Wonderful Debut Novel, New Author to Follow!
A new release from Henry Holt and Company will knock your socks off with parts that will chill you to the bone. That's why readers don't want to miss I Feed Her To the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea when it is released at the very end of August. Because this debut young adult novel is presented by an author you are going to want to follow- just as I did after this entertaining first.
Starting off, I love the name the author picked for our main character as it is a creative turn on a primarily male name that I never would have thought of. Laurence, but to her friends Laure, has been a part of the world of ballet since she was barely a child. However, when it comes to who is there for her at the many performances, there is no one- her mother having left her in Paris with her father to go to America and he, disinterested and involved primarily in his own mundane life. That leaves Laure with one person- her best friend Coralie and ballerina, whose mother was a star during her time on stage (model and cosmetics mogul too) and now part of the board the ballet her daughter and friend dance in. While the girls couldn't be more different- Coralie blonde and beautiful, Laure dark and exotic (as the board members label her) they are best friends and roommates who spend all their time together, shutting anyone else out.
That is until it is time for them to leave ballerina school and see if they have what it takes to be a part of the ballerina company in Paris. However, after Laure is approached by members of the board who point out some very unexpected and terrible news- that because Laure is dark skinned and comes from a poor family who has never shown any support at all, they tell her that these qualities do not belong with a person who is dancing classical ballet- especially in Paris. And even though Laure has been perfect- done all she has been asked, suffered through bruises, strains, aches and pains from eight hour days of dancing for years and all the time extra practice-only to graduate with the best marks at the top of her class- they still tell her that she belongs somewhere else, like America, “where people are more like her”.
As a reader Laure’s treatment at the hands of the ballet board of directors- everyone really, dancers, even her best friend is terrible. Because even her best friend, at times, insinuates that she is somehow above Laure even though her ballet is not as good as it should be to be where she is. The only thing that keeps Coralie dancing- is the leftover exhaust of her mother’s career. So when the story evolves, and Laure makes the choice, decides to accept help from a dark power, you can hardly blame her. Because without some outside help (which others get but never Laure) all her hard work is doomed to be a waste. After all, the ballet is all the poor girl has ever had.
Laure is introduced to her “helpmate” Acheron (the dark power), by one of the other dancers, Josephine, after a long day of doubts, Laure almost having to give up on her dreams of dancing because classical ballet will not accept the wonderful girl. To change this, Josephine takes her deep into the Paris Catacombs where Laure finds a pulsing blood river. Josephine tells her Acheron will give her what she wishes, if she binds herself to him with some of her blood. And since Laures only desire is to be powerful in the ballet, strong, able to control what others think and do, wanting death if not dancing ballet, she gives in to her the sacrifice she needs to make for Acheron to grant her this wish, her own blood. She then finds herself with what she wants- power over all others and the ability to dance so well others are in awe and wonder of her.
But, when the star dancer and Laures new friend Jospehine quickly ends up dead, Laure finding the body, she needs to find out who the killer is and fast- for Jospehine and also, so that Laures plans to surpass all the other dancers and rise to the top with Acheron binded to her (faster than Josephine did with him) are not ruined. And by coming to Acheron (like Josephine had), Laure may have made herself the next target of the killer.
Acheron has other followers who, after Josephine brings Laure to him, begin to spend time with each other. They all cared for Josephine as Laure does and want to discover what happened. Like Laure, the killer may also want them. And while Acheron has given them each the powers and abilities they asked for, there are inadvertent consequences to each of them, from their newfound abilities. It seems you can never get all the good without getting some of the bad, too.
Laure finds herself, after controlling others and bending them to her will, making them do whatever they want, monstrous feelings mounting inside her that make her terribly dangerous to others, to the point where someone may end up dead. And, that Laure finds herself liking the monster she is becoming, reveling in the monstrosity she is becoming, as she continues to use her power over others, it gets harder and harder to stop hurting them. Will she end up losing complete control? Will she ever find a way to exist with Acheron and not hurt others?
Having taken Josephine's cell phone before the police arrived for the dead girl, Laure starts to piece together Jospehines life and her involvement with Acheron and his other followers. And now that they are Laure’s friends too, she would hate to find out that one of them is the killer.
