ntembeast's review against another edition
4.0
To this day, reading this book again has left me with the strangest of feelings. This is the kind of book that appears as one thing, then starts off in the most unexpected of settings. By the end, though, it turns around to find you on the edge of your seat and cheering once that last page comes. It is a book that rewards you if you stick to the journey that it's taking you on, which is one of sometimes tedious self discovery, but also unusual circumstance.
Our main character, Prince Orasmyn, is the "Beast" of the story, and unlike the popular Disney movie, this book is told entirely from his point of view. In this way, it gives us the unusual chance to look at the "Beauty and the Beast" tale from another angle completely because we are allowed to see what led up to the curse put on the Prince that turned him into the "Beast". The telling is innovative, rooted in the Persian culture flawlessly, and has a tale 5% of magic and 95% charm and struggle. The book starts off in the center of Persia, and as such, is a book that is teeming with culture and not afraid of itself at all. It guides you through everything by the hand, making it easy for you to understand what's going on and taking you step by step through what struck me as a cultural change of dramatic effect. I know very little of Persian culture or their religious beliefs, but even if everything seemed strange to me, I was able to get into the book fairly easily. Not to mention, just because the environment is unusual, it didn't detract from the interest of the story whatsoever. Odd though the various situations were, they were suspenseful, strange, and still intriguing.
While many people may be turned away by a book that has such an odd beginning, and may lose hope of any of these "Beauty and the Beast" vibes by the time the middle of the book hits, the very best part is once you get over that middle mountain. But this style of book does end up with me needing to give the warning: This is a book primarily of self-discovery as opposed to a direct romance. The romantic aspects, while present, come as a much later spice to this meal. It's there and it only intensifies the beauty of the story, but it is not what you should be counting on seeing from beginning to end. More, the romance aspect of this book comes as a reward as Prince Orasmyn grows more and more. As far as I'm concerned, that's what made the book so engaging in the first place and what makes the payoff at the end so worthwhile. To travel with this Prince who truly thinks he knows all and can suffer no consequences until he learns naturally about the world and how to survive makes for an interesting journey. When love and possible freedom from the curse cast on him come, it makes all of the small, gradual changes inside of him that much more beautiful.
I think that's the final word I can say about this book. The subtlety and rewards at the end are what make it all the more enjoyable a read. While some people may find the build-up boring or dull, the few who don't mind a bit of adventuring while they wait for the gradual romantic moments to come will find this book worthwhile.
Final Recommendation
Taking that into mind, I would call this one a library book for most, especially those interested solely in the romantic aspects. Trying it out to see if it's up your alley is a much better idea than spending the money on it if you're not sure. For those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings however, this is a book that will 100% add diversity into your collection. I would definitely recommend you buying it. It's not shy and it's not dainty either. It is openly bold and has a peculiar beauty to it that I'm sure many people would appreciate if they gave it the chance and didn't let themselves get caught off guard by the unusual choice of settings and characters.
Definitely give this one a shot. You might find it all worth it should you choose to stick with it to the end.
coollibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
waywardskyril's review against another edition
4.0
I scratch in the dirt, "You are brave."
She gives a small gasp of amazement and stares at my words. "I don't have a choice."
I wince. "And honest."
This was a surprise... A really delightful surprise. Beast was unique in so many ways, where it was set, how it was written, and the fact that Prince Orasmyn was actually turned into a lion. An actual lion, king of beasts.
You know how you see books, and on the back are excerpts from reviews that say something like, "Thrilling!" or "Riveting!" And you're just like, "Yeah, sure it is."
This book was riveting.
It was absolutely absorbing. I picked it up, and I never wanted to put it back down again. If I hadn't been interrupted I might have actually read it all in one sitting. However, since I was, I had to read it in two sittings instead.
It was so fascinating, the location, the rituals, the religion to which Orasmyn belonged. Then when he was cursed and transformed, how he tried to adjust, simply learning how to walk on four paws, trying to climb a tree, running from hunters, smelling things he never could before, and seeing in shades of gray. Learning to hunt, eating meat, eating blood, because of his instincts and feeling guilty about it. Honestly this was a perfectly portrayed perspective of a human trapped in a beast's body, fighting his instincts, and frequently conflicted what he had done or what he might do.
And the writing style. It was abrupt, but that suited this retelling better than long thoughts or fancy descriptions. It was first-person point of view from Orasmyn as all this happens, and he simply tells it how it is, how it happens, what he does, how he reacts.... I can see some people disliking the style for how blunt it is, but I was just drawn further in by it. Everything that happened... It was neither too descriptive, nor lacking in flavor, horror, disgust, despair, longing, hope, determination, love...
This book was just... too distinctive, too vibrant for me to give it any fewer than five stars. I have sharp, powerful images in my mind from its pages. I really... I went on the journey with Orasmyn. I was there, and I saw it all. The only thing I can say about it is that it ended just a bit too short. I would have looooved an epilogue. Still, I can easily imagine how certain things turned out, and it gives me a smile to picture it for myself.
Definitely the best Beauty and the Beast retelling that I've read. If you couldn't tell, I loved it.
She gives a small gasp of amazement and stares at my words. "I don't have a choice."
I wince. "And honest."
This was a surprise... A really delightful surprise. Beast was unique in so many ways, where it was set, how it was written, and the fact that Prince Orasmyn was actually turned into a lion. An actual lion, king of beasts.
You know how you see books, and on the back are excerpts from reviews that say something like, "Thrilling!" or "Riveting!" And you're just like, "Yeah, sure it is."
This book was riveting.
It was absolutely absorbing. I picked it up, and I never wanted to put it back down again. If I hadn't been interrupted I might have actually read it all in one sitting. However, since I was, I had to read it in two sittings instead.
It was so fascinating, the location, the rituals, the religion to which Orasmyn belonged. Then when he was cursed and transformed, how he tried to adjust, simply learning how to walk on four paws, trying to climb a tree, running from hunters, smelling things he never could before, and seeing in shades of gray. Learning to hunt, eating meat, eating blood, because of his instincts and feeling guilty about it. Honestly this was a perfectly portrayed perspective of a human trapped in a beast's body, fighting his instincts, and frequently conflicted what he had done or what he might do.
And the writing style. It was abrupt, but that suited this retelling better than long thoughts or fancy descriptions. It was first-person point of view from Orasmyn as all this happens, and he simply tells it how it is, how it happens, what he does, how he reacts.... I can see some people disliking the style for how blunt it is, but I was just drawn further in by it. Everything that happened... It was neither too descriptive, nor lacking in flavor, horror, disgust, despair, longing, hope, determination, love...
This book was just... too distinctive, too vibrant for me to give it any fewer than five stars. I have sharp, powerful images in my mind from its pages. I really... I went on the journey with Orasmyn. I was there, and I saw it all. The only thing I can say about it is that it ended just a bit too short. I would have looooved an epilogue. Still, I can easily imagine how certain things turned out, and it gives me a smile to picture it for myself.
Definitely the best Beauty and the Beast retelling that I've read. If you couldn't tell, I loved it.
shanyreader's review against another edition
3.0
What I like best about Beauty and the Beast retellings, is the actual love that Beauty and the Beast develop slowly with each other. I love watching them fall in love. This book however, has Beauty coming in with a mere 50 pages left in the book. It seemed like the romance would be rushed...and in my opinion, it was. It's not that I didn't like the book--I loved how the Beast was a Muslim and he was very religious, since I love reading about religion. It was something I had never heard of before. The thing that really got me, was that he turned into an actual lion. Not even an anthropomorphic lion, where you could see semblance of humanity. Nope, he's an actual lion who hunts like a lion, mates with other lionesses, while retaining him human mind. It was very disturbing to think about all the things he did as a lion and relate it to the human he was. I also found that Belle seemed almost shallow in this book, in my opinion with only a moment or two of bonding.
It's not my favorite retelling, but I'm not condemning it because it's rich with culture, teaches me about lions, and it was a sweet (rushed) ending.
It's not my favorite retelling, but I'm not condemning it because it's rich with culture, teaches me about lions, and it was a sweet (rushed) ending.
mattyb's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Animal death
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Violence, Sexual content, and Gun violence
cthuwu's review against another edition
3.0
i specifically remember checking this one out of the library some time in like... 2013ish? idk, i was either still in high school or just out of it. i remember liking it, as it was a much different take on the beauty and the beast than i was used to. the only other thing i remember about this book, and the reason i'm not giving it a higher rating despite clearly remembering enjoying it, is that the main character and those levels of what the fuckery just spoiled the rest of the book for me.
Spoiler
mates with a lion while he's one of themrokinjaguar's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Unique book. I liked it overall, but I had some issues. The main character is alone for too long in my opinion. The author does pretty well at keeping the solitude parts interesting, but when a book is just narrative and internal monologue it starts to drag for me. The beginning with his people and the end with the girl are way more engaging and interesting. I really like Napoli's characters' inner worlds and relationships with each other.
Another thing that bothered me was the main theme of Orasmyn's struggle between man and beast. It's an interesting concept, but some of the choices Orasmyn makes as beast made me uncomfortable,like mating with lionesses like an hour after turning into a lion . It was hard to sympathize with Orasmyn sometimes because his humanity was clouded with his beast instincts. Maybe it's just me. Definitely hated that he was planning to groom a child into loving him to break the curse though.
However, there were things I really liked. Orasmyn's Islamic beliefs were very interesting to read about, and his culture and values were at the core of the book, giving it a unique atmosphere. I really loved his relationship with his family, it was so sweet. And I liked the girl a lot, I admired her spirit and honesty.
Another thing that bothered me was the main theme of Orasmyn's struggle between man and beast. It's an interesting concept, but some of the choices Orasmyn makes as beast made me uncomfortable,
However, there were things I really liked. Orasmyn's Islamic beliefs were very interesting to read about, and his culture and values were at the core of the book, giving it a unique atmosphere. I really loved his relationship with his family, it was so sweet. And I liked the girl a lot, I admired her spirit and honesty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Sexual content
rachelita's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the best adaptation of Beauty and the Beast I've ever encountered. Beautifully told and a refreshing new take on the characters.
krissyronan's review against another edition
3.0
Fairy tale retelling. Told from the beast point of view which was interesting.
thistlechaser's review against another edition
1.0
In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a Persian prince gets cursed because he "incorrectly" sacrificed an animal. That he did it "incorrectly" was really confusing, because he talked through his logic of doing it, and the logic seemed perfectly sound.
I didn't even get to the part where he was turned into a "beast" (a lion), because it was just so annoying to read. Every other paragraph, the author would translate some word into Persian or Arabic. It added nothing at all to the story. The first sentence of her author bio is: Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. Linguist is listed even before writer, and that showed.
DNF
I didn't even get to the part where he was turned into a "beast" (a lion), because it was just so annoying to read. Every other paragraph, the author would translate some word into Persian or Arabic. It added nothing at all to the story. The first sentence of her author bio is: Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. Linguist is listed even before writer, and that showed.
DNF