Crazy Beautiful

Apr 03, 2011

Jillian -always aspiring- rated it

Recommends it for: Modern fairy tale enthusiasts who love Beauty and the Beast in all its incarnations

Shelves: 2011-reads, should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, left-me-with-mixed-feelings, left-me-feeling-conflicted, disappointing-books

(Note: I had a surprisingly hard time writing this review, so I apologize if the review does not make much sense. I would like it if you would blame the book and not me, but that may be asking for too much.)

My arm rises toward my face and the pincer touch of cold steel rubs against my jaw.

I chose hooks because they were cheaper.

I chose hooks because I wouldn't outgrow them so quickly.

I chose hooks so that everyone would know I was different, so I ...more

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Mar 20, 2011

ingenue rated it

Shelves: arc, young-adult, awesomely-bad-books

http://octopedingenue.dreamwidth.org/590...

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the most giftedly bad book I have read in the past year and possibly ever, and if you fail to acknowledge its disastrous triumph, I will punch you in the spleen.

Or rip out said spleen: with my HOOKS FOR HANDS!

( Efronshop here: http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9699/ho... )

Aurora Belle is a beautiful dark-haired beauty with a soul that is as pure and beautiful as her ...more

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Sep 03, 2009

Kristi (The Story Siren) added it

Crazy Beautiful is a contemporary twist on Beauty and the Beast. It’s a resplendent love story about looking beneath the surface, forgiveness and second chances. Even though it may seem to be about the love between the two characters, ultimately it’s about loving yourself as well. Told in alternating perspectives between Lucius and Aurora, it gives an unique edge to the story.

Baratz-Logsted’s characterization is excellent. Lucius and Aurora aren’t outlandish, they’re two very normal,...more

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Jan 09, 2010

Diana rated it

Shelves: qp, romance, teen, 2010-list, issues, z-dyc, z-r-5

Lucius blew up his house, his family's way of life, and his hands leaving him with two hooks. Aurora has spent the last five years watching her mother die. They both start as new students at their high school on the same day and feel an instant connection despite the fact that she becomes instantly popular and he a pariah. Lucius discovers who he is and what is important. Lots to think about in this book with its themes of grief, joy, and redemption. A subplot involving a school security person ...more

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Dec 17, 2011

Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it

Shelves: 2010, retelling-of-sorts, ya-love, disappointing

Crazy Beautiful is dubbed as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, one of my all time favorite fairy tales mainly because I have always had a thing for the underdog. I'm one of those people who, pushed into a philosophical conversation, will claim that there are very few truly awful people in humanity. And my addendum would clarify, that those truly awful people are only awful because they cannot be any other than that due to their own cerebral make-up (read DSM-IV personality disorders).

...moreCrazy Beautiful is dubbed as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, one of my all time favorite fairy tales mainly because I have always had a thing for the underdog. I'm one of those people who, pushed into a philosophical conversation, will claim that there are very few truly awful people in humanity. And my addendum would clarify, that those truly awful people are only awful because they cannot be any other than that due to their own cerebral make-up (read DSM-IV personality disorders).

In this re-telling, Lucius is the "Crazy". He is a dual amputee after some chemical explosion that he caused blowing off not only his hands, but decimating a good portion of his family's house. His story is drawn out and prior to the "oh, so that's why you're crazy" realization, there is no implication from his behavior that he is a torn individual. In fact, he's pretty likable in that misunderstood way. Aurora is the "Beautiful". She's a tragically beautiful character, inside and out. Her mother recently died of Cancer and she lives with her father and has this amazing paternal relationship with him where they never argue, respect space, and interact how I have only recently grown to interact with my mother as an adult. Sorta over the top for me and not a convincing portrayal of a fifteen year old's relationship with daddy.

And that pretty much sums up the story. Maybe I was more disappointed because I had such high hopes for the story? The tempo was too fast, the characters too flat, and the internal dialogue too TOO.

