" 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 the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. " - Book Cover
I loved this story! We all heard before of The Beauty and the Beast, may it be the Grimm Brothers story or the Disney movie. Beastly was a fabulous new flavor to this classic story because it took place in a modern world, in the Beast's point of view.
Kyle Kingsbury is a jerk. He thinks because he has great looks and money, he is above everyone. He enjoys preying on the outcasts and the weak and when he takes his hatred one step too far by falsely inviting a no-name girl to the dance and humiliate her publicly, he gets to learn a lesson the hardest way.
Let's face it, kids and teenagers are mean. In every school there are always the ones on top abusing the ones on the bottom and I think Beastly can be an eye opener for many of them. This isn't only a fairy tell, it's also a reflection on judgement, friendship, respect and true love. Don't get me wrong though, this isn't one of those boring books trying to "show you the path", It's a fabulous book, light and funny at some points and very profound the next moment.
Kyle Kingsbury aka Adrian was very nicely built by Alex Flinn, you are privy to his concerns, his fears, his joys and deceptions. He grows tremendously in the course of this book in a very believable way. He is guided by Will (his blind tutor) and Magda (the housekeeper), and every steps he takes bring him closer to be a better person.
Lindy aka Beauty isn't the stunning girl guys turn around in the street to watch. She's pretty yes, but the best she has to offer is hidden from the eyes. This girl never had it easy, her mom is gone, her father is a drug addict and she's trying really hard to cope with all of it. I really liked her, she was sweet and caring.
Alex Flinn did something very original in this book, every few chapters or so there's this kind of online reunion kinda like Alcoholic Anonymous for a group called "Unexpected Change". It's actually a chat room, and it's how we first meet the Beast along with under fairy tales characters like The Little Mermaid, The Frog to name only these. These little moments really made me laugh at loud so I thought I would mention them =)
I'd like to finish by saying even thought this book is based on a very well known story, Flinn managed to make it her own and even surprise me. I really think this book is a Must Read!
This is a trailer of the movie (July, 2010) it seems different then the book (Beast is hairy for one thing), but I thought I'd show it to you anyway =)
Book stats:
Paperback: 336 pages Éditeur: Programs And Genres; Reprint édition (Sep 15 2008)
Langue: English
ISBN-10: 006087418X
ISBN-13: 978-0060874186
Book Source: Review copy sent by Harper Collins
I loved this book, and I think one of my favorite parts was the "Unexpected Changes" chat room lol. Glad you enjoyed it too!
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