Book Review: A Captivating Tale of Resilience and Self-Discovery
"What Makes a Girl 'Beastly?'" is a thought-provoking exploration of ambition, pride, and the complexities of personal desires. It delves into the life of Arabella, a young woman navigating the constraints placed upon her by societal expectations. While her parents wish for her to be sweet and compliant, Arabella's fiery spirit and wild dreams make her journey both relatable and inspiring.
The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Arabella's struggle to suppress her emotions leads to a curse that not only traps her but also endangers her loved ones. This pivotal moment serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of denying one's true self. The emotional depth of Arabella's character shines through as she grapples with feelings of guilt and hopelessness, ultimately making her journey of self-acceptance the heart of the story.
The introduction of Beau, a handsome thief, adds another layer to the tale. His initial desire for escape contrasts with Arabella's quest for love and redemption, creating a dynamic interplay between the characters. As they navigate the challenges of the curse, readers are treated to a beautiful message about the importance of trust and the transformative power of love.
This book masterfully captures the essence of breaking free from societal constraints and embracing one's true self. It reminds us that the most daunting prisons are often those created by our own fears and insecurities. With its engaging characters and compelling storyline, "What Makes a Girl 'Beastly?'" is a must-read for anyone seeking a story of resilience, hope, and the journey toward self-acceptance. #netgalley

I’m a sucker and enthusiast for fairytale retellings, and this story was a wonderful surprise! Arabella was such a breath of fresh air as a protagonist, and I loved that this book focused on themes of what it means for women to love their passions and not wanting to be defined into expectations from others. Absolutely enjoyed this tale and am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!!

Thank you net galley for this novel. I like this author and wanted to love this retelling of beauty and the beast. I tried a few times to get into this and love it but I couldn't find a connection with the main character.

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

At the very beginning of 2024, in January, I read one of Jennifer Donnelly’s books. I had heard great things about her writing, so when I saw that Poisoned was available on Libby, I borrowed it. If you've seen my rating and review of it, you know that I greatly enjoyed it. So when I saw that I could request Donnelly's upcoming release, Beastly Beauty, on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance. I had high expectations, and thankfully, this book did not disappoint.
In the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Beau—our gender-bent Beauty—who we learn is part of a group of thieves, traveling on a less than pleasant night. The thieves get lucky, however, when they spot a seemingly abandoned castle. They enter, and find all sorts of delicious food on the table in the dining room. They feast, and you would think they'd be satisfied and leave, but they are still thieves. They plan to rob whoever resides in the castle blind, but their plans are foiled when a creature finds them. Not a dog, not a bear—but a beast.
Most of the thieves, by some miracle, make it across the old bridge, but Beau isn't so lucky. The bridge gets destroyed by the group of men that rode across it in such a hurry, so Beau is now stranded at the castle—with the beast.
I have a couple of thoughts on Beau. I thought he could be really funny at times, but he could also be a little daft, and was quick to anger. He had a few issues, but what character doesn’t? There were times he irritated me, but I liked his character nonetheless.
Arabella took more time to grow on me, only because the beginning of the book is more focused on Beau instead of her. Once it did focus on her, I found that I liked her spirit, and I felt for her when she was told she must not pursue her passions. She had a really interesting backstory, and I ended up really liking her character.
While I had high expectations for Donnelly’s writing, I didn’t exactly have high expectations for the romance in this book, so I was pleasantly surprised when I actually found myself liking Beau and Arabella’s romance. I didn’t really care for the romance in Poisoned, so I thought this was definitely an improvement.
I’m sure it will come as a surprise to no one that I thought this book was beautifully written. The author managed to convey a very meaningful message through this book.
All in all, Beastly Beauty was another wonderful book from this author. I look forward to reading more of her writing in the future.

I was hooked as soon as I read this was going to be beauty and the beast but with the roles switched. How brilliant! I’m usually into stalker romances but this enemies to lovers was chefs kiss 💋 the back forth between Beau and Arabella had me smiling like a school girl, I loved this retelling and even more so because of the gender switch,

Gender swapping the characters in Beauty and the Beast, the story unfolds when Beau and his robber band end up at Arabella’s castle. When his men escape and the bridge across the moat collapses, Beau finds himself intrigued by Lady Arabella and entourage. Wondering why he is locked in his room at night, he ventures out and finds that at midnight Arabella turns into a beast, threatening them all. As the story goes, only love can break the curse and free her loved ones from a golden clock in the castle that imprisons them. Working together Beau and Arabella attempt to rebuild the bridge and escape together, ending the curse through their love. However, nothing works out as planned.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun Beauty and the Beast retelling. I really enjoyed the gender reversal in who was the beast, it was a perfect way to tell the story. I also loved the outward manifestation of Arabella’s emotions and how they were actual characters trapping her in this curse. This gave me some Inside Out vibes. Overall this was a fun fantasy novel.

loved loved loved!!! Such an amazing book with soo interesting plot, i really enjoyed the whole book, i ate it up!!!!!!!!!!

⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 🚪 Closed Door
Format: 📱

This was so enjoyable for me! This is a gender-swapped Beauty and the Beast retelling, with a twist. This review WILL HAVE SPOILERS which I've hidden below.

