marshmallowbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I am a huge fan of fairy tales retold, and Cameron Dokey is one of the authors I enjoy reading in this series. However, this one fell a little short of my expectations, at least as far as the storyline was concerned.
I thought Dokey's approach to the fairy tale was engaging, and Belle's reflections on Beauty, with a capital B, thought-provoking. I also liked that there were no evil, ugly step-family members, or un-step-family members, or other individuals who are there for readers to dislike, as tend to be included among the characters in stories such as this, whether or not they were there originally.
However, I felt that the back story and build-up preceding the classic fairy tale was a bit drawn out, leaving the fairy tale to be wrapped up rather quickly, with little further development of characters or plot. I would have liked to get to know the Beast as well as I felt I knew Belle and her sisters, Celeste and April. But all I got was a short summary of Belle's frustrating time at the Beast's castle, unable to fulfill her role there, then suddenly pining for him when she returned to her family. There was no real evidence for me that the relationship between Belle and the Beast had grown into one of love. It was just all of a sudden that way. Of course, that could have been the point.
I thought Dokey's approach to the fairy tale was engaging, and Belle's reflections on Beauty, with a capital B, thought-provoking. I also liked that there were no evil, ugly step-family members, or un-step-family members, or other individuals who are there for readers to dislike, as tend to be included among the characters in stories such as this, whether or not they were there originally.
However, I felt that the back story and build-up preceding the classic fairy tale was a bit drawn out, leaving the fairy tale to be wrapped up rather quickly, with little further development of characters or plot. I would have liked to get to know the Beast as well as I felt I knew Belle and her sisters, Celeste and April. But all I got was a short summary of Belle's frustrating time at the Beast's castle, unable to fulfill her role there, then suddenly pining for him when she returned to her family. There was no real evidence for me that the relationship between Belle and the Beast had grown into one of love. It was just all of a sudden that way. Of course, that could have been the point.
mkayverse's review against another edition
3.0
So, I like it alot up until about the very end.
It just got so rushed and then it felt like there need to be more.
the ending could have been better. it honestly didn't fit the book and there are so many more questions.
It just got so rushed and then it felt like there need to be more.
the ending could have been better. it honestly didn't fit the book and there are so many more questions.
geminidragonbadger's review against another edition
3.0
While I find myself relating more and more to Rapunzel characters in fairy tale retellings, Beauty and the Beast will always have a place in my heart, and I do usually love classic retellings (Beauty by Robin McKinley is one of my absolute favorites). Belle delivers exactly that, a fairly standard retelling of Beauty and the Beast with its own charm.
Belle is a charming fast read and had many elements that I appreciated; I loved that Belle had her own “magic” for lack of a better term, and the enchanted forest has to be one of my favorites. I appreciated that it stayed fairly true to the original fairy tale with a conflict more of man v. fate rather than forcing some sort of man v. man or man v. whatever. It had the “happily ever after” that I crave in fairy tale retellings, because for real, enough with the edgy, dark stuff. I want my people to be happy, darn it.
That being said, as a story I feel it fell flat. (SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD). You’re half way through the book before any sort of conflict really happens (when Belle’s family has to move to the country) and at least 2/3 of the way through before the Beast is introduced. That means that there is only 1/3 of the book for Belle and the Beast to fall in love and break the spell, which feels rushed and more like “TA DA, they’re in love. The spell was broken, the end, they live happily ever after.” I got very little chemistry from the two characters and wondered when, exactly, they fell in love. It’s an explosive moment when Belle realizes she is in love with the Beast, but how did they get there? What happened to make her go from mild resentment and resignation to love?
I feel too much of the exposition was spent with Belle mulling over what it means to be Beautiful (vs. beautiful) which has little to no bearing on the rest of the book. To sum it up, Belle believes that her sisters are Beautiful while she is just beautiful. However, after they move to the country, their looks have no bearing as each sister comes into their own in ways they couldn’t while being rich in the city (ie, one sister discovers a talent for cooking). Similarly, much of the exposition is taken up describing Belle’s “place” in the family, which again doesn’t matter any more once they move. All of the talk and description of Belle’s internal feelings about Beauty and her place in the world made the beginning very hard to get into and made the actual plot of the book feel rushed.
