Beauty

***

3 Stars/5

Beauty and her two sisters Grace and Hope have always lived a comfortable city life until their father’s business collapses. As her family move to the countryside and live a happy, if modest, life next to an mysterious forest until one day her father gets lost and ends up spending the night at a castle in the middle of the forest. While leaving he takes a rose for Beauty, because of this he is forced to promise to Beast, the creature living in the castle, to have either one of his daughters willingly stay with the Beast unharmed or return himself and die. Beauty who is looking for adventure accepts the Beast’s promise and goes to the castle. But the castle is anything but ordinary with no animals, invisible servants and the Beast whose personality is not beastly at all, but does Beauty hold the key to free the Beast and the rest of the castle?

Beauty is an enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retelling; however, it is not my favourite as it felt too similar to the Disney version. That being said this book is full of imaginative descriptions and is full different types of love, both romantic and family.

I like Beauty as she loves her family and is willing to help in any way to support those she loves, plus one thing I love about the Beauty and the Beast story is how Beauty is smart and loves reading. However, I found the beast a bit boring as we did not get a good description of what he looked like; he did not seem to have much personality and he was a push over as he did anything Beauty asked of him. I also found the ending very rushed and anticlimactic, which left me feeling unsatisfied and a bit disappointed.

I enjoyed Beauty and would recommend to fans of Beauty and the Beast and fairytale retellings.