Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips – A Review by Bryony – BLOG TOUR

Rating: 4 stars

Release date: 30th September 2021

Publisher: Farshore Books

Author: Jack Meggitt-Phillips

Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading P.G. Wodehouse novels.

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Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this riotously funny, deliciously macabre, and highly illustrated sequel to The Beast and the Bethany in which Bethany and Ebenezer try to turn over a new leaf, only to have someone—or something—thwart them at every turn.

Once upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures and in return the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then the Bethany arrived.

Now notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives and Do Good. But Bethany finds that being a former prankster makes it hard to get taken on for voluntary work. And Ebenezer secretly misses the beast’s vomity gifts. And neither of them are all that sure what “good people” do anyway.

Then there’s Claudette, who’s not been feeling herself recently. Has she eaten something that has disagreed with her?

It was a joy to be back in the beastly world of The Beast and the Bethany. If not for a beast of my own (and this thing called a job?), I would have sat down and gobbled this book up in one sitting – it was just so easy to consume.

I loved getting to see some more depth to both Ebeneezer and Bethany. By seeing the history of Ebeneezer and The Beast (i.e. how they met and what they’ve been through together), we feel more sympathetic to him, especially when he feels nostalgic to and starts to miss the life he had with The Beast.

Bethany was such a fun character again. I love how she maintained her mischief, but in a more… controlled way. She’s mischievous to have fun, rather than to make others miserable.

It’s no surprise Bethany and Ebeneezer struggled to Do Good. But it was hilarious to see them try. I can understand how easy it was for Bethany’s trust in others to waver at the slightest disturbance, so I liked how Ebeneezer supported her throughout.

I enjoyed the stakes of this story, the twists and the plot it followed. The illustrations were frightful too. It was a world I loved being part of again, I cannot wait to read the next book!

Thanks to The Write Reads, Jack Meggitt-Phillips and Farshore Books for a copy of this for review.