Overall, I do not regret reading this book. It’s a solid retelling of Beauty and the Beast. However, while solid, I felt the overall story was rushed with too much time spent on internal musings in the exposition. Those words and musings would have been better spent building up Belle and the Beast’s relationship.
Belle is a charming fast read and had many elements that I appreciated; I loved that Belle had her own “magic” for lack of a better term, and the enchanted forest has to be one of my favorites. I appreciated that it stayed fairly true to the original fairy tale with a conflict more of man v. fate rather than forcing some sort of man v. man or man v. whatever. It had the “happily ever after” that I crave in fairy tale retellings, because for real, enough with the edgy, dark stuff. I want my people to be happy, darn it.
That being said, as a story I feel it fell flat. (SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD). You’re half way through the book before any sort of conflict really happens (when Belle’s family has to move to the country) and at least 2/3 of the way through before the Beast is introduced. That means that there is only 1/3 of the book for Belle and the Beast to fall in love and break the spell, which feels rushed and more like “TA DA, they’re in love. The spell was broken, the end, they live happily ever after.” I got very little chemistry from the two characters and wondered when, exactly, they fell in love. It’s an explosive moment when Belle realizes she is in love with the Beast, but how did they get there? What happened to make her go from mild resentment and resignation to love?
I feel too much of the exposition was spent with Belle mulling over what it means to be Beautiful (vs. beautiful) which has little to no bearing on the rest of the book. To sum it up, Belle believes that her sisters are Beautiful while she is just beautiful. However, after they move to the country, their looks have no bearing as each sister comes into their own in ways they couldn’t while being rich in the city (ie, one sister discovers a talent for cooking). Similarly, much of the exposition is taken up describing Belle’s “place” in the family, which again doesn’t matter any more once they move. All of the talk and description of Belle’s internal feelings about Beauty and her place in the world made the beginning very hard to get into and made the actual plot of the book feel rushed.
Overall, I do not regret reading this book. It’s a solid retelling of Beauty and the Beast. However, while solid, I felt the overall story was rushed with too much time spent on internal musings in the exposition. Those words and musings would have been better spent building up Belle and the Beast’s relationship.
aurodon's review against another edition
4.0
I love all of Cameron Dokey's fairy tale retellings that I've read thus far, but this gets four stars because (a) the writing especially drew me in, (b) it was a really unique retelling and (c) I liked that Dokey replaced the "true love's kiss" obsession with something more insightful and true.
ashila_hanim's review against another edition
4.0
I just hope that there would be more romance in this story. The story ended up very quickly.
diamontique's review against another edition
2.0
It is such a ripoff of Robin McKinley's Beauty it crossed my eyes. It was okay, though.
vvbooklady's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This one pretty closely follows the plot of the original Beauty and the Beast, with the most notable difference being the addition of Belle’s woodcarving hobby that she picked up from her father. When she goes to live with the Beast at his enchanted estate, she encounters the legendary Heartwood Tree which, when carved, will reveal the face of one’s true love. The Beast insists she take on the task, believing that it will help him break his curse.
I felt like it had a lot of good potential that it just didn’t deliver on. The beginning seemed to be setting up an exploration of what true beauty is, but that theme was dropped by the time the curse broke. There were also a few other themes and character studies that were introduced and would have been really interesting if they had been followed through, but they weren’t, or at least not to the extent I would have liked to see.
Overall, still a nice story and a decent retelling, but with the potential to be amazing if the author had delved a bit deeper.
scribesprite's review against another edition
4.0
Nothing like true love to make a Fairytale story magical. The book doesn't start that way but the beginning is just supposed to lead up to that.
It starts with Belle saying how beauty is not -as some people would have you believe- in the eye of the beholder. Her two older sisters are considered beauties but for different reasons. The oldest is the dark haired mysterious type and the second is blond with the sunshine just bursting out of her. It's good to see the author show that beauty isn't restricted. However I don't see why they have to have unique eye colors. Green isn't really that common though you'd think so by how much people claim they have it.
She goes on to say how she doesn't think that she had any self-pity when she was younger because she isn't as beautiful as her sisters. I think she did. She isn't her name so it feels like it's a lie and that is what she doesn't like. People expect her to look beautiful and she doesn't. Belle comes to accept her looks just as they are when she grows older. Her relationship with her sisters strengthens when things start to go wrong. And you see that Belle's sisters are more than just their pretty faces.
The magic of the story doesn't take place until the last quarter of the book. In fact I don't see where the beast will come from until half the book is through. You don't see a lot of the beast at all until near the end. These are what kept me from giving it 5 stars. That, and that it was a bit cheesy. But that doesn't bother me so much. Its stays pretty true to the tale except for the fact that Belle isn't beautiful. Belle is a straight-shooting character so I like it.
It starts with Belle saying how beauty is not -as some people would have you believe- in the eye of the beholder. Her two older sisters are considered beauties but for different reasons. The oldest is the dark haired mysterious type and the second is blond with the sunshine just bursting out of her. It's good to see the author show that beauty isn't restricted. However I don't see why they have to have unique eye colors. Green isn't really that common though you'd think so by how much people claim they have it.
She goes on to say how she doesn't think that she had any self-pity when she was younger because she isn't as beautiful as her sisters. I think she did. She isn't her name so it feels like it's a lie and that is what she doesn't like. People expect her to look beautiful and she doesn't. Belle comes to accept her looks just as they are when she grows older. Her relationship with her sisters strengthens when things start to go wrong. And you see that Belle's sisters are more than just their pretty faces.
The magic of the story doesn't take place until the last quarter of the book. In fact I don't see where the beast will come from until half the book is through. You don't see a lot of the beast at all until near the end. These are what kept me from giving it 5 stars. That, and that it was a bit cheesy. But that doesn't bother me so much. Its stays pretty true to the tale except for the fact that Belle isn't beautiful. Belle is a straight-shooting character so I like it.
lumos_libros's review against another edition
4.0
I am totally in "like" with this series. Why do I go all mushy inside every time I read one? I guess I carry way too much estrogen but I'm not ashamed. No way. Part of the reasons fairy tales have been around so long is because they show us something about what the heart can do.
Belle doesn't fit her name. At least she doesn't feel like she does when she is next to her gorgeous sisters. The author doesn't make us feel sorry for Belle in the least, which I thought was odd but good. Though she isn't the beauty of the family she can carve wood. Her one true gift. And that gift is what brings her face to face with the beast and that's where the real story begins...
In many parts of the book I felt that the imagery and the lines just seemed to fit and go perfectly for the age old tale of the Beauty and the Beast. From the heartwood to the water that could show you what your heart most wished for. Belle is honest and can't see the beauty she does possess, and the Beast, though as painful as a figure as he is, you end up understanding him more than you would have anticipated. Nice touch about the eyes of the Beast. Belle's family is wonderful. Needless to say I truly enjoyed it and in all reality the book has gotten a 4.5 star rating from me.
You might be wondering why I used like instead of love. Well it's because of the rushed ending. I was excited to give this book 5 stars and talk about it to death, but then it ended way too fast. It gets too easy in the end for the protagonist each and every time. I know as readers we want to be spoiled from time to time, but I do wish to see more struggle and something that is fought hard for. It's not that the ending bothered me, but how fast everything goes once there is a resolution. The back story is always done superbly, but then it all gets hastily tied in a bow. I want the bow to be neater. Well enough with my metaphors. Even with my complaints do read the book to get a new take on this fairy tale.
Belle doesn't fit her name. At least she doesn't feel like she does when she is next to her gorgeous sisters. The author doesn't make us feel sorry for Belle in the least, which I thought was odd but good. Though she isn't the beauty of the family she can carve wood. Her one true gift. And that gift is what brings her face to face with the beast and that's where the real story begins...
In many parts of the book I felt that the imagery and the lines just seemed to fit and go perfectly for the age old tale of the Beauty and the Beast. From the heartwood to the water that could show you what your heart most wished for. Belle is honest and can't see the beauty she does possess, and the Beast, though as painful as a figure as he is, you end up understanding him more than you would have anticipated. Nice touch about the eyes of the Beast. Belle's family is wonderful. Needless to say I truly enjoyed it and in all reality the book has gotten a 4.5 star rating from me.
