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Beastly Kendra Chronicles Alex Flinn Books

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Beastly Kendra Chronicles Alex Flinn Books

* Reviewed by Frog for North of Normal Book Reviews

As I make my way through Beauty and the Beast re-tellings, I have to say, this one was pretty good, and it's one I found on the Barnes and Noble Beauty and the Beast table. I expected a different kind of beast--maybe a Gothic teen with bad-boy tattoos?? But this was the traditional fury beast.

BEASTLY by Alex Flinn is a clever, modern-day adaptation of Beauty and the Beast told in first-person, past tense from the Beast's point of view. Though the online chat room inserts are now outdated, this book maintains a millennial feel.

As far as retellings go, this one stays fairly true to the original tale: mirror, roses, fury beast and all, though the paperback cover suggests something else entirely. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the cover's misleading, and after reading the book, I have to say I had absolutely NO IDEA who the blazes these two people on the cover are, but they sure as hell aren't in the book. After some research I found they're the actors from the screen adaptation of this book, neither of which bear any resemblance to the book characters. At all. The male lead on the cover looks more intriguingly handsome to me than hideous, which is so disappointing, I'm giving away my copy of this book and replacing it with the beautiful hardcover, because I'll likely read this again.

Kyle Kingsbury is an arrogant douche bag finishing up his freshman year of high school as one of the most (if not the most) handsome, rich, and popular guys in his hoity-toity private school. All the girls love him, all the guys want to be him, and he knows this. He expects this. When he insults a witch in his class, she curses him to live in a body just as ugly as his heart. The next morning he's covered in fur and absolutely hideous, but because he commits one act of non-douche-ness before he turns to the beast, the witch gives him an out. If he can find someone he loves, who loves him in return, and who will kiss him before 2 years are up, his curse will lift. His dad contacts every doctor he can find to no avail. Not even a face transplant will help his son's beastly condition, and so his dad does what every arrogant, self-centered father would: he sends his son to live in a house on the outskirts of the city with nobody but the housekeeper and a blind tutor to keep him company. Plus his dad's credit card.

This was a fast-paced, heart-warming story I read in one night before bed. I did skim the prologue and indeed all but the final chatroom sections, because they skipped forward in time, and I didn't like the break in chronology of the story. They're unnecessary, as I loved the story without them. I always enjoy a story told from the villain's point of view, and I did fall in love with Kyle, who, though perfectly hateable, missed his mom and actually seemed vulnerable next to his horrible dad. I loved the evolution of Kyle. I loved the dynamic between him and his "beauty." I loved how the traditional tale intertwined with a modern setting. THERE'S SO MUCH TO LOVE! This was a tear-jerker for sure, though predictable at times. Also, the explanation for Beauty's absence from the Beast toward the end seemed flimsy and disappointing to me. This author is good, and I felt she could've come up with something far more plausible than "Oh, sorry, beast, I couldn't find your house."

This is a must-read for fans of Beauty and the Beast. The romance is sweet, the language is tame, and the violence is mild. This book is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

North of Normal rating: 3.5 stars.


Tags : Amazon.com: Beastly (Kendra Chronicles) (9780061963285): Alex Flinn: Books,Alex Flinn,Beastly (Kendra Chronicles),HarperTeen,0061963283,Fairy Tales & Folklore - Adaptations,Fantasy - General,Social Themes - General,Beauty, Personal,Beauty, Personal;Fiction.,Magic,Movie novels,New York (N.Y.),New York (N.Y.);Fiction.,Personal appearance;Fiction.,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fantasy & Magic,Fantasy & magical realism (Children's Teenage),Fiction,Love & Romance,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Young Adult Fiction Fairy Tales & Folklore Adaptations,Young Adult Fiction Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),Young Adult Fiction Fantasy General,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),Young Adult FictionFantasy - General,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - General (see also headings under Family)

Beastly Kendra Chronicles Alex Flinn Books Reviews

I actually adored this book. Given that it had it's total cheesy moments, it was still a lovely little, quick read. There are some changes with characters, but that's to be expected when dealing with a "novel-to-film" work. There were moments in this story when I just wanted to snuggle the characters with love. My only thing with this book (and it's not major or anything) is the "chat room" experience. I've seen some reviews saying that they don't like it, or that it's distracting and whatnot, but I actually became more curious as to the whereabouts of those characters once the story was over. I'm still trying to find out who the bear was though. And what happened to the mermaid (Ariel)? Is her story based on the original book where she turns to foam (I know it's mentioned, but did it HAPPEN?) or was she able to swoon her prince in the last minute and have happily ever after (like in the animated film - though I seriously doubt it). Cute, modern day twist on one of my favorite Disney movies.
Life for Kyle Kingsbury is perfect. He’s good looking, charming, and one of the New York elite. But Kyle’s inside is ugly, and all it takes is one witch to notice that he’s rotten to the core. Now, he’s a gruesome sight and expected to find someone to love and kiss him before his time runs out. Kyle has always been told that beauty is only skin deep, but now that he doesn’t have his, he’ll have to learn to dig a little deeper.

