Movie Mondays: Beastly

Movie Mondays: On Mondays, I will review a book series or novel that has been made into a movie. I will then answer the question that everyone asks: which is better, the movie or the book? Here is this week’s offering:

Book: Beastly by Alex Flinn | Movie: Beastly (2011)

Which did I read/see first? The Book

Book Cover                Movie Poster

The Book:

Series: The Kendra Chronicles (Beastly, Bewitching, Towering)

The books all involve Kendra, a witch, but are not really linked in any other way other than being fairy tale adaptions

Genre: Tween, Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic

Thoughts:

I read this book because the movie was coming out. The plot intrigued me so I decided to read it before I saw the movie (I don’t like books to be spoiled before I read them, I find it makes it harder to finish them).

This book literally takes the story of Beauty and the Beast and plops it down in modern day New York–only this time the perspective is from the view point of the “Beast”. An interesting twist I think and one that works for this book. Again, Kyle is a spoiled kid that you immediately don’t like but begin to like as you see his transformation. I will say that by the end, he had won me over completely.

I really liked this book. I like the relationship he develops with Lindy and how they support each other. Very romantic and fairy tale like!

Conclusion:

I think I was a little too old to read this book, but I really enjoyed it. I appreciate how Alex Flinn sets it up and for the most part it delivers on what it is expected to do.

Rating: 3/5

Similar Reads: A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn and Devoured by Amanda Marrone

The Movie:

I believe that I saw this quite a bit after reading the novel but I still remembered the major details. I enjoyed the movie but it’s nothing fantastic.

Like most book adaptions, some artistic licence has been used in terms of casting and costumes. In the book, Kyle is actually a hairy beast–just like the Disney movie. Here they have made him scarred which works because I would imagine it would be awkward to have your live-action lead as a hairy beast (especially when you are banking on his good looks to draw the ladies). It still gets the point (that Kyle uses and only cares about his appearance) across which works.

What didn’t work for me was Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy. She was not what I pictured as Lindy and I think it was the wrong choice (I don’t care much for her acting and I kept waiting for her to break out into a HSM song :P). What I liked and admired about the Lindy in the novel was lost in the movie so that was disappointing.

The best part of the movie was Neil Patrick Harris–I love that man and he honestly stole the show with his performance!

So, which is better: the book or the movie?

In this case, the winner is the book . I think the main message of the book was lost in the movie adaption and I enjoyed the characters more in the novel.

Do you agree? Leave a comment below!

Synopsis for Beastly (from Goodreads):
I am a beast.

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.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever–ruined–unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly

Trailer: