Reviewer: Meghan Ormerod
Before reading City of the Beasts I must admit, perhaps naively, to never having heard of Isabel Allende. From simply having read the blurb on the back cover I could tell you this is not the type of book that I would usually read but after persisting with it I found the book extremely enjoyable.
The novel is an account of a journey made by American teenager Alex, his reporter grandmother and a group including a doctor, an explorer, a guide and his daughter through the South American jungle on a trip sponsored by the National Geographic. They travel in search of a mystery 'beast' and each member of the group has their own motives for accompanying the voyage of discovery. For Alex this voyage of discovery works on more than one level; he explores elements of his character that he never thought possible and with the help of the guide's daughter Nadia, experiences a truly magical journey. Allende takes us on this journey.
Allende makes literary description an art form, and her book vividly depicts the scenery her characters find themselves in. You find yourself well and truly immersed in the jungle with Alex and Nadia; so eloquent are her descriptions that you can feel and smell the jungle as you turn the pages.
There were parts of this book that I found hard to master, despite her descriptions being so vivid. The aspect of fantasy did force me to look a long way into my imagination, maybe a little further than your average sixteen year old feels comfortable with! What was interesting about this book was that although there were elements of fantasy this was beautifully balanced out with realistic emotion, feelings and character formation.
The book raises many thought-provoking ideas about society and different interpretations of what this word really means. It makes you question your own perception of society. A powerful writer will always make you question your own beliefs and views and Allende does this with great subtlety. It raises such points as our civilization is just the reverse: no ceremony, only massacres this made me question my beliefs about what society is and what it is to be part of our society at this present time.
Some of the action is fairly graphic but far from gratuitous violence; this shows the damage that can be caused by our intolerance and refusal to understand different cultures, albeit located in a fantastical setting. Just as the characters are led through the jungle and find it increasingly hard to escape, the book becomes increasingly hard to put down; surely there can be no better assurance of a good book.
Despite the hurdles I found with the elements of fantasy, this novel was a joy to read. It leaves you questioning your perceptions and ideas long after turning the final page and returning the book to the shelf.
Reviewer: Irene Kappes
This is a refreshing and successful attempt to create a story for young adults that is a far cry from the usual western-centric, fast-moving, action-packed fantasy, where the story is 'in-your-face' and fed to the reader on a plate. It is a very engaging and beatifully told tale and full of rich images in the usual Allende style.
Set in the Amazon rainforest and seen through the eyes of the two young people who are the central characters in the story, it introduces the reader to a totally different culture where other values and ways of interpreting the world dominate.
When the protagonist, 15-year-old Alexander Cold embarks on a trip to the Amazonian rainforest with his reporter grandmother Kate, he is plunged into a dangerous and mysterious world, in total contrast to his safe home life in a small town on the Californian coast. It is, however, circumstances that have forced him reluctantly into the journey. His mother is ill with cancer and his grandmother is not prepared to cancel her trip to look after her grandson. They set off, therefore, on a National Geographic expedition in search of a fabled headhunting tribe and a legendary giant creature known to the locals as The Beast. The expedition team includes a guide and his daughter, Nadia, with her wild, curly hair and skin the colour of honey, whom Alex befriends. His education is swift as he enters an alien world of strange customs and food and is not only left to fend for himself, but fight for his own and other's survival.
Allende is a skilled writer and wonderful storyteller, but this novel lacks the depth and complexity usually present in her work, particularly in some of the characters. The publicity describes the book as 'a novel rich in adventure and magic', which it certainly lives up to and it is a good introduction to reading Allende. There is, however, an overall romantic gloss (the story ends with the young protagonist leaving to take on the world with the help of his grandmother's 'powerful pen', in order to fight for the survival of the Amazon tribe). Although actual events are at times quite brutal and depicted graphically, the stark backdrop of reality usually present in her novels is toned down here. The question is has Allende taken a softer approach to make the book more attractive and accessible to young people and will this approach encourage young adults to engage with the cultural and political issues brought up here? Is such an approach necessary and if so, is that indicative of the present social climate or has it always been that way? Indeed was this the intention or was it simply to write a good story. I hope it was both.
I am off to find a young adult to read the book now. (What is a young adult?)
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