What a fantastic, fabulous book The Beast and the Bethany is. I was hooked from the first page. To kick off the story with the statement that Ebenezer Tweezer is 511 years old but only looks twenty will undoubtedly grab your attention. We quickly meet Bethany and the Beast, although I wasn’t entirely sure which one was the beast. Bethany is an obnoxious orphan who will never find a family to adopt her with the attitude she displays.

The story moves at a steady clip that rarely gives you time to catch your breath, let alone put the book down. The humor is dark but so very entertaining. There are several twists to shake up your emotions while changing your idea of just where the story is headed. The book info says middle-school, but this grandma loved it. I think it will appeal to all ages from about 10 years old and up.

The book has wonderful illustrations provided by Isabelle Follath. They capture the essence of the story while adding a touch of reality to the scenes.

I sincerely hope you will order a copy of this book. Even though it won’t be released until later this fall, you don’t want to take a chance on forgetting it.

It’s that good!

Definitely enjoyed The Beast and the Bethany. Typically I don't read middle school books but the author has converted me. This book is cute, funny, and fast paced. I originally picked it up for a blog tour because the art work reminded me so much of Coraline and I couldn't pass up reading it. I'm glad that I did.
The plot is fast paced and entertaining. There aren't many characters but that's okay. This book was well done for not having that many characters at all. Two of the main characters are horrible people but you see a lot of growth with them by the end of the book. Wonderful book and worth reading especially if you want a quick read.

Imagine if you could live forever, in a huge house as wide as 12 elephants. And you could eat whatever food you wanted and have all the expensive art and anything else you heart desired. All you have to do is feed the beast whatever he wants. Easy enough when you have limitless wealth. Even the Beast's latest request, a child, doesn't actually bother Ebenezer that much. He doesn't particularly like children and anyway, one little child isn't as important as himself, is it?

The Beast is a huge, smelly, slimy thing with two tongues, Ebenezer Tweezer is an evil little man who cares for absolutely no one but himself. But probably the worst monster of all is Bethany. The naughtiest, rudest, meanest of them all! Ebeneezer picks Bethany as the Beast's next meal but unfortunately for him, things don't go smoothly at all. It's hard to say much without being spoilery, but over time Ebenezer and Bethany start an uneasy relationship. Grudgingly, they both find that they don't want to be quite as horrible to each other any more. The problem is how can they both survive the Beast?

This was so much fun to read, with just a touch of the ridiculous in the way of Alice in Wonderland. Apparently you only get 10 worms for a backpack, a flip-flop, a ruler and a half eaten biscuit. Not that you have much choice when the frog market is only open on Wednesdays. The characters are all well thought out, even the side cast who only get a few paragraphs. The illustrations are wonderful, really adding to the story.

Book source ~ Tour

Ebenezer Tweezer (hehe it rhymes) is 511 yrs old. Say what? Yep. You read that right. Is he a vampire? Is it magic? Nope and sorta. In order to stay young Ebenezer has to feed a beast who lives in the attic of his 15 story (!) house. Feed the beast and the beast coughs up a magical youth potion which The Ebmeister has to take once a year. The rest of the year, the beast coughs up whatever Ebbie desires. Sounds easy, right? And for a while it was. But then the beast started demanding more exotic fare which bothered Ebenezer a bit, but not enough to give up his youth. When the beast demands a child to eat, that’s when things fall to pieces. Not literally though I wouldn’t have been surprised.

So, who wouldn’t want a magical beast, no matter how gross and stinky, to barf up anything you want including potions to stay young and all you had to do was feed it things it considers nommable? Considering I cleaned up after six kids (not to mention many furkids) I think I could handle that. But feeding a child to it? Even one so extremely bratty as Bethany? I’d have to draw the line. Probably. I mean, definitely.

If you’re looking for a wildly fantastic tail tale that is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket then look no further. This is one middle grade fantasy that will entertain as well as horrify, has great characters, a decent plot, and splashes of humor tossed into the mix. In fact, I believe it would be perfect to feed to the beast. Quite unique and eminently satisfying.

The Beast and The Bethany is a horrible book, about a horrible man who tries to feed a horrible girl to a horrible beast. It's also absolutely brilliant!

