The story is about spoiled, arrogant and rude popular boy, Kyle Kingsbury, who one day decides to play a prank on the wrong girl, a witch, and ends up cursed to be as beastly on the outside as he is in the inside. In order to break the spell he must find someone to love him in spite of his ugliness, who he must love in return and for that love to be sealed with a kiss. After many failed attempts, including browsing Myspace, he meets Lindy, a girl with a love for books and a kind spirit. He sets off to try and win her heart and in turn break the spell.
This was a quick read for me, only about two and a half hours, but I loved every minute of it. To see this classic story set in a modern city with all the wonders of technology (computers, credit cards, the internet) while still having all the right magic touches (the full transformation, the mirror, the rose petals) was wonderful. It's literally like someone took the Disney movie and just set it in modern day New York instead of a peaceful little French town.
The characters were all extremely well-written, especially Kyle. In the beginning, you can't help but loathe this guy, we've all met one like him in school and probably despised him a little. He thinks he's all that, riding on his good looks and assuming that the world revolves around him because he thinks he's superior in some way. After his transformation, his personality changes drastically. His blind tutor, Will and the housekeeper, Magda, are his only companions for over a year and he splits his time between them, reading, and caring for the roses he's planted in his backyard. He learns to appreciate the simpler things in life. Lindy was exactly as she should have been. She didn't need to be Hollywood beautiful to win his heart, she was just beautiful on the inside and that was all that really mattered. When Kyle got past her physical appearance, which was fine just not spectacular, he found a real person and by doing so, he became a better person too.
The story is predictable but that's perfectly alright, it's a retelling after all and most people have heard the basic story before. I'd suggest this to anyone who likes fairy tales and GOOD fantasy relationships, ones that promote a healthy relationship. Ok, to be fair, the kidnapping isn't the best example, but he was saving her from her abusive father and gave her a better life. But it's their END relationship that's the one people should strive for.
Beastly - 5 out of 5 stars
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