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Enchanted Fairytales #1
Beautiful Beast
Calli is cursed by her beauty.
Though she knows it's cruel, Calli agrees to accompany her friends to Monster House where it is rumored the beast howls at the moon each sunset. When she hears him for the first time, her heart is wrenched by the anguish she hears in the sound.
Facing trespassing charges for her folly, Calli is forced to move into Monster House where she is to befriend the beast. Using the bribery offered by his father to gain some desperately needed money for her father, Calli accepts his terms. Horrified but trapped by her circumstance, Calli steps inside the doors of the great house to face the unknown.
Alex is cursed by his beastliness.
Alex believes Calli has bribed her way into his home in order to get a look at the beast of Monster House, and is determined to hate her. He isn't prepared as she batters down the hard walls of his soul with her kindness and humor.
Alex allows Calli into his inner sanctum, sharing with her the most private parts of his heart. But when he finds out the truth, will her love be enough to convince him of her true feelings, or will she lose him forever?
Note From the Author:
Beautiful Beast is the first short story for Enchanted Fairytales, an anthology of modern day fairytales told as if the original fairytale does not exist. Beautiful Beast is the contemporary story of Beauty and the Beast. I have long been fascinated by fairytales, and have wanted to write re-tellings of some of my favorites. So, I decided to do something about it.
New short stories in the Enchanted Fairytales will be released approximately bi-monthly (every two months) in eBook format if all goes according to plan. When all the fairytales are completed, they will then be compiled into a single anthology and will be available as both eBooks and in printed form.
I consider them the lead up to my full length Rapunzel novel to be released by Sweetwater Books in February 2013. I hope you enjoy them!
Though she knows it's cruel, Calli agrees to accompany her friends to Monster House where it is rumored the beast howls at the moon each sunset. When she hears him for the first time, her heart is wrenched by the anguish she hears in the sound.
Facing trespassing charges for her folly, Calli is forced to move into Monster House where she is to befriend the beast. Using the bribery offered by his father to gain some desperately needed money for her father, Calli accepts his terms. Horrified but trapped by her circumstance, Calli steps inside the doors of the great house to face the unknown.
Alex is cursed by his beastliness.
Alex believes Calli has bribed her way into his home in order to get a look at the beast of Monster House, and is determined to hate her. He isn't prepared as she batters down the hard walls of his soul with her kindness and humor.
Alex allows Calli into his inner sanctum, sharing with her the most private parts of his heart. But when he finds out the truth, will her love be enough to convince him of her true feelings, or will she lose him forever?
Note From the Author:
Beautiful Beast is the first short story for Enchanted Fairytales, an anthology of modern day fairytales told as if the original fairytale does not exist. Beautiful Beast is the contemporary story of Beauty and the Beast. I have long been fascinated by fairytales, and have wanted to write re-tellings of some of my favorites. So, I decided to do something about it.
New short stories in the Enchanted Fairytales will be released approximately bi-monthly (every two months) in eBook format if all goes according to plan. When all the fairytales are completed, they will then be compiled into a single anthology and will be available as both eBooks and in printed form.
I consider them the lead up to my full length Rapunzel novel to be released by Sweetwater Books in February 2013. I hope you enjoy them!
86 pages, ebook
First published April 25, 2012
15 people are currently reading
1701 people want to read
About the author
Cindy C. Bennett
23 books1,144 followersCindy C Bennett was born and raised in beautiful Salt Lake City, growing up in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains. She lives with two daughters, and three dogs. She also has two sons and two daughters-in-law. She volunteers her time working with teen girls between the ages of 12-18, all of whom she finds to be beautiful, fascinating creatures. When she’s not writing, reading or answering emails she can often times be found riding her Harley through the beautiful canyons near her home (yes, she rides a Harley and no, you'd never know it to look at her!).
Please visit the author’s website at
www.cindycbennett.com
Please visit the author’s website at
www.cindycbennett.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
March 23, 2013
Amo a Cindy!
A pesar de ser una historia Corta es realmente bella y me encanta, ademas creo que siempre que leo solo refuerza mi opinion de que lo que verdaderamente importa es el corazon no el fisico ♥
El amor lo puede todo! lo se soy una romantica xD
A pesar de ser una historia Corta es realmente bella y me encanta, ademas creo que siempre que leo solo refuerza mi opinion de que lo que verdaderamente importa es el corazon no el fisico ♥
El amor lo puede todo! lo se soy una romantica xD
April 12, 2013
Título: Beautiful Beast (Enchanted Fairytales #1)
Autor: Cindy C. Bennett
Sinopsis: Calli está maldecida por su belleza.
A pesar de que sabe que es cruel, Calli se compromete a acompañar a sus amigos a la Casa del Monstruo donde se rumorea que la bestia ruge a la luna cada puesta de sol. Cuando ella lo oye por primera vez, su corazón se retuerce por la angustia que escucha en el sonido.
