Bookish and the Beast

Bookish and the Beast

by Ashley Poston

 

TL;DL Retelling of Beauty and the Beast filled with references to books and movies of the past. Tropes are poorly used and characters aren't realistic.

Before Midnight

Before Midnight

by Cameron Dokey

 

Rating: 3/5

Smoke Bitten

Smoke Bitten

by Patricia Briggs

Mercy has survived miniature zombie goats, vampire attacks, the fae, angry werewolves, a rapist, and her own bad luck. Now she needs to survive an unknown fae who has escaped Underhill, a rogue group of werewolves, the tension in her own marriage, and killer bunnies. (Monty Python would be so proud.)

For some reason, Adam, her husband and werewolf mate, has shut down their mating bond, while also spending late nights at work and sleeping in the guest room, effectively cutting Mercy out of his life. Mercy is trying to be patient and wait him out, but some people need a little offense instead of waiting in defense.

Tilly, the physical manifestation of Underhill, has dropped a door to her land in the Hauptman backyard in order to be closer to their semi-adopted son and former Underhill resident. Upon entering this world, she lets out an unknown fae who can take over the minds of its victims and make them do evil things to the people around them. 

There is a group of werewolves who have decided that now is the perfect time to try and take over their pack.

There's Wulfe, who has become radically changed after the events of the last book and who is now even more scary and unstable than ever before.

And there are killer bunnies...

With all the juggling that Mercy must do now, she should probably join a circus. 

Final thoughts: I love new Mercy books and this is no exception. She is such a strong character who knows her own mind and heart. She also seems to be the focus of a lot of bad juju, compliments of her father, Coyote. I hope that she gets a few days off of the crazy someday, although that will probably mean that I won't have anything to read and that would be sad. As with all of her books, Briggs has a complicated and convoluted story that makes sense at the end and makes better sense after a reread or two. I LOVE the return of some characters that we haven't seen for a while. I can't wait for the next book.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Cinders, Stars, and Glass Slippers

Cinders, Stars, and Glass Slippers

by Brittany Fichter

For over 10 years, Elaina Starke has lived about the flagship of the Ashland Navy on which her father is the Admiral. She has become an expert in all things ship related from tying knots to fighting battles. But when someone finds out her secret and reveals it to others, her father sends her into the land of the unknown.

She's sent back to her home to become the well-bred lady that she was born to be (even though she has no idea what she's doing). Because she's been raised by sailors, she can sometimes have a sailor's mouth and she says things when she probably shouldn't... especially to the prince. The two form a strange friendship and things seem to be adding up the way they should, until Elaina's secret is unearthed again and she is put in mortal danger.

Prince Nicholas is doing all he can to save Elaina, but when she's taken and forced to become a slave, he fears he may never see his one true love again.

Can they save each other from a fate that even the stars won't talk about?

Final thoughts: I love so much about this book! Elaina is a well-drawn, no-nonsense character who doesn't fall head over heels for the prince, as so many other Cinderellas do. She's her own person and wants to fight her own battles. Nicholas is a new kind of prince fighting his old-fashioned father's ideas of what running a kingdom must be like. The two are opposites until they suddenly aren't. My only real issue comes at about the halfway point when the author has to figure out how to get Elaina sold into slavery in order to continue the story. This short section took me completely out of the book and had me arguing with the rest of the story from that part on. She is accused of treason with a country never mentioned before or after. She is accused during a party, then tried, judged, sentenced, and sent away in exile all in a matter of hours. It's even mentioned that people have to go placate the party-goers once this whole farce happens. That's right. The whole thing happens DURING THE PARTY. And it's a farce from start to finish; completely unbelievable. I really enjoyed almost every other things about this book, but that section is STILL bugging me.

Rating: 4/5

Geekerella

 Geekerella

by Ashley Poston

Elle lives for her favorite show, Starfield. Whenever she misses her parents, especially her father, she goes back to the Prospero and her crew for solace. And she really needs that solace. Her stepmonster is always making her do every chore in the house and her stepmonster's oldest daughter does everything she can to make Elle's life miserable outside the home. Word that Starfield is going from the small screen to the big screen has Elle ecstatic until she finds out who gets cast as the Commander.