EXAMPLE:

"It's an unnecessary addition because everyone knows this. I refuse to use the word loser when talking about another but I do know that in my old school it was only the friendship-challenged kids who ever spent time chatting with the men in the blue." (49)

Did you read that people? "Friendship-Challenged"??? What fifteen year old...hold that...what person refers to others as friendship-challenged??

I did have a chuckle because there's this scene (?) where Lucius and Aurora are trying out for the musical Grease and the author spends a good time summarizing the plot line. I am not knocking this. I imagine that there are plenty of my students who have not seen this Olivia Newton John meets John Travolta masterpiece. I only chuckle because I still feel quite young and it made me realize that I might just be getting to be OLD! *gasp*

I cannot knock the author too terribly. I mean, I imagine that most of my girls will squeal delightfully over this story. I only hope they don't ask me if i like it. I might just have to be a tad bit evasive.(less)

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Oct 01, 2011

cecilia rated it

Sophomore year should be a piece of cake –not quite the upperclassmen, but no longer the underdogs – but for new boy Lucius, the cake may very well end up on his face. His parents thought a new school would give him a fresh start, but if his hooks don’t scare his classmates away, Lucius expects his closed-mouth personality would do the job. On the other hand, he cannot help but envy new girl Aurora who seems to be getting cake served on a platter. She is like a Disney princess with bluebirds sin...more

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Jul 23, 2011

Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it

Shelves: greta-s-famous-flops

Title: Crazy Beautiful
Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Published: 2009
Synopsis from Goodreads

In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.

Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they d...more

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Jun 22, 2011

Donna rated it

Shelves: beauty-and-the-beast

I wanted so badly to like this book. It had some potential. I liked the idea. I even enjoyed it while I was reading it. That being said, it was not executed very well and I will go on to explain why I feel that way.
This book was much too short for the tale it was trying to tell. This book is supposed to be a love story. I didn't really see it like that. It is more of an immature affection story. Lucius and Aurora do not know each other at all. They have had a few conversations. B...moreI wanted so badly to like this book. It had some potential. I liked the idea. I even enjoyed it while I was reading it. That being said, it was not executed very well and I will go on to explain why I feel that way.
This book was much too short for the tale it was trying to tell. This book is supposed to be a love story. I didn't really see it like that. It is more of an immature affection story. Lucius and Aurora do not know each other at all. They have had a few conversations. Big deal. I could say that about tons of people I don't really know. It may have helped if the reader knew either characters, but in this very short book, I didn't feel like I really knew either of them. I got a small introduction to both of them, but in no way did I feel they were fully developed.
This book is supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. That is why I picked it up in the first place. But if I had not known that that's what it was supposed to be, and Aurora's last name wasn't Belle, I would have made no connection. Maybe others have a different interpretation, but I believe Beauty and the Beast to be about loving someone through getting to know them, regardless of appearance or first impressions or the past. But the connection between Lucius and Aurora is very weak. As I stated before, they do not know each other. They are more concerned with each other's past than who the other is now. And they both talk of this crazy notion of immiediatley knowing the other without ever speaking. I don't believe in this instant connection nonsense. That is NOT what Beauty and the Beast is about.
Plus, the ending to this book was absolutely horrible. I won't spoil it for you. You can read the last two hideous pages for yourself. It's almost funny how stupid it is.
Also, some things in this book were just not accuracte. Once again, I won't spoil anything, but many things just don't happen. I even noticed something illegal that would not have been treated so lightly.
If this book was twice as long, it could've gone somewhere. But as it is, it goes nowhere.(less)

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Jun 13, 2011

Joy (joyous reads) rated it

It's hard being a teenager.

You know what's even harder? If you've got hooks for hands.

