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.
