Child of the Beast (Meggitt-Phillips Jack); Farshore, 2023

The book that bites back is BACK! In the fourth beastly book from Jack Meggit-Phillips, the most distinctive new voice for readers of 8-12, there are surprises in store for Bethany about her missing family…

For centuries, the beast has tormented the world. But now, there’s a change to a menu, and the beast is going cold turkey – which essentially means eating no priceless works of art . . . or purple parrots . . . or CHILD-SIZED PRANKSTERS.

Ebenezer and Bethany are attempting to help the beast vomit some good into the world – even though they really haven’t come anywhere close to managing the business of do-gooding themselves. But Bethany is distracted by her date-not-a-date with Geoffrey, while Ebenezer is worried by a file which reveals a truth about Bethany’s parents that might just ruin life for everyone at the 15-storey house . . .

The beast is left to teach itself how to be good. But its impulses can’t be ignored, and all the worst parts of the beast crawl out of the beast’s belly to form a dreadful child.

At first the beast is charmed by its ghastly progeny. So clever! So horrible! But to its surprise, it develops something approaching a conscience. When the child finds out the truth about Bethany’s parents and plans to use it against her, can Ebenezer and the beast stop it from destroying Bethany’s hopes and dreams for ever?

The Beast and the Bethany has all the classic macabre humour of Roald Dahl with the warmth and charm of Despicable Me, finished off with a gleeful bite of Little Shop of Horrors!

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