A dark, addictive story about rage, power, and abuse. The Beast is a representation of female rage, as a result of abusive relationships, in its rawest form and a horrific exploration into the abyss of a male-dominated society.

Joan has spent her entire life enduring the bad-tempered and manipulative behaviors of men. However, when one of them commits an unspeakable act of violence in front of her, Joan decides to leave New York City in search of her half-sister Alice, in the hope that she can provide answers about her past. In the suffocating neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Joan tries to reconstruct her life from scratch. She rents an apartment in a housing complex, where she meets River, who later becomes her lover, and the elderly Lenny, who recounts infuriating incidents from his life. All the characters, each in their own way, ultimately push Joan towards crime.

What they said about the book:

“A shocking and unapologetic novel [...] Joan's voice is sharp and captivates the reader, who is left wanting to follow her everywhere [...] Taddeo's narrative burns and critiques with remarkable mastery.” –The New York Times Book Review

“A story about what happens when women are pushed to the brink and what follows after the outburst.” –Esquire

“With skill and insight, Taddeo examines how men's brutality ignites women's rage. The result feels as familiar as it is explosive.” –People

“Addictive.” –Entertainment Weekly

“A wildly beautiful book.” –Library Journal

Lisa Taddeo is an American author and journalist who has been honored twice with the Pushcart Prize for her short stories. Her book Three Women became a number 1 New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 30 countries. The Beast is her first novel, which was included in 2021 on bestseller lists of major publications and is published in 18 countries.