Scan barcode
A review by storiesatstarfall
Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault
3.0
Star Rating: 3
This book had the hallmarks of something I should love: Belle, a fairytale remixed with historical context, and a whiff of magic. But this book suffered from such a glaring error that I could not manage a more favorable rating: characterization.
If you are looking for the cast of Disney's Beauty and the Beast that you know and love, then you will not find them here.
This Belle is not that Belle. The brave, bold, outspoken, independent young woman we know that fiercely fought for those she loved is not present here. This meek, passive, insecure, unconfident character is no one I know. The only vague connection to the original is the enjoyment of books and some glimpses of cleverness. But that is it. The name of the Beast was also changed, for inexplicable reasons. I do not know these characters as they are presented, and I cannot recognize them. If the Belle that is known in the Disney canon had been present, majority of this plot would not have happened—and that is where my frustration lies.
The writing and content on the whole was suitable for the younger YA crowd, the readers that need to be reminded to trust their instincts, have a healthy self-confidence, and not to be afraid of greatness or its responsibilities. It was a fair amount of telling over showing.
Honestly, the greatest problem is that this book tried to tell me this was a character I was supposed to know, and I feel this story would have benefitted heavily from being completely separated from the Disney canon. If the author had been given free reign to write a story of a reluctant commoner on the cusp of queenhood in a brink-of-bloody-revolution world that was not one readers are marketed to know, then this review would probably be more favorable for the actual story told.
Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an advanced copy for review.
This book had the hallmarks of something I should love: Belle, a fairytale remixed with historical context, and a whiff of magic. But this book suffered from such a glaring error that I could not manage a more favorable rating: characterization.
If you are looking for the cast of Disney's Beauty and the Beast that you know and love, then you will not find them here.
This Belle is not that Belle. The brave, bold, outspoken, independent young woman we know that fiercely fought for those she loved is not present here. This meek, passive, insecure, unconfident character is no one I know. The only vague connection to the original is the enjoyment of books and some glimpses of cleverness. But that is it. The name of the Beast was also changed, for inexplicable reasons. I do not know these characters as they are presented, and I cannot recognize them. If the Belle that is known in the Disney canon had been present, majority of this plot would not have happened—and that is where my frustration lies.
The writing and content on the whole was suitable for the younger YA crowd, the readers that need to be reminded to trust their instincts, have a healthy self-confidence, and not to be afraid of greatness or its responsibilities. It was a fair amount of telling over showing.
Honestly, the greatest problem is that this book tried to tell me this was a character I was supposed to know, and I feel this story would have benefitted heavily from being completely separated from the Disney canon. If the author had been given free reign to write a story of a reluctant commoner on the cusp of queenhood in a brink-of-bloody-revolution world that was not one readers are marketed to know, then this review would probably be more favorable for the actual story told.
Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an advanced copy for review.