Beastly (Book Review)

If you love fairy tales and romance as much as I do, then Beastly is most definitely the book for you. Alex Flinn invites us into a modern and edgier version of Beauty and the Beast.


I really liked that the book took place in modern times because it was easy to relate to everything going on.

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Kingsbury attends a wealthy New York City private school. He is gorgeous and popular. Kyle invites an ugly goth girl to the Spring Dance, without (of course) planning on going with her. He blabs to the school that it’s a prank. During the vote for Spring Dance court, Kyle wins but then the goth student calls him shallow and embarrasses him in front of the whole class. He’s upset the girl who is actually … a witch!

The witch curses him by turning him into a beast and giving him two years to find his true love, or the spell can never be broken. Kyle doesn’t realize that all his money and popularity won’t fix the unnatural amount of hair that covers his body, his long claws or his uncontrollable growls. Kyle is desperate to find a true love to break the spell after his girlfriend dumps him, since her kiss didn’t work. Kyle even tries to find love on MySpace. I really enjoyed this because it was the first book I’ve read that mentions the website. I was really hoping for him to find love.

However, after meaningless searching on MySpace and in nightclubs he learns that his selfish and money-grubbing ways aren’t attractive. Slowly he tries to become nicer, even planting a flower garden (drastic measures!). The beast’s transformation from spoiled to humble really made me like this book. It came early, allowing the book to focus on the rest of his personality traits like his awkwardness talking to girls. But I think the best part is that this isn’t some classic story where furniture talks or a happy-go-lucky fairy tale. It gets a little dark when dealing with the abuse of a major character and a minor character’s drug habit.

I couldn’t put the book down. I was interested in the characters, actual teens like me dealing with everyday school life like getting teased or being judged by their appearance. I could put myself in their shoes. Even though the message of “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” is familiar, the story is fresh and exciting—very 21st century.