Jack Meggitt-Phillips has filled this short novel with a really dark, macabre humour, the kind associated with Roald Dahl or Lemony Snicket. No punches get pulled. People and pets alike get eaten up with gleeful relish. (As in pleasure, I don't remember the beast ever actually using relish.) There is a definite shortage of sympathetic characters, with the supporting cast including a very mercenary and rather mean spirited pet shop owner and a thoroughly greedy, unpleasant lady who runs the orphanage. Bethany herself, the young girl desired as a meal, is mean, spiteful and bullying and Ebenezer Tweezer is really rather nasty himself.

There's something so fun about reading about such deeply unpleasant characters, and The Beast and The Bethany really pulls that off so well. The humour is spot on, and somehow it never feels unpleasant, no matter how unpleasant the subject material really is.

And somehow, despite all of their flaws, I couldn't help feeling for both Bethany and Ebenezer. That's the really clever trick in all this. Without excusing them or forcing them along redemption arcs, somehow I just didn't want Bethany to be eaten or Ebenezer to die of being 512 years old.

Most of the illustrations weren't included in my proof copy, sadly, but the ones that did were enough to see that a fully illustrated final copy will be quite awesome. I really like Isabelle Follath's art in here, and she really captures the rather manic, madcap feel of the story.

The Beast and The Bethany is darkly comic with a fantastic cast of perfectly horrid characters.

When I started The Beast and the Bethany I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, but I loved it even more than I expected. I finished this book in one sitting and it left a smile on my face. This story is a bit darker than I've read in middle grade before, but it's also filled with fun jokes and amazing illustrations. On top of that, what I love about middle grade books, this book is filled with many lessons but they're taught in a fun way!

One of our main characters is Ebeneezer and he's almost 512 years old (I know, how is that possible?!?). For as long as he can remember he's been helping the Beast. He's not the nicest creature and Ebeneezer has to steal and do a lot of bad things to fill his appetite and keep him happy, so that he can continue to get the serum that keeps him alive. Except this year Beast wants a child to eat. That's definitely not what Ebeneezer was expecting.

That's when our adventure begins and we meet Bethany. Bethany lives in the orphanage and isn't the best behaved child. We learn she lost her parents and that's just awful and definitely makes it understandable that she's having some problems. While Bethany lives with Ebeneezer before being fed to Beast, there is quite an adventure.

I love the setting of this book. The house Ebeneezer lives in is amazing and I would love to live in it. So many floors and all different types of artifacts. Learning more about Ebeneezer and Bethany was really interesting and it's clear both of them have had some hard times. There are so many lessons hidden in this book loss of a parent, grief, cruelty, bad behavior and found family. Ebeneezer and Bethany end up making a great team and I was sad when this was over!

I couldn't recommend this book more and loved it so much it's even hard to put into words. All I can say is you really need to read this book. Even though the Beast eats some odd things, I definitely got hungry while reading. I don't know if I'd eat everything that's mentioned, but Bethany definitely has some yummy treats. The Beast and the Bethany gets all of the stars. I loved the characters, setting, lessons learned and the humor. I couldn't put this down and I definitely see myself reading this again in the future.

The Beast and the Bethany will be available for purchase on December eighth (Psst! This would make a great Christmas gift!).

Take The Picture of Dorian Gray , and make it less gothic and more fun, and you’ve got The Beast and the Bethany. This book follows Ebenezer Tweezer, a 511 year-old who is ridiculously rich and remarkably spry for his age. His secret? He has a beast hidden in his attic. Ebenezer feeds the beast in exchange for a potion that keeps him young. At first, the beast wants small things, but as time goes on its appetite grows and…well, let’s just say that the beast is not a vegetarian.

Eventually, Ebenezer is asked to put a child on the beast’s menu. Ebenezer finds this vaguely upsetting, but not enough to keep him from bringing Bethany home. Bethany is a brat. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Then again, can someone who’s planning on feeding his houseguest to a monster really make judgments? Ebenezer can handle her staying with him prior to the Big Meal. It’s only for a little while, after all. Then it’s bon apetit! But then something unexpected happens: Bethany and Ebenezer start to become friends! Whatever shall Ebenezer do?

