A BEASTLY Read

I've been reading a lot of REALLY good books recently, so I thought over the next couple of weeks I'd share a few of them with you all. Though, I have to confess, some books which may have been on shelves overseas for some time do take a while to reach our fair shores so you may be fimilar with some of them already.

BEASTLY by Alex Flinn is a take off of Beauty and the Beast which manages to capture the magic of the old fairytale and the bloom of young love, and meld it seamlessly into a modern setting to create a story that mirrors the old while still being unique.

A beast. Not quite wolf or gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature with fangs, claws, and hair springing from every pore. I am a walking monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. And I'll stay this way forever - 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, the perfect girl, and the perfect life. And then I'll tell you how I became perfectly ... beastly.

It is a sweet, refreshing, love story. Once I started reading I couldn't but it down. Now my daughter is reading it and I've promised her that once she's finished we'll watch the movie. Yes! Beastly is now out on video. Though if the trailer is anything to go by some artistic licence has been taken with the the beast's appearence. You can watch the trailer here.