Synopsis: From Goodreads
I am a beast. A beast!
Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll, stay this way forever ruined unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll, stay this way forever ruined unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.
***
I was expecting to like this book, I love fairy tale retellings. But the way Alex Flinn wove the classic Beauty and the Beast story into a contemporary YA novel was absolutely amazing! Kyle Kingsbury is the ultimate jerk—gorgeous as all get out—and a complete and utter beast on the inside. He gets his comeuppance and ends up regretting every single beastly thing he ever did to anyone. He turns inside out and ends up becoming a better person as a result of his curse. There were a few twists and turns as he grows as a person.
I don’t want to give away the ending—but of course you know the story, it’s not a surprise!
I highly recommend the book. If you love happy endings, you’ll love this book. Has anyone seen the movie?
Submitted by Kristine Asselin
I think I'll wait on the movie--I always read the book first. :) Thanks for the great review. I'll add this immediately to my growing list of books to be read. :)
ReplyDeleteBeastly knocked my socks off.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the movie, I was afraid it was jade my perception of the book. I've never watched a movie better than the book.
Great review! This just proves that fairytales can always be redone. I love reading them from different perspectives!
Thanks Heather and Jen! This book was actually recommended to me by a 13-year-old cousin. I hadn't been aware of it before she mentioned it. The story really worked well as a contemporary YA--lots of pieces of the story were recognizable, but there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this book or seen the movie but it's on my list now.
ReplyDeleteI won this on a blog contest and am looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteI probably wouldn't normally pick this up, because I'm just not into reading about gorgeous guys, but you've given us an excellent review here, and it just might end up on my radar now.
ReplyDeleteAdding it to my TBR pile. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, I wonder how the spell happens! I haven't seen the movie or read the book, but I love Beauty and the Beast and happy endings! Thanks for the fabulous review, Kris!
ReplyDeleteI saw the movie and absolutely hated it (primarily because of the terrible acting). And I'll admit I had no intention of ever reading the book because of my hate for the movie, but now you've piqued my interest. I may just have to check it out. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie. I liked the book though, I read that a while ago ;)
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen the movie, but I really should check out the book at some point.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen the movie, but I, too, loved the movie! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI somehow missed this when it first came out, but tried to get a copy when the movie was released. At least the movie encouraged readers to also pick up Flinn's other work!
ReplyDelete