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Lara Ibrahim

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Beauty and the Beast by K. M. Shea (January 24,2015)

by K.M. Shea (Goodreads Author)

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Lara Ibrahim said: " While reading “A Timless Fairy Tale: Beauty and the Beast,” I found it very confusing at first because it is nothing like the children's books or movies. I'm also finding it very interesting how the author changed so much, such as how the beast and E While reading “A Timless Fairy Tale: Beauty and the Beast,” I found it very confusing at first because it is nothing like the children's books or movies. I'm also finding it very interesting how the author changed so much, such as how the beast and Elle meet. In the movies, Belle doesn't fall through the castle ceiling mid-party and break her leg, and the Beast doesn't have cousins or any family at all. The author, however, uses the family and the conflict of Elle falling to create a sense of realism, even though the prince is an actual beast. So far, I am not really enjoying this book. Which I find very unfortunate because Beauty and the Beast was my favorite story as a child, I loved all the little details that the author removed or changed, so it's making it really hard to enjoy this book. Something else I'm finding that is making it really hard for me to enjoy this book is the pace of it. In my opinion, the pace of this book is extremely slow, and it stops to give details on things that I find unnecessary. Like how much the author emphasizes how much else's leg is throbbing in pain, I feel that this detail is repeated so many times that it takes away from other details. Like the duval, or how the servants are mute and don't have faces, or even the castle being rumored to be haunted. Those important details aren't focused on, but what is focused on is how Elle's leg is in pain…?. Also, while reading, I feel that the author's voice isn't really shining through; it just seems like any other book. The author gives the sense that they aren't really sure about what they are writing, their voice is there for a second, then the next second it just disappears.
Now I have gone on and on rambling about everything I disliked. Here are some things I liked while reading this book. For starters, I loved how the author included a lot of visual imagery, helping the reader create a clear image in their head. Like the room they put Elle in at the beginning. With all the details received, there was a very clear image in my head about the room and how it was arranged, the mood/vibes it gave off, where everything is where everyone was standing, and even the noise level of the room. Personally, I really appreciate how the author spent time on these small things because, in my opinion, good visual imagery really helps me engage and connect with the book.
Honestly, I don't know if I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book or not, but I am hopeful that I can match my pace to it and really enjoy reading the rest of it.

My opinion has changed, but barely; I still don't love the book completely, but my understanding of it has grown a lot. The story is very different from the children's versions and movies, and that made it difficult for me to like it because I chose this book based on the love I had for it as a kid. The author used realism, such as Elle's injury and family, to make the fantasy more realistic (within world boundaries); it was stretched out and continued playing an important role throughout the book. My prediction about the pacing was accurate; the author stayed and gave details on things that I felt like had no meaning and weren't necessary in my opinion, which made the story really repetitive and slow. Even though I don't personally enjoy it, I understand that the details and the pacing convey a key idea of the character’s development throughout the whole book. As the book goes on, we can actually start hearing the author's voice, but to me, it still doesn't stand out strongly enough. I really appreciate most of the imagery, as it helped me have a very clear picture of the setting, giving me a feeling like I was directly inside the book. Some of my expectations were met, and I was very happy about that, but overall, this book was a very mixed experience for me. ...more "

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(20%)
— Oct 29, 2025 11:01PM

Dec 16, 2025 11:15PM · see review