Beastly, by Alex FlinnYoung Adult, 2007
Kyle Kingsbury is perfect. On the outside, that is. With his all-that attitude, he's the guy we love to hate but secretly have a crush on. When he ticks off a witch, she turns him into a beast - a hideous monster unable to even eat correctly with his fork. Given a timeline, he has to find someone to love him, fast. But how can the most shallow guy in NYC truly find someone he cares about and have that returned?
A modern teen version of Beauty and the Beast, I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and the depth of the character's change. I didn't like the chat room scene - I thought Kyle was a total jerk there and didn't express how his personality had changed very well. FYI there are also some sexual innuendos particularly prior to his change. But I loved the romantic vibe the whole story had, and in particular the way roses were incorporated so strongly into them. I would have liked a few more details about some of the other character's fates, but that's just a nit-picky moment for me.
Graded a B.
And the number one reason I read it - it's being turned into a movie! And it looks like it'll be such a cute movie too. I'm a little sick of Vanessa Hudgens, but hey, she's alright. Check out the trailer - what do you think?
2 comments:
I saw the trailer. I didn't know it was a book first. I guess I should have, though. Not many movies are original ideas anymore.
I love this book. Like you said, the sweetness sort of built into it really carried the day for me. They save each other. It's awesome. And I really liked Lindy. I'm going to see the movie. I'm cautious. But I'm gonna see it. :)
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