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Title: Beastly
Author: Alex Flinn
ISBN/Publisher: 978-0-06-087418-6/HarperTeen (part of Harper Collins)
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Fairy Tale re-telling
Alex Flinn re-tells "Beauty and the Beast" in this novel, but from a cute, spoiled sixteen-year-old boy's perspective. Kyle is cursed by a witch because he is mean and incredibly selfish. The witch makes Kyle a furry creature that walks upright with claws and fangs because that's how ugly he is on the inside. And the only way to look human again is if someone will fall in love with him in two years, despite his looks. If he doesn't find that person, then Kyle shall be a beast forever.
The part that really sucks about this whole situation is that Kyle's newscaster father shuts him up in a mansion in Brooklyn. So, Kyle is left to live alone with his housekeeper and a blind tutor. Here, Kyle turns to an online chat room for those who are living with curses and he also develops an appreciation for literature and roses. Oh, and he basically kidnaps a girl to fall in love with him.
Will this girl be his Beauty???
I don't read too many fairytale re-tellings, but now I want to read them. This book definitely turned me into a fan and by the way I absolutely love "Beauty and the Beast." So this was an awesome re-telling for me to start to love.
This was my first Flinn book, but it won't be my last. I love how she was able to put this fairytale into today's society. In the chat room, we meet Froggie, (the prince), SilentMaid (the Little Mermaid), a few others, and it's moderated by Chris Anderson (minus the Hans part of the name). This part added the hilarious aspect of the novel.Then for us readers...we see Kyle appreciate books (with the help of his tutor Will and Linda).
I'll recommend this book and I hope you all read it. BTW...Beastly is being made into a movie and should be released this summer. It will star Neil Patrick Harris (Will), Mary Kate Olsen (Kendra), and Vanessa Hudgens (Linda).
My Rating:
(This book was bought at a store called FullyBooked)
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Thanks for the review--I've been wondering if this book was worth buying & reading. I guess it is!
ReplyDeleteI've had this one on my list for so long. I am a big fan of fairy tale retellings, and this one sounds really fun. There's something about the Beauty and the Beast tale that I just love.
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