Traspasando los límites de propiedad por su locura, Calli es forzada a mudarse en la Casa del Monstruo donde se hace amiga de la bestia. Usando el soborno ofrecido por el padre de él para ganar un poco de dinero desesperadamente necesario para el padre de ella, Calli acepta sus términos. Horrorizada pero atrapada por su circunstancia, Calli entra por las puertas de la gran casa para hacer frente a lo desconocido.
Alex está maldecido por su bestialidad.
Alex cree que Calli ha sobornado su entrada en su casa para echar un vistazo a la bestia de la Casa del Monstruo, y está decidido a odiarla. No está preparado cuando ella derriba las paredes duras de su alma con su amabilidad y buen humor.
Alex le permite a Calli entrar en su santuario interior, compartiendo con ella las partes más privadas de su corazón. Pero cuando descubre la verdad, ¿será su amor suficiente para convencerlo de sus verdaderos sentimientos, o lo perderá para siempre?
MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO: Mi personaje favorito es Alex, está rodeado de un aura de misterio en torno a lo que le sucedió. Es misterioso, parece peligroso pero es muy dulce y tiene un corazón increíble. Es un personaje complicado a primera vista, pero conforme te la autora nos adentra en su historia, lo amas en seguida.
Opinión: Llevo bastante tiempo leyendo versiones modernas de los cuentos clásicos. Y este, tal como se puede deducir del título trata sobre La Bella y la Bestia. Como ya sabéis me encantan las versiones modernas de los cuentos de hadas, pero ésta en particular me encantó. La trama de la historia sigue la del cuento pero hay muchos más detalles que te atrapan, los personajes secundarios juegan un gran papel en la historia. Y la historia de amor en sí se desarrolla de forma un poco diferente a la del cuento original, pero sin perder su esencia.
Puntuación: 4,3/5
Title: Beautiful Beast (Enchanted Fairytales #1)
Author: Cindy C. Bennett
Synopsis: Calli is cursed by her beauty.
Though she knows it's cruel, Calli agrees to accompany her friends to Monster House where it is rumored the beast howls at the moon each sunset. When she hears him for the first time, her heart is wrenched by the anguish she hears in the sound.
Facing trespassing charges for her folly, Calli is forced to move into Monster House where she is to befriend the beast. Using the bribery offered by his father to gain some desperately needed money for her father, Calli accepts his terms. Horrified but trapped by her circumstance, Calli steps inside the doors of the great house to face the unknown.
Alex is cursed by his beastliness.
Alex believes Calli has bribed her way into his home in order to get a look at the beast of Monster House, and is determined to hate her. He isn't prepared as she batters down the hard walls of his soul with her kindness and humor.
Alex allows Calli into his inner sanctum, sharing with her the most private parts of his heart. But when he finds out the truth, will her love be enough to convince him of her true feelings, or will she lose him forever?
MI FAVOURITE CHARACTER: My favorite character is Alex,he is surrounded by an aura of mystery about what happened to him. He is mysterious,he looks dangerous but he is very sweet and has an amazing heart. At first, he is a complicated character, but as the author takes us into his story, you can do nothing more than love him.
Opinion: Lately, I have been reading some modern versions of the classic tales. And this, as you might guess from the title, is about The Beauty and the Beast. As you know, I love the modern versions of fairy tales, but I particularly loved this one. The storyline follows the original tale but there are many more details than in the classic tales. The secondary characters play an important role in the story. And the love story itself unfolds a little differently than in the original story, but without losing its essence.
Punctuation: 4,3/5
September 28, 2014
Primero que nada, leyendo la sinopsis esperaba algo paranormal o cosas de ese estilo... Pero me sucedió algo extraño, él no es monstruo con todas las letras, es solo un joven atormentado por así decirlo.
Ella es bella, sí, pero pensé que habría más detrás de todo eso, digo me imaginé algo ...más con respecto a esa mención. O sea, ¿por qué lo menciona si el que sea bella no influye en nada el curso de la historia?
Es otro caso de sinopsis que no son tal como lo pintan.
De todas formas, me gustó. Sí, lo hizo. No pasará a la historia como uno de los mejores romances que he leído, puesto que le reservo ese puesto a Geek girl pero me repito se lee.
Tiene la conocida trama de la historia que todos de un modo u otro hemos conocido, La bella y la bestia, detalles más, detalles menos. Es lo mismo.
No pude evitar recordar mientras lo leí a Bestial de Alex Flinn, pero no tiene demasiado mucho en común así que lo obvié.
¿Romance? Inteligente. Ambos están obligados a pasar juntos un tiempo de seis meses en los que muchas cosas pudieron haber pasado pero no leímos porque solo son cien hojas pero el romance se da, y no es apresurado.
Ambos lo primero que necesitan es amistad, ella por sus razones, y él porque nunca tuvo una.
Así que la situación del romance no es obligado, ella no cae enamorada a la primera ni tampoco se desmaya por el "terror" de su "monstruosidad".