Being in a reading slump is something that makes me cringe. Sadly, I found my self in the middle of one. I couldn’t get into any books, and decided to go back to an old favorite. I read Beastly before it was turned into a movie with the gorgeous Alex Pettyfer as the male lead, and, as a middle schooler with an affinity for the unrealistic, fell in love. I wish I could say that I enjoyed it that much this time around, and even though it took me no time at all to read it, it appealed more to my younger side.

The reason I might have enjoyed it more in middle school could have been because the characters were young. Kyle begins the novel as a shallow freshman in high school and does have the entire world in front of him, and he’s ready to take it on. He had two years to change himself completely, offering him plenty of time to get back to his old life, if he could complete the task.

If you haven’t figured out by now, Beastly is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast—told in the city that never sleeps, New York City. The setting definitely created more of an issue for someone who couldn’t walk down the street without seeing his father on the megatron in Times Square. Since his father prided himself in how handsome he was, noticeable tension was created between the already nonexistent father/son relationship. It gave Kyle time to contemplate love within the family, and that sometimes family did not always translate to a blood relative.

Alex Flinn’s publisher has released a new version of this book that includes Lindy’s journal. I would love to see her thoughts before her time with Kyle and during, too. So, if you haven’t read this book yet, I would recommend getting a copy of that book! I’m having to convince myself that I don’t need it, that I already have the book. I might end up spending an entire day on the floor of a bookstore to read it.

If you love fairy tales, or if you just love love, I recommend anything by Alex Flinn. Her stories are timeless tales with a modern twist that even non-readers would enjoy. {3.5 Moriah @ A Leisure Moment}
* Reviewed by Frog for North of Normal Book Reviews

As I make my way through Beauty and the Beast re-tellings, I have to say, this one was pretty good, and it's one I found on the Barnes and Noble Beauty and the Beast table. I expected a different kind of beast--maybe a Gothic teen with bad-boy tattoos?? But this was the traditional fury beast.

BEASTLY by Alex Flinn is a clever, modern-day adaptation of Beauty and the Beast told in first-person, past tense from the Beast's point of view. Though the online chat room inserts are now outdated, this book maintains a millennial feel.

As far as retellings go, this one stays fairly true to the original tale mirror, roses, fury beast and all, though the paperback cover suggests something else entirely. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the cover's misleading, and after reading the book, I have to say I had absolutely NO IDEA who the blazes these two people on the cover are, but they sure as hell aren't in the book. After some research I found they're the actors from the screen adaptation of this book, neither of which bear any resemblance to the book characters. At all. The male lead on the cover looks more intriguingly handsome to me than hideous, which is so disappointing, I'm giving away my copy of this book and replacing it with the beautiful hardcover, because I'll likely read this again.

Kyle Kingsbury is an arrogant douche bag finishing up his freshman year of high school as one of the most (if not the most) handsome, rich, and popular guys in his hoity-toity private school. All the girls love him, all the guys want to be him, and he knows this. He expects this. When he insults a witch in his class, she curses him to live in a body just as ugly as his heart. The next morning he's covered in fur and absolutely hideous, but because he commits one act of non-douche-ness before he turns to the beast, the witch gives him an out. If he can find someone he loves, who loves him in return, and who will kiss him before 2 years are up, his curse will lift. His dad contacts every doctor he can find to no avail. Not even a face transplant will help his son's beastly condition, and so his dad does what every arrogant, self-centered father would he sends his son to live in a house on the outskirts of the city with nobody but the housekeeper and a blind tutor to keep him company. Plus his dad's credit card.

This was a fast-paced, heart-warming story I read in one night before bed. I did skim the prologue and indeed all but the final chatroom sections, because they skipped forward in time, and I didn't like the break in chronology of the story. They're unnecessary, as I loved the story without them. I always enjoy a story told from the villain's point of view, and I did fall in love with Kyle, who, though perfectly hateable, missed his mom and actually seemed vulnerable next to his horrible dad. I loved the evolution of Kyle. I loved the dynamic between him and his "beauty." I loved how the traditional tale intertwined with a modern setting. THERE'S SO MUCH TO LOVE! This was a tear-jerker for sure, though predictable at times. Also, the explanation for Beauty's absence from the Beast toward the end seemed flimsy and disappointing to me. This author is good, and I felt she could've come up with something far more plausible than "Oh, sorry, beast, I couldn't find your house."

This is a must-read for fans of Beauty and the Beast. The romance is sweet, the language is tame, and the violence is mild. This book is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

North of Normal rating 3.5 stars.