City of the Beasts [Paperback]

Isabel Allende (Author), Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

An ecological romance with a pulsing heart, equal parts Rider Haggard and Chico Buarque -- one of the world's greatest and most beloved storytellers broadens her style and reach with a Amazonian adventure story which will appeal to all ages Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. With his mother in hospital, too ill to look after him, Alex is sent out to his grandmother Kate -- a fearless reporter with blue eyes 'as sharp as daggers' points'. Kate is about to embark on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon rainforest, but rather than change her plans, she simply takes Alex along with her. They set off with their team -- including a local guide and his daughter Nadia, with her wild, curly hair and skin the colour of honey -- in search of a fabled headhunting tribe and a legendary, marauding creature known to locals only as 'the Beast', only to find out much, much more about the mysteries of the jungle and its inhabitants. In a novel rich in adventure, magic and spirit, internationally-celebrated novelist Isabel Allende takes readers of all ages on a voyage of discovery and wonder, deep into the heart of the Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adventure seekers will find plenty of thrills in Allende's first novel for young readers. When 15-year-old Alexander Cold is sent to stay with his eccentric, gruff grandmother, Kate, while his mother is being treated for cancer, he is more than a little reluctant to accompany Kate on a writing assignment in South America to search for a legendary nine-foot-tall "Beast." However, once the expedition down the Amazon begins, Alexander's doubts are pushed out of his mind by more immediate concerns, such as keeping an eye on two suspicious members of the party: a native named Karakawe and Mauro Cari as, a wealthy entrepreneur. After Alexander's mysterious encounter with a caged jaguar, another teen, Nadia, explains its importance to him, and begins calling Alexander "Jaguar." This marks the beginning of their somewhat surreal journey: the two teens are kidnapped by the "People of the Mist," a tribe possessing the power of turning invisible, and enter a mountain to discover the mythical city of El Dorado and the enigmatic "Beasts." Reluctant readers may be intimidated by the thickness of this volume, but the plot moves at a rapid pace, laced with surprises and ironic twists. The action and outcome seem preordained, cleverly crafted to deliver the moral, but many readers will find the author's formula successful with its environmentalist theme, a pinch of the grotesque and a larger dose of magic. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-Combine a magical world, mystical shamanic adventure, and feisty and eccentric characters with a fast-paced eco-thriller and you have Allende's first book for young adults. Set in the lush and treacherous Amazonian rain forest, this is the story of 15-year-old Alexander Cold and 12-year-old Nadia Santos. While his mother is in Texas for chemotherapy treatment, Alex is spending the summer with his emotionally distant grandmother, who has been hired to find and write an article on the "Beast" that has been terrorizing the jungle. Partially funded by a suspicious businessman, the party includes a self-centered professor, several photographers, a government doctor and soldiers, a few native Indians, and a guide, C‚sar Santos, who brings along his daughter. Alex and Nadia become good friends, and together discover their own inner strengths through visions and shamanic journeys with the local tribe. The plot is as thick as its jungle setting. There are dangers such as the terrifying humanoid Beast that kills with huge claws, anacondas, natives with poison dart arrows, and an untrustworthy member of the expedition. The story is a struggle between good and evil, filled with surprises and adventure. Put this title on your "If You Liked Harry Potter" lists, and Allende may just find new fans. Though this is a rather hefty book, it is a real page-turner with hope for more, as Allende leaves readers with, "Until we meet again-."-Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000714637X
• ISBN-13: 978-0007146376
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,849,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of eight novels, including, most recently, Zorro, Portrait in Sepia, and Daughter of Fortune. She has also written a collection of stories; three memoirs, including My Invented Country and Paula; and a trilogy of children's novels. Her books have been translated into more than twenty-seven languages and have become bestsellers across four continents. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Isabel Allende lives in California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant New Series for Teens, April 23, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City of the Beasts (Hardcover)

Fifteen-year-old, Alexander Cold, is given the opportunity of a lifetime, when his fearless Grandmother, a magazine reporter for INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, invites him to tag along on her journey through the Amazon. Bidding his family and ill Mother goodbye, Alexander takes the chance, and ends up exploring, not only with his Grandmother, but with a Doctor, a celebrated anthropologist, a local guide, and his young daughter, Nadia. Their journey will take them where no man (or woman) has gone before, to document the legendary Yeti that just so happens to survive in the Amazon, and is better known as "the Beast." Under the canopy of the rain forest, and with his newly acquired friend, Alexander and Nadia are led on an adventure that will change their lives forever, by the invisible People of the Mist.

A woman I know at the local Barnes & Noble has been recommending this book to me since it was released. However, it seemed like something that I probably wouldn't be interested in. Boy was I wrong. Being very interested in the field of cryptozoology, I found all of the talk about "the Beast" absolutely fascinating, and was extremely mesmerized by the descriptions of the rain forest. Alexander is a likeable character that will appeal greatly to male readers, while Nadia is a brave character who will appeal greatly to female readers. A must have for all ages, especially teens interested in adventurous YA literature. Great job, Ms. Isabel Allende!

Erika Sorocco

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adventure and Self-Discovery, February 10, 2006

By 

Faye G. (Gaithersburg, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of the Beasts (Hardcover)

I rented this book from the library on a whim, and much to my suprise, I really enjoyed it. I was very captivated by the book, and would reccomend it to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure books.

This book is a great addition to anyones bookshelf. Elegantly crafted, it has many twists and suprises and the plot is very fast paced. While providing an entertaining story, City of the Beasts also delivers lessons and morals to the reader.

City of the Beasts is also a story many Teens will be able to relate to. Not because of the exotic setting of the story itself, but through the charecters. This book shows how the 2 main charecters become friends, and is also a source of self-discovery for the main charecter.

Overall, this book is a worthwhile read for anyone. I only gave it 4 Stars because it does not stand out that vividly in my mind as one of the best books I have ever read, but it is still up there in my top 20!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Exciting Part One of Alex Cold Saga, March 14, 2006

By 

Pat W Jusuf "Book Fanatic" (Jakarta, Indonesia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of the Beasts (Hardcover)

Great adventures in the Amazon, to be precise: somewhere between Manaus in Brazil and Venezuela.

This first novel of the trilogy is actually written by Isabel Allende for young adults. Being uninformed of this purpose, I have picked up City of the Beasts because of the promising adventures content. Well, it turned out to be a well written book, for ALL ages.

Regardless of what other reviewers say about this novel, I found that Miss Allende have done an extremely wonderful job in describing natures beauties along with an exhaustive research on Amazon, anthropologies, environmental and related issues. It is a light novel with serious environmental issues.

Alex Cold is a fifteen year-old teenager from California. He was sent to stay with his grandmother, Kate, for a moment during her mother's extreme cancer therapy somewhere in Texas. Kate is working for International Geographic as a journalist curretnly assigned to study the Amazons. Alex was taken along for the exhilarating journey, meeting weird creatures. the plot generates ffrom this main storyline.

Lots of imagination and environmental issues. A well-written light novel for everybody enjoying adventure-genre fictions.