One fine day, Lucius Wolfe was bored, curious and may just be feeling a tad mischievous. The boy stole chemicals from the school lab and decided to do a little experiment in the basement. The explosion cost him two hands and some ugly scarring on his chest. His parents did what normal parents would do and moved the whole family to a new place. New school, new challenges, new sets of kids t...more

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May 20, 2011

Carsyn Grage added it

Crazy beautiful is about a girl, Aurora who is starting a new school after her mother dies of cancer. Lucius, is a boy that blew his arms off in a science experiment and pretty much destroyed his house, so his family had to move. Lucius is of course the outcast at his new school because he has hooks as his arms and wears long-sleeved black shirts. Aurora is a bubbly girl that tries out for the school musical and gets the lead. Aurora isn't afraid of Lucius though. And they end up falling for eac...more

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Apr 09, 2011

The Book Resort rated it

Shelves: arc, beach-read, breathtaking, fun, my-library, raw, ya, yummy

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's exposition is breathtakingly beautiful. I found myself aching @ the raw emotion & losing myself in the sheer creative brilliance that is Crazy Beautiful!

I didn't read Crazy Beautiful, I devoured it! I must admit, I started to drag my feet as I was reaching the end. Why? Because Crazy Beautiful is so hypnotic (thank you my GH lovin' literary angel, Lauren Baratz-Logsted)!

Crazy Beautiful is an unparalleled fairy tale. Baratz-Logsted's interpretation ...more

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Jan 29, 2011

Rachel rated it

I read this book for my YA Lit class from the "Reluctant Reader" list. I can see why it is on the list. The story is about a boy who blew off his hands and replaced them with hooks (yep-I was "hooked" by that one--bad pun :-)) who meets a young, beautiful girl who lost her mother five years ago and is still hurting from the lost. Sounds good so far--great, unique idea. It was actually a pretty decent YA story, a few words/phrases I didn't care for but overall interesting a...more

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Jan 09, 2011

Mari rated it

A quick read. Crazy Beautiful is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, set in high school with Aurora as beauty and Lucius, a boy with hooks for hands as the beast.

Uhmm.. can I just say how much the characters' names kills me? I hear the name Aurora Belle and think sunshine and singing birds and other animals that rally to make a dress fit for a ball.. er sorry, wrong fairy tale. And then we have a luscious, I mean Lucius Wolfe.

The story was okay but it was a bit rushed...more

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Oct 11, 2010

Katie (Call Me Crazy) rated it

Shelves: reviews, books-for-trade

I have been waiting to read this book since I first heard about it back in March. I couldn't find it anywhere! Then finally this week I came across one copy sitting on a bookshelf at an independent bookstore. I squealed in joy! I lunged toward it and held it in my hands so tight that the only way anyone would be able to break it from my grasp would have had to knock me upside the head with a sturdy copy of Breaking Dawn.

I just finished the book...
As soon as I turned the last pa...moreI have been waiting to read this book since I first heard about it back in March. I couldn't find it anywhere! Then finally this week I came across one copy sitting on a bookshelf at an independent bookstore. I squealed in joy! I lunged toward it and held it in my hands so tight that the only way anyone would be able to break it from my grasp would have had to knock me upside the head with a sturdy copy of Breaking Dawn.

I just finished the book...
As soon as I turned the last page I heard my brain's choir singing "wha wha whaaaaaa." I was completely let down! This book could have been amazing. The idea of having a teenage boy being a double amputee,but finding love is just brilliant. Not only is the plot idea intriguing, but the story is told from both Lucious and Aurora's point of view. Unfortunately ideas can only go so far. The characters weren't developed in the least and they didn't grow throughout the novel. I felt like I didn't know Aurora at all and only knew Lucius in the slightest. I know it was a short book at only 208 pages, but I figured the author would have gotten to the point and not waited to the last page to have everything play out.

The main plot points in the story would have been fun to read about, but in a lot more detail. I enjoy fast paced reads every once in a while, but this was beyond fast paced. If more thought was put into the situation that the characters were going through it would have been a better book. I think so much more could have been discussed and looked over, instead of just the obvious being written.

I hated Aurora. Sorry, but I'm being honest here. She seemed way to self-centered and just unintelligent. I would love to tell you more about what rubbed me the wrong way about this character, but there's just so much lack of content. Lucius is a little better, he's witty and persistent.