This book is monstrously delightful! Bethany and Ebenezer are the most likable jerks that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about. They’re good for each other, and it was wonderful seeing them slowly change (just a little!) and learn to appreciate each other. I particularly loved Ebenezer and seeing how he’s basically been going through a mid-life crisis for the last fifty plus years.

The way the story is told is perfect for older elementary and middle-grade kids, but it will keep any age group entertained. The language is simple and snappy, and the book is a quick read, though the concepts are most understood and appreciated by the slightly older crowd. My oldest will be reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in school this year and I’m adding The Beast and the Bethany to his curriculum. I know he’ll love it! I may have to make it a read-aloud so I have an excuse to enjoy it again.

Much like the beast, I gobbled this up and I’m hungry for more. This author is fantastic! I most definitely recommend picking this book up. If you have kids, buy this for them. If you don’t, buy it for you. It’s a great read!

This story is a mixture of Dorian Grey and A Series of Unfortunate Events, but with a twist!

When I first received the book, I didn't think that I would be able to be invested in a book which is less than 300 pages. In comes Bethany with her Tracey Beaker style "bog off" attitude! My heart was complete stolen by this girl who is angry at the world because deep down, she is hurt and doesn't know how else to show it.

Ebenezer quickly becomes attached to Bethany, which to me felt like it was a little too quick. The bond between the two characters seemed to jump from disliking each other to being almost best friends within a day. However, I can overlook this when I think of how heartwarming their loyalty and friendship becomes.

I cried, I laughed and I smiled something crazy! This book packs a punch in such a short amount of time and I absolutely cannot wait to see where book two takes us next!

Thank you to @thewritereads for giving me the chance to be a part of this fantastic tour and making such a welcoming and friendly environment for reviewers! Thank you to @meggittphillips for creating such a fun and heart-warming read.

This was a damn cute book, the writing style was immersive and really whimsical. I found myself getting lost in the writing style.

The Illustrations are damn good, they capture cute as as well as weird moments perfectly and the artist captured facial expressions perfectly.

Talking about the plot

We start with meeting Ebenezer Tweezer and the beast and we a glimpse of what kind of creature the beast it, he is an evil, greedy and hungry grey blog monster and we also get to know what sort of person Ebenezer is and the story begins. When the beast asks Ebenezer thathe wishes to eat a child in exchange of the youth potion, Ebenezer sets out to obtain a child to feed the beast and in comes Bethany.

This was a very whimsical story, at the beginning you could see how different both the main characters were, Bethany is a poor, orphan who used being mean as a defense mechanism whereas Ebenezer is a rich, spoiled brat who never had to work for a day in his life.

When their worlds collide, sparks fly between the undisciplined Bethany and kinda oblivious Ebenezer but through the story you see both of them grow, they find a friend in each other and connect in a way that they haven't with anyone and I loved reading about that.

My favorite part of the book was seeing how adopting a child changed Ebenezer from a brat to an actual human being and how Bethany went from keeping people away to letting someone into her life. Both the characters had a very positive influence on each other and I adored them so much.

The ending of the book did get quite intense, it had me at the edge of my seat of my seat wondering what was gonna happen to the characters and I adored the way it ended.

But the ending left the story open and set it up for a sequel, hopefully.

Overall, this was a very cute story with great characters, a good plot, some awesome character development and growth and a few magical sequences and I had a fun time reading it, I legit finished it in one sitting.

I would recommend this book to anyone look for a quick to read middle grade fantasy with a good and important message, I would recommend picking this up.

Jack Meggitt-Phillips feeds us a delectable tale of magic and wonder in The Beast and the Bethany. This novel will be one of the classics of this generation.

The story tells the tale of a man whose only concern is staying young. He has a beast that grants his every wish stashed in the attic of his 15-story house. The Beast only grants his wishes if he brings him whatever he wants to eat, and the Beast eats bizarre things. Right now, he wants to eat a child, and it is up to the man to find one.

Characters
Ebenezer Tweezer is the man who wants to stay young and alive. He does the Beast’s bidding and is very vain with no conscience.

The Beast is very demanding and eats bizarre things. Everything from rare parrots to antiques.

Bethany is an errant child from the local orphanage. Ebenezer adopts her because she is mean and not at all likable, which would be perfect for feeding to the Beast.

