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gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-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
4.75
I thought this was a really interesting retelling of the story. It has a more historical feel like the original but also takes moments that are associated with the Disney movie to combine the story that we get to read.
The story makes changes to the curse and , without spoiling it I thought it was a very unique way to look at the story. It really shows how we can take a tale and still find something else to focus on and how we can tell a new perspective. With that I really liked how it ended.
The story makes changes to the curse and , without spoiling it I thought it was a very unique way to look at the story. It really shows how we can take a tale and still find something else to focus on and how we can tell a new perspective. With that I really liked how it ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Rape
papayat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment
thegreatandwonderfulbookwitch's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
mandajo's review against another edition
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The characters really frustrated me and it was a pretty dark story. Trigger warnings for those who have dealt with SA, suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
nerddreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide attempt
castella_and_novellas's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Summary:
Lucie is a servant for the master at the Chateau Beaumont, Jean-Loup. As good looking as he is, his personality is anything but. After finding out how much of a monster he really is, Lucie swore herself to revenge to make him suffer for the rest of his days. With some magic, Lucie helped to place a curse on him to become a true monstrosity. As a Beast however, he changes into the complete opposite of his human form. Caring, sensitive, kind. It seems as if the previous Jean-Loup has been completely decimated. The only problem is- a particular lone beauty comes into their lives, threatening the peace. Lucie must find a way to stop the fairytale and never let the curse reverse.
What I Liked:
- Love the concept of the book. Reading from Lucie’s perspective was such an interesting twist to the beloved classic and certainly a fresh take. The characters felt pretty fleshed out and aligned more so with the original Beauty and the Beast story rather than the Disney version. There were a couple of twists in characters that I didn’t anticipate, so the surprise was fun to read about.
- The Beast? An actual sweetheart. I liked watching his character change and learning more about him as the story progressed. He is honestly what gives it the stars this book has at all.
- The second half of the book flowed smoothly for me, right up till the last few chapters. It certainly helped me get through the book.
- Though I greatly disliked the surprise element of rape, I think the author shined light to what a rape survivor may feel like. Wasn’t an easy read, but I did appreciate the effort looking back. I’m sure other books express the dilemma much better, but for what it is worth- I did like how it was done to a degree.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The pacing in this book is completely wack, especially towards the beginning. Everything happened too quick and I felt that there were scenes that could have been edited out to prevent this from happening.
- There should have been trigger warnings in the book. I was certainly surprised at the very beginning of the book seeing how cruel Jean-Loup was to Lucie. Though I understood him to be the bad guy, I didn’t know how far they were going to take that. Should have been mentioned from the start because I was going to DNF the book then and there for that surprise.
- Okay, I know this is supposed to be a romance…but by the end of the book I felt that Lucie and Beast could’ve left being friends and I would have liked it more. This is coming from someone who is a sucker for romance any time I can get my hands on it. I felt chemistry, but really only on a platonic level.. Maybe I just couldn’t let myself accept that a candle holder and the Beast were falling in love.
Cover Thoughts:
- Oh I like this cover a lot. The overall bordering and font fit perfectly with the Beauty and Beast setting. I also like the idea of the Beast being in the center of the rose. I don’t really like how the leaves come out from the rose though. It doesn’t seem to match the drawing of the rose very well… maybe a more minimalist approach to the leaves would have been fine (or leaving them out altogether!). The title is what made me pick this book up at the library in the first place, so as someone prone to doing cover-buys, this sold it for me. I wished the story matched the expectations on the cover, oh well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
reynoldsreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beauty and the Beast told from the perspective of … the candlestick?
Lucie is sent to work as a maid at the Chateau de Beaumont, where she encounters the handsome but self-centered and arrogant Jean-Loup. When the enchantress arrives at his door and punishes him for his cruelty, Lucie is only too happy to see him get what he deserves. As all the other servants flee the grounds, she chooses to remain and bear witness to Jean-Loup’s suffering, and so the enchantress gives her a new form that will be safe from the Beast’s abuse.
But there’s one problem: Beast isn’t suffering. Because Beast doesn’t remember being anyone but Beast. And as Lucie gets to know this new creature, so unlike the monstrous Jean-Loup, she starts to think she might even like to be friends with him.
Until the day a beautiful girl arrives at the castle, whose very presence threatens to undo the curse and unleash Jean-Loup back into the world. Lucie is determined not to let that happen.
It’s a story of (like the title says) love and revenge, of second chances and learning to let go of hatred. It has some very interesting twists that I’ve never seen before in a BatB retelling! Skillfully done!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Abortion
j_yoon's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
michelle_leitheoir's review against another edition
1.0
Oh Lord, this book is so problematic. First off, the synopsis kind of tries to disguise the chevalier's cruelty by not really saying what it is. If you can't pick up what it is from the synopsis, it's rape. And since that is such a MASSIVE trigger and it happens so early on in the book, I really feel like it was unfair not to include that detail in the synopsis for readers who have difficulty with that subject.
While I have a certain appreciation for the perspective of the handsome prince actually being monstrous on the inside while the animal form of Beast has a far more human heart, I could not shake the feeling throughout the book that what the story was saying is that it’s okay to fall in love with your rapist as long as he changes. That is probably not at all what Jensen intended, but for me, it was a subtext that was difficult, almost impossible, to ignore. And I think that’s a dangerous idea to promote, even if you didn’t mean to.
On a more technical level, the bits where Lucie was confined to a certain location by her immobility in her candlestick form just dragged by. The dialogue pretty much disappears, and we're left with Lucie's thoughts as she is stuck in one place waiting to be moved, which didn't do much to propel the plot forward. So, the pacing could have been tightened up some.
Also, speaking of Lucie turning into a candlestick, there were some alarm bells about Lucie being transformed into a beautiful but helpless tool that was only useful whenever Beast needed her.
So, basically, this book felt like some toxic advice and dangerous ideas wrapped up in a pretty little fairy tale, and even though I enjoyed certain aspects of the writing, I really can’t give it above one star because of how much the subtext that I perceived gave me the creeps.
While I have a certain appreciation for the perspective of the handsome prince actually being monstrous on the inside while the animal form of Beast has a far more human heart, I could not shake the feeling throughout the book that what the story was saying is that it’s okay to fall in love with your rapist as long as he changes. That is probably not at all what Jensen intended, but for me, it was a subtext that was difficult, almost impossible, to ignore. And I think that’s a dangerous idea to promote, even if you didn’t mean to.
On a more technical level, the bits where Lucie was confined to a certain location by her immobility in her candlestick form just dragged by. The dialogue pretty much disappears, and we're left with Lucie's thoughts as she is stuck in one place waiting to be moved, which didn't do much to propel the plot forward. So, the pacing could have been tightened up some.
Also, speaking of Lucie turning into a candlestick, there were some alarm bells about Lucie being transformed into a beautiful but helpless tool that was only useful whenever Beast needed her.
So, basically, this book felt like some toxic advice and dangerous ideas wrapped up in a pretty little fairy tale, and even though I enjoyed certain aspects of the writing, I really can’t give it above one star because of how much the subtext that I perceived gave me the creeps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Rape
chenoa552's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt