Beastly

Saturday whilst at the movies I was treated with a preview of the movie Beastly.  I was happily surprised as I had recently read Beastly by Alex Flinn and didn't know it was being made into a movie.  And the preview actually looks good (I also saw the Sex and the City 2 preview and all I can say is "AIDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in girlish, squeeish delight).

Beastly is a modern day version of Beauty and the Beast.  The beast (Kyle) in this tale is a hot, rich and jerky prep school boy, while the beauty (Lindy) in question is pretty, smart, poor and not socially relevant to the upper east side girl.  Kyle manages to piss off a witch and is turned into a horrible beast (from the movie preview this is where the book and movie don't see eye to eye, the book describes Kyle looking more animal like, whereas in the movie preview Kyle looked more like an extra from The Matrix meets Deep Space Nine).  From the book:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

 So the witch gives Kyle a magic mirror and a certain amount of time to find true love (the blind as a bat kind of true love).  I heart the magic mirror, because it shows you anyone you want to see.  After running into Lindy again on Halloween, Kyle begins to spy on her.  Now here's my question for any of you that might have a magic mirror- Does it really show everything? I mean it's cool if you want to spy on me, but I think bathroom visits and the marital bed should be off limits.  I guess I need a really prudish magic mirror.

Getting back to the story, Kyle's dad can't handle his son's new beastiness so he hires an awesome maid (Magda) and a blind tutor (best part of the movie preview? Neil Patrick Harris is the tutor!!), locking his son away with only their company.  After spying on Lindy for awhile, Kyle (now going by the name Adrian) pretty much buys Lindy from her drug addict dad.  I swear it's more romantic and less creepy than it sounds.  But only by a little bit.

Beastly follows the Beauty and Beast tale well, and I really love the modern update.  I read this book in a day because it was a quick and easy read.  It's not the type of book you sink into, but for any fairy tale lover out there it's well worth your time.  Alex Flinn has a new book about Sleeping Beauty out and I think I'm going to have to break down and get that soon (despite my groaning TBR shelves- well, shrieking more than groaning now). 

Beastly gets a Midnight Book Rating of 11pm because it's part midnight magic, part Gossip Girl, and all fairy tale.