Darien Freeman relies on Starfield to get him through the tough times filming the show that shot him to teen stardom. When's he's cast as the Commander of the Prospero, he knows that he has big shoes to fill, but he also knows that he's probably the best person to cast, simply because he knows the show so well. Unfortunately, there's a blogger out there who seems to be out to get him and hate everything he does. And now he's being told that he has to shake hands and sign autographs at the one con he's sworn to avoid.

When Elle meets Darien, she doesn't even know it. A few innocent texts begin a relationship that neither can believe is real, but both want to keep forever.

However, there are forces determined to block them, like an old-friend-turned-enemy, a stepmonster and her monstrous child, an interfering father, a blog, and the real world.

Final thoughts: Another cotton candy book. Nothing serious here except for serious geeking out over fan references. The geek is strong with this author. This being an ARC, there were a number of errors that I'm sure will be fixed in the final galleys, but I was confused by a few issues. For one, the house was left to Elle who is nearly of age, but her stepmonster is able to sell it?? I'm not sure that's actually legal. Also, there's a point where Darien doesn't finish filming until early morning, but he has an early call the next day; that's actually against SAG rules. There is a time gap required after night shoots. Those notes aside, this is just a fun Cinderella retelling with a few choppy moments that bring it down a little. A final note about how the "villains" turn out would be interesting.

Rating: 3/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley

Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty

by Rosamund Hodge

Nyx has known since she was a young girl that she was destined to end the curse that has kept her homeland separate from the rest of the world. Her father made a deal with a demon to have his two daughters, which resulted in the death of their mother. Part of the deal included Nyx marrying the demon that made the deal, so Nyx has been trained to defeat the demon soon after her wedding night and set her land free.

So Nyx heads off to meet her husband and defeat the curse even if it means her own death.

What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with the demon himself.

Now she has a dilemma and a limited amount of time to figure it all out.

Final thoughts: This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is confusing and poorly written. Nyx isn't likeable at all and her relationships with the people around her make no sense. She keeps changing her mind constantly about how she feels regarding family and those in the demon's castle. She loves. She hates. She loves. She's conflicted. She knows exactly what she needs to do. She's conflicted. In this book, we're told that she is falling in love, but there's nothing to show it.Why does she care about him? Why does he care about her? Why should I care about any of it?

Rating: 2/5

Spelled

Spelled

by Betsy Schow

Dorothea is trapped in her Emerald Palace, never to be free to walk the realm, just because of a stupid curse put on her great-grandmother by a young witch who didn't even know to curse someone correctly. She literally can't even walk out of the doors of the palace, since they close automatically if she even gets near them.

When Prince Kato shows up and states that he has to marry Dorothea in order to save the realm, that's just too much for Dot to handle. She's really tired of people telling her what to do.

She wishes on a star and everything goes nuts.

Magical rules are breaking left and right. Dot's parents disappear, leaving only their crowns spinning on the floor. Beauty turns into a beast, complete with golden gown. And Kato turns into a baby chimera.

With only the help of a few words from the Green Witch, a kleptomaniac assistant, a pair of Han Christian Louboutin heels, and a very hungry, very quickly growing chimera prince, Dot must travel the realms to find out how to cure magic, while running from the very angry Grey Witch who is intent on killing her.

She had better come up with a plan soon or everything will be forever pixed.

Final thoughts: Cute idea, but it gets bogged down in its own cleverness. There are constant references to fairy tales, as well as a few non-fairy tales (Quasimodo, for instance). Most of the characters are references to L. Frank Baum's Oz creations. There are some inconsistencies like needing wisps to light the ball, as there is no electricity, but they do have magically powered vacuum cleaners (upgrades from brooms). There are also a few typos, as well as formatting issues when downloaded to the Kindle that included having the first letter of the first word of each chapter cut off the word and then placed somewhere in the middle of the second line. Most of that is easily fixed, though. Each chapter seems to be its own cliffhanger and there's an epilogue that sets up a sequel, but I'm not sure I want to read it since it really takes a lot of effort to deal with all the clever references and creature names that fill the pages. The plot definitely has good moments and I really grew to like Dot by the end, but I'm just not able to rave about this one. Decent read. Cotton candy.

