Beastly by Alex Flinn

Since the movie adaptation of Beastly is quickly approaching, I thought I'd post a quick review. Beastly is a very charming modern-day variation of the Beauty and the Beast story. Unlike most versions of the story, the reader meets the beast before the beauty. In this case, the beast's name is Kyle Kingsbury, an incredibly narcissistic high school student.

Kyle is the king of his exclusive school in New York City until he spurns a "witch" named Kendra. It isn't until Kendra shows up at his house and turns him into a hairy beast that Kyle realizes how spot-on he was when he called her a witch. Ugly and scorned for the first time in his life, Kyle realizes that none of his "friends" really care about him. His father, a prominent newscaster, sends Kyle to live in a brownstone in Brooklyn, a prisoner in his own house. His only companions are Magda, his father's former house keeper, and a blind tutor. That is, until Linda Shows up. Linda Owens lives with her father in a neighborhood filled with unsavory characters. When Linda's father breaks through Kyle's greenhouse, which is full of the roses that he has come to love, Kyle makes a deal. He will spare Linda's father if Linda comes to stay with him. A week later, Linda moves into the room that Kyle has prepared for her, but Linda hates Kyle and thinks of him only as her captor. Over time, Linda comes to like Kyle, but it may not be enough. To break the spell, Lind must truly love Kyle.

This is a light, entertaining read. I read the whole book in less than two hours, and I really did enjoy it. Kyle and Linda's relationship is charming, and it was fun getting to know Linda (a fellow bookworm). This book, with its fairytale elements, is a good escape after a long day.