Beast is a 2006 young adult novel by Ally Kennen.

It won the 2007 Manchester Book Award,[1] and was shortlisted for the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize,[2] the 2007 Carnegie Medal[3] and the 2007 Branford Boase Award.

[4] Stephen is a 17-year-old foster child living on the edge of the law.

He harbors a huge crocodilean beast, ferocious from birth, bequeathed to him by his criminal father when Stephen was a child.

Beast tells the story of his murderous intents toward this monster and his growing relationships, as well as frequently reliving his childhood through flashbacks.