Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

In this version of the fairy tale, the protagonist, nicknamed Beauty despite her plain appearance, is a bookish and awkward young woman who values her intellect over her looks. When her father loses his merchant fortune, the family moves to the countryside, where he eventually trespasses into a magical castle and steals a rose. To save him, Beauty agrees to live with the cursed Beast. In his enchanted manor, she interacts with invisible servants and wanders through a library that contains books from the past and the future. As she spends time with the Beast, she looks past his frightening exterior to find a lonely scholar, eventually discovering that her own internal growth is the key to breaking his enchantment.

Middle grade and young adult readers who prefer thoughtful, character-centered fantasy will find this story a refreshing take on the traditional romance. It appeals to those who identify with the outsider or the intellectual over the conventional heroine. Readers walk away with a perspective on how companionship and shared interests form a more durable foundation for love than physical attraction. The book provides a grounded look at how self-perception shapes a person's life and how genuine kindness can exist within a solitary environment.

Clear-cut; an easy read.

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