Beastly

By: Alex Flinn

Narrated by: Chris Patton

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

"A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

"You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

"Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she urn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly."

©2010 Alex Flinn (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[An] engrossing tale that will have appeal for fans of fantasy and realistic fiction." (VOYA, Voice of Youth Advocates)

Above my expectations

I didnt have great hopes for this writing, but I gave it a try and actually ended up enjoy it. Yes...predictable. But sometimes it's nice to fall into a comfort zone like this novel.

Chris Patton did a wonderful job

Bought on Audible

What I Loved: This was a very good modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. In the beginning, Kyle was a very unlikable character that you got to know as the vain, arrogant teenager he was before getting turned. Adrian was the much more human incarnation of Kyle that made him more man than beast. It was wonderful to watch his transformation from arrogant to considerate.

What I Liked: Will and Magda are fantastic guides for Adrian that show him people can be kind even when they do not have too. He was surrounded by love even if it wasn't from the traditional family structure.

Complaints: None

Audio Specific Review: Narrator: Chris Patton did a wonderful job of reading this book with emotions that matched the cadence of the moment.

Why I gave it a 4: I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully told this story was. It was a very good re-telling.

Who I would recommend it too: YA readers and those who like re-telling of fairytales.

Great adaptation of a classic

This book is a great version of Beauty and the Beast set in modern time. Chat rooms and hints at fairy tales along with teenage life brings a new flare to this classic tale.

The pages come alive

A beautiful written story of self discovery and love. Chris Patton's narration makes the pages come alive. You can feel all the characters emotions and anxieties, visualize the surroundings through the descriptions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Beastly

This book was ok, but. I think it's something teenagers would like more than adult readers. However, I did enjoy most of it.

Nicely done

It was a good book. The modern way of telling the story was well done and the reader was good at making all the characters believable. Overall it was a beautiful story

Great take on an old fairy tale

Entertaining, a true change of heart to the main character. The story kept my interest.

Beastly is Clever

I found Beastly to be a clever take off on the Beauty and the Beast story that we all know from Disney. This time it is updated to the present day with the main character being an "I've got it all" guy in high school. After the spell turns his good looks into "beastly" looks, the story really begins. It is totally enjoyable.

Good read

Good story, good performer. Enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to my friends.

Loved it,Loved it,Loved it!!!!!

I rarely write reviews but I found this story awesome on so many levels. It struck a chord with the way it mirrored the trouble so many young people have! Hat's off to the author for his insight into the lives and problems of so many people!