Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?”

For my 2020 reading challenge, I needed a book published in my birth year. Not many of the books published that year appealed to me until I found this one — I’ve never actually read Beauty and the Beast in any form, though it’s one of my favorite fairy tales!

I knew right away that I’d have a hard time reading this book because I’m NOT a fan of classical literature styles — lots of description and explanations. I like to see more action, especially between characters. It did take me several days to get into the story, but once I was in, I was hooked. Because I’ve never read this story, I can’t compare it to written versions of the tale, but comparing it to the Disney movie (which most people have seen), I do wish they’d taken a few ideas from McKinley’s version (especially the family — I love the family connection).

Overall, if you’re a fan of Beauty and the Beast, I highly recommend this book. It might not be your exact literary style, but it’s still a fun, sweet read with all the magic you expect from this tale.

PG (the Beast does drink some wine). Get your copy here!