Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly was a big surprise to me. I just happened to pick it up off the library shelf and examine it. I almost put it back, but kept it in my stack of checkouts on a whim.

I started reading it that afternoon and I didn't put it down until late that evening. Beastly is an awesome, beautiful tale. About a third of the way into the story I realized that Beastly was, essentially, a modern spin on Beauty and the Beast--and a great spin on the tale it is.

Kyle, the protagonist, goes through dilemmas and circumstances that reminded me so much of many other tragic fairy tales, like The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (two tales Kyle happens to read and empathize with, I might add). Anyone who loves the heart-wrenching tales that have you praying for the character's saving will adore this tale.
This story is not without its humor, however, so take heart; it's not at all a completely depressing novel.

Alex Flinn created an excellent tale that really and shocked me. I expected something about vampires, since that's such a hype lately (sparkling gaiety and all that). But, Beastly turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a great read!

Movie Moment

Beastly will soon have its own film counterpart. Company CBS Films will soon release the movie version of this book.
Take what you will from this film; I personally do not think it looks like it will at all measure up to the novel, but that's just a personal miff. I highly insist you read the book first before going to see the movie.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This book was something I picked up because it reminded me of a movie I'd once seen. I was wary to read it, however, because it looked like it might be quite drab. However, I discovered that it was so enrapturing, I couldn't put it down until I'd read it from cover to cover.

It was a thrilling and engrossing tale. The story tied together three teens in a trek to survive a futuristic world where abortions are outlawed, but an alternative was created: if the parents still do not want the child once they've grown and hit their teenage years, they can have their children "unwound" and erased forever.

What really struck me was the realism and the high probability of something like this entering our society in the future. Unwind can tug at your moral code of conduct. It made me question: "What do I really believe? Would I really agree to this? Would I unwind my child?" It is an emotional tale that resulted in a few tears when I read a teenager's point of view while being unwound. It chilled me to the core.

An altogether amazing tale. Adventurous, chilling, and morally shaking.