.

With Ebenezer, lives almost a sheltered life in a way and he gets thrown into the stark reality of life especially for Bethany, and becomes more conscious of the pain of others and more empathetic for people. I just loved to see this story bring out more light in an otherwise story and I need more of this world in more books please!

If you're looking for unforgettable and wilful characters, and a story that makes you yearn for more then please read this. Now, I'm going to be recommending this to everyone and waiting for the next one to come out!

I warned you guys that this NetGalley November attempt of mine this month is going to be a little erratic. But I didn’t think it would happen so quickly. I had planned to write-up my thoughts of The Survivors by Jane Harper or Karen M. McManus The Cousins before I attack this. But then, the UK Prime Minister announced a 4 week Lockdown on Halloween (aka Lockdown: The Revenge) due to a newspaper leak, and then with the US Election building up, my brain couldn’t handle these thrillers. So, on the first of November, I decided I needed something short, fast and fun!

And this just fitted the bill perfectly!

Ebenezer Tweezer is not a nice man. He is a youthful yet spoilt 511 year old, and he has a beast living his attic. Ebenezer feeds the beast and the beast gives - well, vomits - out beautiful gifts for him.

And yet, the beast is greedy. And he’s growing bored of eating rare animals, dusty statues and and singing parrots. The beast wants to try a new meal. One not tried before… for the beast wants a child…

Ok, how do I describe this? Imagine a hybrid of Despicable Me and/or Dorian Grey written by Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl.

And it’s a delicious read. I devoured it over the course of two days. It’s dark, funny and a little twisted. And there’s something great fun reading about unpleasant people (both Ebenezer and Bethany are not nice people) who, at the same time, are flawed and, as the story progress, we see moments of kindness and both characters question their mortality and what it means to be good.

I can’t really say much about this as I just had a blast reading this. I have’t had this reaction to a middle-grade since I read The Haunting of Aveline Jones. I had such delicious fun and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series (though you can read this as a standalone…)

Just wonderful! Ebeneezer is a morally bankrupt 511 year old who feeds 'the beast' in his attic all manner of unusual things in return for a potion that keeps him young. But when he is asked by the beast to provide a child for his next morsel 'Bethany' changes everything.... The characters are brilliantly depicted and there is just the right mix of gruesome and humour to make this an outstanding recommendation for fans of Roald Dahl, Lemony Snickett and Will Mabbitt. The illustrations are superb too - I will be recommending this a lot!

Devoured The Beast and the Bethany in one sitting! An amazing, creepy, laugh out loud, scary, emotional, touching and fiendish book. Loved it and it was wonderfully written. I love the development of the characters and the way that it pulls at your heartstrings yet maintains its comical persona. I Can’t wait for book 2. My first recommendation to my class for this term, as it truly is a book that opens your eyes to how others think and feel, what others are going through and makes you want to be a better person.

This is DELICIOUSLY good. It’s funny and charming with the most gorgeous characters. An old man has a beast which he feeds so he can stay young, but what happens when the beast asks for something rare? Loved the relationship between Ebenezer and Bethany so much! I can’t wait for the second book!

This is one of the best children's books I've read in a while. Dorian Gray meets Roald Dahl meets Lemmony Snickett.
The characters are wonderfully dark and flawed. 511 year old Ebenezer Tweezer has a beast that lives in his attic and "rewards" him for bringing him exciting meals. He's charming, vain and feels no remorse for his actions.
Hence the entrance of "The Bethany"...the naughtiest child in the orphanage, hell bent on causing mischief wherever she goes.
The pair go on a series of adventures, get banned from the zoo and learn the importance of friendship.
It's both funny and heart-warming and deliciously dark

Despite his youthful appearance, Ebenezer Tweezer is 511 years old and his 512th birthday is rapidly approaching. The beast he keeps on the fifteenth floor of his mansion has been dutifully belching up anti-aging potions for him in return for being fed all manner of things, from exotic animals to antiques; however, the beasts tastes have evolved over the years and he has now set his sights on eating a nice juicy child. Whilst Ebenezer has reservations about this latest demand, in order to avoid certain death himself, he must get his hands on one. But when Ebenezer brings home orphaned Bethany for the beast, he gets more than he bargained for.

The Beast and the Bethany is a delightfully macabre and hilarious tale with an engaging plot and excellent characters. With all their shortcomings, Ebenezer and Bethany are incredibly entertaining and there is great character development too. The beast is also a fabulous villain: greedy, horrifying and completely disgusting.

I know this is a book the children I teach will absolutely love and I can’t wait to recommend it to them. It will also make a cracking read aloud.

I absolutely adored this book. The story was great and Bethany was such a funny character. I can’t wait to read the next book.

Loved this! Laugh-out-loud funny and macabre. I'll definitely be looking out for the next in the series.

The hype around this title is probably such that there is not much I can add to what others have said by way of a plot synopsis, other than to say it's a clever and more than a little macabre tale involving some of the memorable characters I've encountered recently in middle grade fiction. The delightfully named Ebenezer Tweezer and the obnoxious child Bethany develop throughout the story from cartoonish cut-outs to something quite thought provoking as well as fun. The illustrations are fantastic and definitely help bring the story to life.

Pacewise, this is a great quick read with just the right amounts of tension in the right places. The one exception is that I did have to push through at one stage to get past Bethany's campaign of awfulness as I found this a tad tiresome.

I did also wonder at certain points if the Beast and his capricious demands to be fed all manner of- shall we say limited edition food items- was verging on being too scary for younger readers. I realise a lot of kids these days may not bat an eyelash at certain events, having been raised on the likes of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket. But I did find the fate of Patrick the Parrot at the start to be quite distressing- and the Beast, while essentially being a foil for the redemption arc of both Bethany and Ebenezer- truly creeped me out. I have no doubt most children will love it though and be clamouring for another chapter following a fun, fast paced read. I loved that the ending, if not exactly a cliffhanger, paves the way for more adventures and further Beastly encounters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Egmont Books for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! Perfect Halloween read for kids 8 to 12. Really funny at times too. I read this with daughter, and we will be purchasing a physical copy for her book shelf

Ebenezer Tweezer is 511, but looks centuries younger, and lives a life of luxury and riches. All this is thanks to a terrible monster who lives in the 15th floor attic of his palatial home – a beast who manages to vomit up all the wonderful gadgets he requires, endless cash to buy fabulous art and, most importantly, a potion which gives him both long life and youth. Of course, all this comes at a cost as the Beast demands bigger and more unusual items to eat as a payment. Which means that, before his 512th birthday, Ebenezer must provide the Beast with a child to eat or he will age rapidly and die.

Enter Bethany. A prickly, unpleasant orphan who the woman in charge of the orphanage (the distinctly nasty Miss Fizzlewick) is only too pleased to release into Ebenezer’s care. Always playing tricks, bullying the other orphans and causing general mayhem, Bethany is a very naughty child who, it seems, no-one would miss. But, when Ebenezer finds he has to spend some time with Bethany before she becomes the Beast’s next meal, he discovers that, perhaps, some things are more important than money, possessions or eternal youth…

A fun and often silly adventure story featuring two main characters who, despite having no real redeeming features at the beginning, we warm to as we find out more about what made them the people they are. There are also at least a couple of thoroughly evil villains whose comeuppance I spent most of the book anticipating with childlike glee.

From Good Reads:

Ebenezer Tweezer - best character name I've heard in a long time.

Very very old man tries to feed a very very naughty child to a blobby beast who vomits wishes. Sold already.

Really good fun from start to finish and funny in a darkish Dahl esque fashion. Adventures, fun, vileness, redemption, friendship - oh and a singing parrot.

Treat yourself

Oh wow. I was really excited to read this when I found out I got on the blog tour for this book. It seemed like such a entertaining read and i’m so glad I was right! If you want a book that you’ll speed through whilst at the same time laughing your head off this is the book for you.

