Beasts
The original novel was published in 2023. Translated by Rosie Hedger.
From Norway comes an international horror hit that is shudderingly terrifying and deliciously original.
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has collapsed: the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures -- and one another. Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run, their last hope to escape through the forest and to the sea. As they recall the strange events that led to the beasts' arrival, and how the two of them got to where they were, they must ask themselves who they can trust -- and what they will do to survive.
Ingvild Bjerkeland
Ingvild Bjerkeland writes the kind of stories that begin with an unsettling question and refuse to let go. Her novels often place young people at the edge of a world that no longer feels safe, where ordinary life is disrupted by fear, uncertainty, and forces that seem impossible to understand. Yet beneath the tension and suspense lies something deeply human: a fascination with how people respond when familiar rules suddenly stop applying.
Born in Haugesund, Norway, in 1981, Bjerkeland developed her craft through formal studies in creative writing before pursuing a PhD in film and television studies. That combination of literary storytelling and visual narrative can be felt throughout her work. Her books often unfold with a cinematic sense of pacing, building atmosphere scene by scene while keeping a close focus on the emotional experiences of her characters.