My Opinion
The Beast and the Bethany is a fascinating book that offers more adventure than adult books in the genre. The middle-grade world is blossoming, and this novel is a wonderful addition to this newer to me genre.

Jack Meggitt-Phillips is a skilled storyteller. The Goodreads synopsis compares the author to Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket. I couldn’t agree more, but he has a talent that is very much his own.

Recommendation
I would be remiss in recommending this book to children only. There is so much to love about this novel that I must recommend it to every age. The kid that lives in your heart will love you for giving this one a read.

It thrills me to award 5 out of 5 stars to The Beast and the Bethany.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own. 

This book had me hooked from start to finish – I literally couldn’t put it down. One fabulous tongue-in-cheek humorous tale, with some thought provoking messages.
The plot is so unique and insatiable, featuring an outlandish cast of characters that I throughly loved them all.. even the Beast, and his terrifying appetite.
Ebenezer Tweezer is a narcissistic, vain man who wants to retain his youth and has lived an extremely long time. He is fast approaching his 512 birthday. He lives a treacherous, magical Beast, who has an insatiable appetite for all sorts of things. 
The Beasts gives Ebenezer a life extending potion for return Ebenezer seeks out all sorts of things for the Beast to gobble up. With only a few days away from Ebenezer birthday, the Beast has put in a special request this year. Ebenezer will definitely have a challenging time year, the Beast has requested a Child, in return for the magic elixir. 
Bethany is a precocious child living in an orphanage. This snarky wayward little girl is just the child to be fed to the Beast. Or so Ebenezer thinks, and what comes next is an hilarious.
Jack Meggitt-Philips delivers an exceptional written storyline with well developed three dimensional characters, that I enjoyed reading about. Wonderful rich atmospheric imagery, this delightful book is sure to become a classic. It’s written for a middle school audience, but will appease a large range.
A well-written, unique and twisty tale, a highly absorbing, compulsive read.

“Bethany looked up at the fifteen-story house which was as wide as a dozen elephants. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to reading the comics.

“Aren’t you going to say ‘Whoa!’ or ‘Gosh!’?” asked Ebenezer.

“Nah,” said Bethany. “There’s nothing impressive about a waste of space.”

I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads, Egmont Books, and the author for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m going to be honest with you, reader. I’m having a difficult time starting this review. Why, you ask? Was it so ghastly that I can’t find the words to describe it? Was it so horrific that my mind boggles just thinking about it?

Well… yes and no.

It was ghastly and horrific but in all the right ways! In this book, we follow our main character, Ebenezer Tweezer, who is about to celebrate his 512th birthday. Yes, you read that right. How has he managed to reach such an unfathomable age? With the aid of the beast that lives in his attic. And all he has to do to receive the secret to eternal youth is feed it. Seems like an easy trade, right? Sure… until the beast starts asking for more and more exotic things to eat. Like performing monkeys, parrots capable of carrying on compelling conversations, and, now… a nice, plump child. Ebenezer, though, has it all figured out! He’ll just find a nasty, unlovable child that no one will miss and feed it to the beast. Enter Bog Off Bethany. She’s obnoxious, she’s cruel, and she seems the perfect meal. But, as Ebenezer gets Bethany ready for dinner (not hers, of course), pesky things like emotions and friendship start messing up his plan.

This book, with its tongue-in-cheek humor and its unlovable-yet-strangely-endearing characters, was just a treat! I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. I loved the humor, I loved the sneaky references to other children’s tales, and I loved the overall tone. This is a book that even a reluctant reader would find hard to put down. It’s creepy, it’s scary, but it has a lot of heart, as well. I think it was the perfect blend of funny and touching, with a wonderful message squirreled away inside (though don’t let Ebenezer or Bethany know, okay?).

Speaking of Ebenezer and Bethany, it was wonderful watching them grow throughout this book. I loved both of their characters so much! I mean… as characters in a book. As actual people, I would probably stay far away from them. At least as they were at the beginning of the book! But I can’t wait to see more of them and watch their continued growth as the series continues.

Oh, and can we talk about the illustrations?! I had no idea I would be graced with such vibrant and lovely pictures throughout the book! They really helped to bring the characters to life. Any adult who says they don’t like pictures in their books is lying and does not remember what joy is. (Just kidding, you can hate pictures in books all you like, it’s your life!)

