Beast
by Richard Van Camp
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Lauded as the Indigenous Stranger Things, this evocative, spine-tingling thriller from Dogrib Dene author Richard Van Camp blends supernatural horror with 1980s nostalgia.
Lawson Sauren's life has always been entwined with the lives of the Cranes brothers. Cody Cranes became an unexpected friend when they shared a tent at summer camp--but now he's disappeared. Star athlete Stanley Cranes survived the canoe accident that killed Lawson's mother but has been a shell of himself ever since. Silver Cranes--jeez, the guy was downright scary even before he made some kind of occult pact resurrecting the Dead One, a ghoulish, cruel, powerful spirit hellbent on destroying peace treaties like the centuries-old one between the Dogrib and Chipewyan which Lawson and the Cranes boys are tasked with preserving. Determined to save his community from the Dead One's ravenous maw, Lawson must step into his role as a Dogrib Yabati, or protector, and recruit his friends Isaiah Valentine, a Cree Grass Dancer, and Shari Burns, a Metis psychic, to face what Silver Cranes has called back.
This latest feat of storytelling magic by celebrated author Richard Van Camp blends sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror as it plays out against a 1980s-era backdrop replete with Platinum Blonde songs and episodes of Degrassi Junior High. Set in the same fictional town of Fort Simmer, Northwest Territories as previous Van Camp stories, Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781771624145
EAN:
9781771624145
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
320
Authors:
Richard Van Camp
Publisher:
Douglas & McIntyre
I loved reading this book and following the characters. The ups and downs made this story so special, and the ending just tied it together perfectly. I want to read more about this town and explore it with them.
I read this book as part of an indigenous reading group that's focusing on horror this year. This one was a little slow to start for me, but once I got into the groove of his writing style, the story started flowing.There's a whole cast of characters who play important parts in this story. Two tribal communities have a long lasting peace treaty they his family has long tried to protect, but another "rival" family does everything they can to skirt the rules. One such character, Silver, is especially sinister in trying to get Lawson to break the peace treaty. When Lawson and Silver come to a head one day, he finds himself in the spiritual world, face-to-face with a dark entity carefree to "The Dead One". The Dead One seems to have a tight hold over Silver, and wants to end the peace treaty and incite war amongst these once peaceful tribes.In a unique turn, Lawson is faced with an almost impossible task: defeat the Dead One or risk the fate of his friends, family, and rivals. Along the way, he has some help from a lot of unique characters. Spirits from the past, a lovely romantic interest (Shari) who is a big part of helping him again allies, Isaiah who brings his own unique set of skills, and numerous other surprise characters that eventually come on board to help.There were some descriptive moments in this book that made my stomach turn a bit *cue the horror element*, but overall this was an enjoyable, culturally rich, fresh story.