In Short
In Short: The worlds oldest man + An unruly child + A beast who wants a taste of children + lots of fun and laughter = The Beast & Bethany

Why You Should Read This!
From the moment you start untill you reach the last page, this book doesn’t slow down or get boring at any stage. It’s a book that’s packed full of action and energy you can’t help but just want to read one more page. I forgot how much fun reading middle-grade books is and i’m so glad I got to read this. It ended up being a short sharp bust of pure wacky fun.

Though when I started this I didn’t realise that throughout the story you would see different pieces of art peppered throughout. It really helped enhance the story and the book in general. I just had a real blast reading it from the beginning when you’re learning about Bethany and the Beast who wants her to the end with all the havoc Bethany ends up causing. It’s full of twists and turns and the writing is superb. The author has done such an excellent job with this book because all I want to do is read it again and then read with my little cousin.

It’s a pretty short review only for the main fact I’m not really sure what to say about it. I’m lost for words as it were, because all I can really think about is how much fun I had with it. If you’re looking for a book with a little bit of a twist for younger readers, you should definitely keep an eye out for this book. I have a feeling this book will do really well (and it deserves too!). I’m so excited for the second book, so I hope once you’ve read it you’ll join me in eagerly awaiting the follow up.

In Conclusion
This is a bit of an odd post for my blog. Since I tend to review and talk about more YA & Adult books than I do Middle Grade, but i’m looking to change that with some upcoming posts. If you haven’t read any middle grade because you’re worried it will feel too childish or not adult enough, that’s fair. But I think you should pick this up and give it a go. Because Middle Grade done right although it targets a certain age group, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it as well! And this book in general encapsulates what is so good about Middle-Grade books.

I thought this was a fun middle grade read with a slightly darker edge, and it was a welcome combination for me, stabding out from other 'funny' books for this age group, which tend to be quite focused on real life and this more fantastical element gave it a sense of originality.

However, I felt that towards the end of the book, the humour overtook the fantasy and the darker elements, and I found that a, but disappointing; the ending seeming a little rushed and veering towards the ridiculous at times.

This was perhaps one that personally I didn't get on so well with, but I can absolutely see its appeal to younger readers and so will still recommend to those I feel would enjoy it.

Dark & funny with a very naughty little girl, a monstrous monster and a main character who is incredibly selfish, this is a book that children will love & I can definitely see why people are calling it Lemony Snicket meets Dorian Gray. A great read & people will love seeing the development of the characters.

What a brilliant book, for children and adults alike!

The Beast and the Bethany follows a longstanding fairytale tradition of being quite dark and utterly gruesome, with some touching moments and plenty of giggles too.

Our main characters are Ebenezer and Bethany, and both start the story as pretty unpleasant to be around. 511-year-old Ebenezer has become so obsessed with prolonging his time on this earth that he has forgotten to actually do anything with the time he has. He has everything he can think of, including his youth, but doesn’t really seem to be enjoying his good fortune. And right at the other end of the scale – although also not particularly enjoying life – is orphan Bethany, who spends her time bullying, pranking and generally making everyone around her as miserable as she can. They seem to deserve each other. But does either of them deserve to be eaten by the Beast that lives in Ebenezer’s attic?

I had heard this story described as a modern-day Roald Dahl book, and I was certainly not disappointed in this respect. Jack Meggitt-Phillips has tapped into the same gleeful revoltingness that Dahl mined, whilst also managing to sneak in the moral lessons and character development under the entertaining adventure. I was also reminded strongly of Despicable Me, Lemony Snicket and even a little bit of Annie. That is not to say that the story is derivative though; Meggitt-Phillips takes the ideas of orphans, rich unhappy men and monsters and spins them into a fresh and funny new fable of his own.

The story is set mainly in Ebenezer’s palatial mansion, but covers a lot more ground morally, encompassing exploration of love and loneliness, selfishness and second chances, and what things are really important in life. And, of course, whether it is every ethically acceptable to feed your monster at the expense of other’s feelings, pets and/or actual lives.

I will definitely be purchasing copies of this book for all the middle-graders I know, but confess that I will be adding this to my own personal library as well, and can’t wait to see what comes next from this author. There’s no age limit on a fantastic story!



