read this book for the first time last year and wow, it blew me away. [b:Beauty and the Beast|41424|Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|Robin McKinley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169613617s/41424.jpg|2321285] is one of my favorite fairy tales and McKinley really makes the story come alive. I think I told everyone I knew to read it. ( )

I've been putting off reading this for awhile, thinking it was going to be a simple book for children that I could breeze through in an hour or two. Boy, was I wrong. Beauty is exactly what it's name implies, absolutely beautiful. I did get through it in one sitting, but only because I couldn't put it down and stayed up well past 2 in the morning (on a weeknight, no less. Not many books can compel me to lose that much sleep). Now, I'm dying to go find the rest of Robin McKinley's books and devour them the same way.
Having read a few versions of this story after I saw the Disney movie as a kid (my favorite of the princess movies), this one is now at the top of my list. Beauty is a wonderfully written character, more fleshed out than in any other portrayal, and the beast is easy to fall in love with right along with the heroine. The only thing I didn't love was part of the ending, it felt a little rushed and unexplained, without the amount of tension I was hoping for. Despite that, this will be a book that I will likely read over and over again and recommend to all my friends. ( )

Reviewed by Patricia (Class of 2012)
"Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. " I love this book because Kyle (who get turns into a Beast by a witch/classmate named Kendra) learns that looks and moeny arent everything and they cant get you through every single little mistake of life. Kyle finds true love and how to care about others. P.S. its going to be turned into a major movie next year :) ( )

Robin McKinley's Beauty is a beautiful and wonderfully written romantic re-telling of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast. The youngest and plainest of three daughters, Honour - nicknamed "Beauty" - lives very happily in the city with her loving father and sisters until their fortunes change suddenly and they are forced to sell their grand house and things and move into the country. The family adjusts well to their reduced circumstances, and are happy together in the country.

On his way home from a business trip into the city, Beauty's father becomes hopelessly lost in an enchanted forest. Out of his mind with fatigue and cold, he happens upon a magical castle at the center of the wood. In stopping to rest, Beauty's father unknowingly will change the course of the lives of all of his family.

In case you are unfamiliar with the classic tale, I will not spoil it for you here with further details. One thing you should know is that despite being packaged and targeted toward a YA audience recently, you will be missing out on something really special if you dismiss it as a "kid's" book. Beauty is a rich re-telling with vivid details and captivating characters.

McKinley's writing is incredible, with an astounding depth that the classic tale doesn't have. The characters are animated and brilliantly defined, becoming dynamic and realistic for the reader. Beauty is a fantastic heroine - full of strength, intelligence and bravery. Though she doesn't see herself as beautiful, the Beast certainly does. He is an amazingly sympathetic character, with profound insight into character and integrity.

In Beauty, Robin McKinley paints the reader into the marvelous world of fairy tale and myth. Her descriptions - which a few reviewers refer to as "too much" - were delicious to me, making the overall story all the more enjoyable for me. The atmosphere she created left me spellbound and wanting more!

I initially chose to read Beauty - as part of the Take a Chance Challenge - because it was first published in 1978, the year I was born. Since I have previously read McKinley's Sunshine and found it somewhat lacking, I'm not sure I would have picked up Beauty had I not needed to read a book published in 1978. Fortunately, Beauty more than met my expectations. It is an enchanting story, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the fantasy of fairy tales. ( )

Given the book summary and some other reviews, I was expecting to read the screenplay for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Thankfully, the book was much better - very imaginative! I enjoyed the book almost all the way through. At the end it felt like the story was wrapped up in a hurry, and in order to do so, some of the characters transformed in Disney-like fashion to the stereotypical fairy tale roles. Still a good read. ( )