City of the BeastsCity of the Beasts
Score Modern
What it's about
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold leaves his family and ill mother to join his fearless grandmother, a magazine reporter, on an expedition to the remote Amazon to document a legendary creature known as the Beast.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It's an adventure story from Isabel Allende.
You'll love it if you liked
Life of Pi
The Golden Compass
A Wrinkle in TimeGood to know
It's written for younger readers but works for adults.
By the numbers
- Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics41 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller12 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #180 of the 260 young adult books we rank
- #1221 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #2320 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
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All 47 best-of lists →
Young adult booksTop 25 · 260 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,648 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 514 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is City of the Beasts worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It ranks #2,320 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is City of the Beasts about?
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold leaves his family and ill mother to join his fearless grandmother, a magazine reporter, on an expedition to the remote Amazon to document a legendary creature known as the Beast.
How long does it take to read City of the Beasts?
About 10 hours (408 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after City of the Beasts?
If you liked it, try Life of Pi by Yann Martel, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.