Rating: 3/5

Fairy Tale Reform School : Flunked

Fairy Tale Reform School : Flunked

by Jen Calonita

She's lived in a shoe her entire life. In the beginning, life was good and Gilly's family thrived. Unfortunately, when a fairy godmother figured out how to replicate the glass shoe that was designed by her father, business went bust and now they live hand to mouth.

To make ends meet and keep her siblings fed, Gilly becomes a pretty good petty thief. She has gotten caught occasionally, but she's also helped keep her family from starving, so she figures that feeding them is worth the danger.

However, when she steals a hair clip from a royal and gifts it to her sister instead of pawning it, the evidence is literally right in front of the guard who comes to confront her and now she's on her way to Fairy Tale Reform School or FTRS.  She's got a three-month sentence under the care of the Wicked Stepmother from Cinderella's story (now Princess Ella).  She'll be taught by the wolf from Red Riding Hood, the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid, and Snow White's Evil Stepmother.

But Gilly soon finds that FTRS isn't what everyone thinks it is and there is definitely something villainous going on in a place meant to reform villains.

Final thoughts: Fun little read with a few cute things going on. It's the start of a series and it seems like one that will get a decent following. I liked Gilly and Jax quite a bit. The teachers were pretty interesting, as well. My only real issue was Gilly's sister and her sudden change of behavior and attitude at the end. It felt strange and forced, like it's designed to be an issue in the future and this was a set up for that.

Rating: 4/5

ARC from NetGalley

Princess of Thorns

Princess of Thorns

by Stacey Jay

As a child, Aurora's kingdom is overrun by ogres who are set on consuming the souls of humans and taking over the world.  In order to protect her children, Aurora's mother bequeaths her fairy gifts upon her daughter as she dies.  Now an orphan, Aurora and her brother run to the fairies to grow and train.

Now ten years later, Aurora's brother has been captured by the ogres and she is running out of time to save him.  Unfortunately, she's can't do it on her own and she sometimes rushes into bad decisions, so she walks right into a trap.

Luckily for her, she's rescued by a prince on a quest for a princess.  Unluckily for her, he's actually looking for her because he needs to get married, and quickly.

In order to rescue her brother and stop the prophecy from coming true, Aurora must disguise herself as her own brother and keep her rescuer from suspecting anything.  That means lying to him, even when he earns the truth, and keeping her own feelings to herself in order to protect him.

Her only hope now is that she's not too late.

Final thoughts:  Interesting story that combines a few fairy tales into one.  This is not strictly a retelling of a fairy tale since it's Sleeping Beauty's daughter who is the main character, but it does have some nice moments.  We also see the eleventh prince from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans" and we get a few moments with Little Red Riding Hood.  The romance is a little odd mostly because of the way the two characters often seem to just anger each other and lie all the time, but it does make a bit of sense.  In the end, it's a cotton candy book that's mostly fluff, with no real depth, but still some fun nonetheless.

Rating: 3/5

The Stepsister's Tale

The Stepsister's Tale

by Tracy Barrett

Ever since her father gambled away the family fortune and then ran off to die drunk and alone, Jane and her sister, Maude, have trying everything they can just to survive.  Their house is literally crumbling around them and their mother's mind is crumbling with it.  She insists that they continue to behave like ladies even though they are alone with no servants, no money, and no future.

When Mamma returns from a long journey with a new husband and a new stepdaughter, Jane has only slight hopes that things may get better.  When the new man in her mother's life dies suddenly, and it's discovered that he was deeply in debt, the sisters must not only find a way to survive the winter, they must also survive their spoiled new sibling.

With the help of a mysterious family in the woods, Jane may just get her family through the winter.

With the attention of the Prince of the Realm, Jane may just get rid of her spoiled problem.

Final thoughts:  Nah. Not worth it.  Barrett doesn't seem to have a grasp on the older teen mind, so what's written feels childish and petty.  Is Jane 17 or 12?  It's impossible to tell, especially when her younger sister reads like she's 6.  Who slaps someone just because a comb gets stuck in hair?  And how are we supposed to feel sympathy for that slapper?  The romance is nice enough and there are some interesting changes to the traditional Cinderella story, but no one comes out sympathetic or even likeable.  Even the cover looks like a Gossip Girl book.  It's bland overall.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Rating: 2/5

Gorgeous

Gorgeous

by Paul Rudnick

Becky Randle has always been fairly average.  She's gone to school.  She's taken care of her mother.  She's been a good best friend.  But she's nothing really special.