Characters: 2/5
Creativity: 3/5
Voice: 1/5
Impact: 2/5
Overall: 2/5

However minus the bad points Crazy Beautiful still managed to get a point across. You really don't know what you have until it's gone. Lucius can't do everyday activities with ease due to lack of hands. It made me appreciate all of the blessings that I have in my life.
*And I love, love, love the title.*

I have heard mixed reviews for this books so I would recommend getting it at your library. The concept of a normal teen boy with a disability and an all accepting girl makes a great love story... if only it were more developed!!(less)

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Jul 24, 2010

K. Bird rated it

Aurora Belle is a beautiful and nice as her name suggests. Only one thing keeps her from being intolerable: she just lost her mother to cancer and she's a new girl in high school.

Lucius Wolfe is as dark as his name suggests: he's new, too, but not nearly as good as Aurora at making friends. You see, it's hard to make friends when you have hooks for hands and rumors peg you as a crazy boy who blew himself up.

These two opposites circle each other in their new high school, n...more

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Jul 14, 2010

Izzy G. rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Now, I happen to like retellings of fairy tales in modern contexts. I also like romances when they're done well and realistically, especially when one of the love interests is made unattractive to most people for whatever reason, so I really thought I was going to like this story. It sounded quite intriguing and the cover was genius. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Overall, "Crazy Beautiful" was written well. Lucius sounded, well, like a boy, which is a good sign consideri...moreNow, I happen to like retellings of fairy tales in modern contexts. I also like romances when they're done well and realistically, especially when one of the love interests is made unattractive to most people for whatever reason, so I really thought I was going to like this story. It sounded quite intriguing and the cover was genius. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Overall, "Crazy Beautiful" was written well. Lucius sounded, well, like a boy, which is a good sign considering he is, in fact, male, and I thought that Lauren Baratz-Logsted did a pretty good job of not making his brooding-loner-style too cliché.

However, there were some aspects of the story I didn't like so much. For example, Aurora was meant to be a nice girl who thinks well of most people, but she came off sounding naive or "perfect", like when she narrated, "This school really is just the nicest place!" There was also the part where she was discussing her allowance. Aurora said that she got a set amount of allowance each week, and if she wanted more, she could do chores, but of course, she's just an incredibly nice, sweet girl who loves her dad very much, so she does chores. For free. For the fun of it. Also, she never wants anything or asks her dad to buy her something.

I just have a lot of trouble believing that someone would do chores just because. Maybe once in a while to help out or something, but all the time, every single day? Combine this with the fact that when she saw Lucius had hooks for hands she barely gave it a passing thought because she's just that nice (no, seriously, everyone would have some thoughts about that, be it of pity, sympathy, wonder), Aurora appears to be suffering Character Perfection Syndrome.

One thing that sort of annoys me is when two people that fall in love are utterly attractive. Despite the fact that Lucius blew himself up, and his chest/stomach suffered seriously scarring and he lost his lower arms and hands, his face magically remained completely untouched and as beautiful as ever. I think the story could really have been interesting if Lucius's face became deformed or mutilated or something, which makes me think of a book I read a long time ago (probably five years?) about a girl who was seriously burned in a fire and she was definitely horribly mutilated.

What's hard for me to believe is that people would treat Lucius the way they did at his school. At my school, at least, kids that are disabled to his extent (something sort of noticeable but not really that bad - nothing that makes you eye-burning-hard-to-look-at) are pitied at first, but people usually get over it. In fact, they would become nicer rather than meaner, and sometimes too nice in an effort to not be insensitive. Kids don't usually make fun of disabled kids (in my experience) unless the disabled kid has some sort of mental affliction, in which case s(he) is generally avoided while a few jerks make fun of her or him. It's plausible that Lucius would isolate himself with his brooding personality, but I didn't really get a sense of this while reading.

I also would have liked more detail. Some scenes - especially the one at the party when Lucius tells Aurora exactly what the explosion was - seemed almost rushed, and the author never really explained how Lucius handled everyday things. The secondary characters also seemed rather flat to me, like Deanie and Jessup.

All in all, "Crazy Beautiful" was fairly good and it was entertaining. (less)

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Jun 17, 2010

Michelle rated it

I adored this book. A unique love story that provides the reader not only the expected romance but also teaches a good many lessons about acceptance and individuality.

