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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Not my favorite version of Beauty and the Beast, but it's certainly up there — certainly a worthy retelling of my favorite fairy tale. I enjoyed the slower pace and the fact that the story took the time to really build up Beauty's relationship with her family before sending her off to the Beast. And the castle was certainly everything you could want a magical castle to be, and the Beast was much like the one in the original fairy tale, which is a nice change. My only points of dislike are the ending (which I think could've been better and felt a bit rushed) and the way the book handled Beauty's appearance (which I also think could've been better). Also, I would like to know why McKinley keeps pairing her heroines with much, much older men. These are all small things, though, and I certainly enjoyed the book on the whole.
Oh, and I would like to add — of all the versions of the Beast's library I've seen, this is my absolute favorite.
Oh, and I would like to add — of all the versions of the Beast's library I've seen, this is my absolute favorite.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh *yes*! I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale (one that I'm not all that familiar with; I haven't seen the Disney animated film).
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I said: "He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much." "But he is a Beast," said Father helplessly. I saw that he was weakening, and wishing only to comfort him I said, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
Recommend by my significant other, I have enjoyed my first Robin McKinley novel. Growing up, I have read various versions of the retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast'. I enjoyed McKinley's writing and how she enchants the reader. I also liked this version of the Beast.
Recommend by my significant other, I have enjoyed my first Robin McKinley novel. Growing up, I have read various versions of the retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast'. I enjoyed McKinley's writing and how she enchants the reader. I also liked this version of the Beast.
sale alert 9May19 Kindle deal for 1.99 here
Hi. My name is Robin and I have a buddy reading addiction.
Hi Robin
So why not add another impromptu Buddy Read with My Enabler Jessica and The Instigator Tadiana over at BB&B on Oct 14
The great thing about a fantasy is that some of it is timeless. That is totally the case with Beauty. It was originally published in 1978 shhhh but when you pick it up it is really a tale as old as time but it can be told throughout these decades seamlessly. It could as easily been published last month and because it is fantasy you’d never know.
Why I liked this Re-Telling:
It’s a classic beauty and the beast retelling the one I remember from my own childhood with an enchanted castle, the rose, the curse.
I also saw where Disney might have got some of there ideas from. There are mysterious voices and servants in the castle that are invisible and always trying to ‘help’ Beauty with getting dressed and dancing a parade of food in front of her at meal times to chose from.
The Castle itself is amazing with rooms that move and melodious giggling winds that try to direct you around the place. As soon as you start to feel lost just go around the corner and your room will be there.
The Beast was sweet and charming and my heart broke for him as he tried to get close to a reluctant beauty. He has been lonely for so long and it really showed through in the story.
This is a perfect story for MG and YA readers for an introduction to fantasy writing as well as great for older readers that want to feel transported back to their younger selves.
Downfalls
If you are a semi-book snob like me you’d miss this book because it is ‘too old’. But I challenge everyone to get past that way of thinking at least in the fantasy genre.
It takes a little time to pick up. The beginning was slightly slow for me especially as they are traveling out of the city to their new lives in the country. I sometimes get really board during traveling….just me. But once they are settled in the country and all the tales of the magical enchanted wood start cropping up I was totally hooked.
Overall
This is a beautiful retelling of a classic story with great imagery, a strong heroine and fantastic language in the telling. Totally worth a read.
Hi. My name is Robin and I have a buddy reading addiction.
Hi Robin
So why not add another impromptu Buddy Read with My Enabler Jessica and The Instigator Tadiana over at BB&B on Oct 14
The great thing about a fantasy is that some of it is timeless. That is totally the case with Beauty. It was originally published in 1978 shhhh but when you pick it up it is really a tale as old as time but it can be told throughout these decades seamlessly. It could as easily been published last month and because it is fantasy you’d never know.
Why I liked this Re-Telling:
It’s a classic beauty and the beast retelling the one I remember from my own childhood with an enchanted castle, the rose, the curse.
Ger strode forwards and caught him in his arms as he staggered, and then half carried him to a seat near the fire. As he sank down with a sigh we all noticed that in his hand he held a rose: a great scarlet rose, bigger than any we had seen before, in full and perfect bloom. “Here, Beauty,” he said to me, and held it out. I took it, my hand trembling a little, and stood gazing at it. I had never seen such a lovely thing.
I also saw where Disney might have got some of there ideas from. There are mysterious voices and servants in the castle that are invisible and always trying to ‘help’ Beauty with getting dressed and dancing a parade of food in front of her at meal times to chose from.
The Castle itself is amazing with rooms that move and melodious giggling winds that try to direct you around the place. As soon as you start to feel lost just go around the corner and your room will be there.
The Beast was sweet and charming and my heart broke for him as he tried to get close to a reluctant beauty. He has been lonely for so long and it really showed through in the story.
“You fainted,” he said; his voice was a rough whisper. “I caught you before you reached the floor. You—you might have hurt yourself. I only wanted to lay you down somewhere that you could be comfortable.” I stared at him, still kneeling, with my fingernails biting into the sofa cushions. I couldn’t look away from him, but I did not recognize what I saw. “You—you clung to me,” he said, and there was a vast depth of pleading in his voice.
This is a perfect story for MG and YA readers for an introduction to fantasy writing as well as great for older readers that want to feel transported back to their younger selves.
Downfalls
If you are a semi-book snob like me you’d miss this book because it is ‘too old’. But I challenge everyone to get past that way of thinking at least in the fantasy genre.
It takes a little time to pick up. The beginning was slightly slow for me especially as they are traveling out of the city to their new lives in the country. I sometimes get really board during traveling….just me. But once they are settled in the country and all the tales of the magical enchanted wood start cropping up I was totally hooked.