When her mother dies and leaves her with nothing but a condemned trailer and a phone number, Becky takes the chance and calls.  And that call takes her further than she ever could have imagined.

Now she gets to move to New York, live in luxury, and be the muse of Tom Kelly himself!  The great Tom Kelly!  The master of design!  The couturier of all couturiers!  There is nothing better.

And when Tom Kelly offers you three dresses that are guaranteed to make you the most beautiful woman in the world, you take them and all that comes with them.  This includes Hollywood, the best parties, and even royalty.

But Tom reveals to Becky, a.k.a. Rebecca, that she has exactly one year to find true love and get married or it all disappears.

What's a trailer park girl to do?

Final thoughts:  The premise in interesting.  It's a lot Cinderella with a little My Fair Lady mixed in (with an obvious reference in case the reader didn't get it).  Instead of midnight to find her Prince Charming, she has a year, but it's really hard to care.  All of the characters are without any depth at all.  Most are shallow beyond reason.  Prince Gregory is almost literally Prince William and every other royal in the book has a real life counterpart.  Even Diana is mentioned repeatedly (as Princess Alicia).  It is so very frustrating!  It felt like some teen girl's fantasy about Prince William.  "Oh, la! If only P.W. knew me, he'd totally fall in love with me and want to marry me right away.  But I'd never even get to meet him if I weren't one of the pretty people.  ::sigh::  Maybe there's some magic that can make me super, freakin' beautiful so that I can meet him, he'll fall in love with me, and then when the magic fades, he'll still see how awesome I am."  If Rudnick were female, I'd be 100% certain this was the motive for the book.  As it is, it feels like a story he was telling a female relative.  Additionally, the magic is never really explained, though Becky seems to accept it as if were nothing new.  There's a ridiculous scene where Becky fights an actual terrorist and wins.  There's all the insults to everyone out there from the English population being ugly (yes, the entire population), to how pretty people are super shallow.  And all the explaining... So much explaining!!!  CONSTANT EXPLAINING!!!!  Page after page about things the reader doesn't need to know.  There were also tons of made-up product names, like a person couldn't just use toothpaste; he had to use this special brand of toothpaste.  There's no consistency and Becky constantly runs away from her problems, making her a horrible role model in so very many ways.

Rating: 2/5

Princesses Don't Get Fat

Princesses Don't Get Fat

by Aya Ling

When Valeria, Princess of Amaranta turns sixteen, she's finally eligible for marriage.  When the day for her three suitors comes to challenge for her hand, they all work their hardest... to throw the contest.  None of them wants her after seeing her.

Princess Valeria is a big eater, in both senses of the word.

There's nothing Valeria likes more than a few cakes, cream puffs, and chocolates.

So, in order to help her daughter lose a little weight, and maybe gain a husband, Valeria's mother sends her to the Academy in Riviera to train her to become a fighter... or a least help her get rid of a few pounds.

And the plan seems to be working, until Valeria finds her way to the kitchens.

How does an overweight princess fulfill her marital duty when all she really wants to do is eat?

Final thoughts: Cotton candy book all the way.  You don't take this one seriously at all.  It's fluffy and sweet, though not intellectually "filling" at all.  It's just cute, though it has flaws.  The point of view keeps changing and the character development is rather shallow, but it's still a quick, fun read.  The bonus "Princes Don't Bake" isn't great, but continues the story decently.

Rating: 3/5

Kill Me Softly

Kill Me Softly

by Sarah Cross

Mirabelle has been raised by her godmothers who have kept her as safe as they can.

No boys. No riding with boys. No sharp objects, especially near boys. And no going to the town in which she was born, Beau Rivage (which is filled with boys).

But these aren't ordinary boys, as Mira finds out when she runs away from homes just days before her sixteenth birthday.

Beau Rivage is a magical town filled with fairies, half-fairies, humans, and curses.  Some curses, like their fairies, are good.  Some curses, like their fairies, are bad.  And not everyone there knows what's going on, especially Mira.

Now Mira needs to find out the specifics of her own discovered curse, as well as the curse of the brothers who both seem strangely attracted to her and attracted by her.  Her birthday is coming soon and there is no time to waste.

