Unsightly

by Amber Garza

Layla has grown up hearing the rumors of the beastly boy who lives in the forest on the edge of town, but she knows there is no such person. It's nothing more than an urban legend. On the night of her high school graduation she drives through the forest to get home from a party when her tire hits water on the road, sending her car spinning into the trees. She slams her head and is out cold. Fortunately, a mysterious stranger shows up to help her. Hours later she wakes up in an old abandoned house, her savior shrouded in darkness. Over the next couple of days, he nurses her back to health, but she never sees his face. He wears a mask and refuses to take if off. In the final minutes before her departure, curiosity gets the better of her and she yanks his mask off. Immediately, she is horrified. His face is deformed and unsightly. Angry, he tells her that she's made a terrible mistake, and now she can't leave. While held prisoner, her captor waffles between cold and kind. It's in those kind moments that Layla feels drawn to him in a way she's never been to anyone before. As days morph into weeks, the coldness melts away and the two grow closer. She realizes that the stories the town has heard about the beastly boy are false. He's not the monster they've made him out to be. But Layla knows better than anyone that their love will never survive in the outside world. Therefore, she has a choice to make. One that she fears will end badly either way. This modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast reminds us that love is powerful, and it truly can conquer all.

Genres: Beauty and The Beast, Romance, Retellings, Contemporary, Fairy Tales

265 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2017

About the author

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they're real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is also home to another Amber Garza.

Reviews

[booknuts_]

yeah.........no this was more like Beauty and Stockholm Syndrome

So this book started off really good and I was interested and invested. But this book could have been soooooo much better if the story took more time in itself.

What I mean by that is it was short and fast. It made everything unbelievable especially the romance. The author mentions how much time has past and did try to take the time to explain in depth to the characters need for each other. She tried but everything happened so quick that I didn't believe the main character fell in love with the beastly boy!

This story needed more time to show that change that would truly have happened A LOT and I mean A LOT slower. Supposedly the main character was supposed to almost come off as shallow? I think...

Then after her experience in the woods with the beastly boy all of a sudden she's changed? I totally think in real life someone with that kind of experience would change but it didn't work with this story. I felt a little creeped out because it felt more of Stockholm syndrome than a fairytale retelling.

Overall: It had potential but fell flat for me.

Sexual Content: mild/none
Language: mild/none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
Violence: mild

[Caitlyn Santi]

4.5 stars!

[Theresa]

Beauty and the Beast

I love the story of Beauty and the Beast! No matter modern day or it's original version it's always been very humbling lesson. Additionally, a very romantic love story! Great job!

[Lisa Conant]

2.5

Briskly paced, YA leaning, it's not full of the depth I've come to yearn for but it'll hit the spot for a quick afternoon retelling read for some. Too many time jumps where we could've seen character building. A rushed curse explanation that felt shoe-horned Never got a good feel for his deformity. FMC just felt "flat". A cookie cutter feeling overall to the story that never got me truly invested.

[DeAnna Kinney]

Great Job!!!

This was a great read. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories, and this retelling did it great justice!! Good job!!!!

[Sara Jo]

It may be YA because of the age of the characters, but it was very childish and written in a style that made me feel like I was reading a book for 12 year olds. Not a great B&B adaptation.

[Kristy Marie]

Awesome

I love this Beauty and Beast spin. It was my favorite as a kid as well. Awesome awesome book! Highly recommended read.

[Bookbunny4]

Enjoyed it from beginning to end

I love books that make me smile on the inside. This is one of those books. There are a few things I wish would have developed a little more, but only because I enjoyed the characters so much. It is a beautiful retelling of one of my favorite stories.

[Heather]

A good solid Beauty and the Beast retelling. It only follows Layla's POV and that simplified things quite a bit. I liked all the retold details that brought the book together. Like while still having a "library" room in the study, it was really the piano that she wanted and was enthusiastic about.

[Meka Weaver]

this was pretty spot on. i really enjoyed reading this book. the story was nice and sweet and relatable. more of a in the now todays life thing. which is a good change when i have read so many. there are some twists and turns and the mystery brings the magic. i do recommend this book. happy reading.