I also enjoy when a book allows me to not only see emotion but feel them. In this way Lucius jumped off the page for me much more than Aurora. We felt her loss to be sure, but I felt it more so through her interactions with her father. Lucius, on the other hand, was all feelings and turmoil. In every interaction ...more

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Jun 02, 2010

Rachel rated it

Shelves: ya-books

3.5 Stars.

YA romance about a teenage boy who blew his hands off accidentally and a new girl at school whose mother recently died. (Sounds kind of depressing actually.)

The story worked just fine, but I found myself wanting this book to be something more, something deeper. Aurora (her dad calls her Princess) was a bit Mary Sue and I never really warmed up to her. Lucius was fascinating, but I think I would have liked him more if he'd been older (they are both 15) and har...more

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Feb 13, 2010

Stephanie D. (Misfit Salon) rated it

What I love about this book:

- The hooks are inventive - a dangerous image of Lucius's beastly past.

- The dual point of view narrative of Lucius and Aurora. I've only read one other retelling which has the beast's point of view. I especially love Lucius's voice - dark and sardonic, with underlying sadness. Aurora's is much more innocent by comparison, sometimes funny in her naivete.

- That Lucius undergoes and emotional, not physical, transformation. All the an...more

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Jan 20, 2010

Lorena Lopez rated it

If this book was meant to have been a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, it failed.
But if it was meant for more than that, then I shall give it the praise is so much deserves.

What Crazy Beautiful does is more than just retell the story of the girl and the monster. It tells the story of two lovestruck teenagers. A boy tormented and exiled for the monster he's become, and the girl he can never touch.
What Lauren carries through this book isn't the formula to recreate the fa...more

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Jan 11, 2010

Suzanne rated it

Shelves: peach-consideration

While I didn't really dig this book big time personally, I can see it being a decent reluctant reader offering for the Peach Award, so I will give it a 7 for Peachy-osity. My thinking: it's short, under 200 pages and many of those with extra white space. It involves both angst and romance, a winning combination for our hormone-riddled students/ patrons. It is comprised of almost nothing beyond basic narration and dialogue, with very little description or gilding of the lily. The only thing that ...more

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Dec 02, 2009

Samantha (Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog) rated it

Just about everyone has seen the movie, read the fairy tale, or seen the play of Beauty and the Beast, but I guarantee this is not the version from Disney or what’s written in the books, or even the Broadway play or even the musical. This is a version all its own. This is a version that will show you a modern twist and a new side to the same old fairy tale.

The “Beast” in this case, is actually not a beast at all, his name is Lucius Wolfe (is that not a cool name or what?) and he’s a ...moreJust about everyone has seen the movie, read the fairy tale, or seen the play of Beauty and the Beast, but I guarantee this is not the version from Disney or what’s written in the books, or even the Broadway play or even the musical. This is a version all its own. This is a version that will show you a modern twist and a new side to the same old fairy tale.

The “Beast” in this case, is actually not a beast at all, his name is Lucius Wolfe (is that not a cool name or what?) and he’s a sophomore in high school. But he’s not going to be at the same high school he was the year before, not since the accident, the accident that cost him both of his arms. The prosthetic metal hooks that are in place of where his arms used to be, that is was labels him as “The Beast” in this tale.

The “Beauty” is actually Aurora Belle, she is beautiful, naturally beautiful and not in that I-don’t-have-to-plaster-myself-in-makeup sort of way. There’s something about Aurora that is different than everyone else. Aurora is sweet, nice, and friendly to everyone until she has a reason not to be. But most of all, Aurora is not afraid. She’s not afraid of Lucius, of his quietness, or even of his hooks.

Upon their first meeting, they both know there is something about the other that intrigues them that draws them to one another. All they have to do is navigate the “popular” kids, high school, and their own issues and find out just why they are so drawn to each other. And that is what makes this story so adorably beautiful.