Final thoughts:  I WANT to like this.  I want to give it a good review.  It's a very clever idea and there are so many bright moments.  I like Blue and I kind of like Mira, but the story is just poorly written.  Show, don't tell.  I wish more authors would get this and get this right.  Cross has the show in Blue and Mira's relationship, but she tells us everything else.  Mira thinks Blue is rude and annoying when they first meet (which Blue wants her to feel), so she keeps everything secret from him in the beginning, implying that she doesn't trust anyone enough to talk in the beginning.  However, his brother shows up a few minutes later, and after just a moment or two of politeness, she's telling him everything and considering getting it on with him.  We are told that she loves him, but there's really no reason why.  Most of the fairy tales are cleverly woven, but everyone seems to think they have no choice in the matter.  The guy with the Beast curse knows he's going to be a beast and even knows the girl who is cursed to try and save him, but he still believes beastly.  He KNOWS and he doesn't even try to change it; could he not try being nice once in a while?  It's so frustrating that everyone in the town who is cursed knows all the details and yet do nothing to fight it except for Blue.  Even Mira caves.  

Rating: 2/5

The Council of Mirrors

The Council of Mirrors

by Michael Buckley

It's time for the final battle.  

There's almost no one left to fight, but they'll fight anyway.

Witches, fairies, knights, bears, princesses, and more, but what it really comes down to is two girls.

Together, the Mirrors have presented a prophecy that states that the only hope to survive and defeat the First is the skills and determination of the Sisters Grimm: Sabrina and Daphne.

Unfortunately, Sabrina can't bring herself to believe that she and her sister can save the 20 or so remaining Everafters from the thousands who are determined to defeat them.

It's time for the final battle... and the entire world depends on two young girls.

Final thoughts:  I really wish I'd re-read the series before reading this one; there is just too much going on and too many references to past events going all the way back to the first book.  Sabrina finally comes into her own and stops whining (esp. after others point out that fault to her), so that was nice to see.  I will ALWAYS love Puck.  And Daphne was a kick to see, but there was too little of her in this story.  The final resolution was reminiscent of Harry Potter, which was a bit of a disappointment.  The time lapse at the end was also HP familiar, but too short for me.  There was also a hint of a possible second series, so I'm not sure if Buckley will push this any further.  Overall, it was a solid end to the story and one, when read from start to finish with the rest of the series, that will surely satisfy.

Rating: 4/5

Entwined

Entwined

by Heather Dixon

Legend has it that generations before, the High King had been a villainous man who had magicked the castle and trapped the souls of his victims in mirrors where they would slowly freeze to death.  Now, in Azalea's time, remnants of the High King's magic linger in the occasional tea set and carpet.  It also lingers in the hidden passages, including the one in Azalea's room.

Now that her mother has passed away, Azalea is in charge of her eleven sisters and must keep their spirits up even while the king has gone into mourning and shut the girls away in the palace.  They are forbidden every joy, even dancing.

But at night, the girls take their secret passage to the silver forest where they happily dance until their dancing slippers fall apart.

They've taken an oath and cannot tell the king, but he is determined to find out where they go.  He sets up a contest for the eligible gentlemen to solve the riddle of the damaged slippers.

Could it all be too late?

Final thoughts: A retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "12 Dancing Princesses", this one is slow to start, but really gets rolling about a quarter of the way through.  The king's bad temper is very difficult to fathom in the beginning, but his change of heart seems well written.  Some of the story's points seemed obvious, but older girls and young teens, especially those who haven't read the story before, will enjoy discovering the secrets.  I loved Lord Bradford and really wish I could have seen more of him.  Azalea was strong and clever, so I never got tired of reading from her point of view.  I only wish the time period had been a little more detailed.  It felt like it was supposed to be set during a kind of industrial revolution for this fairy tale land, but I had a difficult time relating to it because I just couldn't picture it.  Of course, that may be my fault since I kept picturing stone castles and the author referred to new and improved steam train technology.

Rating: 4/5

Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird

Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird

by Vivian Vande Velde

Take a cup of fairy tales, add a tablespoon of irony, and a dash of snark and you get a whole new take on the stories of the Brothers Grimm.  These aren't just fractured; they are completely smashed and then rearranged in some strange mosaic that sometimes only vaguely resembles the original tale.

