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Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance

Review

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance

BEASTS OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE by debut author Ruth Emmie Lang will grab you by the hand and thrust you into a world complete with animal whisperers, supernatural occurrences, and people who search their whole lives to find what’s right in front of them.

Weylyn Grey was just a child when his parents suddenly died and he found himself living among a pack of wolves. But even after years of living with only animals, he still has a great way with people. Weylyn is so likable that a young girl named Mary runs away from home and roams the wild with him. Although he hasn’t had a relationship with a human in years, the two share a karmic connection that will bond them forever. See, Mary also suffered the loss of a parent. Weylyn is an escape for her. Soon, though, their fun will end. Weylyn and Mary are roaming free with a pack of wolves and sleeping under the bright of the stars when tragedy strikes. A member of the pack has been shot dead, and the kids are found where society says they should not be. Weylyn is sent to live with a pastor and his family in Oklahoma, and Mary is brought back home to her worried father.

"BEASTS OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE...will grab you by the hand and thrust you into a world complete with animal whisperers, supernatural occurrences, and people who search their whole lives to find what’s right in front of them."

Throughout the novel, it’s clear that people enjoy Weylyn’s company. It’s just that he doesn’t prefer to be around them. Weylyn is at home with those who crawl, fly and howl at the full moon. He’s happiest where he doesn’t technically belong. Or maybe, the wild is exactly where he needs to be. It’s why living with a family doesn’t quite suit him.

For the first time in years, Weylyn attends school. Surprisingly, he’s quite the academic. He likes to sit on his desk, though, and his teacher doesn’t get him yet. Nonetheless, he quickly wins her affections. Weylyn is the type who can get under anyone’s skin and linger in their soul. It’s why when the teacher leaves her husband, and moves into the reverend’s carriage house, she and Weylyn become inseparable. They even adopt a horned pig named Merlin. Another member of the crew is Lydia, the reverend’s only likable daughter who treats Weylyn like a brother, even though their time living together is cut short.

When a tornado hits town, and Weylyn steps up to it with Merlin and stops the disaster in its tracks as if it’s a device one can switch on and off, everyone says the pig is magic --- everyone except the reverend’s wife, who wants Weylyn out of the house. Still, Lydia will always remember him, as everyone does. Luckily, his teacher happily takes on the role of mother.

Years pass, and so does she. Yet Weylyn still has Merlin. They’re even featured on TV specials together and have business cards, but Weylyn is the pig’s assistant. He says the pig is the one that holds the key to controlling the weather. This is the same story he tells Mary, who he suddenly bumps into on a beach, in a town where he was asked to stop the upcoming hurricane. With Weylyn, Mary relives a youth she never had. The two are bonded again. It’s not until the hurricane strikes that she realizes who is really controlling the weather. The two proceed to go on a journey that is cut short.

For such a powerful person, Weylyn is significantly afraid of who he truly is. His journey is a difficult one. His love is split between a woman and living among wolves, and he doesn’t know if both can co-exist. Weylyn’s powers are just as wild as the life he yearns to live. The people who care about him don’t understand how torn he is, until they do.

Weylyn Grey is a wanderer until he is found. He’s sort of like Snow White, with animals and creatures crowding around him and whispering thoughts and advice. See, the animals are on his side. Everyone wants him to be happy. It’s just up to Weylyn Grey.

Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio on November 17, 2017

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
by Ruth Emmie Lang

  • Publication Date: November 14, 2017
  • Genres: Fantasy, Fiction
  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • ISBN-10: 1250112044
  • ISBN-13: 9781250112040