Format: Kindle EditionChange
Price:$9.99
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on June 4, 2015
A rather short and quick adaptation of Disney's original award-winning film, it does seem rather rushed. About halfway through the book, it starts to delve into the original storyline, but it hurries along very quickly, skipping over Belle's arrival at the castle and hurrying to her trespass upon the West Wing to her rescue from the wolf pack that attacks her in the woods. Swiftly within a few pages you find Belle fleeing to rescue her father from illness, and before you know it the book is already over with "The End." Most of the storyline is told from the third-person perspective of three of the witches that assisted in cursing the Beast who are hellbent on driving him mad and aiding Gaston in killing him. The first half is possibly the most interesting park because it's the most original and deviates from the original story the most. The Prince's origins are the most elaborated, adding twists that weren't there in the film. I would have loved this more if it were longer, like in the book "Maleficent." It just feels far too rushed. The second half of the book would have been far more entertaining were it from the Beast's third person perspective and not the evil witches'. It does make some references to other Disney characters in the Disney universe, and the reader will find that enticing. It really is a one-time read, though I'm a huge fan of the original, but I just wanted more from it. There seems to be a lot of missed opportunity from the author to take it to further reaches. If one sits down and really dedicates their attentions to it, it can be finished within a day or two. Belle's and Beast's romance could have been explored in-depth much more, but it's hardly touched upon and breezed through. I hope someday a better adaptation is written with far-reaching details and hope-fulfilling content. The reader will just find it lacking overall, though sometimes enjoyable here and there. Don't expect a masterpiece here. I wish the publisher, author, and editor had spent more time dedicated to making it what the fans would appreciate; they really missed a big opportunity here.
on February 4, 2015
Props for the idea, but it really when a little to far off to the left field. Technically, the author used characters in the story, if you consider the three witches to be the three blond chicks wooing over Gaston.....but I bet they're not them. If you loved the original Disney Beauty and the Beast, then you will not enjoy this book. The idea is wonderful, but the author changed the most vital parts of the movie. The old lady that offers a single rose in exchange for shelter at his castle is not the same in the book. She is made out to be a girl who the Beast is engaged to until he finds out she's a pig farmer's daughter, which he rejects promptly. She magically makes herself deteriorate in front of him and begs for his love with a single rose....Right.....AND the Beast doesn't even know that his servants have been transformed into inanimate objects. How the fruit pebbles did he interact with them in the movie then?
You can't change the story. You just can't change the basic core of the story and then go on to force new information into it. I can only speak for myself, but I wanted to see the "behind the scene" story as promised. I think the advertisement for this book is misleading.
You can't change the story. You just can't change the basic core of the story and then go on to force new information into it. I can only speak for myself, but I wanted to see the "behind the scene" story as promised. I think the advertisement for this book is misleading.
on June 23, 2015
This book was written so poorly that I actually researched the author to see if she happened to be a fourteen year old that Disney took pity on. The story itself could have had potential, but the actual writing let me down page after page.
on September 6, 2014
Oh, my. First off, I have to start by saying that I absolutely love (as in want to marry) the Disney film 'Beauty and the Beast' (seriously, can anything be better than that wolf scene?) I also loved Serena Valentino's interpretation of the Evil Queen in her book 'Fairest of All'. Naturally, reading this book was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the book didn't seem to have brains, either. While 'Fairest' heightened the story of Snow White and really made the Queen a more likeable (and understandable) character, 'Beast' muddled the story. It was obvious the book was rushed, and characters were not as fleshed out as they could have been. Valentino could have done a lot more with the Prince's backstory, but instead she tried to give him another "love" interest, made Gaston his hunting buddy (can you believe that?) and incorporated those three witches from 'Fairest' into the book. I don't entirely think this is her fault, however. I can practically hear her editor and publisher saying, "hurry up! Finish the book! We've got to get it out!" while reading each page, and unfortunately, the muddled plot shows. If you're a huge fan of 'Beauty and the Beast' like I am, then just watch the movie. Don't give yourself a headache trying to figure out how this backstory is possible.
on January 27, 2016
Worth a read if you like fairy tales but want something with a spin on it. I liked that it wasn't as grim or raunchy as some of the fairy tale twist books that I've seen, but I wouldn't recommend it for a young child as it goes into some gruesome details in one part. I do believe though that if you'd like to read it to a young child you could probably just leave out that part as it's less than one page in the book. It was definitely an interesting perspective and I'd be interested to read the authors other titles. Also worth reading if you're an adult still stuck on fairy tales, as I am.
on March 7, 2017
I love the Beast even as an adult and to be able to read something teenagers and adults can read is great. I happen to come across this by chance for new reading material for my daughter and it is so intriguing, sucks you right in.
on December 21, 2016
This is a great series! Tells the back story of the beast. I don't want to give anything away, but it's beautifully written. After I finished I gave it to my younger sister, who also loved it! And are both in our mid twenties, but I think even my four year old neice would enjoy being read this story.
on April 5, 2016
If I took this book seriously at all, it would make me HATE Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Heck... if I took it seriously as an original adaption of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale it would make me hate the Beauty and the Beast story.
