Beastly - Alex Flinn

I am a beast. 
A beast! 
Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. 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 turn 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.

This book was quite surprising for me. I didn't get how such a predictable book could be so enjoyable.

We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, innocent girl falls for a once cruel and selfish man turned to beast and saves his life through true love.

Alex Flinn adds details than made the book a lot more interesting, a modern retelling of the classic story.

It's interesting to watch Kyle's character change as the story progresses. He becomes more aware and empathetic of the people in his life, a change of heart completely.

It's a very sweet love between him and Lindy that starts of as hate. They realise they love each other and are quite alike even though he is holding her captive.

The relationships change between the characters during the book; the tutor and maid becoming a big part of Kyle's life.  People whom, in his previous, glamorous life, he would ignore and treat rudely.

Kyle spends hours reading and studying, thinking about Lindy, and also building a greenhouse. His life is completely turned around because of the curse turning him to a beast.

The book is  based on a very traditional story but apart from the obvious ending it ended a different part of the book  unexpectedly, a happy ending created as a result of Kyle’s kind heart.

The film was a bit different to the book, mainly because Kyle just has some strange tattoos and scars. Nothing too gruesome, in the book he is supposed to have claws, fur, a hunched over back. He is meant to be a real beast and not just a little out of the norm.

Overall this book was well written but I do not see why an author would choose to live in the shadow of a well known story and not imagine their own story instead.