Little Beasts

By Matthew McGevna

Included in Library Journal's "Books That Buzzed at BookExpo America" Roundup, the first word on titles and trends from Barbara Hoffert, Editor

"McGevna's debut novel captures the familiar rhythms of summertime, following young people on the edge of violence."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A serious, searing debut novel by a wonderful new writer."
--Book Riot

"The reader knows one of the three will be a victim, but not which one, and we read with our hearts in our throats as we grow closer to each boy....In the aftermath of that day, McGevna shows us how the brutality and tragedy of that event affect the families...There will be justice, of some sort, and even redemption. But, as in real life, there is no happy ending."
--Reviewing the Evidence

"A gripping exploration of teenage alienation and temporary depravity."
--East Hampton Star

"All it takes is one or two characters to carry you through to the heartbreaking end--a finale that offers enough hope and redemption to equal the book's climatic horror."
--The Chattanoogan

"Tremendously affecting....A powerful story about redemption....McGevna is tremendously talented, and created a vivid picture of place and time, populated by characters who are far more complex than you think."
--It's Either Sadness or Euphoria

"Perhaps we could all use a moment to stop and breathe sometime, before we say or do something we regret. You might find yourself thinking back to this book, long after it's done. And that is the mark of a good book."
--A New Day

"Here is Matthew McGevna's Little Beasts, a story about growing up in the 1980s and making one's way into the world. It's all here: discovered ambition; poignant exasperation; abundant mistakes and triumphs and regrets. And what turns out to be the bitter downward path to wisdom. Matthew McGevna has given us a great gift. Superb."
--Larry Heinemann, author of Paco's Story

"Little Beasts is a serious novel about lost teenagers with questionable futures and just about no adult guidance. Inevitably they take their confused and violent emotions out on each other, which leads to tragedy. A serious and compelling debut."
--Robert Ward, author of Red Baker

"Mathew McGevna's Little Beasts gives us the people of Turnbull, New York, as their own tragedy begins to envelop them. And in the sure hands of this gifted young novelist, we know them well enough to feel the history in our nerve-endings--we live it. This is a brave, beautiful book."
--Richard Bausch, author of Before, During, After

The latest from Akashic's Kaylie Jones Books imprint.

Turnbull is a working-class town full of weary people who struggle to make ends meet. Evictions, alcoholism, and random violence are commonplace. In the heat of July 1983, when eight-year-olds James Illworth, Dallas Darwin, and Felix Cassidy leave their homes to play in the woods, they have to navigate between the potentially violent world of angry adults and even angrier teens. Little do they know that within a few short hours, one of them will lay dead, after a bit of playful bullying from older teens escalates to tragedy.

Loosely based on a real crime that took place on Long Island in 1979, Little Beasts is a panorama of a poor, mostly white neighborhood surrounded by the affluent communities of the East End. After the murder, the novel's main characters must come to grips with the aftermath, face down the decisions they've made, and reestablish their faith in the possibility of a better world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaylie Jones Books
• Release date: Jun 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781617753701

Reviews for Little Beasts

[sjurban_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well done and believable. It was a quick and entertaining read.

[jenxy21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

McGevna sets the stage for small town drama but it was a little slow for my liking. The characters were rich with detail but didn't draw me into their story. The writing itself is lyrical and engaging, but the plot didn't hold my attention.

[bagambo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loosely based on a true story, this book makes for one gripping read. I couldn't put it down! Loved getting caught up in this chilling and heartbreaking story. Talk about a great suspense-thriller read!!

[kalky_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

LITTLE BEASTS by Matthew McGevna follows three eight-year-old boys as they navigate their summer break, and it also traces the paths of a few teens in the same small town in New York in the 80s. When the groups' trails intersect, it's an awful thing to read. The first chapter tells you that there is tragedy coming--and that's unfortunate. The horror of that tragedy is muted a bit by the author's foreshadowing. In fact, Chapter One tries WAY too hard, but you are rewarded for sticking with it as the novel progresses.All said, this is a tense book that is part thriller and part coming-of-age novel. I almost stopped reading it at its climax because it was overwhelmingly emotional, but I decided to stay with it, and I'm glad. Continuing to read about the impact of the awful occurrences on the characters I had come to know had a soothing effect (of sorts).Despite the first chapter this book was quite good. I recommend it to fans of thrillers and to book clubs. I think it would make for a great discussion.My thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[satxreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Little Beasts is a beautifully crafted novel loosely based on a real crime that happened in 1979.In his acknowledgements, the author says that this book was over a decade in the making, and I can believe it. Each character is so finely drawn; the little 8-year-old boys doing all the stuff little 8-year-old boys do in the summer; the teenagers full of hormones and angst, not yet knowing how to appropriately deal with either; the parents wrestling with their own difficulties and disappointments while raising and protecting their kids the best they can. According to the book cover, the author is an award-winning poet, and it really shines through in this story--not with flowery prose, but with amazing and magnetic use of language that just reels you in. The reader can actually feel the July heat, hear the summer rainstorms and smell the aroma of sweaty little boys and dad's booze in the barn. An awesomely well-done book that I would highly recommend as long as you don't demand a fluffy-bunny, happily ever after story.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Turnbull in Long Island is a town where evictions are rampant, where some have given up, and resorted to alcohol, where losing their job means not being able to feed their families. It is here that we meet three young boys, age 8, this and the woods behind their houses is where they play. As the author tells us in the first cheer one of these young boys will not live till summer's end.This is loosely based on an actual crime that took place in 1979 on Long Island. It is hardly surprising that this is not a happy little novel but it is one that is well written and well told. The first two, thirds of the book is setting the scene, meeting the boys, their families and their endeavors to escape from the older boys. It also raises many questions. Is the young person accused really a monster? Why is the town so intent on vengeance? Does bullying always beget bullying?After the crime we watch as the remaining boys and their parents try to recover, to pick up the pieces of their lives. Watch as the parents of the dead boy try to regain their faith in their marriage and their religion. Very interesting book, many social issues, a novel where some things change, but many don't. A novel that makes one think.ARC from librarything.

