Review Detail

Beastly by Alex Flinn is a modern retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story, set in a high school environment. It follows Kyle, a popular and arrogant teen who is cursed and transformed into a “beast” after humiliating a girl who turns out to be a witch. The only way to break the curse is for him to find someone who truly loves him despite his appearance. As the story unfolds, Kyle is forced to confront who he really is beneath the surface, and his relationship with Lindy becomes the heart of the book. The writing is easy to follow, and the story moves at a steady pace, making it really engaging, especially for younger readers or anyone getting back into reading.

This author actually helped me get out of a reading slump. If you love any one of her fantasy books, then I definitely recommend looking at her other works as well. This was one of the first books I read in high school during a reading slump, and it helped me get back into enjoying books again. There’s something about the energy of the story that sticks with you, and even years later, I still find myself wanting to go back and reread it. It’s emotional without being too heavy, and the message about looking beyond appearances feels meaningful without being forced. I also really liked that there’s a great movie adaptation, Beastly, which brings the story to life in a fun way. My favorite part of the book is watching Kyle slowly change as a person, not just because he has to, but because he starts to genuinely understand others.