I will say that I have one teensy, tiny gripe and that’s the fact that this book felt too short! I know that there will be more books, but I was left feeling like I had left half the meal on my plate for no good reason. I was hungry for more, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait!

Final thoughts: This is a funny, dark, and gruesome book with two main characters you kind of want to strangle at first. It’s filled with wit, heart, and some stunning illustrations to make the reading experience that much more captivating! If you have a kid that maybe isn’t the biggest fan of reading, give them this book. I’ll bet they’ll be laughing out loud within the first few pages and begging for more! And, if you’re an adult that’s looking for a quick bit of fun, you can’t go wrong with The Beast and the Bethany.

Have you ever wonder what Tracey Beaker would have been like, if she'd come from the mind of Roald Dahl? Well no, me either...but we get our answer here in The Beast and the Bethany anyway! With all the charm and the horror of all my childhood favourites, The Beast and the Bethany is sure to be a real winner on middle grade shelves everywhere!

It's super silly, in an endearing way, and at times totally ridiculous. It will make you laugh and recoil in equal measures. I can't wait to see a finished copy with all the artwork complete, as from the few early pieces by Follath, you can tell it's going to make the book just that little more special.

There is a little bit of good and a little bit of wicked in each of these characters, well except maybe the big grey blob of a monster, but even he has some feeling. I liked that you could grow to like Bethany and Ebeneezer both, despite their many flaws. Even more exciting, there will be another book coming next year.

A wonderful middle grade adventure, full of all the things children love, including tons and tons of chocolate cake!

3.5 rounded up.

This would make a great gift for any middle-grade kid. It’s kid-friendly, funny, entertaining and light-hearted. Definitely had touches of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl, more Snicket I’d say, but just not as dark and sinister.

A grey ‘big blob of gone-off mayonnaise’ (with apologies, Monster sir, those were Bethany’s words not mine) with teeny weeny hands and legs lived on the top floor of Ebenezer’s fifteen-story mansion the size of twelve elephants (didn’t impress Bethany though who said it was a waste of space). This three-eyed monster had Ebenezer do his bidding. Ebenezer is a good bad sorta old man, who’d be turning 513 years old soon but still looking 20, thanks to an elixir which the monster rewarded him with, whenever he’s being fed whatever he wanted. It fed on anything from parrots and pianos, to old lanky ladies and necklaces and beehives. About where and why he had that elixir wasn’t revealed. Maybe in the coming series?

Characters reminded me of those from 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', even its illustrations. Bethany reminded me of Sunny Baudelaire, that feisty baby in Unfortunate Events. Ebenezer is the much, much milder version of Count Olaf. I grew to love Bethany just like Ebenezer did. Of all the characters, she, I felt was the most well-rounded. Snarky, sassy, loud, smart, bold and a little sensitive too, but in a good sort of way. What I loved most was how her friendship with Ebenezer developed. It started from the little tiffs they had to the checking off of Bethany’s bucket list which she remarked rather wisely when Ebenezer asked her if she had one.
“I don’t have any lists. And if I did, I wouldn’t write them on a flipping bucket.”
“No That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s what you said. You should think about your words more carefully next time.”
She later lent her two cents after Ebenezer explained what it is, and said it should be called a death list, not a bucket list.

A short novel about good vs evil, brain vs brawn and friendship. It would keep you turning the pages especially after the appearance of our spunky heroine, Bethany, because that’s when all hell starts to break loose. Will she and Ebenezer be able to save the day and defeat the monster? I can’t wait to get this for my niece. I think she’d enjoy it!

Thank you The Write Reads Tour and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Ebenezer Tweezer is a terrible man with a wonderful life. Five Hundred and Twelve years old, but looks like a Twenty year old lives in a huge home, fifteen storeys high and a few elephants wide. It is indeed a gargantuan place. He lives alone with only a company of a beast. A beast on the top most floor, with three black eyes and two black tongues. The Beast and Ebenezer have a pact and that is how they have mutually survived. The beast asks for food and in return has the power to get anything that Ebenezer wants, until one day the food request from the beast becomes something different and difficult.