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Little Beasts by Matthew McGevna is a highly recommended novel loosely based on a real story.

Eight year olds James Illworth, Dallas Darwin, and Felix Cassidy are doing what any kids would do in the summer of 1983 in Turnbull, a working-class Long Island town. They watch an eviction. They assign themselves characters to play Star Wars. They find a stray dog as a mascot. They play in the woods by their houses. They plan to steal fort building materials from another gang of kids (and get into a fight). They try to appease the adults in their lives, answer if their mothers yell for them, and avoid the sullen, angry teens that always seem to be hanging out. They are busy children, serious about their friendship and playing with each other.

David Westwood is hanging out with his friends, other 15 year old teens. David is a budding artist, but finds himself at odds with others at his high school. Other students have given him the nickname "Red" and have accused him of hating America and being a Communist. David doesn't agree with their assessment, but he plays the role. Although he has a group of friends, he is really a loner, trying to fit in, looking for acceptance. He pines for Julia, who may or may not be his girlfriend.

While our group of eight year olds has a horrible fight with other kids, the teens are struggling with their own social issues. The next day the two groups meet with fatal results.

McGevna does a great job describing the feelings of the kids out and about, trying to stay out of the way of trouble and doing their own busy work of being children in the summer. When the view switches to the teens, he also manages to capture the bullying and teen angst David is experiencing. Although it is well written and the inner workings and pitfalls that must be avoided in both the lives of the kids and the teens is clearly portrayed, I wasn't sure exactly where the novel was heading. There is a lot of lead up to the tragedy, which doesn't happen until you are well into the second half of the book.

In the end this is a fine summer novel or a great airplane book. It will keep you reading, the writing and descriptions are great, and, although you have to wait a bit too long for the horrible turn of events to happen, McGevna skillfully handles the subsequent aftermath.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Akashic Books for review purposes.

[katharineclifton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I want to start by saying that I had a little trouble getting into this book. And this may say more about my chaotic summer life, than the book itself, but I did find it to be a slow burn. Perhaps because I was expecting more action, an immediate sense of physical friction. I was pulled into the story slowly. Because the story starts slowly, rather innocuously, as you get brief glimpses into each of the characters' lives. But I'm glad I hung on, because it turned into a really dark, disturbing, and tragically beautiful character study. The layers are revealed, and a bright light is shone on how other people, and a random tragedy, can affect us all. The alcoholic can switch places with the man of God. The quiet child can become an uncontrollable monster. Innocence shatters on the rocks, only to be rebuilt in a tree. This is a story about personalities and relationships, not the crime itself.

[reb922 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

During the summer vacation kids of all ages will get into all kinds of trouble. I the small Long Island town over a couple of days a group of 8 year old and a group of high school students each get into their own mischief with groups their own ages. When the two groups cross paths there are tragic consequences. Well written with building suspense.

[katiekrug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This debut powerfully evokes the innocence and darkness of childhood and adolescence. McGevna gives us two groups of friends, one still children and the other on the cusp of adulthood, both feeling out their boundaries and figuring out their relationships. He tells their stories in parallel over a day and a half or so with mounting tension, and then has them collide in a brutal and searing climax. The aftermath and the brief glimpses of hope and redemption he provides are nicely done, as is the complexity of the central character, David - both a wounded child and a kind of monster. Definitely recommended.

[lorimarie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had a little trouble getting into this book, but I think that was because I knew something bad was going to happen and so unfortunately I was frustrated with the waiting. After reading the whole book I think back to the beginning and I think it was all necessary character development and the book wouldn't have been as good without it. It's scary to think this was based on an actual event. Eight-year-olds seem so young to me. I was so very pleased I was awarded this book by the Early Reviewers because I enjoyed it so much and will encourage all my reading friends to pick up a copy.