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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic modern retelling of Beauty & the Beast, September 1, 2009
This review is from: Crazy Beautiful (Hardcover)
In Crazy Beautiful, Lauren Baratz-Logsted revisits Beauty and the Beast, adapting this tale of love and transformation to a present-day setting. First meet the Beast, Lucius, who lost his hands in an explosion of his own doing. As an act of self-punishment and to keep others at a distance, Lucius chooses to live with hooks rather than prosthetic hands. Now meet Aurora, absolutely radiant, not to mention talented, but unhappy after losing her mother. Both new kids at school, they go in different directions: Lucius becomes a brooding loner while Aurora's beauty and clothing instantly attract the popular crowd. Nevertheless, small waves and smiles exchanged between the two quickly add up as Lucius realizes that not even his hooks will scare Aurora away. Together, they learn how to forgive, accept, and love. To start, the cover of Crazy Beautiful is to die for. The stark contrast of the black and white, the unique font, and the smoke give the cover an edgy look that will instantly attract young adults. This fairy tale retelling is fast-paced, with short, to-the-point chapters. Unlike the original tale, the weight of the story is told from Lucius's point of view. Still, the chapters alternate perspectives, providing the reader with insight from both sides of various situations. Crazy Beautiful is full of raw emotion, as both narrators reveal their fears and insecurities, just like those any teenager tries to hide. Lauren Baratz-Logsted adds a nice touch by complicating the story with the high school's production Grease and Jessup's role as a parallel to Gaston. Though I couldn't pull myself away from this book, I found that the climax resolved itself too quickly. As a result, the end conflict was rather anticlimactic and difficult to believe. Overall, Crazy Beautiful is a well-done modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast that will captivate its readers. 8 of 10.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review from The Neverending Shelf, November 14, 2009
This review is from: Crazy Beautiful (Hardcover)
Crazy Beautiful has one of the most interesting twists on the tale of Beauty and the Beast that I have ever read. And to be honest, if I did not know that this was suppose to be a retelling, I would have never made the connection between the two tales. The novel was very well paced, and highly creative. Told in alternating points of view, the reader really gets to know each character, and it makes the romantic aspect that much more special. There is an emotional connection with the characters possible for the readers, which I find can be quite rare. Throughout the novel, I found myself cheering them on, and wanting things to ultimately work out for the best. My only complaint about the novel is how realistic Baratz-Logsted tried to make the male perspective. For the most part, there was no doubt that she got Lucius figured out. His narration sounds like some thing a male would say. His actions were that of many males I know. Yet, there were a few scenes that I felt could have been left out completely. I felt like they had no real purpose besides the author trying to convince her readers that she understands the male mind. While not completely distasteful, I just did not see the point to them. Due to a few questionable scenes, I would not recommend this novel to anyone maybe less than 14 years old. While they do not take away from the novel, I think that some parents might not approve of their children reading that material until they are a bit older to understand it. Despite a few issues, I really liked the novel. It was incredibly creative. I loved Aurora's character, and I felt like Lucius had a lot of redeeming qualities. I think that for a mature reader, this a great retelling that can be read and again.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fun and fast paced love story, very highly recommended, January 15, 2011
Hooks serve to repel most people, but there is someone out there for everyone. "Crazy Beautiful" is the unique love story of Lucius, a man who blew his own arms off and replaced them with claws. When Aurora enters his life and is not repulsed by his condition, Lucius is unsure of how to respond. "Crazy Beautiful" is a fun and fast paced love story, very highly recommended.
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