Beastly, by Alex Finn

Beastly, by Alex Finn, is about Kyle Kingsbury who had it all: the girl, the looks, the money, and he was going to be prom king. And because he had everything, Kyle figured he was everything, that everyone should be crawling on their knees to talk to him, because he was so perfect. But that all changes when Kendara, a witch, decided to teach him a lesson and puts a spell on him, "as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside." Now Kyle is horridly deformed and only the kiss from the girl who can see past the face and into his heart, will save him from being "beastly" forever, and hopefully the two year time limit won't be a problem. When I first read Beastly, as soon as I opened the cover, I didn't close it until I finished. That normally doesn't happen with me and books. What was different with this book and others that I read, I honest couldn't say, but it had me hooked! I loved how Flinn took the classic Beauty and the Beast, and set it in modern day New York, and how he captured the looks plus money equals popularity. And the way Kyle reacted to everything about the change, about being brought down from an egoistical and selfish person, to a caring and humble young man, was perfect, very well thought out and planned. This book made me feel like I was part of the story. I felt like I was in the story standing right next to Kyle Kingsbury while he struggled to get a handle on what he now was and on who he was becoming. I would recommend this book to all my friends who have not already read it. It truly is a one of a kind read. -Reviewed by Bella, grade 10.