I really liked Jamie as a character. Dylan didn't deserve her. He's not a nice person. The Beauty and the Beast comparison is very loose here.

No matter what he does to fit in, Dylan has always felt like the odd man out. Honestly, though, what teenager doesn’t feel that way much of the time? But for Dylan, it’s real. He's larger, stronger, and hairier than other boys his age. “The Beast”, they call him. And not in a joking way. He has one friend, if you could call JP a friend. Buddies since childhood, he’s the only thing keeping Dylan from being a complete outcast.

When Dylan takes a tumble off his roof, his mom is convinced it wasn’t an accident. And so he finds himself in therapy. Just one session, he promises his mom. Surely he doesn’t belong among a group of kids who actually hurt themselves on purpose. Then he meets Jaime. And there’s a real connection. She’s beautiful, charming, funny, and she’s truly interested in him in spite of his differences. When he finds himself falling for her, he starts to believe that he actually can be part of a normal teenage relationship. And then he finds out that Jaime has something about her that he may not be able to cope with.

Beast was a difficult book to get into, but the character development and empathetic storyline made it a worthwhile read. Dylan, the main character, was unlikable and downright awful in the beginning. He undergoes a significant change throughout the novel and turns into a decent human being by the end of it, but it's a slow process. Beast does an amazing job at humanizing a trans character, Jamie is a well developed, interesting person. Really, she's the only character in the book I found myself caring about. It was agonizing to imagine her feelings, I so just wanted everything to turn out wonderful for her. I wonder how this book would have been different to read if I hadn't read the full description and didn't know about Jamie's truth. Knowing made me aware of every awkward moment, I think this greatly increased my empathy for her.

Sometimes Beast came across as a manual for how to/not to treat LGBTQ people, as though there was a checklist of important topics to cover. Despite the seeming checklist, all the topics are handled well and integrated into the narrative.

This is an important book that will hopefully cultivate empathy and understanding.

I had trouble getting into this book, but I think that was more me than the book.

A 2016 Cybils YA Fiction finalist. My heart ached for these characters. A fresh, moving, frank portrait.