Release Date: October 1, 2007
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 294
Source: Bought
Series: Standalone book
Rating from A+ to F: A-
-Summary-
I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. 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 a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.
-Review-
Beastly is the modern retelling of the story: Beauty and the Beast. I thought Alex Flinn definitely did a great job retelling a classic story. The only problem I had with the story was that at some parts it was kind of slow and I couldn't get into it well. But still, this book is worth people's time to read! (Unless story retellings aren't your thing)
This book tells the story of Kyle Kingsbury, a beautiful and handsome teenage boy who is conceited and cocky. A witch casts a spell on him to show him how he truly is on the inside: a beast. The spell can only be broken if he kisses a girl who he loves and she loves him back. When Kyle finds a girl that he falls in love with, trouble still comes along the way, and he becomes worried that he will never be a human again, since the spell can only be broken after two years. And if it isn't...Kyle can be a beast forever.
So, like I said I thought Alex did a great job of retelling the Beauty and the Beast. The characters were well developed, but I still had problems with reading it smoothly. Nothing really made me want to keep reading it. If you're a person who loves retellings, go get this book, because it still is a fantastic novel!
RATING ANALYSIS:
1. Plot- 17 out of 20 points.
2. Characters- 15 out of 15 points.
3. Writing- 19 out of 20 points.
4. Creativity- 15 out of 15 points.
5. Originality- 9 out of 10 points.
6. Ending- 14 out of 15 points.
7. Cover- 4 out of 5 points.
Equals: 93! 90-93 is an A-
PARENTAL REVIEW:
Violence- Small parts of violence. Not very much.
Mild/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ALEX FLINN
Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and made her two daughters sit through several dozen versions of Beauty and the Beast while she wrote this book...then quizzed them on how they thought a beast would meet girls in New York City. She is the author of six other books, including Breathing Underwater, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults; Breaking Point , an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers; Nothing to Lose, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Fade to Black, an ALA Best Books for Young Adults nominee; Diva, and A Kiss in Time. She lives in Miami.
Visit her website: www.alexflinn.com
Check the book out at: Goodreads | Amazon | Borders | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Interesting review. I actually hated the ending. It was cute. It was sweet. It was (SPOILERY!) too perfect. In the end, Kyle is still rich and handsome and popular, as well as nice and loved. He goes through a terrible two years, but after that he's perfect. It doesn't seem fair after what he did his whole life, even if he did spend two years as a beast.
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