I had this book one summer I worked at a campground. When I was finished my roommate picked it up. As she was still finishing it, another roommate started it. Then someone else, and someone else ... I got the book back three months later with a long line of people asking to borrow it next. While it seemed that more girls liked it than guys, the age range of people loving it was from sixteen to 50+. I have all the Robin McKinley books I can find, and this is one of the best.

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I would say, if asked, that I am a fairly jaded person. I always flip the shiny quarter over looking for the tarnished side. I wouldn't say this is a character flaw. I would say it's just the person I am.

It has the quality of making it hard for me to watch some movies or read some books. It's excrutiating for me to see some of the stuff that gets put out there. And it seemed to me that I would never ever make it through a retelling of the Beauty legend. I got the book because i've read some of Robin McKinley's other work and loved it. I thought I would try.

After three false starts I finally really *read* it. And I have to confess even knowing the ending and all. I had some tears.

This is a wonderfully retold story of love and loss and beauty. I was engaged from the very beginning. It was a fast read but that was part of it's charm.

If you are just thinking about getting this book and not sure. I'd say: Take the chance.

I found it was way worth it.

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This is a beautiful story that portrays all characters in an original light. Another masterpiece by McKinley!

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I read this book for the first time many years ago and remember loving it. On this reread, I found myself being a bit impatient at the beginning of the story - I think that I just wanted Beauty to get to the castle and the Beast, but once I let my patience settle down a bit, I got right back into the story and loved it once more.

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Ever wonder just exactly where Disney got their twist on "Beauty and the Beast"'s curse? Well, this is it. A delightfully enjoyable read, if you don't mind intense flashes of back-wards deja vu, as Ms McKinley's book definitely came first (I only wish I'd read it back then!). The whole cast is wonderful and the resolution satisfying, even with (or maybe because?) fewer singing teapots and candlesticks.

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A sweet reasonably simplistic telling of this fairy tale. Could certainly see where the Disney version got it's inspiration. I enjoyed it as a nice comforting read, although it left a lot of questions that I hoped would be answered, like why the Beast suddenly can't actually live if she is gone from the castle, why exactly he was cursed. McKinley seems to like to leave all the details to your own imagination. I really didn't like that Beauty became a beauty in the end, why wasn't it enough that he fell in love with her as is. Also didn't like that he had fallen in love with her during their first meeting when she's literally falling over in fear of him. Ah, I guess I maybe wanted a less YA version. Otherwise, really, it is a good re-telling and worth reading.

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A lovely story! One of my favorite Beauty & the Beast retellings.

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