Ally Kennen

Biography

Ally Kennen started to write Beast while she was working on an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University in England. She was struggling with an adult novel that she had been working on for five years. "It was riddled with plots and sub -plots and symbolism," said Ally. When she discovered she was pregnant, she set the project aside.

She started to write again, when her tutor suggested she try something new. "I decided to write in the first person and in the present tense," said Ally, "to make it difficult for myself to introduce too many new elements. Everyone says you should write about what you know, and having spent my childhood with fostered teenagers, I thought this might be the way to go. I was obsessed with the Exmoor beast as a child. All that rustling in the hedges... It seemed like good fodder for a story."

Previous to this, Ally worked in many different fields. A singer and songwriter, she toured with a dance band to Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and Budapest. She was also an archeologist, museum assistant, and library assistant, amongst other things.

Ally Kennen lives with her family in Bristol, England.

Teacher Store

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Beast

by Ally Kennen

Stephen hasn't had it easy. He's now in foster care because his mom is crazy and his dad is an ex-con. But none of these problems compare to the problem of The Beast. Stephen has been taking care of The Beast for years. It is his biggest secret -- and also his biggest challenge. If it could, The Beast would eat Stephen alive. The only thing separating them is a rusty cage. And the bars are about to break...

$16.99
Hardcover Book | Grades 6-Up

Beast

Grades 6-Up $16.99

Scholastic Store

The Scholastic Store

Beast

by Allie Kennen

Stephen hasn't had it easy. He's now in foster care because his mom is crazy and his dad is an ex-con vagabond. He's always in trouble or on his way to trouble. But none of these problems compare to the problem of The Beast -- a fierce crocodile that Stephen's been taking care of for years. The Beast is Stephen's biggest secret -- and also his biggest challenge. And that's when it's in a cage. When the Beast escapes, the stakes get even higher. With a keen eye and a startling voice, Ally Kennen joins the ranks of Kevin Brooks and Chris Wooding on the cutting edge of YA fiction.

$7.99
books;paperback books;paperbacks | Ages 12 and Up

Beast

Ages 12 and Up $7.99