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wordswritinstarlight 's review for:
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
by Robin McKinley
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is a very traditional retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and that is a compliment. I think a lot of writers get very excited to come up with cool twists and variations on classic stories, but it means that there are a lot of classic stories that just. Don’t have actual good retellings of the original story. This book’s Beauty is stubborn and honest and sweet and honorable, the Beast is sad and gentle and kind, and it’s just a straight up and down good retelling of the story. It has McKinley’s usual light hand on the romantic elements, but the sense of trust and comfort between Beauty and her Beast is so palpable that it doesn’t feel abrupt when she says she loves him. I also love how much Beauty’s family loves her—the main place where this diverges from the original story is that Beauty’s family is earnestly trying their absolute best in a fairly bad situation, and their devotion to each other makes it feel very believable that she would go to the Beast’s castle in order to protect them.
Ideal for a younger reader, or for an adult looking for a retelling with the vibe of the Disney movie. As an additional note, this book predates the movie by over a decade, so the next time I see someone talk about it being a Disney knockoff, I will simply have to kill them with my brain.
Ideal for a younger reader, or for an adult looking for a retelling with the vibe of the Disney movie. As an additional note, this book predates the movie by over a decade, so the next time I see someone talk about it being a Disney knockoff, I will simply have to kill them with my brain.