You might be wondering why I used like instead of love. Well it's because of the rushed ending. I was excited to give this book 5 stars and talk about it to death, but then it ended way too fast. It gets too easy in the end for the protagonist each and every time. I know as readers we want to be spoiled from time to time, but I do wish to see more struggle and something that is fought hard for. It's not that the ending bothered me, but how fast everything goes once there is a resolution. The back story is always done superbly, but then it all gets hastily tied in a bow. I want the bow to be neater. Well enough with my metaphors. Even with my complaints do read the book to get a new take on this fairy tale.
belles_bookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
I've always loved the story of "Beauty and the Beast". Probably from watching the Disney movie when I was really young(Belle was my favorite Disney princess). So I obviously had some high hopes for it. I can't say that I absouletly loved it, but like any fairy tale lover, the happy ending had me smiling.
Quick Overview: Belle feels like her name is a lie. One that you can see quite plainly when you look at her face. Belle means Beautiful and that is a word that describes her sisters, not her. Her sisters Celeste and April are Beautiful with a capital B. Belle knows that the old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" doesn't really ring true. Because isn't Beauty meant to be obvious? Is it really Beauty if you have to go looking for it? Belle must learn though, that where Beauty really comes from is the heart. When one can't use their eyes, it's the heart they see Beauty in.
Alright I know it sounds kinda chessy(that's because it kinda is), but Cameron Dokey does a much better job of explaining this stuff than my short blurb. At first I thought I'd have to read about a self-pitying girl who spends her time complaining about how she isn't as pretty as her sisters, but Belle tells it more as fact rather than with jealousy. Instead Belle just decides to hang in back where she can't be compared to her sisters (having two other sisters myself I can tell you that people actaully do this a lot). I really liked that the two sisters have opposite types of beauty. People relate it too much to a certain set of traits when beauty really has infinite meanings. It was also nice to see that the "Beauty" of the story wasn't gorgeous. I always thought that it wasn't fair that the Beast was loved by this beautiful girl. He didn't have to go and look into his heart or anything. He had a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. It was very satisfying to see that it was different in this version.
As most of Dokey's books in this series the first half is a little slow because it's setting up the backstory and ground work for the climax, but I never got bored. Just a little restless. I always feel like it wraps up too fast in the end and I would've liked to see more of the Beast. He doesn't show up until the second half which I think was a little unfair. And I just can't write this without saying that I hated the fact that the line "Oh, my love" was used in here. I'm sorry but that is just one of my peeves. I HATE that line. There's no getting past it.
Other than the fact that the end was a bit too fast and, okay, maybe a bit cheesy(it's a fairy tale though) I really enjoyed reading about Belle and Dokey does a really good job of expressing her ideas. Although I didn't love it, it was a very nice take on the old fairy tale.
Quick Overview: Belle feels like her name is a lie. One that you can see quite plainly when you look at her face. Belle means Beautiful and that is a word that describes her sisters, not her. Her sisters Celeste and April are Beautiful with a capital B. Belle knows that the old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" doesn't really ring true. Because isn't Beauty meant to be obvious? Is it really Beauty if you have to go looking for it? Belle must learn though, that where Beauty really comes from is the heart. When one can't use their eyes, it's the heart they see Beauty in.
Alright I know it sounds kinda chessy(that's because it kinda is), but Cameron Dokey does a much better job of explaining this stuff than my short blurb. At first I thought I'd have to read about a self-pitying girl who spends her time complaining about how she isn't as pretty as her sisters, but Belle tells it more as fact rather than with jealousy. Instead Belle just decides to hang in back where she can't be compared to her sisters (having two other sisters myself I can tell you that people actaully do this a lot). I really liked that the two sisters have opposite types of beauty. People relate it too much to a certain set of traits when beauty really has infinite meanings. It was also nice to see that the "Beauty" of the story wasn't gorgeous. I always thought that it wasn't fair that the Beast was loved by this beautiful girl. He didn't have to go and look into his heart or anything. He had a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. It was very satisfying to see that it was different in this version.
As most of Dokey's books in this series the first half is a little slow because it's setting up the backstory and ground work for the climax, but I never got bored. Just a little restless. I always feel like it wraps up too fast in the end and I would've liked to see more of the Beast. He doesn't show up until the second half which I think was a little unfair. And I just can't write this without saying that I hated the fact that the line "Oh, my love" was used in here. I'm sorry but that is just one of my peeves. I HATE that line. There's no getting past it.
Other than the fact that the end was a bit too fast and, okay, maybe a bit cheesy(it's a fairy tale though) I really enjoyed reading about Belle and Dokey does a really good job of expressing her ideas. Although I didn't love it, it was a very nice take on the old fairy tale.