Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy.

Summer of Hitchcock: North by Northwest.

In a culture where tremendous importance is placed on looks, there’s a sweet and much-needed message embedded in Beastly’s pages about the source of true beauty and the joy of being known and loved for one’s inner self. She’s an atypical “beauty” in desperate need of happiness and affirmation, and her strengths and weaknesses complement the Kyle/Adrian’s growth arc quite well. The character of Lindy is a refreshing romantic interest for the beast. I absolutely LOVED Flinn’s characterization of the witch, and how she has this prickly relationship with Kyle/Adrian, and is his advocate well before he won over this reader. There Kyle meets characters like the Frog Prince and the Little Mermaid, and it’s a lot of fun to see how he goes from being completely self-absorbed and belligerent to a supportive friend towards others suffering from unwanted transformations. A fun touch illustrating Kyle’s growth is transcripts from the “Unexpected Changes” online support group. However, Kyle’s transformation into Adrian, the more likable, sympathetic person that emerges during his time as a beast, is actually quite believably done, with only fleeting instances where the POV wasn’t quite convincingly male. Sure, he’s only a high school freshman, but he’s so self-absorbed and mean-spirited, it seems impossible to think you’ll ever like, never mind actually cheer, for his character. Just a head’s up, there’s a little bit of language and teenage promiscuity is alluded to in Beastly, but it’s definitely in keeping with Kyle’s character and there’s nothing explicit. Flinn sets quite a challenge for herself with her beast-to-be – Kyle, the “prince” of his exclusive prep school, is a royal jerk. What sets Beastly apart is its modern setting and male point of view. If you’ve seen the Disney film, or read either the fairy tale or Robin McKinley’s fantastic retellings ( Beautyand Rose Daughter), you know the gist of the story. The book’s appeal lies in how Flinn manages to retain key elements of the classic tale (Beast living in isolation who prizes roses, father giving up daughter for his freedom, girl living as the Beast’s captive) and makes them work in a modern setting. Thankfully any reservations I had were completely unfounded as I thoroughly enjoyed Flinn’s take on this classic story (the tone reminded me somewhat of the film 10 Things I Hate About You).

Seeing as it’s a contemporary version, and from the teenage Beast’s perspective, no less, I wasn’t really sure how much I’d like the book’s premise. On my friend Natalie’s recommendation (and because I’m a sucker for retold fairy tales) I picked up Beastly by Alex Flinn, a modern retelling of – you guessed it – the Beauty and the Beast story.