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Overview
Love is never ugly
Now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer
I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. 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.
Editorials
ALA Booklist
Equally strong appeal for boys and girls.Publishers Weekly
Flinn (Diva) delivers a lighthearted and contemporary twist on Beauty and the Beast, and while there is nothing shocking nor any striking departure from the original, her retelling is eminently satisfying. Kyle Kingsbury is a gorgeous high school freshman, spoiled rotten by his famous anchorman father, a man who'd rather dole out cash than affection. Kyle attends the exclusive Tuttle School in New York City and torments those poor unfortunates who lack his looks and wealth. When he humiliates a girl at school, she transforms him into a horrific-looking creature. Kyle's only hope for breaking the spell lies in finding true love-as he reports online in meetings of the Unexpected Changes chat group (other members include Froggie and the mermaid Silent Maid). Flinn follows the fairy tale's original plot points closely, but falters in her depiction of the story's bad guys, over-the-top caricatures that simply ring false in her up-to-date setting. Kyle's father, for example, spends literally three minutes with him each day, the time it takes him to heat his dinner in the microwave. Even so, the happily-ever-after ending is rewarding, if not surprising. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationVOYA
The author of Breathing Underwater (HarperCollins, 2001/VOYA June 2001) and Diva (2006/VOYA October 2006), breaks new ground with her first foray into fantasy fiction. It is a tale told and retold many times, but Flinn's rendition of the classic Beauty and the Beast is creative enough to make it an engaging read. Flinn enjoys playing with unexpected narrators in her novels; Breathing Underwater is narrated by an abusive boyfriend, whereas Diva's narrator is his victim. This tale is told by the Beast himself. Kyle Kingsbury, a handsome, selfish young man, judges everyone based on looks. When he intentionally humiliates a strange young woman at the Homecoming Dance, she curses him by taking away his looks and turning him into a frightening manifestation of his beastly inner self. Unable to leave his own house and dismissed by his narcissistic father, Kyle must find a way to live as a Beast until he can break the spell. One kind act has bought him two years to find a girl to love him despite his looks and to learn to love her back. If he cannot, he will remain a Beast forever. The story's Beauty comes into Kyle's life through somewhat contrived circumstances, but she and Kyle are appealing characters who show some genuine growth during the story. Kyle's metamorphosis from arrogant bully to kindhearted gardener could be more unbelievable than his change from boy to beast, but Flinn pulls off both in this engrossing tale that will have appeal for fans of fantasy and realistic fiction.Children's Literature
For hundreds of year the Beauty and the Beast story has enchanted readers of all ages and cultures. In Beastly Alex Flinn takes readers on a journey into the imagination of the beast who is really a sixteen year old by the name of Kyle Kingsbury. Kyle Kingsbury is popular, handsome, and arrogant at the beginning of the novel; he enjoys a high social status in high school along with wealth and privileges. Yet one day he steps a bit over the line and earns the wrath of a witch who casts a spell on him. Moments later he becomes a beast with claws and hair springing from every pore. Suddenly he is afraid of his own reflection—and that the enchantment will never be broken. Just like in a fairy tale, Kyle has to win the heart of the girl to break the spell. Yet can he do this in modern times in New York City? Or is he doomed to remain a beast forever, even though he has developed kindness and sensitivity in his new form? Readers will enjoy this modern retelling of an old story; Alex Flinn's beastly tale is lively, realistic, and enchanting. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.KLIATT
To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, September 2007: In this updated retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," handsome, spoiled 16-year-old Kyle is cursed by a witch for being unkind and selfish. He is turned into a furry, clawed monster, and the witch tells him he has two years to find someone who will love him, despite his looks, or remain a beast forever. Periodic entries from an online chat room for those also afflicted by curses (a frog, a mermaid, etc.) provide some comic relief, but essentially this is a deeply felt version of the familiar tale as Kyle relates his story of transformation: first into a monster, and then into a caring being. His cold, wealthy father hides Kyle away in a mansion in Brooklyn, where a housekeeper and a blind tutor attend him. There he learns to appreciate literature and grow roses, and he kidnaps a lonely classmate with whom he falls in love. Will she learn to love him? The modern-day trappings of this fairy tale may help give it new meaning to YAs. Librarians and teachers might want to point readers to other recent reworkings of the story, such as Donna Jo Napoli's Beast and Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter. It's a departure from Flinn's realistic YA novels (e.g., Diva, Breathing Underwater), but YAs will appreciate her storytelling skills and her flawed but ultimately sympathetic main character. Reviewer: Paula RohrlickSchool Library Journal
Gr 8 Up Flinn is known for her gritty novels that openly address serious issues such as peer pressure and domestic abuse. This spin-off of "Beauty and the Beast" is no exception. Kyle Kingsbury is good looking, rich, a ladies man, and one of the most popular students at Tuttle High School. He's the type who everyone wants to be or be around. However, while he might be beautiful on the outside, he is selfish, arrogant, and cruel on the inside. Kendra, an unattractive and unpopular girl who Kyle never noticed before, refers to his behavior as "beastly." To get even with her for that remark, he publicly humiliates her at the school dance, sealing his fate. Later that night, Kendra reveals to Kyle that she is a witch, and that she is going to teach him the most important lesson of his life. The author explores important values through the depiction of Kyle and the people who are there for him (and those who are not) after his transformation. The story is well written and grips readers right from the beginning with an online chat session with Kyle/Beast and other fairy-tale characters. And, since it's told from the Beast's point of view, it will appeal to boys who otherwise might not pick it up. Beastly has romance, true love, tragic circumstances, magic, action adventure, and hope. It's a must-read for all fairy-tale fans, and has a knockout cover to boot.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY