The Rose: A Novel Based on Beauty and the Beast

Once Upon a Dream

by Jennifer Baker

In this new contemporary fairytale, Bonnie, a sweet teenage bookworm falls captive to a hideous beast-like boy who has been cursed to live his life alone unless he can love again.

Genres: Beauty and The Beast, Fairy Tales, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

This retelling was dull and unimaginative, even for a teen novel. If I had read it a few years ago when I was that age, I still would have found it boring.
The first half is a verbatim copy of the Disney film’s plot, complete with the inventor father, enchantress, wolves and a modernized “Gaston” villain, Gary the high school jock. The relationship between Beauty (Bonnie) and Beast (Peter) is the repeat of the same scenario. Bonnie is unimpressed by Peter’s wealth, virtually reality world and attempts to befriend her, while Peter complains that she enjoys her dull life, rather than being with him. The whining continues like average immature teenagers and then suddenly, they gain each other’s trust and start to become friends. Only for Bonnie to leave to be with her father as the Disney rip-off drama ensues. The climax is quick and rushed. The story should have been more elaborate at some points, but instead wastes ink and paper retelling the same scenario.
I know the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” is public domain and therefore open to interpretation, but I’m pretty sure there is some sort of copyright on a film script of a fairy tale. This borrows so much from the Disney plot that is loses creditability as a re-telling. Shame, it had such potential

[J.O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book from the book fair when I was in Jr. High. This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It stuck close to the storyline, but did have a few changes which I liked. I didn't want to put this book I kept reading it between breaks at work and right when I got home I finished it. A man named Peter has been cursed ever since he was just a boy. An old woman begged to come inside his house to eat a little and rest. He refused because he was having a party and believed his party to be more important than her. So she cursed him to be a beast and if he can not find love by his 21st birthday he will remain a beast forever. Bonnie wishes to be with a man of her dreams which is hard to find in her town. All the guys are interested in her especially Gary because he knows he can't have Bonnie she wants nothing to do with him. Bonnie's father goes away for a few days and after quite sometime Bonnie believes him to be missing The town folk don't seem to care at all and even laugh about it because Bonnie's dad is basically known as the town loon. Bonnie sets off to find her father herself. She finds him being held prisoner by a beast. She volunteers to take her father's place and so the beast let's her father go. Bonnie's father informs the town that Bonnie is being held prisoner by the beast, but no believes him. Gary believes Bonnie's father and vows to get her back along with his two friends. Gary believes it will be the key to Bonnie's heart. The beast keeps Bonnie prisoner for awhile and as they grow to know each other they become friends. The beast eventually allows Bonnie to go to her father because he realizes with the help of his nanny Rita that it's the key to her heart. When she returns to her father she hears of Gary going up to the beast's lair to try and kill him and rescue her. She and her father hurry to the lair and try to stop Gary from murdering the beast. The beast nearly dies, but as Bonnie says the words "I love you" he becomes a man and his wounds heal. And now Peter and Bonnie can live happily ever after. I absolutely loved and enjoyed this retelling. It wasn't boring plus it was a modern times retelling which made it interesting to see.

[Courtney Gruenholz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd probably round it up to 2.5 stars.

It wasn't awful but it's a retelling of Beauty and The Beast...a tale as old as time.

There wasn't anything to stand out from the others I've read except for the girl's father being an inventor and a lobster fisherman as well as the beast having a cyber/VR setup instead of a magic mirror.

Belle is called Bonnie
The Beast's real name is Peter
There's a Gaston stand in named Gary

I don't think there's anything else to tell or spoil. I found this book at the Goodwill and since I like romance and fairy tale retellings I bought it.

Short and sweet.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in middle school. Picked up it at the book fair. It was together with the author's other book based on Cinderella. This was kind of boring to me, even back then, but I really liked the writer at the time.

[Jessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall story is classic and cute, but the book as a whole was not very riveting. Bonnie was exactly how Beauty should be; sweet and caring. The Beast was not as endearing like in other versions. The use of technology was an interesting addition as well.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book, I got really down into it. It was exciting and like the fairytale, just only a bit different. Good read :)

[Eric Juneau · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, story time. When I was in school, I had a purple folder I reused for classes. As all my folders, it was covered in doodles, reminders, and scribbles. And one day I noticed in a small section was written "The Rose - Jennifer Baker". I have no idea when I wrote this or why I wrote this. My guess is it was middle school and it was a book one of my crushes was reading. One year passes into another and another and another and I rediscover it. And I forget about it. Then I rediscover it. And then forget about it again. This continues until I finally put it on my to-read list.

It's... it's not good. It says it's a "modern take" on Beauty and the Beast, but it sure as hell feels like it was made by and for the Disney movie. The father is an inventor (though this time he's a fisherman). There's a scene just like the "Bonjour" sequence where Belle goes around her high school and talks to all the characters. Gaston is there (and this time he's a bro, like the preppy guy in all the eighties movies). There's an enchantress, a ticking clock rose, a Mrs. Potts (the maid), and a fuzzy beast.

However, there is a fix to one aspect -- Belle is supposed to be the protagonist, but she never really learns anything. She was right all along. It's Beast who has to change, and this book focuses more on that. We get more of his perspective, his back story, and loads of his angst.

But the plot never deviates from the path laid out by the cartoon. I was hoping this would be closer to the Charles Perrault tale, where Belle has two spoiled sisters and her father is a merchant. But nope, it's like someone wrote fan fiction and said "It's Beauty and the Beast... but in modern day!" except you've got to do more than just fast-forward one hundred years to have an original story.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This in my book was basically a modern day retelling of Disney's beauty and the beast (A normal bookloving girl, an inventor father, a beast, a gaston like wannabe suitor, and an unbeleiving town.) However in this retelling there were some added variations of the classic tale as well. The characters were all fine -nothing spectacular, the plot was predictable and a little boring, the setting was really nice being by the sea. Overall, though it was a really really fast read, I found it a bit boring since it was soooo much like the disney version of the story which I like ok, but it would have been nice with more originality. So if you really really like the disney version you'll really like this book if you were expecting a super fresh new retellin of beauty and the beast you'll be a bit dissapointed as I was (at least I only paid about $0.50 for it!)

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the greatest retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is a really good and enjoyable book. It's too bad its out of print.

[Stephanie Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Beauty and the Beast ever since I was little and I watched the Disney version. Belle was always my favorite Disney princess. The Rose is just a more modern take on the classic story of Beauty and the Beast.

[The Fairy Godmother]

Based on Beauty and the Beast.

[Dominique · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have ever seen the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast, you do not need to read this book, ever, because it is the same story minus the music.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it in 8th grade...have been searching for it in bookstores ever since!

[Holly Badour · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm finally reading a ton of books off my bookshelf. This book is like reading the Disney beauty and the beast with a few minor changes because of this the book was boring and unimaginative.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager, it wasn't quite as good as I remembered it. Still I do love retold fairy-tales and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a teen book, but it was cute. I wish I would have read it 10 years ago...

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always loved Beauty and the Beast, and I still do. What a great novel.