Él quiere parecer "oscuro" o ¿como se dice? ¿Asustarla? Para deshacerse de ella. Pero eso solo queda en un pensamiento porque tal cosa nunca sucede, desde el primer momento cae bajo el "encanto" de ella. Él es un tanto inseguro porque no está acostumbrado a las nuevas situaciones que ella le presenta. Y ella, no lo dice en el libro, pero está acostumbrada a ayudar a otro, dada la situación con su padre, así que se vuelca sobre Alex y lo ayuda en lo que puede, dándole ese espacio que el padre de él no puede darle ni con todo el oro del mundo ...
En realidad la historia es predecible, ni pum ni pam, pero es corta y el tiempo se pasa volando que es lo que necesitaba.
Ella es bella, sí, pero pensé que habría más detrás de todo eso, digo me imaginé algo ...más con respecto a esa mención. O sea, ¿por qué lo menciona si el que sea bella no influye en nada el curso de la historia?
Es otro caso de sinopsis que no son tal como lo pintan.
De todas formas, me gustó. Sí, lo hizo. No pasará a la historia como uno de los mejores romances que he leído, puesto que le reservo ese puesto a Geek girl pero me repito se lee.
Tiene la conocida trama de la historia que todos de un modo u otro hemos conocido, La bella y la bestia, detalles más, detalles menos. Es lo mismo.
No pude evitar recordar mientras lo leí a Bestial de Alex Flinn, pero no tiene demasiado mucho en común así que lo obvié.
¿Romance? Inteligente. Ambos están obligados a pasar juntos un tiempo de seis meses en los que muchas cosas pudieron haber pasado pero no leímos porque solo son cien hojas pero el romance se da, y no es apresurado.
Ambos lo primero que necesitan es amistad, ella por sus razones, y él porque nunca tuvo una.
Así que la situación del romance no es obligado, ella no cae enamorada a la primera ni tampoco se desmaya por el "terror" de su "monstruosidad".
Él quiere parecer "oscuro" o ¿como se dice? ¿Asustarla? Para deshacerse de ella. Pero eso solo queda en un pensamiento porque tal cosa nunca sucede, desde el primer momento cae bajo el "encanto" de ella. Él es un tanto inseguro porque no está acostumbrado a las nuevas situaciones que ella le presenta. Y ella, no lo dice en el libro, pero está acostumbrada a ayudar a otro, dada la situación con su padre, así que se vuelca sobre Alex y lo ayuda en lo que puede, dándole ese espacio que el padre de él no puede darle ni con todo el oro del mundo ...
En realidad la historia es predecible, ni pum ni pam, pero es corta y el tiempo se pasa volando que es lo que necesitaba.
April 26, 2013
It's official: nobody does broken souls finding redemption quite like Cindy Bennett.
You know why? Because she invokes love and hope, which is exactly what broken souls need, and let's be honest-- we're all broken at some point or another.
See, that's what I dislike about so many art-house films and lots of intellectual literature: that blatantly pessimistic view that life sucks and will always suck so just reconstruct your naive illusions of happiness and be satisfied with awful being the best anyone gets.
I get that suffering = art, but what I don't get is why happiness = trite.
This is not a new rant for me.
Anyway, my point is, Bennett writes fragile, vulnerable characters, who perhaps because of their youthfulness, aren't so jaded that they can't be redeemed.
It's beautiful. It makes me happy.
The only thing wrong with this story is that it's too short and things are rushed.
The end.
You know why? Because she invokes love and hope, which is exactly what broken souls need, and let's be honest-- we're all broken at some point or another.
See, that's what I dislike about so many art-house films and lots of intellectual literature: that blatantly pessimistic view that life sucks and will always suck so just reconstruct your naive illusions of happiness and be satisfied with awful being the best anyone gets.
I get that suffering = art, but what I don't get is why happiness = trite.
This is not a new rant for me.
Anyway, my point is, Bennett writes fragile, vulnerable characters, who perhaps because of their youthfulness, aren't so jaded that they can't be redeemed.
It's beautiful. It makes me happy.
The only thing wrong with this story is that it's too short and things are rushed.
The end.
August 22, 2012
I love these fairly tale inspired tales that Cindy is currently writing. This one is really good. I like how it is real life and not a fairy tale. Some times bad things happen to good people! Good story.
May 6, 2012
For a short novella, I loved this book. I read it during my breaks at work and keep wanting to go back and read more and more. I wished it was longer but I almost always wish that of my novellas. There was a little disconnect about her friend Eli. He was to come to the party but we do not know if he showed up and he appears distant at the end. I would love to have seen Eli explode at Alex for kissing Calli and for her to defend Alex. To me that would have explained the distance at the end. What happened to Jennae cause she was not mentioned at the end either. But other than these minor disconnects (and I mean minor) the book was so endearing.
Alex oh Alex I think I loved him even before Calli (that could be because I was in his head) because he is so caring and loving. What girl or women would not want a guy like Alex. Calli is beautiful on the outside but she is more than that because she is even more beautiful on the inside. I really wanted more but with it being apart of Cindy Bennett's Fairy tale modernization anthology I understand. I can't wait for the Rapunzel book in 2013.
I loved this book better than Beastly because Alex was this way because he tried to do the impossible and also because he is not "change back." Alex still has the scars and he has to still live with them. Also he is not a "beautiful beast" he is just beautiful.
Alex oh Alex I think I loved him even before Calli (that could be because I was in his head) because he is so caring and loving. What girl or women would not want a guy like Alex. Calli is beautiful on the outside but she is more than that because she is even more beautiful on the inside. I really wanted more but with it being apart of Cindy Bennett's Fairy tale modernization anthology I understand. I can't wait for the Rapunzel book in 2013.
I loved this book better than Beastly because Alex was this way because he tried to do the impossible and also because he is not "change back." Alex still has the scars and he has to still live with them. Also he is not a "beautiful beast" he is just beautiful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2014
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy-tale and I enjoy reading every retelling I can get. Some are wonderful. Others... not so much. Fortunately, "Beautiful Beast" is a version I am happy I took the time to read.
Bennett's story is a cross between Beastly by Alex Flinn and an adult paperback. No, no sex or anything inappropriate (the main characaters are teenagers), but it reminded me of a paperback in the sense that there is no magical happenings: just unfortunate, real-life (if perhaps slightly extravagant) situations.
What I liked best about Bennett's version is that both the "beauty" and the "beast" of the story grew as characters. When both of them made their first appearance, I did not like them at all (I really, really cannot like someone who whines about how everyone judges how absolutely beautiful she is. ugh). But they both made gains as characters and I liked them in the end. Which is exactly what I wanted from a weekend read!
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy-tale and I enjoy reading every retelling I can get. Some are wonderful. Others... not so much. Fortunately, "Beautiful Beast" is a version I am happy I took the time to read.
Bennett's story is a cross between Beastly by Alex Flinn and an adult paperback. No, no sex or anything inappropriate (the main characaters are teenagers), but it reminded me of a paperback in the sense that there is no magical happenings: just unfortunate, real-life (if perhaps slightly extravagant) situations.
What I liked best about Bennett's version is that both the "beauty" and the "beast" of the story grew as characters. When both of them made their first appearance, I did not like them at all (I really, really cannot like someone who whines about how everyone judges how absolutely beautiful she is. ugh). But they both made gains as characters and I liked them in the end. Which is exactly what I wanted from a weekend read!
February 24, 2013
At first I didn’t understand what this monster thing all about is. Since the story is modern and normal.
Alexander is human. He had an accident hence the disfigurement.
I honestly thought there’s some sort of magic involved here. I was kinda expecting Calli to kiss Alex and make him handsome again. That sort.
Why all the dramatics? Really. Even I wasn’t gripped with sadness when I learned about Alex’s story. How come Calli seemed to want to cry for him? Every freaking time. At mundane reasons. Pathetic.
The reason why father and son were estranged. Jesus Christ. Ridiculous.
Calli and Alex have known each other for days and they’re getting cozy already? I do not approve. Also there were no real complications. Other than the obvious. Plain and simple.
See me rolling my eyes.
Alexander is human. He had an accident hence the disfigurement.
I honestly thought there’s some sort of magic involved here. I was kinda expecting Calli to kiss Alex and make him handsome again. That sort.
Why all the dramatics? Really. Even I wasn’t gripped with sadness when I learned about Alex’s story. How come Calli seemed to want to cry for him? Every freaking time. At mundane reasons. Pathetic.
The reason why father and son were estranged. Jesus Christ. Ridiculous.
Calli and Alex have known each other for days and they’re getting cozy already? I do not approve. Also there were no real complications. Other than the obvious. Plain and simple.
See me rolling my eyes.
July 4, 2012
A very good remake of Beauty and the Beast
I was surprised with the length of this novel.. it's pretty darn short but it captured my attention. I finished this within two hours, actually. I love how truthful the story is. I mean, truthful in a way that the "beast" doesn't really become handsome again in the end.. but still, the "beauty" accepted him as he was.
I know some would say that this one's pretty predictable... but that's the thing about fairy tales (or in this case, a remake of a fairy tale).. we are guaranteed to have a happy ending. I guess I'm just a REALLY BIG fan of sappy old school love stories.
Off to the next book I go.. with a smile on my face because of this ;)
Thanks, Ms. Bennett! You did it again! ^_^
I was surprised with the length of this novel.. it's pretty darn short but it captured my attention. I finished this within two hours, actually. I love how truthful the story is. I mean, truthful in a way that the "beast" doesn't really become handsome again in the end.. but still, the "beauty" accepted him as he was.
I know some would say that this one's pretty predictable... but that's the thing about fairy tales (or in this case, a remake of a fairy tale).. we are guaranteed to have a happy ending. I guess I'm just a REALLY BIG fan of sappy old school love stories.
Off to the next book I go.. with a smile on my face because of this ;)
Thanks, Ms. Bennett! You did it again! ^_^
September 5, 2012
4.5 stars
Beautiful Beast was a really great read. Cindy C. Bennett is a talented writer who based her story on Beauty and the Beast, but in my opinion she made it her own. I really like the way the characters change from beginning to end. The characterization is really great in this story and the setting descriptions made it a delight to read. I found myself caring for the two main characters very quickly and found them to be very interesting and dynamic. I also like the constant conflict between the characters and the inner struggle that Alex faces with the 'beast'.
I was lucky enough to win this ebook in a giveaway and can't wait to read the rest of Cindy's books.
Beautiful Beast was a really great read. Cindy C. Bennett is a talented writer who based her story on Beauty and the Beast, but in my opinion she made it her own. I really like the way the characters change from beginning to end. The characterization is really great in this story and the setting descriptions made it a delight to read. I found myself caring for the two main characters very quickly and found them to be very interesting and dynamic. I also like the constant conflict between the characters and the inner struggle that Alex faces with the 'beast'.
I was lucky enough to win this ebook in a giveaway and can't wait to read the rest of Cindy's books.
September 25, 2012
Booooooooooring !!!
February 1, 2013
I love fairy tales & this is such an endearing retelling of Beauty & the Beast. So fun!
April 23, 2013
I can not even begin to say how much I loved this book!
February 23, 2015
Son de esas historias que no debes dejar de leer.
March 2, 2016
O MY GOSH!! THAT WAS SO SWEET! I just couldn't put it down. Just finished it in one sitting. Such a sweet emotional and humorous story, I'm so sorry it ended.
February 4, 2017
So sweet!! I love it!
August 15, 2025
Me gustó mucho esta historia, es super corta y ligera. En general estuvo muy bien y la siento ideal para pasar un bloqueo lector o para matar el rato con algo entretenido y confortable que no demande pensar mucho.
Al principio, por la sinopsis pensé que sería algo más de fantasía, en especial porque es un rettelling de "La bella y la bestia", pero no, es un romance contemporáneo sin nada de magia involucrada, así que sepan que nada mágico va a resolver los problemas de los personajes, salvo que contemos el dinero como magia.
Los personajes están bien, en especial Alex que la mayoría del tiempo dan ganas de abrazarlo. A Callie por ahí se la retrata como "la distinta, única y especial" pero no se insiste tanto con eso como para llegar a ser molesto, es fácil dejarlo pasar digamos. También se hace mucho incapié en que es muy hermosa y aunque eso sí llegó a ser un tanto molesto en algunas partes, hay que recordar que es un retelling de "La Bella y la Bestia" así que está justificado, supongo.
La confianza que se genera entre Calli y Alex se me hizo demasiado rápida, más considerando que tenían 6 meses para desarrollar todo eso y prácticamente se hicieron amigos en la primera semana. Me hubiera gustado que la tensión entre ellos durará un poco más, y también el drama cuando él descubrió por qué ella estaba ahí fuera un poco más intenso. Así y todo la escena de Alex con su papá me hizo emocionar un poco y hasta se me humedecieron los ojos.
en fin, me hubiera gustado un poco más de desarrollo y drama, sí, pero igual creo que esta historia no pretende ser más de lo que es: una hitoria corta y ligera para pasar el rato. Y bueno, está muy bien, se ganó unas sólidas 3 estrellas ★★★☆☆
Al principio, por la sinopsis pensé que sería algo más de fantasía, en especial porque es un rettelling de "La bella y la bestia", pero no, es un romance contemporáneo sin nada de magia involucrada, así que sepan que nada mágico va a resolver los problemas de los personajes, salvo que contemos el dinero como magia.
Los personajes están bien, en especial Alex que la mayoría del tiempo dan ganas de abrazarlo. A Callie por ahí se la retrata como "la distinta, única y especial" pero no se insiste tanto con eso como para llegar a ser molesto, es fácil dejarlo pasar digamos. También se hace mucho incapié en que es muy hermosa y aunque eso sí llegó a ser un tanto molesto en algunas partes, hay que recordar que es un retelling de "La Bella y la Bestia" así que está justificado, supongo.
La confianza que se genera entre Calli y Alex se me hizo demasiado rápida, más considerando que tenían 6 meses para desarrollar todo eso y prácticamente se hicieron amigos en la primera semana. Me hubiera gustado que la tensión entre ellos durará un poco más, y también el drama cuando él descubrió por qué ella estaba ahí fuera un poco más intenso. Así y todo la escena de Alex con su papá me hizo emocionar un poco y hasta se me humedecieron los ojos.
en fin, me hubiera gustado un poco más de desarrollo y drama, sí, pero igual creo que esta historia no pretende ser más de lo que es: una hitoria corta y ligera para pasar el rato. Y bueno, está muy bien, se ganó unas sólidas 3 estrellas ★★★☆☆
July 28, 2021
Calli se mete en problemas y eso hace que llegue a conocer a Alex apodado el monstruo, lo que ambos no saben es que entre ellos surgirá una amistad que hará que Alex logre abrirse y sanar sus heridas internas.
Un hermoso retelling de la historia de la Bella y la Bestia en do de el amor va más allá de lo físico.
Un hermoso retelling de la historia de la Bella y la Bestia en do de el amor va más allá de lo físico.
August 15, 2017
I actually thought that this was an interesting modern retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. Enjoyable.
July 22, 2020
La historia fue hermosa, un gran reeteling de la bella y la bestia, me encantaron los protagonistas y como se fue desarrollando todo.
January 2, 2024
Powerful and poignant. I did feel that it moved a bit too fast and needed more time for development though.
July 24, 2025
Me gusto, bastante tierna y muy dulce
October 19, 2013
If you've read or watched 'Beastly', skip this. Because this is just a less stellar re-write.
I love 'Beauty and the Beast' stories, so when I saw this... at any rate, I really got angry at this book. Because it PISSES ME OFF so badly when only half of the disfigured dude's face is messed up. Because obviously, in literature, one can only be scarred/burned on half of one's face. It's the sign of a rotten, lousy writer, IMO, when I see that crap. Stupid, stoopid, StOopid...! And they always do that. C'mon. Fire doesn't know when to stop, it's FIRE. So annoying. But these authors who do this must have ONE perfect side of the face, or their heroine couldn't POSSIBLY love the beast. (?!)
And this book SO echoed the movie, idea for idea... except not done as well. Both had the beautiful girl at school who was poor and lived with her substance abusing father. Both of them had the nerdy tutor in tweed pants (but Neil Patrick Harris was far and away a better character than this book's tutor). They both had the blackmailing to get her to stay with him. They both had the beast (Alex Pettyfer in the movie, 'Alex' in the book) as a guy with wavy blonde hair, hot pecs and soulful eyes. They both had the dark-haired beauty with the modern, sassy attitude. Both of them had the rich father and the amazing view from the top-dollar place Alex/Alex lived at. The movie had a kewl rooftop garden. The movie had Kendra. The movie was better than THIS.
The ONLY thing that kept me from giving this one star was that the father figure was done better. He was sympathetic to his son's plight, although there was a ridiculous thread thru it - supposedly Alex had been seeing a shrink for EIGHT years, but never said that he felt guilty for being the one who lived, while his mom and sister died in the fire. And of course Alex thought his dad resented him for living, when really he was just sorry for what happened, at all. Which... what is the POINT of the eight years of counseling, if the actual problem was never addressed?! Poor writing. No shrink would be that inept.
Yeah. This was... not good. Watch (or better yet, READ) 'Beastly', instead.
I love 'Beauty and the Beast' stories, so when I saw this... at any rate, I really got angry at this book. Because it PISSES ME OFF so badly when only half of the disfigured dude's face is messed up. Because obviously, in literature, one can only be scarred/burned on half of one's face. It's the sign of a rotten, lousy writer, IMO, when I see that crap. Stupid, stoopid, StOopid...! And they always do that. C'mon. Fire doesn't know when to stop, it's FIRE. So annoying. But these authors who do this must have ONE perfect side of the face, or their heroine couldn't POSSIBLY love the beast. (?!)
And this book SO echoed the movie, idea for idea... except not done as well. Both had the beautiful girl at school who was poor and lived with her substance abusing father. Both of them had the nerdy tutor in tweed pants (but Neil Patrick Harris was far and away a better character than this book's tutor). They both had the blackmailing to get her to stay with him. They both had the beast (Alex Pettyfer in the movie, 'Alex' in the book) as a guy with wavy blonde hair, hot pecs and soulful eyes. They both had the dark-haired beauty with the modern, sassy attitude. Both of them had the rich father and the amazing view from the top-dollar place Alex/Alex lived at. The movie had a kewl rooftop garden. The movie had Kendra. The movie was better than THIS.
The ONLY thing that kept me from giving this one star was that the father figure was done better. He was sympathetic to his son's plight, although there was a ridiculous thread thru it - supposedly Alex had been seeing a shrink for EIGHT years, but never said that he felt guilty for being the one who lived, while his mom and sister died in the fire. And of course Alex thought his dad resented him for living, when really he was just sorry for what happened, at all. Which... what is the POINT of the eight years of counseling, if the actual problem was never addressed?! Poor writing. No shrink would be that inept.
Yeah. This was... not good. Watch (or better yet, READ) 'Beastly', instead.
July 17, 2014
This was a sweet short story, even if it did remind me of Beastly way too much. But I guess that is unavoidable when they are both adapted from the same story. In this Calli and her friends sneak up to the mansion of the local freak to get a peak at him, but she gets caught, and in exchange for not pressing charges, the owner of the house wants her to stay and become friends with his son. Turns out that Alex is just a regular 17 year-old guy who was badly scarred in a fire. So Calli lives with them for several months, and at first Calli and Alex become very good friends. She helps him come out of his bubble, let go of some of his guilt, reconcile with his father. She is a great friend to him, until the day that she realized that that is not all there is to it. She is in love with him.
Alex wasnt the typical beast. There was nothing about being a beast on the inside or having to become a better person. He was a great guy from the beginning, even if he had a bit of a temper sometimes. He didnt really have to change for Calli, he had nothing to prove. But she made him better anyways. Thats what love does. I did find it strange that their town had so many horror stories about the monster on the hill, when it was just a scarred teenager. It seemed strange and unlikely. But, I did sort of like the fact that Alex was still scarred in the end. It sucks for him, of course. But there was nothing paranormal about this so he couldnt turn into a handsome prince after Calli declared her love. And in a way that just makes it better. Calli didnt need to be rewarded for some sort of charity. She loved the Alex that she knew, and that is the Alex that she got and she did not have a problem with that. :)
Alex wasnt the typical beast. There was nothing about being a beast on the inside or having to become a better person. He was a great guy from the beginning, even if he had a bit of a temper sometimes. He didnt really have to change for Calli, he had nothing to prove. But she made him better anyways. Thats what love does. I did find it strange that their town had so many horror stories about the monster on the hill, when it was just a scarred teenager. It seemed strange and unlikely. But, I did sort of like the fact that Alex was still scarred in the end. It sucks for him, of course. But there was nothing paranormal about this so he couldnt turn into a handsome prince after Calli declared her love. And in a way that just makes it better. Calli didnt need to be rewarded for some sort of charity. She loved the Alex that she knew, and that is the Alex that she got and she did not have a problem with that. :)
February 9, 2013
Let me be honest. In my childhood I was one of those girly girls completely in love with fairytales. Pocahontas, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and yep you guessed it Beauty and the Beast were among my favorites. So you can already imagine my joy in being able to snuggle up to a modern interpretation of one of these fairytales.
So here's my take on Beautiful Beast: it is a short story that somehow manages not to feel like one. It has great character development and the storyline is also well set up and well developed. The characters felt real and I in particularly really liked Calli. She was strong and stubborn yet sweet, funny and humble. Alex is haunted by his past and his story is sad and turns out to be pretty heartwarming. The romance between these two was quite beautiful as was their friendship.
I love Bennett's interpretation of this classic. This is, hands down, one of the best YA short stories I've ever read. I would recommend this read to those of you who enjoy happy endings, romance and/or fairytales.
*I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
To see more of my reviews visit my blog TiffanyLovesBooks
So here's my take on Beautiful Beast: it is a short story that somehow manages not to feel like one. It has great character development and the storyline is also well set up and well developed. The characters felt real and I in particularly really liked Calli. She was strong and stubborn yet sweet, funny and humble. Alex is haunted by his past and his story is sad and turns out to be pretty heartwarming. The romance between these two was quite beautiful as was their friendship.
I love Bennett's interpretation of this classic. This is, hands down, one of the best YA short stories I've ever read. I would recommend this read to those of you who enjoy happy endings, romance and/or fairytales.
*I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
To see more of my reviews visit my blog TiffanyLovesBooks
January 5, 2013
This review is also on my blog: Books for Kids
Generally I'm not that fond of self published titles, but I've read some of Cindy Bennett's traditionally published work before and so I figured this was a pretty safe bet. I really enjoyed the contemporary take on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. It was very short and I read it in one sitting.
There were some elements to the story that I didn't find believable, but chose to overlook them. There were some grammatical issues that drove me a bit crazy, like using the wrong spelling for the same word over and over. But other than the little things like that, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun, romantic teen read that stayed nice and clean throughout.
The characters were fun and I enjoyed their teasing and bantering. Callie has a bright personality and she is able to win over just about everyone she come in contact with. Alex is complex, and carries a lot of weight emotionally and physically. Callie quickly looks past Alex's appearance to uncover the beautiful person underneath the skin.
Generally I'm not that fond of self published titles, but I've read some of Cindy Bennett's traditionally published work before and so I figured this was a pretty safe bet. I really enjoyed the contemporary take on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. It was very short and I read it in one sitting.
There were some elements to the story that I didn't find believable, but chose to overlook them. There were some grammatical issues that drove me a bit crazy, like using the wrong spelling for the same word over and over. But other than the little things like that, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun, romantic teen read that stayed nice and clean throughout.
The characters were fun and I enjoyed their teasing and bantering. Callie has a bright personality and she is able to win over just about everyone she come in contact with. Alex is complex, and carries a lot of weight emotionally and physically. Callie quickly looks past Alex's appearance to uncover the beautiful person underneath the skin.
July 18, 2014
The nice thing about this book is it's short so you can finish it in one day. The sad thing about this book is it's short so you can finish it in one day.
So this was a recommendation from a friend. What got me interested was that their take on this was to make the beast a burn victim. It's a modern retelling and more of a novella that is about 80 pages. What bothered me was that because it was so short I couldn't really experience it as much as I wanted to.
But dang it I totally loved Alex by the end.
The writing is alright. I wanted to count how many sentences started with "She" because it drove me nuts. Such a lack of variation. It was also a bit awkward at times with the dialog, particularly with how much they'd say Alex. And I figured things would be a bit fast paced and therefor be a bit hard to follow and feel what the characters felt so that didn't surprise me per say.
Anyway, if you're looking for a quick light read, this is definitely one to consider. It's cute and sweet. I like some of the banter. I'm not really a sap but it was sweet. I have more stories from this author so we'll see how it goes.
So this was a recommendation from a friend. What got me interested was that their take on this was to make the beast a burn victim. It's a modern retelling and more of a novella that is about 80 pages. What bothered me was that because it was so short I couldn't really experience it as much as I wanted to.
But dang it I totally loved Alex by the end.
The writing is alright. I wanted to count how many sentences started with "She" because it drove me nuts. Such a lack of variation. It was also a bit awkward at times with the dialog, particularly with how much they'd say Alex. And I figured things would be a bit fast paced and therefor be a bit hard to follow and feel what the characters felt so that didn't surprise me per say.
Anyway, if you're looking for a quick light read, this is definitely one to consider. It's cute and sweet. I like some of the banter. I'm not really a sap but it was sweet. I have more stories from this author so we'll see how it goes.
June 15, 2013
*Incredibly* clunky start - to the point where I wondered whether I actually wanted to read this. It starts with Calli complaining about how beautiful she is, claiming it is her curse, but there is *nothing* given that would start to explain why this is a curse. She just had to be beautiful and aware of it.
The clunkiness carries on for a while, but when Calli moves into the house on this hill things start to improve. The slow growth of the friendship between the two characters was nice to read about, though there were chunks of time that were skipped and then there were some scenes that didn't make sense.
What's more, a lot of importance was put on Eli. I expected him to be the Gaston of the story, but he didn't actually play any role at all. In fact, none of her friends did. They either needed a bigger role or to condensed down into fewer characters (4 just made things awkward).
There was a good idea behind the story but the execution let it down in some areas. I know that this is only a novella, but it still needed to be explored more in places.
The clunkiness carries on for a while, but when Calli moves into the house on this hill things start to improve. The slow growth of the friendship between the two characters was nice to read about, though there were chunks of time that were skipped and then there were some scenes that didn't make sense.
What's more, a lot of importance was put on Eli. I expected him to be the Gaston of the story, but he didn't actually play any role at all. In fact, none of her friends did. They either needed a bigger role or to condensed down into fewer characters (4 just made things awkward).
There was a good idea behind the story but the execution let it down in some areas. I know that this is only a novella, but it still needed to be explored more in places.
April 11, 2016
My rating for this book is 3.9 stars.
Es un poco cursi, pero es una historia que enamora.
Es una historia que leía y veía cuando era pequeña, disfrutando de castillos, un hombre condenado a ser una bestia (muy mona) y una chica pobre que termina convirtiéndose en princesa y vivieron felices para siempre.
Eventualmente crecí y me enoje con estas historias porque me hicieron creer en cuentos para nada reales, pero Cindy toma esta historias llenas de fantasía y lo lleva a la realidad.
Alexander es un monstruo que nadie ve sino solo oye en las noches, que vive en una mansión lujosa separado de todo el mundo. Callinda es extrovertida, una chica pobre (cosa que se mantiene de la historia original) que comete un error, que termina convirtiéndose en lo mejor que le ha pasado en su vida. Me gusta que Alex sea tan humano, que sus cicatrices sea cosa de una terrible experiencia personal.
Es una historia corta, un cuento para ser mas exactos. Fantasía llevada a la vida real,. ¿Quien no querría leerlo?
Es un poco cursi, pero es una historia que enamora.
Es una historia que leía y veía cuando era pequeña, disfrutando de castillos, un hombre condenado a ser una bestia (muy mona) y una chica pobre que termina convirtiéndose en princesa y vivieron felices para siempre.
Eventualmente crecí y me enoje con estas historias porque me hicieron creer en cuentos para nada reales, pero Cindy toma esta historias llenas de fantasía y lo lleva a la realidad.
Alexander es un monstruo que nadie ve sino solo oye en las noches, que vive en una mansión lujosa separado de todo el mundo. Callinda es extrovertida, una chica pobre (cosa que se mantiene de la historia original) que comete un error, que termina convirtiéndose en lo mejor que le ha pasado en su vida. Me gusta que Alex sea tan humano, que sus cicatrices sea cosa de una terrible experiencia personal.
Es una historia corta, un cuento para ser mas exactos. Fantasía llevada a la vida real,. ¿Quien no querría leerlo?
February 18, 2014
Beauty and the beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. This is not a bad retelling but it wasn't the greatest. Maybe because it was a short novella it didn't seem to capture the story in depth. I've read another book by the author and know she's capable of so much more but this book felt like a book written by a new writer.
Right from the beginning I felt hesitation in continuing but since it was so short I had to finish. I don't like books where the author continues to TELL me how beautiful the heroine is and what bothered me more was how she repeatedly mentioned it. I find that cheesy and unbearable to read. I like to decide for myself without being told.
Anyway it's ok but I'm glad it was short or I wouldn't have finished it. The whole story felt rushed.
Right from the beginning I felt hesitation in continuing but since it was so short I had to finish. I don't like books where the author continues to TELL me how beautiful the heroine is and what bothered me more was how she repeatedly mentioned it. I find that cheesy and unbearable to read. I like to decide for myself without being told.
Anyway it's ok but I'm glad it was short or I wouldn't have finished it. The whole story felt rushed.
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