Creator: Shoko Rakuta

Demographic: BL/Boys Love

Themes: Omegaverse, Romantic Comedy, High School Romance,

Status: Complete (single volume)

Published By: Brite Publishing via Renta

LINK

Official Summary:

Onizuka Raita and his younger brother Fuuta are infamous at their school for being two tough alphas who aren’t afraid to kick ass. It’s also public knowledge that the brothers are totally down bad for the delicate and pretty omega, Kazusa. Despite his dainty appearance and sweet face, Kazusa has an unshakable sense of justice and chivalry. More than anything, he wants to be strong and live life on his own terms—not just as some helpless omega who needs protecting.

But everything changes when Kazusa goes into heat for the first time. Even more shocking? His doctor announces that Kazusa’s fated mate is likely somewhere close by!

So what happens when Kazusa’s suppressants mysteriously go missing…and his heat hits while he’s alone with the Onizuka brothers? Can he fight off fate—and his own instincts?

Thinky Thoughts

Normally, it’s hard to find an omegaverse book that I don’t like.

I eat, sleep, breathe, and dream about omegaverse… and I’m easy to please, at that.

On the surface, We Are Not Beasts does a lot that I should like.

While Kazusa looks like a stereotypical omega because he’s tiny and pretty, he has a forceful, fiery personality that’s always at a ten. Even though society tells him and everyone else that omegas are just semi-sentient onaholes, he actively fights back against the systemic bigotry that puts him and other omegas in danger.

I love a strong omega character in fiction.

I also love books where twin brothers are the (potential love interests).

We Are Beasts has a lot of potential. If it was a longer book (2-4 volumes versus a single one), I think it could’ve fleshed the characters and world out a bit more. As it stands, I think that Kazusa is the best fleshed-out character in the volume. He’s got layers to himself and a drive that isn’t related to either of the alphas in his life. While he loves them – and comes to love one of them a lot – he has goals. He wants to make the world better for omegas and he wants alphas to stop letting their biology control them/stop using it as an excuse.

Kazusa is a genuinely strong character and I would’ve loved to spend more time with him.

But the Onizuka twins? Raita and Fuuta are visually delightful. I love a twin alpha situation. The conflict between brain and body – where they have to battle their alpha instincts to keep the omega they loved safe – should’ve held me down. However, I found the brothers to be frustrating and not very fleshed out characters. For what I expected and what I wanted…

Nah.

We Are Not Beasts is also a fated mates story. While I don’t hate fated mate omegaverse stories, I’m not super interested in them when the mate relationship is locked in in high school. Regular mating in high school (a la How My Daddies Became Mates or Megumi & Tsugumi) doesn’t itch my elbows, but the fated aspect just doesn’t work for me. Especially with how the one brother is kind of clearly dropped out of the running for Kazusa’s mate very early on – I think it’s obvious as you read it.

I think that while We Are Beasts is not a bad book, it just… didn’t work for me. It would’ve either needed to lean in harder to pushing back against standard omegaverse tropes and world-building or just get super tropey and play into the established tropes harder. I think that for me, it felt like it was trying to have its cake and eat it too in some ways?

I picked this up expecting a more innovative take on the tropes in The Feisty Omega and his Twin Mates. Unfortunately, despite the lovely art and our sharp little Kazusa, We Are Not Beasts just did not activate me the way I hoped it would. It’s for someone, I’m sure.

Just… not me.

If you’ve read We Are Not Beasts, what are your thoughts? How did you like it?