Bethany is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. Having lost her parents in a fire accident, she has nowhere but the orphanage to live in. Roguish, prankish and troublesome, Bethany is always upto some mischief. One day, Ebenezer visits the orphanage to bring home a kid. He has neither a choice nor a preference as to what kind of kid he wants to take home. So when the Director, Miss Fizzlewick asks him to choose, he is flabbergasted. But then he decided to get Bethany home since she is the most troublesome.

– What is that food request the beast has made?

– How has the man survived for 512 years?

– Why does Ebenezer find that food choice onerous?

– Why is a kid required?

– What happens when Bethany comes home with Ebenezer?

Rating – 4/5 Stars

Recommendation – High

Conclusion,

This lovely book takes us through the story shared between a hungry beast, a vain immortal human and the irksome little orphan girl. With mellifluous illustrations, this is a delight to read. The beast has to have his hunger satiated. The man needs to keep his beauty intact. The girl needs to keep herself from dying. The characters are developed well and the plot is very intriguing. Overall a great read.

P.S – A Huge Thank you – The Write Reads Tours for organizing and Egmont Books UK, NetGalley for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

The Beast and the Bethany was such a breath of fresh air for me. As most of you know, most of the books I read are super serious thrillers, so it was great to take a break and read something so fun and silly. Middle Grade is definitely out of my usual comfort zone, but I’m trying to broaden my reading range, and I am so glad I read this book.

There are quite a few references that children might not even realise, but us adult readers definitely will. For example, Ebenezer’s artwork that he has throughout his house is described, and the artist in me just had to work out what all of the famous works of art were, before they were shown in an illustration later on in the book (I got them all right, and was extremely proud of myself).

Despite the characters not having the most likeable personalities, this is what makes them so much fun to read about, and some of them actually have really lovely character developments. I don’t want to say much about the characters, because I don’t want to ruin it for the rest of you, but I will say that given Bethany’s past, and everything she has been through, you can’t really blame her for being a bit angry at everyone around her.

There is a great meaning behind the story too. Being nice doesn’t cost anything, but it certainly gives the greatest rewards. Don’t be greedy, always tell the truth, and always try to be a good person, you’ll be much happier for it.

Jack Meggitt-Phillips is a very promising new author, and I am looking forward to reading what he has to offer in the future, including the sequel to The Beast and the Bethany. To me, this book is what you would expect if Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket had a baby, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. This is a story that adults will love, just as much as children.

I give The Beast and the Bethany a 4 star rating.

Ebenezer is approaching his 512th birthday, although he looks remarkably young for his age. He lives a reclusive life of luxury, filled with the occasional odd purchase of rare parrots and trips to the zoo to gather food for the magical beast he keeps in his attic - the secret to his youth and wealth. But the beast has grown tired of his usual meals. He wants to try something new. Something much more difficult to get hold of. But when orphan Bethany moves in, Ebenezer and his beast discover they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

The Beast and the Bethany is a must read for fans of funny middle grade stories filled with dark twists. I was hooked from the very first page and devoured this story in one sitting, thanks to its superb voice and excellent characters.

I really liked both Bethany and Ebenezer, and I think children will too. Bethany acts without thinking and does some horrible (and hilarious) things. Ebenezer is selfish and thoughtless (and at times completely clueless!).

There were so many lines and moments which made me laugh out loud. But despite the laughs and the gruesome scenarios, there were also touching moments, filled with character growth and friendship.

My advanced copy only had a taste of Follath's artwork, and I'm really looking forward to being able to buy a finished copy to enjoy it properly, as the pictures which have been included are brilliant.

I'm so pleased there are going to be more books with Bethany and Ebenezer - this is a great concept with fantastic characters, which readers will want to return to again and again.

I was provided with an advanced copy for review.

The Characters:
The characters in this book were so interesting to read about! All of the characters are awful in their own way, even cruel at times. Let’s start with Ebenezer Tweezer, the 511 year old man who lives in a 15 storey house with a beast! The first thing I noticed about Ebenezer was his name – I love it! At the start of the book, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Ebenezer, he was quite awful to begin with, but I started to really enjoy reading about his character as the story progressed. This was only a short book but Ebenezer changed a lot by the end of the book. I felt the same with Bethany too. At the start she was a horrible person but she changed a lot throughout. I really enjoyed reading about her and seeing what she got up to when she was with Ebenezer. And then there’s the Beast. This strange and magical beast can vomit up anything Ebenezer wishes for once he has been given what he wants to eat. This beast was also pretty awful, but also very interesting to read about.