Ebenezer Tweezer didn’t even have to worry about death. At the time this story begins, he was within a week of his 512th birthday, and yet, if you were to have bumped into him on the street, you would have thought him to be a young man – certainly no more than twenty years old.

You might have also thought that he was quite handsome. He had short golden hair, a small nose, a soft mouth and a pair of eyes which dazzled like diamonds in the moonlight. There was also a wonderful look of innocence about him.

Sadly, looks can be deceiving. You see, at the time when this story begins, Ebenezer was about to do a very bad thing.

- Jack Meggitt-Phillips, The Beast and the Bethany

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

This is a book I intended to review along with my six year old son. However, cards on the table, I had woefully underestimated just how long it would take a six year old to read a 200+ page book, and so I’ve had to speed on ahead and now have to act all surprised as we continue to read together!

He’s just beginning to develop a love of reading, and of writing his own stories (the author should look out – he’s looking to take his job when he’s ‘a little bit bigger, like maybe 9’) and this book marks one of the first that he’s become invested in and is keen to read to me (he was a particular fan of Patrick the Wintlorian Purple-Breasted Parrot….but I think the less said about that the better!!)

For my part, it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a children’s book quite so much. It transported me back to the days when I pestered the librarian at my local library to track down all the Roald Dahl books so that I could binge read them all in a single summer. This book was so reminiscent of those books in my opinion. Quirky, full of wit, a bit gross but with a huge amount of heart. I sat and read the remainder in one evening and chuckled my way through. I’ve seen that it’s to be made into a film, and I truly don’t know which one of us will be first in the queue for tickets. My son is probably a little on the young side to ‘get’ it all, and he’s not quite confident enough for reading it to himself, but still, it has certainly captured his imagination and it has also got us chatting about all kinds of things – what the Beast may or may not have already eaten, what certain things might taste like – but also, it’s opened the doorway for us to chat about more serious issues too.

Ebeneezer Tweezer is on the cusp of his 512th birthday, when the Beast he houses in the attic of his rather large home, requests to eat a child. And so along comes Bethany, full of sass and mischief, Ebeneezer cannot wait to feed her to the Beast…..

It’s silly and huge amounts of fun, but it’s actually really quite a moving story about friendship and kindness. It has a wonderful message at its core, and I can imagine that this will have wide appeal to so many kids. Or, at least it should do, because I thought it was flipping brilliant! Without any hesitation, this is the most fun I’ve had reading a book for a long time, and it transported me back to my early days of reading when my biggest concern was whether or not I’d get away with reading my book during teatime. It really got me thinking about how wonderfully imaginative and exciting children’s literature can be, and how that age is no barrier to enjoying it. I really should read more, because it’s been both refreshing and a pure joy to read.

The illustrations are done by Isabelle Follath, and while sadly many of the illustrations in the review copy I had were marked as ‘coming soon’, there were a few throughout to get a flavour, and despite being black and white drawings, they are incredibly engaging, and bursting full of life and character. We liked the added touches of sweeping tails, and floating feathers randomly throughout too.

I truly hope that this will be a huge hit, and I’m thrilled that there is a series of books planned (but will they be gifts for my son, or me……!?)

Ebenezer Tweezer isn’t really a good person, he acts on the deadly whims of the beast for his own selfish needs to stay young & fabulous. But this new request for something to eat is going to be Ebenezer’s hardest challenge yet. The beast & Ebenezer have met their match with bratty Bethany who quite rightly doesn’t want to be munched on and devoured. But a battle of wits is about to begin in this magnificently macabre story. It will delight readers with its dark but sublime situations and characters.

Follath’s illustrations perfectly fit the ingenious words of Meggit-Phillips and I could see this partnership being as successful as Dahl & Blake. Their talents just slot together perfectly making an utterly wonderful work of literature.

I lost track of time while reading this book as I was enjoying it so much. The names of the characters were as fantastic as their devilishly delightful personalities. I’m glad to read that the author has a three book deal and has sold the rights for a film version as the potential is endless with this creation.