Beastly by Alex Flinn

author’s website: Alex Flinn
release date: October 2, 2007
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
length: 336 pages
publisher: HarperTeen
overall rating: 4 Stars
body image & self perception issue: disfigurement

*the back cover*
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.

*my review*
Beastly is an interesting look at the story of Beauty and the Beast, but with a few twists: the story is set in modern New York City, and the story is told by the beast. Kyle has just about everything a ninth grade boy could want: he’s the best looking boy in his grade, his dad is famous, they have plenty of money, and he is extremely popular. Unfortunately, he knows all of these things and is also extremely conceited and acts like he is better than everyone else. Then, an unfortunate run in with a witch transforms him into a beast, with one simple “out” clause: he must fall in love with someone who loves him in return within two years.

What was interesting to me was that Kyle doesn’t even think about finding a girl. Instead, he tries to find any method possible of reversing the change. He truly believes that looks are so important that no one would possibly love him in this new form. As time passes, Kyle experiences a roller coaster of emotions, and gradually, you begin to see a change in him. He moves through emotions almost like a person would move through the stages of grief. At first he is in total denial, then he’s angry, and then he gives up completely. It is when he has given up that I thought the most growth occurred. When Kyle began to explore aspects of himself, the most growth occurs.

Since this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, we know that a “Beauty” must be coming, but the situation that brought the girl to Kyle surprised me (even though it is quite true to the fairy tale). I tried to imagine being in her shoes, and it would have been a terrifying experience! Because this is a retelling, the story was slightly predictable, but it is handled in a way that makes it very enjoyable.

While this is a fantasy story, there are elements of the story that could apply to real teenagers as well. It is easy to understand how important looks are, especially in high school. Kyle believes that looks are the most important thing, until he loses them and has to use his personality to make an impression. Throughout the book, internet chat room conversations that are interspersed between the chapters. They are from the “Unexpected Changes” chat group and they provide a fun look into other fairy tales as the creatures vent and give each other advice. What is really interesting is that all of the characters have issues that also apply to real life. “SilentMaid” likes a boy and wants to change so she can be with him, “Grizzlyguy” is torn because he likes two girls, and of course “BeastNYC” is trying to find his true love despite the animal-like appearance. The conversations are funny, but they have underlying messages too.

Overall, this is a clever way to retell Beauty and the Beast in a way that can definitely apply to modern readers.

*short and snappy*
writing: clever – it really captures the attitude and emotion that Kyle is feeling throughout the story
plot: not a ton of action, and slightly predictable, but all of the internal change makes it captivating
characters: complex – there is a lot of development and change in Kyle from the beginning of the story to the end
miscellaneous: An excerpt of the book and a video feature about the upcoming movie are available here

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

author’s website: Amanda Marrone
release date: September 22, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal / Fairy Tale twist
length: 304 pages
overall rating: 4 stars

*the back cover*
- There’s always one bad apple. –
Megan has been haunted by the ghost of her twin sister, Remy, since the accident nine years ago. Megan doesn’t want anyone to think she’s crazy, so she keeps this little “talent” to herself. But when she meets Luke at her summer job and discovers he can see ghosts too, she’s thrilled. Finally, someone who can relate . . . and, even better, can possibly help Remy move on. Megan’s not even worried about the fact that Luke’s supercute and nice, because of course she’s totally into her boyfriend (even though he’s been spending way too much time with another girl). And she definitely didn’t mean to kiss Luke (especially since her friend has a thing for him). Messy much?

But when the visions Remy haunts Megan with get crazy violent, Megan must turn to Luke to figure out what her twin is trying to say. Because someone’s definitely in danger . . . she’s just not sure who.

*my review*
This book starts out with a prologue set 500 years ago that basically tells the story of Snow White, so I knew by page 6 that there was going to be some kind of fairy tale tie in, but I didn’t really know how it would all work out until much later in the story. This is the story of Megan, who gets a job working at the Land of Enchantment for the summer. This seemed like a Disney World kind of theme park, but with the more traditional forms of the fairy tales. (In case you are unaware, Disney versions tend to be a little lighter than the originals.)

I enjoyed the characters in the story. Nicki, the best friend, seems like a great best friend. She’s willing to be there for Megan, even when it involves hanging out with her kind-of-enemy, Ari. I thought Ari, the Land of Enchantment owner’s daughter, seemed questionable at first. She was too nice and friendly. Ari’s step-mom, Miss Patty, was intriguing. I didn’t figure her out until about half way through the book. I couldn’t tell if she was actually a wicked step mother, or just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the romance twist of Ryan v. Luke was a fun plot addition too. All along, I was cheering for Luke. Ryan was weirdly protective of his best friend Samantha throughout the story.