The author tried to make me feel sympathy for the Enchantress' decision to cast the curse by making the Prince be an utter and complete peice of trash to her. (apparently they were engaged and then she tested his love for her by pretending to be a simple pig-farmer's daughter and the Prince broke off the engagement because in order for a woman to be worth anything to him she has to be a ROYAL in addition to being demure, obedient and flawlessly beautiful.) But since she cast the curse on not only him but an entire castle, it just makes them both trash, because she knew, she KNEW that an ENTIRE CASTLE full of innocent SERVANTS, CHILDREN AND ANIMALS would stay CURSED FOREVER if this one d-hole didn't change his ways, and she cast it anyway. Oh, also, the curse makes him act even more beastly apparently, so she's basically sealing his and everyone's fate with this curse, despite claiming that she hopes that he will change.
This story makes no sense if you try to line it up with the original movie. First off, it apparently set in very slowly, despite all indications that it happend very quickly. In this it says the curse was different for the Prince/Beast... that he couldn't see his servants as the bouncing living utencils and furniture we see in the movie, but as silent statues. Um... HELLO... he talks to them in the movie! Interacts with them. We saw that happen a lot! You can't just change that.
There were two characters I liked in this story, and they both had horrible endings. There was a painter who the Prince had killed because the painter had painted him looking a bit 'beastly' (before the curse had totally set in to the point where he believed he was actually cursed).
And then there's Tulip. The girl between the Enchantress and Belle. That poor child. She's demure and beautiful and when the Prince comes to terms with the fact that he's cursed, he panics and tries to trick the curse by acting like he loves her in order to get her to love him and kiss his curse away, except of course it doesn't work because he doesn't love her, and when it doesn't work he explodes into a fit of complete rage, putting all of the blame on her and he sending her away without even letting her pack. She is so distraut by this that she tries to commit suicide.
Anyway, I could go on, but the short of it is that this book was a terrible, terrible waste of money and time and I wish I hadn't bought it.
The author tried to make me feel sympathy for the Enchantress' decision to cast the curse by making the Prince be an utter and complete peice of trash to her. (apparently they were engaged and then she tested his love for her by pretending to be a simple pig-farmer's daughter and the Prince broke off the engagement because in order for a woman to be worth anything to him she has to be a ROYAL in addition to being demure, obedient and flawlessly beautiful.) But since she cast the curse on not only him but an entire castle, it just makes them both trash, because she knew, she KNEW that an ENTIRE CASTLE full of innocent SERVANTS, CHILDREN AND ANIMALS would stay CURSED FOREVER if this one d-hole didn't change his ways, and she cast it anyway. Oh, also, the curse makes him act even more beastly apparently, so she's basically sealing his and everyone's fate with this curse, despite claiming that she hopes that he will change.
This story makes no sense if you try to line it up with the original movie. First off, it apparently set in very slowly, despite all indications that it happend very quickly. In this it says the curse was different for the Prince/Beast... that he couldn't see his servants as the bouncing living utencils and furniture we see in the movie, but as silent statues. Um... HELLO... he talks to them in the movie! Interacts with them. We saw that happen a lot! You can't just change that.
There were two characters I liked in this story, and they both had horrible endings. There was a painter who the Prince had killed because the painter had painted him looking a bit 'beastly' (before the curse had totally set in to the point where he believed he was actually cursed).
And then there's Tulip. The girl between the Enchantress and Belle. That poor child. She's demure and beautiful and when the Prince comes to terms with the fact that he's cursed, he panics and tries to trick the curse by acting like he loves her in order to get her to love him and kiss his curse away, except of course it doesn't work because he doesn't love her, and when it doesn't work he explodes into a fit of complete rage, putting all of the blame on her and he sending her away without even letting her pack. She is so distraut by this that she tries to commit suicide.
Anyway, I could go on, but the short of it is that this book was a terrible, terrible waste of money and time and I wish I hadn't bought it.
on March 20, 2017
I liked fairest of Them All, but this one fell flat. I like how she linked certain characters together, and I can appreciate the author's take on a classic. That being said, it sped through a few parts that could have used more detail, and it focused too much on the witches, (which I assume is because Valentino is building up their story and what their role is). i'm going to give Poor Unfortunate Soul a try though, (Ursula is my favorite villain).
