Uehasi’s YA novel, The Beast Player, was a relatively boring read for me. I thought the characters were underdeveloped and just disappeared from the story line as the main character, Elin, grew up and moved to new adventures. The only character that was relatively developed was Elin and her character was not likable. I generally feel a strong connection to the characters in books, especially ones with major roles, but this book didn’t leave me with that connection. I felt that the story was interesting and not like any I’ve read before but I would not read it again or read any sequels.

The Beast Player was written by Nahoko Uehashi in Japanese and translated by Cathy Hirano. It won the Michael L. Printz, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, and Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book Awards. This book would make a good book for a Young Adult English class or a book club. In a school setting, the way it was translated as well as reoccurring themes in the book could be a part of the book discussion. Teens may find the character names, places, and clans confusing, I found the name confusion and difficulty relatively similar to those in the Game of Thrones. Young adults who enjoy fantasy and mythological creatures would enjoy reading and discussing the story. Two main themes in the book are stereotypes of other cultures/ethnicities (clans in this book) and their mistreatment due to these stereotypes as well as mistreatment and proper care of animals. Throughout the book, Elin is continually stereotyped and discriminated against because she has Ahlyo blood in her. The conflict between clans/territories is also based on past events and myths. Animal lovers may also enjoy reading and discussing this book. Readers may enjoy discussing the future of Elin and the care of the creatures that are a main focus of the book.