Tag: 3/5- Good Read

Semi-autobiographical, this book was one I could not put down. It’s another one set in middle school, with yet another unique interest- horseback riding. Kate struggles with her self-image and confidence. She’s shy at school, feels awkward and embarrassed around her older brother’s friends (whose teasing and jokes escalate into harrassment near the end of the book), and while her mother’s attempts to help her eat healthier and find more flattering clothes are well-meaning, they often just hurt. The place where she forgets her problems, can focus on something else and feel accomplished, is on the back of a horse. From riding lessons and stable work (to cut down cost) to scary competitions, she loves it all. Well, except for the more popular girls at the stable- who have more money, better looks and always some mean, pointed things to say about Kate, her body size, her less-expensive clothes and her riding skills. But the teacher has confidence in her. She falls a lot, but gets back on. She finally stands up to one of the mean girls, and is surprised at the results. Her brother defends her (in a way) against his jerk friends, and she starts to make slow progress with improving her health. And accepting herself for how she is (though really, she didn’t feel bad about herself until other people said stuff). I liked this so much better than I expected to. Not just for the horsey content, either. I could releate in some ways I wouldn’t have expected to before- about loving the feel of a sport, fear of falling and getting seen or laughed at, but you have to just get back up, brush off your knees and try again. Confidence and skill builds over time.

The author’s note at the back tells how much was based on her own pre-teen years, and that all the horse-related incidents either happened to her or to someone she knew. I also liked seeing all the different cover illustration ideas she had before settling with this one. Another nice detail is that throughout the story, terms specific to horseback riding or anything equine are in a different color text, and then defined at the bottom of the page. There were quite a few words and phrases I didn’t know! Very helpful.

Borrowed from the public library.

The species leaders at the conference decide that whichever student can identify the murder (no, it’s still not solved) will be proclaimed next Beastar of the school. They want Legoshi to do it. He’s hesitant of course (I’m liking his character more and more- this nice decent guy forced to show his aggressive side). And now it starts getting weird ~~ SPOILERS ~~ Legoshi thinks he’s been hearing a ghost, but meets a giant rattlesnake (that looks and acts a lot more like a python IMHO). Who is the school’s only security guard, but keeps himself hidden. I have a lot of questions about that, but moving on- He has been admiring Legoshi for a long time, and now pressures him to solve the murder mystery. Meanwhile, in the black market’s hidden enclaves, the red deer is still holding his new position with the lions, but starting to suffer poor health from making himself follow an unnatural diet in front of them (I suppose to prove his strength). One of them tries to sneak him vegetables. Then Juno tracks Louis down in the seedy part of town. She confronts him and they argue- really clashing because they’re so much alike. In ambition. I think they’d make a great pair! A new character (male Dall sheep) shows up in the drama club, stirring up trouble with all kinds of snarky, very pointed and almost flirtatious comments. Legoshi questions his carnivore friends about murder suspects, while they’re all angling to find out if he actually “did it” with the rabbit. Legoshi still struggles with his feelings for her- are they more predatory or romantic? and decides to keep his distance for now, vowing to focus on protecting her (and the other herbivore students). He gets attacked and beat up by an unseen, very strong assailant. Jack comes running to help him, and realizes from what he sees that Legoshi is becoming a different wolf as he gets stronger, changed by the touch of violence.

Borrowed from the public library.

Warning for more SPOILERS. The biggest is in white text, highlight to read.

In the opening scene, Legoshi and Haru confess their feelings for each other and become intimate- or attempt to. But the predator/prey instincts are too strong and they can’t go through with it. When they return to school things are even more awkward- the dorm mother and Legoshi’s roommates found his reading material about rabbits and now rumors fly that Legoshi has an unnatural rabbit fetish. Juno, still determined to “make Legoshi mine“, becomes fiercely jealous of Haru and threatens her. She’s even more angry when Legoshi spurns her in public at the festival. We get a flashback to Legoshi’s childhood, when he and labrador dog Jack became friends, and learn more of this animal society’s history.