“It’s said there’s a castle in a wild garden at the center of these woods; and if you ever walk into the trees till you are out of sight of the edge of the forest and you can see nothing but big dark trees all around you, you will be drawn to that castle; and in the castle there lives a monster. He was a man once, some tales say, and was turned into a terrible monster as a punishment for his evil deeds; some say he was born that way, as a punishment to his parents, who were king and queen of a good land but cared only for their own pleasure.”
Overall
This is a beautiful retelling of a classic story with great imagery, a strong heroine and fantastic language in the telling. Totally worth a read.
2.5 stars
This book is so difficult to rate because there are parts of this book that I absolutely adored and other parts that I really hated.
I'll start with what I loved-
One of my favourite things about this was the family. I loved how supportive the family and friends were in this book. Beauty's family were such genuinely nice people and I loved learning about them and watching them grow as their situation changed. I loved how down to earth and real they were, they didn't whine and moan and they were so ready to help, despite the trouble they found themselves in. There was no sibling rivalry and they all had a genuine and loving relationship, they didn't try and change each other and they were always there to give advice and help when needed, which is really refreshing.
I really liked the scene setting, it was such a beautiful world and the description of the landscapes were amazing and it made me feel as though I was there.
The things I didn't like-
The pacing of this book was wild, 100 pages of this book is completely setting the scene and giving the reader background of the characters and then another 50 pages before Beauty finally meets the Beast and begins her life in the castle. It was so weird, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling I expected more time with the beast, I wouldn't take out the family background but I would definitely add more the parts involving the Beast, it was definitely lacking.
There are so many holes within the plot and so many things that are never explained or questioned, it felt as though the reader was just told about these things instead of being shown them.
There was no explanation of the magic, the magician, was this normal, did magic exist outside the castle, was their still magic? Who knows.
Beauty questioned nothing, for someone as smart and courageous as she supposedly was, she never questioned anything. I liked that she didn't defy the beast as she knew this would just make her situation worse but she could have asked more questions. I would have had LOADS.
The ending happened way, way too quickly. GOES HOME TO FAMILY, TELLS THEM INFO, RUNS BACK AND SUDDENLY REALISES SHE LOVES HIM AND WANTS TO MARRY HIM. BOOM- TRIPLE WEDDING.
Where did that come from, it was so so rushed. The author put so much effort into the characters and background in the beginning and the actual Beauty and the Beast part was so so so rushed.
I just wish there was another 50-100 pages explaining the magic and the castle and why the Beast was cursed, what did he do wrong specifically. What happened when Robbie came back, when did the father finally tell Melinda he loved her. It was all so quick and convenient.
Overall, the family and the characters within this book almost make up for the strange choice in pacing and plot as they are done so well but I have so many unanswered questions that I just can't give this book higher than a 2.5.
I really recommend that you read it for yourself as it is a different way of retelling the story and some people might absolutely love the layout and the pacing, it just wasn't necessarily for me. There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this so I would definitely try it for yourself!
This book is so difficult to rate because there are parts of this book that I absolutely adored and other parts that I really hated.
I'll start with what I loved-
One of my favourite things about this was the family. I loved how supportive the family and friends were in this book. Beauty's family were such genuinely nice people and I loved learning about them and watching them grow as their situation changed. I loved how down to earth and real they were, they didn't whine and moan and they were so ready to help, despite the trouble they found themselves in. There was no sibling rivalry and they all had a genuine and loving relationship, they didn't try and change each other and they were always there to give advice and help when needed, which is really refreshing.
I really liked the scene setting, it was such a beautiful world and the description of the landscapes were amazing and it made me feel as though I was there.
The things I didn't like-
The pacing of this book was wild, 100 pages of this book is completely setting the scene and giving the reader background of the characters and then another 50 pages before Beauty finally meets the Beast and begins her life in the castle. It was so weird, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling I expected more time with the beast, I wouldn't take out the family background but I would definitely add more the parts involving the Beast, it was definitely lacking.
There are so many holes within the plot and so many things that are never explained or questioned, it felt as though the reader was just told about these things instead of being shown them.
There was no explanation of the magic, the magician, was this normal, did magic exist outside the castle, was their still magic? Who knows.
Beauty questioned nothing, for someone as smart and courageous as she supposedly was, she never questioned anything. I liked that she didn't defy the beast as she knew this would just make her situation worse but she could have asked more questions. I would have had LOADS.
The ending happened way, way too quickly. GOES HOME TO FAMILY, TELLS THEM INFO, RUNS BACK AND SUDDENLY REALISES SHE LOVES HIM AND WANTS TO MARRY HIM. BOOM- TRIPLE WEDDING.
Where did that come from, it was so so rushed. The author put so much effort into the characters and background in the beginning and the actual Beauty and the Beast part was so so so rushed.
I just wish there was another 50-100 pages explaining the magic and the castle and why the Beast was cursed, what did he do wrong specifically. What happened when Robbie came back, when did the father finally tell Melinda he loved her. It was all so quick and convenient.
Overall, the family and the characters within this book almost make up for the strange choice in pacing and plot as they are done so well but I have so many unanswered questions that I just can't give this book higher than a 2.5.
I really recommend that you read it for yourself as it is a different way of retelling the story and some people might absolutely love the layout and the pacing, it just wasn't necessarily for me. There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this so I would definitely try it for yourself!
AMAZING!!!!!!! A twist on the classic tale of beauty and the beast. I thouroughly enjoyed this story and will plan on rereading it one day lol. It's nice to not have it told the same as the disney version, but a little more gothic.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes