The thing with retellings of famous stories isn't the suspense: it's how the author does to liven an oft-told tale. Alex Flinn does a respectable job of retelling the beloved "Beauty and the Beast." I was most impressed by Kyle/Adrian's transformation from spoiled rich brat to a caring and kind individual.

Unfortunately the book began to fall apart for me when Lindy, the "Belle" of the story, was introduced. I got no sense of chemistry between Lindy and Adrian. In fact, the more I learned about Lindy, the more annoyed I was with her character: this nerdy girl who initially seemed so resourceful and strong-willed dissolved into a pathetic, hot-boy-crushing damsel-in-distress at the end.

Lindy aside, I really enjoyed BEASTLY, with its approachable writing style and likable "Beast" protagonist. While I can think of a number of better "Beauty and the Beast" retellings that are out there, BEASTLY's simple writing and straightforward characters will appeal to middle schoolers and early high schoolers who enjoy fairy tale retellings with a dash of romance and a strong male protagonist.

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Alex Flinn has a very special way of reintroducing old childhood tales. With this one, it was beauty and the beast. It's very well written and the characters are believable, as is the setting and plot (as believable as a fairy tale gets.) Similar to Robin McKinley (an author worth checking out if you enjoy Flinn's novels) in the aspect that retelling a fairy tale will get old if there isn't a talented writer behind it. When reading this, I felt like it made fairy tales more accessable and understandable to a teenager, reinforcing the ideals that fairy tales put into me as a child. It's as if when you grow up books will grow up with you. Writer will write more and it will be similar to what you've read as a child but applicable as an adult. It was a well thought out and well put together novel.

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Beastly was a really good book. it was basically a modern twist on the famous " Beauty and the Beast." this book was a quick and easy read and i loved it. it had so much detail andd was definitely a page turner. since it was definitley more modern itt made it that muchh better.=]]

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Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

"Kyle Kingsbury, you are beastly."

That's what Kendra said. Beastly. But Kyle had it all: popularity, good looks, money, and any girl he wanted. Kyle never missed an opportunity to let the inferior people know just how far beneath him they were, including his best friend, whose dad was merely a doctor. Kyle's dad was the nightly New York City news anchor. At Tuttle, an elite school for the richest of the rich, Kyle was a somebody.

Until the school dance. Until his stupid maid bought his girlfriend a rose instead of an orchid for her corsage, which Kyle tossed to a scholarship student. Until he deliberately set up Kendra to be embarrassed and humiliated when she realized that he, Prince of the dance, already had a date and never intended to be her escort.

Until Kendra appeared in his bedroom and he received his "comeuppance."

"You will know what it is like not to be beautiful, to be as ugly on the outside as on the inside..."

The clock struck midnight and Kyle was left a beast, with only a magic mirror for company.

Kyle's famous dad vows to spend whatever it takes to cure his son's affliction. When he realizes even his money isn't enough to find a cure, he banishes his son, with their maid and a tutor, to a New York brownstone.

Will Kyle ever be able to break the curse? Will he find true love's kiss or be forever doomed to roam the New York City streets in the dark of night, hidden as the beast?

BEASTLY, by Alex Flinn, is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This novel is just plain fun . Ms. Flinn creates the perfect romantic tension when Kyle finds his true love and then has to let her go. Like the fragrance of the perfect rose, BEASTLY will linger with the reader, leaving the feeling that life is indeed good long after the pages of the book have been pressed closed.

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