Take, for example, this line from the Beast of the original "Beauty and the Beast":

Beast was looking at the man skeptically.  "Your daughter's name is Beauty?" he asked.  "What kind of name is that?  What did you do, call her 'Hey, you,' until she grew up, and then, when she turned out to be good-looking, you finally settled on a name for her?  Or did you call her Beauty from the start, simply hoping for the best, trusting to chance that she wouldn't turn out to be a dog?"... "I suppose she's lucky you didn't call her Honesty," Beast said.  "That's a fine virtue, too.  Or Sweet Breath. Or Mathematical Ability."

Final thoughts:  This is an older book that's been around a while, but I'd never had a chance to read it.  I am a fan of retold tales and a few of these were hilarious.  Unfortunately, they aren't all great.  There was a definite inconsistency in the quality of the tales.  Some of them felt very well thought out, while others felt like throwaways designed to fill space.

Rating: 3/5

A Kiss in Time

A Kiss in Time

by Alex Flinn

Talia was always told to stay away from spindles.  All of the spindles in Euphrasia had been destroyed shortly after the curse of the witch Malvolia.  But anyone who's read the tale of Sleeping Beauty knows that you can't escape destiny... 

So, just hours before her sixteenth birthday, Talia finally escapes her constant, 24/7 escorts and finds the only spindle for miles around.  Though hardly her fault (destiny, remember!?!  and the fact that she'd never seen a spindle before), her father blames her after she's awakened 300 years later by a commoner who stumbled through the giant thorny hedges surrounding the kingdom.

Instead of being the obedient girl she's always been, she runs off with Jack, her "true love", whether he wants her around or not, and the two begin the trip back to his life in Miami.  

But things are never that easy.

Jack has problems relating to his family almost as Talia has problems with her's.  And Malvolia doesn't accept the terms of this awakening, especially since Jack and Talia don't much like each other, let alone love each other enough to satisfy the curse.

Now Talia must find a way to fall in love with Jack and get him to love her back before Malvolia finds her with another spindle.

Final thoughts:  I loved Beastly, but this was just too much of a stretch.  Where Beastly had a solid story and believable characters going for it, this was just a shoddy attempt to re-do the formula of the modern-day retelling.  It's too bad because I really was rooting for this one to work out.

Rating: 2/5

The Amaranth Enchantment

The Amaranth Enchantment

by Julie Berry

When she was just five years old, Lucinda lost her parents in a tragic accident.  Told that they were penniless debtors, instead of the wealthy merchant she always thought her father to be, Lucinda is forced to live with her uncle and his bitter second wife to work off the debt.

Ten years later, Lucinda is still working.  But events have occurred to change her life when she meets the Amaranth Witch, the heir to the throne, and a pickpocket all in the same day.  

Now she's got to make a deal with the witch and learn to steal from the heir with tips from the pickpocket.  And she's got to do it quickly.

Because the witch isn't the most dangerous person out there and he's coming their way.

Final thoughts: I love fairy tale re-tellings and this one is a really good new version of Cinderella.  It's just close enough to be familiar, but still gives quite a few new twists.  A fun read. 

Rating: 4/5

Crazy Beautiful

Crazy Beautiful

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Aurora Belle is a beauty.  She's beautiful both inside and out.  Her mother recently died after a very long battle with cancer and now Aurora and her father have moved to a new town, away from memories.  She wants to make friends and make her father proud.

Lucius Wolfe is a beast.  Or at least he looks like one.  A tragic accident has claimed both of his hands and he's chosen to have hooks instead of prosthetic hands.  Now he's in a new school to try and make a new start, even if his family doesn't believe in him.

When Lucius and Aurora first see each other on the bus to school, it's an instant connection.  Now Lucius needs to learn how to connect to others and Aurora needs to learn to stand up for herself and what's right.

Will this Beauty ever be with her Beast?

Final thoughts:  I usually love re-tellings of fairy tales.  This one was ok, but not great.  There were a few things that felt forced (Wolfe = beast; Belle = beauty) and the story itself was a bit of a mess.  There were moments of greatness, but as a whole, there were problems.  There are better re-tellings out there (Beastly by Alex Flinn, comes to mind).  Hold off on reading this one.

Rating: 2/5