Some of the worldbuilding ideas are kind of strange to me. Like that a small prey animal would, under extreme duress, feel compelled to put her body in her enemy’s mouth?? (No, I think they would desperately flee). Or that domestic animals (dogs and cats) were created through genetic engineering to end a war, by infusing milder traits into the preadatory species? And many of the “wild” felines and canines consider those domestics lesser, artificial animals. Or that a group of world leaders (one for each species) concerns itself over who is named “Beastar” of the high school (I guess it’s like prom king, or class president?) because after graduation that individual will take their place among the adult leadership. This was obviously supposed to be Louis, but they’re angling for someone else now.

The red deer shows up again at the end, having proven he can be even more aggressive and depraved than anyone imagined (including this reader). No scruples. Violent to the end. He thought he was going to die at the hands of the lion gang, but instead he became their new leader. Wow. Not sure if that move was just to save his own hide, or to prove his strength and brutality- shocking everyone, even himself.

Borrowed from the public library.

Note: this review will contain some SPOILERS.

Legoshi finds out that Haru was abducted by a carnivore gang centered in the black market- and he’s desperate to rescue her from mortal danger. The authorities essentially turn a blind eye to the situation. Legoshi goes so far as to ask Louis for help, but the deer refuses to get involved. He then goes to the market on his own- rather impulsively and unprepared- and is almost immediately accosted by thugs. He’s extricated from a bad situation by the Panda. Legoshi then convinces the Panda to help him save Haru, even though it’s probably already too late. Things quickly go bad, with just the two of them against eight lions. At great cost to himself, Legoshi succeeds in getting to Haru just in time, and unleashes his rage into violence against the lion gang leader. He gets some unexpected assistance at the very last moment, and Louis gets a degree of revenge for some of his childhood suffering. Legoshi and Haru find themselves still in town after curfew, so they hastily find lodgings, and of course share a room, and the scene ends right when Legoshi is confessing his past aggression towards her, which she had been pretending to not remember . . . This volume got a lot more violent than the previous ones, and some of the scenes of Haru in the clutches of the lion gang are very discomfiting in nature- the gang leader wants to inspect her body before he eats it, in all kinds of compromising positions. Even though Haru is terrified and feels certain she’s going to die, she still shows some spunk and verbally defies the gang members. There’s flashbacks of her past explaning more of her personality and attitude towards relationships, which I thought had been clarified in the previous volume, but even more so now. Legoshi has now rescued her from danger twice, and I wonder how that might affect her feelings towards him, it seems on the verge of being an unhealthy balance. The story is so intense, I can’t help picking up the next volume immediately– and they follow in such close order, it’s a seamless shift from one volume to the next.

Borrowed from the public library.

SPOILER warning!

Right away things get quite steamy. We find out why Haru is so promiscuous, how she met Louis and yes, they’re involved. She saw his weakness when he shed his antlers. Legoshi realizes that his strong feelings for Haru aren’t predatory in nature but romantic, and he blusters about how to tell her. Feeling awkward because interspecies relationships are strongly frowned upon in this society- even more so when between carnivores and herbivores. Then he sees Louis and Haru sharing a brief moment of affection in public, and recognizes who his rival is. At the same time, the female wolf Juno thinks they’d make a perfect match and is flirting heavily- but gets confused and hurt when her attentions aren’t reciprocated. A lot of the students go into town preparing for a festival day. The herbivores are urged to return home by dark because of a recent increase in murderous attacks. Legoshi finds Haru there late and offers to walk her home. But when they have a disagreement while waiting for the train, bystanders think he is attacking her and instead of facing the questioners, they flee together. Bill the tiger learns something dark about Louis’ past but when he confronts him with it, Louis pulls out a gun, threatening the big cat to keep his mouth shut (I didn’t see that coming!) We learn that Juno has high ambitions and isn’t afraid of standing up to guys, Louis’ background isn’t as noble as he pretends, some of the carnivores in the school have it out for the red deer, and then Legoshi tries to confess his love to Haru. She’s refusing to listen- and then she disappears.

Borrowed from the public library.