But perhaps the most interesting character in the story is Remy, Megan’s twin sister, who is actually a ghost. When I read the back cover, I expected Remy to be the same age as Megan (because of the whole twin thing – it seems obvious right?). But Remy was killed at age seven, so the ghost is still stuck in the seven year old body and mentality. Megan seems to have trouble dealing with Remy sometimes because even though Megan has aged 10 years, Remy doesn’t seem to see that aging. Megan seems to be caught between the twin role and the big sister role, and of course, the “my sister’s a ghost” role doesn’t help the situation.

Overall, I loved the story. There is mystery, romance, a fairy tale twist, ghosts, and it all works together pretty well.

*short and snappy*
writing: characterizing - the writing matches the character who is speaking or narrating. You can read the sarcasm, sweetness, innocence, and anger in the dialogue.
plot: Twisty! The mystery is definitely enhanced by the paranormal aspects of this story, but even then, there are great twists and turns.
characters: well developed, and much of it comes from the dialogue and writing (see *writing* above)
judging by the cover: I actually like the back of the book better than the front. It shows a picture of a green apple with shimmering red “blood” dripping over it. (I can’t find a picture of it online, but this link to Amazon has a “browse inside” option that shows it.)

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

author’s website: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
release date: September 7, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Fiction
length: 208 pages
overall rating: 3 stars

*the inside flap*
In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away;. In fact, they don’t make a difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.

*my review*
This contemporary version of Beauty and the Beast is the least paralleled fairy tale retelling I’ve read. There are definitely parallels in the story, but you don’t feel like you are reading a fairy tale. Instead, you experience a very interesting story about a boy’s conflicting feelings of guilt, anger, and intrigue and a girl’s feelings of loss, newness, and interest/curiosity in a boy. The perspective alternates between Aurora and Lucius by chapter, which only adds to the telling of the story.
Crazy Beautiful is the story of two very normal teenagers with very realistic issues, problems, and feelings. They are “real” enough to relate to. However, I felt like I needed to know more about Lucius’s accident. It is touched on and implied, but never really explained. I would have liked a better look into the event that changed him so completely.

*short and snappy*
writing: captivating – the writing style in this novel is very engaging and pulls the reader into the story
plot: steady, but with a very sudden ending
characters: deeply developed (but again, I’d have liked a little more back story on Lucius’s accident)
judging by the cover: I loved the cover!

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

author’s website: Alex Flinn
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Contemporary Fantasy
length: 371 pages
overall rating: 4 stars

*the inside flap*
Talia fell under a spell…Jack broke the curse.
I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic…
I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.
I awakened in the same place but in another time – to a stranger’s soft kiss.
I couldn’t help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn’t know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I’m stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels....The good news: My parents will freak!
Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all – even time?

*my review*
I picked this book up thinking that a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” would be a quick, fun read, but this book far exceeded my expectations! I love the twist that 300 years have passed before the spell is broken. It seems that Princess Talia has no clue about how to handle herself in the 21st century, and expects Jack to respond to her every need. But as you read, you realize that Talia has it more together than you would think, and that Jack hasn’t really got a handle on where his life is headed.

When Talia awakens, she comes across as naïve, bratty, and spoiled – but then again, she is a princess from the 17th century, so she is probably supposed to be that way. However, in a modern world, that just comes across as clingy, whiny, and needy…especially to Jack! As the story continues, Talia begins to learn about the modern world and adapt to it. Her diplomacy skills are mentioned and highlighted in several scenes, and I grew to really like her character.

Jack comes across as cocky and slightly arrogant in the beginning of the book, but as you learn more about his family, you realize that the arrogance is really just a shield from his parents’ lack of faith in him. He grows in confidence throughout the book, and I think events toward the end really made him quite likable.

The story is told with chapters alternating in perspective between Talia and Jack. I think it really adds to the telling, because both Jack and Talia are thinking things that are quite different than their actions. The first-person perspective makes it easier to understand the characters and shows that Flinn has really created depth in both of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a modern twist.

*short and snappy*
writing: light – I especially like that Talia’s speaking is very proper, as is fitting a 17th century princess (this detail also comes through in Talia’s clothing choices and mannerisms)
plot: cute and enjoyable, and, while slightly predictable, there were a few unexpected twists characters: complex – both Talia and Jack have moments that you love them and moments that you hate them, but Flinn created depth in both
judging by the cover: I love the cover and it really ties in to the story (but I pictured Talia differently)miscellaneous: There is an excerpt from chapter 1 on Alex Flinn’s website (here)