50bookchallenge, 15000pages
Nov. 7th, 2007 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwynhefarBook #134 -- Alex Flinn, Beastly, 304 pages.
If there was any thought that this might be a typical fairy tale it is dispelled on the first page, as we are presented with the transcript of an online chat support group for the 'transformed' -- people who have been changed from one form to another by magic. It is moderated by Chris Anderson and regular participants are the Frog Prince, the Little Mermaid, the bear from 'Snow White and Rose Red', and of course our protagonist, the Beast from 'Beauty and the Beast'. Unlike most of the retellings of this story, the tale is told first person by the Beast, who was once a rich, popular, and good-looking student at an exclusive New York City high school. You know the type -- full of himself, dates the most beautiful girl in school, and gets off on bullying the misfits. Only this time he picked the wrong misfit to mess with. When he pulls a cruel prank on the local goth girl, who just happens to be a witch (oops!) she turns him into a beast to teach him a lesson. The curse can only be broken if he falls in love with a girl who loves him back, within 2 years, despite his horrific appearance. Which is kind of hard considering he can't really leave the house any more. Abandoned by his workaholic father, and with only a motherly housemaid and a blind tutor for company, the Beast considers his situation hopeless. Until Fate steps in and provides him with an opportunity he never expected.
This was an *incredible* book. It starts off rather slow, and my enjoyment of it was hampered by the fact that I *hated* the main character. But, like the book, he got better after the first few chapters. By a third of the way through I couldn't put it down.
Progress toward goals: 311/365 = 85.2%
Books: 134/150 = 89.3%
Pages: 38865/50000 = 77.7%
2007 Book List
cross-posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gwynraven
If there was any thought that this might be a typical fairy tale it is dispelled on the first page, as we are presented with the transcript of an online chat support group for the 'transformed' -- people who have been changed from one form to another by magic. It is moderated by Chris Anderson and regular participants are the Frog Prince, the Little Mermaid, the bear from 'Snow White and Rose Red', and of course our protagonist, the Beast from 'Beauty and the Beast'. Unlike most of the retellings of this story, the tale is told first person by the Beast, who was once a rich, popular, and good-looking student at an exclusive New York City high school. You know the type -- full of himself, dates the most beautiful girl in school, and gets off on bullying the misfits. Only this time he picked the wrong misfit to mess with. When he pulls a cruel prank on the local goth girl, who just happens to be a witch (oops!) she turns him into a beast to teach him a lesson. The curse can only be broken if he falls in love with a girl who loves him back, within 2 years, despite his horrific appearance. Which is kind of hard considering he can't really leave the house any more. Abandoned by his workaholic father, and with only a motherly housemaid and a blind tutor for company, the Beast considers his situation hopeless. Until Fate steps in and provides him with an opportunity he never expected.
This was an *incredible* book. It starts off rather slow, and my enjoyment of it was hampered by the fact that I *hated* the main character. But, like the book, he got better after the first few chapters. By a third of the way through I couldn't put it down.
Progress toward goals: 311/365 = 85.2%
Books: 134/150 = 89.3%
Pages: 38865/50000 = 77.7%
2007 Book List
cross-posted to
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven
