Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
From Goodreads:
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.
Review
I suspect that many readers of this blog will have read this book years ago since it was published in 2007. I heard about this book when I began the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer and I was fascinated by how many other books re-tell classic fairy tale stories. In fact, I posted a discussion question on this very topic on November 8.
I read this book over the Thanksgiving holidays and I actually finished it in a single day. I'll admit I was in a car for three hours and staying in a cabin in the woods but still, I rarely read a book this quickly except if I really like it and if the author keeps the story moving.
This book is completely from the beast's POV and it works for me. I really enjoyed this version of the story because I understood why the Dad gave the daughter away and why she would choose to stay when given the chance to leave. I also LOVED the fact that the beast is not as verbally or emotionally abusive as he is portrayed in some stories and that we never hear the girls POV where she thinks she can "change him." Something unique to this story was the perspective of the witch who originally casts the spell and another part of the story I truly enjoyed.
I haven't read anything else by Alex Finn but I am definitely going to check out more of her books in the future. I would highly recommend this book if you are in the mood for a classic re-tell!
I liked that this was told from the Beast's view as well. I thought the social media aspect of it was kind of neat, too. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am definitely looking for more retellings from other characters perspectives. ~Sheri
DeleteOoooh this sounds awesome! I too kind of got into fairytale retellings after Cinder. I never liked them before bc they never really felt original to me, but after LOVING Cinder, I am craving more awesome retellings.
ReplyDeletethis is a short quick read so I would definitely recommend it ~Sheri
DeleteThere was a movie based on this book. It was okay, but the story was pretty interesting. I did buy this book and have had it on my TBR shelf for awhile. Glad to hear it is good!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting, although I feel sad admitting that I am not sure anything will beat the Disney version for me ;) I was a Disney child through and through! Does sound like an interesting read though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this one yet! I need to read more re-tellings in general. I will definitely get to this one sooner rather than later! I really like that it's told from the beast's POV
ReplyDelete