Beastly

by: Alex Flinn
Genre: YA Fantasy
Grade: A, viewed as a teen novel

This was a different sort of YA read for me. While most YA's deal with young adults (duh!)the ones I enjoy most transcend the age. Something about them captures the imagination and draws you into a world where the gap between yourself and the character is not felt nearly so much and you find more common ground than not. This one felt truly like a teenagey sort of book. The themes were mature and timeless, just something about it really captured "modern teen" feel in a way that Twilight and the Potter books didn't.

We begin with Kyle Kingsbury, son of a big shot network anchor. His father has taught him from an early age appearance is everything and when Kyle finds his name on the ninth grade ballot for prom prince he humbly thinks "No on could compete with my looks and my dad's cash." He is certain he will be prince and in rapid order, King.

Enter new goth girl in English class. When she disses on Kyle at school (in public no less!)he vows his superficial soul that he will avenge himself and sets a diabolical plan in motion. In true Carrie fashion, he plans to humiliate her at the big dance. But this goth chic comes with wicked powers and pretty soon Kyle finds that his looks on the exterior match the spirit on the interior -- and that means that he is perfectly Beastly.

If you don't recognize this tale by now, shame on you! Clearly this is a vastly (and wonderfully) updated version of Beauty and the Beast. Flinn expertly pulls all the threads of the story into a masterful, modern retelling. The characters all come to life in familiar yet fresh ways and the twists and turns he uses to make this French fairy tale into a modern day fantasy are well, fantastic. Many scenes, such as how the beauty character comes to live in his modern day castle, complete with utilization of the rose, really impressed me. I mean, they were simple but it would never have occurred to me to put the elements together in just that way so I could have such a true to the original result.

I liked all the characters, -- Kyle and his beauty, Magda and Will, the goth chic -- they were all well drawn and likable. My one quibble is that while the story was brilliantly retold the characters in themselves weren't. We have no empathy for the angry Kyle (well maybe a touch because of his home situation but not much) and do understand the parallel of his beast form and internal character. Will is good but very stock in the "good teacher" role. I would truly like to see an evil tutor/teacher, good housekeeper situation sometime soon. It even felt very typical to have an overweight, goth girl wind up as the witch. I wish Flinn would have used some of the creativity he reserved for the plot in his casting of characters. It could have added to the overall greatness of the work.

I mentioned in the beginning this book felt a tad teenagey. I wish I could describe it better but I think the simplicity of the Beauty and the Beast message combined with the very trendy youthfulness of the characters combined to make it feel that way. The idea that we shouldn't judge based on appearances has been around so long (like since the original fairy tale at the very least) that its message has been diluted in multiple re-tellings. I wish Flinn had perhaps tackled it in a slightly different manner (perhaps making Beauty's beauty more internal??) and brought some freshness to it. Perhaps that would have made the tale a bit more grown up.

Given the youth of Beauty (whose name I am keeping secret because she isn't a major player till about mid book) and Kyle, I also couldn't quite buy their happy ever after. This wasn't Edward and Bella's or (Romeo and Juliet's to give my dues to the original) undying love. This was a teen romance, complete with the sweetness of first love. They might make it but they have a long row ahead of them.

Overall, I have spent more time on my quibbles with this book but the fact is I like it. A lot. And think it is well worth reading. There is a movie of it coming out in June. I will probably go see it (oh, who am I kidding? I will for sure go see it!) I recommend giving it a read. It can be fun to go back to high school -- when you don't actually have to go back.

Tea: Add lots of sugar! or honey! This one is sweet.