Now this is some good writing!

Beastly Beauty is fantastically crafted, with some sharp prose and an enrapturing tale. While it definitely leans toward the younger side of the YA scale, it’s a creative and absorbing story fit for all ages.

Arabella labors under a curse placed upon her as a youth by a furious witch. Her inability to be biddable so she can marry well has sealed her fate; her family and friends are trapped in the castle, forever under the spell’s thrall, and sentenced to work in her service. Furthermore, everyone in the village falls into a coma that resembles death.

Enter Beau, a member of a gang of thieves, who shelters at the castle after the robbery they planned goes sideways.  The castle’s servants think Beau and Arabella are perfect for one another – a sentiment that Beau, who is creeped out by the castle and the angry creatures apparently roaming the halls at night – strongly disagrees with. Can true love blossom? Or is it doomed from the start?

A lot of what carries Beastly Beauty to the realm of the transcendent is that it’s very strongly written. Donnelly is a creative, smart writer, and her work is excellent in this novel. While it might seem like a hodgepodge of Disney tropes, she makes us like the characters and worldbuilding so much that the whole book sails through what could have been a dull exercise.

There are some mild flaws in the magical system; if you think hard enough about it, you’ll poke some holes in it and start wondering at the hows and whys it of all. You’ll wonder why some reactions to this very bizarre situation aren’t intense enough, and you’ll start questioning a few of the plot elements. But this is a book for getting lost in the unusual and the surprising – for enjoying the flawed characters, for getting wrapped up in the plot.

Yes, there are some obvious parallels happening here – rage equaling beastliness, and points about mental health and feminine expression of self. It’s all pitched at a level that’ll be very elucidating for the young, and it’s wrapped up in a fun retake on the tale of Belle and Beast. Sometimes you can’t ask for more. Beastly Beauty delivers beauty all right – in spades, and unstintingly. It’s a great little book, even with a few warts present.