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Spellbound: A Young Adult Twist on Beauty and the Beast
This beauty is a real beast... High school senior Holly Kent has everything she could ever want perched at the top of Eastside Country Day’s social structure. She's one of the most gorgeous girls in school. She wins every award. All the boys want to date her. And all the girls want to be her. But when a jealous rival casts a spell and ends Holly’s reign as queen bee overnight, she loses it all—including her beauty. Forbidden to reveal her situation to anyone, Holly must adjust to a new life and find out if she has the strength to change her heart before it's too late. Carson Isaac lives on the fringe of Eastside's social scene. He never quite fit in, but an education at one of the city's best schools could help jumpstart his future. Then, one fateful winter day, he sees his secret crush—the real Holly Kent—for the first time. Nothing will ever be the same. As romance blossoms, can Holly and Carson navigate their new reality in time? Or will they be bound by the evil spell forever?
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2017
72 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Sara Celi
35 books224 followersNew Orleans born Sara Celi has lived all over the United States. She calls the Greater Cincinnati area and the Queen City home.
She has spent more than a decade working in journalism and broadcasting, with jobs both on-air and off-air at TV stations in Louisiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications, magazines and newspapers, and she is a contributing author to Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Power of Positive.
Sara graduated cum laude from Western Kentucky University in 2004.
In her spare time, she likes to read, shop, write, travel, run long distances, volunteer with the Junior League, and fund raise for Cooperative for Education, a non-profit providing educational opportunities for Guatemalan kids.
She has spent more than a decade working in journalism and broadcasting, with jobs both on-air and off-air at TV stations in Louisiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications, magazines and newspapers, and she is a contributing author to Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Power of Positive.
Sara graduated cum laude from Western Kentucky University in 2004.
In her spare time, she likes to read, shop, write, travel, run long distances, volunteer with the Junior League, and fund raise for Cooperative for Education, a non-profit providing educational opportunities for Guatemalan kids.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 9, 2018
Spellbound is like a beauty and the beast type story. I wasn’t really expecting to like it as the beginning was a little bit slow and the main character frustrated me. Holly was a mean girl. Even referred as the Regina George (Mean girls movie) of her high school. She was rude and crude to her classmates, even to her closest friends. She was queen bee and had every intention of making senior year one to remember. Until her lifetime ago friend Louise, puts a spell on her and everything changed. She became almost unrecognizable in her appearance. Becoming a hermit crab and people staying far away from her. Carson might be her savior but will he stop the curse in time.
It reminds me of “Beastly” the movie, having a spell casted by a witch and not resolved until the end of the school year. It really was a great story and well written but was something I have already seen before. I really had a great time reading the story though, only took a couple hours. After you get past the first few chapters the story picks up and becomes a true page turner. Great world creating, I could picture everything in my head like it was on my tv. Even through the many distractions of having an almost six-year-old, I was on task to finish in a few hours and guess what, I did!
It was a great story and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
It reminds me of “Beastly” the movie, having a spell casted by a witch and not resolved until the end of the school year. It really was a great story and well written but was something I have already seen before. I really had a great time reading the story though, only took a couple hours. After you get past the first few chapters the story picks up and becomes a true page turner. Great world creating, I could picture everything in my head like it was on my tv. Even through the many distractions of having an almost six-year-old, I was on task to finish in a few hours and guess what, I did!
It was a great story and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
July 25, 2022
Very similar to the movie Beastly (a movie I love)
June 11, 2017
Sara Celli did such a great job in this rendition of beauty and the beast. This is my first book of hers and I'm completely blown away. Not only was the story easy to follow but it's something different and relatable to what school is now days.
This book follows the story of popular high school student Holly and the school outcast Carson.
Holly being the leader of the popular crowd, has gotten her status by being the mean girl to everyone and treating everyone like crap. All she believes in is looking perfect and lives by her motto of being feared is better than being loved. But how she acts in public is much to camouflage how ugly things are at home. With an absent father and a mother seems just as absent, she relies on the attention she gets at school. Even if it means being cruel to others to maintain her image. Especially to Carson.
Carson who's the wallflower, secretly crushes on Holly. Not even her mean words get to him being used to being the school's joke for being deaf in one ear. None of it gets to him being that he's got more important things to worry about. Being from the wrong side of town and his own family issues at home.
Everything changes the night of Holly's party to celebrate her win as school president. Having already being mean to and kicking out Carson and his friend Kevin, Louise shows up in time to receive some more of Holly's mean words to kick her out of her party. That's when Louise casts a spell for Holly to be as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside.
Holly starts to see things in a new light after being affected by the rejections of not only her school mates but even more from her own parents. The only ones who seems to want to really be there for her at her lowest is Carson and her stand in mother and employee Rose Marie.
I really enjoyed this story. Especially how it represented how social media has over taken the lives of teenagers these days. Being used as a tool for more popularity but also a tool for bullying. I am a nosey reader though and wished I had more of an epilogue and more information on Rose Marie. It still doesn't take away from the great story written. I would totally recommend this cute and sweet read. Can't wait to read more from Sara Celli.
This book follows the story of popular high school student Holly and the school outcast Carson.
Holly being the leader of the popular crowd, has gotten her status by being the mean girl to everyone and treating everyone like crap. All she believes in is looking perfect and lives by her motto of being feared is better than being loved. But how she acts in public is much to camouflage how ugly things are at home. With an absent father and a mother seems just as absent, she relies on the attention she gets at school. Even if it means being cruel to others to maintain her image. Especially to Carson.
Carson who's the wallflower, secretly crushes on Holly. Not even her mean words get to him being used to being the school's joke for being deaf in one ear. None of it gets to him being that he's got more important things to worry about. Being from the wrong side of town and his own family issues at home.
Everything changes the night of Holly's party to celebrate her win as school president. Having already being mean to and kicking out Carson and his friend Kevin, Louise shows up in time to receive some more of Holly's mean words to kick her out of her party. That's when Louise casts a spell for Holly to be as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside.
Holly starts to see things in a new light after being affected by the rejections of not only her school mates but even more from her own parents. The only ones who seems to want to really be there for her at her lowest is Carson and her stand in mother and employee Rose Marie.
I really enjoyed this story. Especially how it represented how social media has over taken the lives of teenagers these days. Being used as a tool for more popularity but also a tool for bullying. I am a nosey reader though and wished I had more of an epilogue and more information on Rose Marie. It still doesn't take away from the great story written. I would totally recommend this cute and sweet read. Can't wait to read more from Sara Celli.
January 12, 2024
A familiar tale “old as time” set in a modern high school setting. Holly Kent is Queen B and not afraid to use fear to keep the students of her prestigious private school in line. Carson Isaac is the bookish scholarship student who sees past Holly’s facade to the beauty underneath. A cruel disfiguring curse cast by a witch steals Holly’s carefully laid plans and throws her life into chaos. Forced to face her new reflection, Holly realizes the true ugliness is how she treated others. Carson only sees who she had the potential to be all along.
Lovely and well written, there is little originality in this modern retelling. The plot reads a lot like an inverse Beastly, but still an enjoyable read.
Lovely and well written, there is little originality in this modern retelling. The plot reads a lot like an inverse Beastly, but still an enjoyable read.
June 15, 2017
A beautiful retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. Sara Celi has done a wonderful job of modernising an old tale with complex characters, heart tugging woe and inspiring love. A must read for anyone who loves modern fairy tales.
I received an ARC of Spellbound and this is my honest review.
I received an ARC of Spellbound and this is my honest review.
November 24, 2020
Sorry but this book was a DNF for me. As soon as I read the overview I thought it sounded exactly like the synopsis for the 2011 movie Beastly, with Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens! After reading about 20% I found the book was a rehash of the movie with a female in the leading role instead of Alex Pettyfer. Seriously?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2018
Cute
Though having the girl who casts the spell be Wicca bothers me, I thought it was neat in how it addressed looking beyond the outside to the inside and changing. And why people become nasty at times to begin with.
Though having the girl who casts the spell be Wicca bothers me, I thought it was neat in how it addressed looking beyond the outside to the inside and changing. And why people become nasty at times to begin with.
February 27, 2019
Good
This is a good retelling of a classic tale. It reminds me of a movie I once watched but I liked tgis one better. I would have loved an epilogue a few years down the road, but even without, I liked it still. There is some profanity but it's not too bad.
This is a good retelling of a classic tale. It reminds me of a movie I once watched but I liked tgis one better. I would have loved an epilogue a few years down the road, but even without, I liked it still. There is some profanity but it's not too bad.
April 11, 2022
Great ending
Love the book not all the swears though. Happy endings are always good, I like how Holly admits that she did the ring thing and is sorry about it
Would recommend as a teen suggest I'm only thirteen after all. 😘
Love the book not all the swears though. Happy endings are always good, I like how Holly admits that she did the ring thing and is sorry about it
Would recommend as a teen suggest I'm only thirteen after all. 😘
July 26, 2022
Very impressed with this YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The author was able to really express how both main characters feelings in a way that young people can relate to with the impact looks and social media have today. Well done
July 11, 2017
Great
Modern version of beauty and beast. Only roles have changed our young Lady is the beast. Great for teens and adults.
Modern version of beauty and beast. Only roles have changed our young Lady is the beast. Great for teens and adults.
July 12, 2017
A great book
I f you can imagine what high school was A prep school and you have acne, what would be the worst part of your life could it get any worse?
I f you can imagine what high school was A prep school and you have acne, what would be the worst part of your life could it get any worse?
October 14, 2017
Very sweet book.
July 6, 2022
This was a decent little book to pass the time with. A twist on the beauty and beast theme. Not totally to my taste, but fairly good.
July 10, 2022
I really enjoyed this book a lot, although I felt the second half was very rushed and a lot of things were left unresolved, but it's good to pass the time.
August 15, 2022
Good twist
There is nothing better then the classic Beauty and the Beast. This was a cute high school novel. I enjoyed it.
There is nothing better then the classic Beauty and the Beast. This was a cute high school novel. I enjoyed it.
June 29, 2022
Cute story
A cute retelling of beauty and the beast. A different twist. All of us can relate to high school and the bully. Turns out we all had a little bit of bully in us. Hopefully we all outgrew it and were able to make amends.
A cute retelling of beauty and the beast. A different twist. All of us can relate to high school and the bully. Turns out we all had a little bit of bully in us. Hopefully we all outgrew it and were able to make amends.
January 12, 2018
Cutie and the beast
This fairytale retelling is cute. It's gender swapped with Holly turning into the "beast" and Carson as the "cutie." It highlights some of the worst tendencies of youth a la Mean Girls.
This fairytale retelling is cute. It's gender swapped with Holly turning into the "beast" and Carson as the "cutie." It highlights some of the worst tendencies of youth a la Mean Girls.
June 11, 2017
Such an enjoyable read that pulls you into the story and doesn't let you go until you're finished reading. Loved helping to review
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews