Teen Advisory Group member Elizabeth offers up her views on the following book.

Beastly by Alec Flinn

Genre: Teen Fantasy

“I am a beast. A beast.

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 – ruined – 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, and the perfect life. And then, I will tell you how I became perfectly…beastly.”

Alex Flinn takes the story of Beauty and the Beast and turns it around, so that you can see both sides of the story. Throughout the book, you get to read and understand the “prince’s” side in the modern world. Beastly may seem like a copy of Disney’s 1991 fairy tale film, but even though it follows the guidelines, Alex puts her own flare into the plot, making you want to keep reading.