I thought the twist was so original. While I was able to guess at the twist a little bit once I got to the second or third character involved in it, that didn't take away from how much I liked it. <spoiler>I just thought the use of the FMC's own emotions as her curse and her jailers was both inventive and a really introspective choice. It makes you think about how your own emotions play a role in your actions and choices</spoiler>.

It's also been a long time since I just had a purely enjoyable reading experience like this. The book went by quickly, and the prose was uncomplicated, but there were funny moments, and the book dealt with the harder topics by bookending with lightheartedness, so it never felt too slow or heavy. But somehow that didn't take away from the impact of those topics. This was just a fun read from start to finish.

I loved this Beauty and the beast retelling. I loved seeing the typical roles swapped and having Belle be the Beast. I really liked so many aspects of this story that I don't want to go into detail about because it would be spoilers. I loved how this was fairytale with a mixture of dark aspects. I loved the characters and the setting. It was just a really cool book.

I enjoyed this a lot, which I expected since the author's previous retelling, Stepsister, was one of my favorite reads a few years ago. This gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast that challenges social gender norms was written engagingly and the characters felt very vivid. I will say that it got really long-winded in the middle, making it hard to push through, but the twist in the end made it worth it.

This gender-bent beauty and the beast retelling made for a fun and introspective read with an original twist on a well-loved classic.

BEASTLY BEAUTY by Jennifer Donnelly

I loved this witty and imaginative retelling of the old tale. A beauty, a beast, a thief, the reason for the curse . . . all surprising. The metaphors and lessons are wise and worldly, and Hope, Faith, and Love will accompany you. <3

Beastly Beauty has a unique take on the classic Beauty and the Beast story with a dark twist. The writing is vivid, and the atmosphere is well-crafted. However, the plot feels slow at times, and the characters, while intriguing, could have been more developed. The darker themes are compelling but sometimes overshadow the emotional depth. It’s a decent read, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential.

This book was good, not quite as good as I'd expected but I still enjoyed it. I've enjoyed other books by this author as well.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

No amount of words will ever be able to describe the joy and excitement I felt when I received this ARC. Growing up, the only Disney Princess Movie that I wanted to watch on repeat was Beauty & The Beast. Even in my adult years, that movie still holds a special place in my heart. At least, three times a month, I have to make room in my schedule to watch both the animated version and live-action version. Sometimes, I find myself watching both versions right after the other. Some might read this and think that I have a problem but I honestly don’t care. We are all allowed to have a movie that we just cannot quit and Beauty & The Beast is that movie for me.

Trying to compose this review right now is extremely difficult for three reason: (a) I just finished reading this beautiful novel and the urge to spoil the entire thing is on high alert; (b) my heart is overflowing with so much emotion on how amazing this novel was written as well as how the important themes were covered with gentleness and grace; and (c) I am currently in a review slump so my thoughts are kind of limited and all over the place

But… I can say this:

Beastly Beauty is a very unique retelling of the original Beauty & The Beast. What makes this story so unique is the gender-swap element that Jennifer Donnelly decided to create. Instead of a story being told from a Female Main Character (FMC) perspective, this story is told majority through the eyes of a Male Main Character (MMC), Beauregard Armando Fernandez de Navarre. Additional chapters are included that focus on the FMC Arabella (no last name mentioned) as well as and the background stories of all the side characters (i.e., the chef, footmen, lady maids, the baker, etc). Because I typically avoid retellings at all cost and though I was excited to request and receive this one, I am unsure as to how many different retellings of Beauty & The Beast currently exist. What I can say for certain though is that: NO ONE HAS DONE ONE QUITE LIKE THIS!!!

The way I am making room on my personal bookshelf for this beautifully written novel is not even funny. I mean, SERIOUSLY!!! Jennifer Donnelly created her own version of a fairytale that shines light on how the world, no matter the year of time, will make a woman feel so small just for wanting things outside of the norm. She shines light on how, at just the right time and place, someone will come along and show you why the world is the problem and not you. Jennifer Donnelly has written a story that reminds me of not only why I love reading so much but also why it is very important to both fall in love with myself and stay true to myself. There are a number of people in this world who are going to say: “No”; “You do not deserve this or that”; or “You aren’t good enough.” Your goal: BE STRONGER THAN THEIR OPINIONS BUT ALSO BE STRONGER THAN YOUR OWN INNER VOICES!!! Create the life you want and do it without any regrets!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastics Press for granting an Advance Reader’s Copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

Unfortunately I found this to be quite boring and I had to force myself to finish it. I honestly should have just DNF and gone on to something I actually wanted to read. I had heard good things about Jennifer Donnelly's fairtale retellings so I thought I would give this a go, but it just completely missed the mark for me.

I would rate this book a 3 for YA. As I am trying to expand my usual reading tastes, I keep seeing that YA is not my cup of tea. I did like the plot of the book, however for me it’s not what I prefer. For those who like YA, this might be a fan favorite.

This book was a struggle for me at times. I think it just didnt resonate with me through no fault of the author. I think I just wasn’t the right audience for this book.

I did like the idea of the Beauty and the Beast retelling. I think the author did it well with the reversal of roles.

I did finish the book because I wanted to see how the story wrapped up. I think for the right audience this would be a great book.