The Story:
I loved the idea of this book, the blurb had me intrigued: I wanted to know more about the Beast and Bethany, and how they would meet. I likedthe pacing of this book, nothing ever felt too slow or too rushed. It was a nice quick read for me and it progressed really nicely. I loved the direction the story went in too, and I’m excited about the sequel coming out next year. The ending was great, and really enjoyed seeing how the character’s evolved throughout the book. This book was full of wonderful illustrations as well, done by Isabelle Follath, which I thought really added to the story. I’m looking forward to seeing a finished copy of the book in October.

Final Thoughts:
This was a really good middle-grade book that I think I would have loved growing up. That being said, I did still really enjoy it as an adult. There weren’t too many characters to keep track of and those who we did meet were always interesting. I was reminded of some of Roald Dahl’s books when reading this, it had a similar feel and humour to it. In the end I gave this book 4/5 stars.

I don't even know where to start with this bite sized piece of joy. I'm going to start with the most eye catching part of the novel, of course the illustration that have been created by the talent that is Isabelle Follath. Inclusions of these wonderful images brings more fun to the story, whether you're reading it for yourself, with a younger child or the younger child is reading it, what isn't fun about illustrated stories? The front cover is gorgeous and the same artistic attention to detail flows throughout the whole book.

The storyline of this novel is fun, menacing and utterly brilliant with lessons laced throughout, this is truly a special book indeed. We have Ebenezer Tweezer a selfish man who has gained many things from life by sacrificing morals and his childhood cat, to his only friend, a greedy beast that lives on the 15th floor of Ebenezer's house. When the beast requests a child to lunch upon, Bethany is chosen to be sacrificed - with no parents, or family to love her, this naughty child is a great exchange for an elixir that will keep Ebenezer young. It is this choice that completely spins everyone's world on its head and I adored every single second of it! The Beast and the Bethany was a five star read for me, if I could have given it more I would have, it made me smile and laugh (also made me want cake!), it's also something I want everyone to read when they are having a bad day! Reminded me of Coraline vibes with more humour and loveliness - I enjoy a read that has a masked 'moral of the story', one that fulfils all my bookish needs, one that leaves me wanting more. I am not usually one to read middle grade books, not because I don't think they're for adults, but because none have really peaked my interest. Thank you Jack Meggitt - Philips for opening the door to a whole new genre for me.

I devoured this book (pun very much intended). It was an extremely fun read, very Dahl-esq in its unashamedly gruesome tale. It really doesn’t shy away for the details about The Beast, who happily fills himself with all manner of things, from the beginning it takes on a very eerie and dark tone. All the characters are firmly on the morally grey scale, with no one being entirely good, or sweet. This allows them to grow through out the book as they learn from their wrong actions and selfish ways. Bethany herself is sassy, stubborn and a bully, Ebenezer Tweezer is selfish, inconsiderate yet very naive. Both make a great team as they try and tackle The Beast that lives in Ebenezer’s attic. The Beast itself is cruel and cunning and terrifyingly powerful.

Throughout all this, the book touches on various aspects from dealing with grief, greed, looking at yourself from another perspective, all of which our characters (with exception of The Beast) learn and grow from. It is so well written taking you through a roller coaster of emotions, it is dark, and sad, surprising and joyous, fun and silly. Its one of those unique books that spans any age range as it both perfectly captures this wonderful whimsical world but bring reality of the outside world crashing in with some very apt and humorous wording. A great example that captured this for me was the following:

"The feeling is not unlike the one you experience when you look in the mirror and find out that the leopard-print onesie you’ve been wearing all day doesn’t suit you at all."

While the plot is predictable for those with more experience, it is still fun and is very devilish at the end, teasing the reader as to the final outcome. I have to admit it is one of the most unique Author biographies I have every read. I really enjoyed the writing style. I am sure it will have all ages giggling or gasping out loud at all the write moments. It perfectly balanced these humorous moments with the darker more gruesome moments, and those that were more serious that the story just flowed beautifully. The illustrations, perfectly brought this detailed world to life, adding to the magic.

It is just such a fantastically fun read, worth all the attention it has been getting and more.