A debut novel that will shock, scare and bind you to a new, wonderful author who, I am sure, has so much to give in the future - I Feed Her To the Beast and the Beast Is Me a wondrous debut and one that is going to be hard to top!
Five Stars & Happy Reading!
Starting off, I love the name the author picked for our main character as it is a creative turn on a primarily male name that I never would have thought of. Laurence, but to her friends Laure, has been a part of the world of ballet since she was barely a child. However, when it comes to who is there for her at the many performances, there is no one- her mother having left her in Paris with her father to go to America and he, disinterested and involved primarily in his own mundane life. That leaves Laure with one person- her best friend Coralie and ballerina, whose mother was a star during her time on stage (model and cosmetics mogul too) and now part of the board the ballet her daughter and friend dance in. While the girls couldn't be more different- Coralie blonde and beautiful, Laure dark and exotic (as the board members label her) they are best friends and roommates who spend all their time together, shutting anyone else out.
That is until it is time for them to leave ballerina school and see if they have what it takes to be a part of the ballerina company in Paris. However, after Laure is approached by members of the board who point out some very unexpected and terrible news- that because Laure is dark skinned and comes from a poor family who has never shown any support at all, they tell her that these qualities do not belong with a person who is dancing classical ballet- especially in Paris. And even though Laure has been perfect- done all she has been asked, suffered through bruises, strains, aches and pains from eight hour days of dancing for years and all the time extra practice-only to graduate with the best marks at the top of her class- they still tell her that she belongs somewhere else, like America, “where people are more like her”.
As a reader Laure’s treatment at the hands of the ballet board of directors- everyone really, dancers, even her best friend is terrible. Because even her best friend, at times, insinuates that she is somehow above Laure even though her ballet is not as good as it should be to be where she is. The only thing that keeps Coralie dancing- is the leftover exhaust of her mother’s career. So when the story evolves, and Laure makes the choice, decides to accept help from a dark power, you can hardly blame her. Because without some outside help (which others get but never Laure) all her hard work is doomed to be a waste. After all, the ballet is all the poor girl has ever had.
Laure is introduced to her “helpmate” Acheron (the dark power), by one of the other dancers, Josephine, after a long day of doubts, Laure almost having to give up on her dreams of dancing because classical ballet will not accept the wonderful girl. To change this, Josephine takes her deep into the Paris Catacombs where Laure finds a pulsing blood river. Josephine tells her Acheron will give her what she wishes, if she binds herself to him with some of her blood. And since Laures only desire is to be powerful in the ballet, strong, able to control what others think and do, wanting death if not dancing ballet, she gives in to her the sacrifice she needs to make for Acheron to grant her this wish, her own blood. She then finds herself with what she wants- power over all others and the ability to dance so well others are in awe and wonder of her.
But, when the star dancer and Laures new friend Jospehine quickly ends up dead, Laure finding the body, she needs to find out who the killer is and fast- for Jospehine and also, so that Laures plans to surpass all the other dancers and rise to the top with Acheron binded to her (faster than Josephine did with him) are not ruined. And by coming to Acheron (like Josephine had), Laure may have made herself the next target of the killer.
Acheron has other followers who, after Josephine brings Laure to him, begin to spend time with each other. They all cared for Josephine as Laure does and want to discover what happened. Like Laure, the killer may also want them. And while Acheron has given them each the powers and abilities they asked for, there are inadvertent consequences to each of them, from their newfound abilities. It seems you can never get all the good without getting some of the bad, too.
Laure finds herself, after controlling others and bending them to her will, making them do whatever they want, monstrous feelings mounting inside her that make her terribly dangerous to others, to the point where someone may end up dead. And, that Laure finds herself liking the monster she is becoming, reveling in the monstrosity she is becoming, as she continues to use her power over others, it gets harder and harder to stop hurting them. Will she end up losing complete control? Will she ever find a way to exist with Acheron and not hurt others?
Having taken Josephine's cell phone before the police arrived for the dead girl, Laure starts to piece together Jospehines life and her involvement with Acheron and his other followers. And now that they are Laure’s friends too, she would hate to find out that one of them is the killer.
A debut novel that will shock, scare and bind you to a new, wonderful author who, I am sure, has so much to give in the future - I Feed Her To the Beast and the Beast Is Me a wondrous debut and one that is going to be hard to top!
Five Stars & Happy Reading!