Beastly

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Finn

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Age: 13-16

Scale: 7/10

Summary:

This is basically a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Alex, is a spoiled handsome sixteen year-old boy, who honestly believes that good looks and charm are worth more than honesty, integrity, and kindness. After being cruel to a classmate and standing her up at a school dance, he is transformed into a hideous beast and hidden away in a beautiful apartment in Brooklyn. His father hires a tutor and Alex starts to learn that he can be smart and that he does have more to offer. Through a rather complicated series of events, a young girl comes to live with Alex and his tutor. She sees beyond his looks, falls in love, and eventually lifts his curse.

Thoughts?

This was okay.

I love most versions of Beauty and the Beast, but this fell short. The lesson felt heavy-handed and there was nothing fun or funny about this particular piece. I mean, I didn’t expect the characters in the book to break into a rousing rendition of “Be Our Guest”, but I feel like if an author is going to retell a classic tale, than he or she should probably add or change something. This author really just moved the tale into modern-day New York. I think that some young adults might enjoy this. It is an easy read, the romance might be interesting to some, and the moral is healthy. I’m not a huge fan, but I would recommend it to patrons looking for modern fairy-tales.

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