Beastly
by Alex Flinn Book Review by Miranda Fraser ISBN: 978-0-06-087418-6 Well, I thought I had reviewed this novel before but I cannot seem to find it. Perhaps it's just that I have told everyone I know to read it AND NOT TO WATCH THE RUBBISH MOVIE VERSION OF IT. I mean I know all bookworms say that, we tell people read the book because the movie leaves so much out.... but seriously. The movie changed SOOOO MANY IMPORTANT DETAILS THAT IT IS DEPLORABLE! So now that that little rant is out of the way. Let's discuss the work of art that is Alex Flinn's Beastly. When Flinn started working on this fairy tale she asked herself how Beauty and the Beast would take place in modern day while still focusing on how she viewed the romance between the characters which is, "So the romance is really the story of how two abandoned teens find each other" (303) So now, we're going to look at the modern day aspect of this. The Beast is always a prince first, so what would modern day royalty be considered? Well Kyle Kingsbury is the handsome and popular son of a rich and famous TV personality. As typical of most popular and rich charter school characters, he is very vain and selfish, as well as cruel and mean to everyone around him, essentially getting high off of other's pain. In fact when the witch of the story does finally decide to place the curse on him she lists off various cruelties he had cast on others even going all the way back to when he was in second grade. The final nail in his coffin was the night of the school dance, he stood up an 'odd' 'goth' girl who turned out to be the witch. She tells him, "I didn't get my feeling hurt because I knew you'd blow me off, Kyle, knew you were cruel and ruthless and that, given the opportunity, you would hurt someone... just to show you could" (37). I mean, wow. So as you can see Flinn's Beast had it coming. But surely with modern day technology plastic surgery and medicine can change him back from a hairy monster with claws and fangs? No, magic is magic. Realizing he is stuck this way his father hides him away with a cook/maid, a computer, a tutor for his schooling, and a credit card. He can buy whatever he pleases but no one is to know of him. He is abandoned by his only family. But the Beast finds a chat room for fairy tale creatures, all cursed or dealing with spells, to help him cope with his own curse. And those cute little screen shots are posted throughout the novel. It was an adorable modern day touch that I thought was so brilliantly unique. Now, as mentioned before Kyle has always been a cruel selfish child, though his father made him that way by raising him to only care about shallow things. Here he is, sixteen, alone, and convinced that no one can ever love him. He discovers a mirror in his room that the witch had left him, in it he can see a reflection of what he looked like post-curse, talk to the witch, and also see anyone or anywhere that he pleases. This will come in handy soon. He begins to grow on the inside, takes his studies more seriously and lets in his maid and tutor. His tutor even inspires him to build a greenhouse and grow roses. Another classic element, no? But one night someone breaks into the greenhouse, attempting to rob the place, and Kyle in his beastly temper threatens to kill the man. The man, selfish, sick, and drug obsessed offers his daughter to the Beast. Even saying, "you want a girlfriend?" Kyle uses the mirror to see if the man is lying but also to make a point that he will find the man anywhere as long as he has the mirror. In a week the man brings his daughter, Lindy to the Beast's mansion and those begins THIS story of Beauty and the Beast. She of course is furious, see's this as a kidnapping, and it takes a while for them to bond. True to the story many months pass as they get to know each other and fall for the other. It is mentioned that Lindy has other sisters out there in the world, another classic element to the story. But Lindy is considered average in looks, her teeth aren't perfect, and she's not the stereotypical prom queen look. She is very focused on her books and education as she knows it's her best shot at a better life. But the new Kyle doesn't care that she doesn't look perfect because she makes him happy, she inspires him, and he is drawn to her. Even putting aside the need to break the curse, there is something about her that gets Kyle. True to every Beauty and the Beast, no matter how beautiful or ugly she is, she is the one to sooth his soul. They need the other. In this version he lets her go and she promises to return, but never does. Unlike in other versions where she returns and the curse has taken such a dreadful turn on him that Beauty finds him half dead, the dramatic 'ending' for our Beast is a rescue mission. Annnnd from there I can't really tell you what happens. I can tell you that is gets REALLY good and it honestly is worth the read. As always, links to the author are down below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Fairy Tale Reviews!Fairy Tales are some of the GREATEST treasures we have as humans! I am so excited for these reviews! Archives
October 2022
|