There’s something about going back to that time in high school, to those kids that always got what they wanted and always had it so easy, that makes this story so relatable, even with its fairy tale roots. But that’s the thing; Lauren Baratz-Logsted has stripped down the typical Beauty and the Beast story and got it down to the bare roots that made this fairy tale so beautiful in the first place. She’s found the love, redemption, and the power of forgiving not only each other, but also forgiving oneself.

Throughout the story, the point of view switches between Lucius and Aurora, which I found quite different and refreshing. I loved the different take on the same situation, and that made it easier to not only understand the characters, but also understand what they were thinking and how they were feeling. It also made it that much easier to fall for these characters and to know them better, at least in my opinion. And in a story that’s just under 200 pages, getting to know these characters quickly and thoroughly becomes important for the reader, and important for the story itself.

I found it remarkably easy to relate Lucius. I mean, who hasn’t been through the taunts and dealt with the bullies that come along with being in high school? It’s easy to fall into a story that you can relate to a narrator, and Lucius may be the easiest I’ve found relatable in a long time. Maybe that’s why I didn’t want the story to end.

It’s easy to forget that Beauty and the Beast was more than just a Disney movie with talking/singing household items and a beautiful girl in a castle with a beast; but it’s so much more than that. It’s the story of redeeming yourself, of falling in love with no boundaries, of forgiving others, and forgiving yourself for things that you can’t change anymore and Crazy Beautiful reminds you of that. It’s beautiful, refreshing, and totally rereadable.(less)

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Nov 06, 2009

Debrarian rated it

Shelves: irritating, ya-aka-teen, fairy-tale-flavor

I was really, really bored and irritated by this supposed re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. (Setting: high school. Characters: pretty girl and boy with hooks for hands.) I only finished it because it was on my Mock Printz reading list, I assume just to give me something to rant about. The catchy cover is by far the best thing about it, even allowing for the fact that it doesn't accurately reflect the content.

I will now be a killjoy. If you liked this book, don't read any farther. ...moreI was really, really bored and irritated by this supposed re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. (Setting: high school. Characters: pretty girl and boy with hooks for hands.) I only finished it because it was on my Mock Printz reading list, I assume just to give me something to rant about. The catchy cover is by far the best thing about it, even allowing for the fact that it doesn't accurately reflect the content.

I will now be a killjoy. If you liked this book, don't read any farther. The primary problems (I usually wouldn't bother with this detailed a dismissal, but I'm lining up my thoughts for the Mock Printz discussion):

Descriptions, characterizations, observations are consistently generic cop-outs utterly lacking in specificity. Telling instead of showing. A typical example: Lucius describing Aurora's house (p. 112): "It's tough to put my finger on it... but there's just a generous warmth that permeates everything here." Not a single telling detail to back up this claim.

A tin ear for contemporary teenage conversation (including inner monologue) and interactions. Characters act like aliens who've read the Handbook to Earth High Schools and have been given puppet teenagers to animate. Eg. (p. 135): "Those jeans look great on you. I bet Gary will think you look really cool in them." And (p. 141): "Ooh! Dark-tinted, crackle-wash, low-rise boot jeans!"

Inconsistent characterization. Scenes as transparent devices to advance particular plot points. Eg. Anecdote (pp. 41-2) of T.J., in Aurora's preschool, who did "bad stuff" (unspecified, of course). But it's good to be nice to underdogs. Why? Because, in the bizarre words of A's supposedly sane and sweet mother, "because if the underdog grows up to be the kind of person that starts shooting [foreshadow foreshadow:], you'll have a chance at survival." Who says this to their preschooler??

An embarrassing tendency to fall back on antiquated metaphors elaborately interpreted and awkwardly hidden as things-my-dad/mom-says: "At home, my dad plays... real vinyl records! If there's a scratch on one of them, sometimes the needle skips, screeching to the innermost circle of the vinyl as the music halts. Lucius's entrance has that same effect on the room now..."

I'll spare you the rest.

If you want to read a good new book about idiosyncratic, acerbically hilarious teens overcoming significant problems, try Notes from the Madman Underground.
(less)

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Oct 16, 2009

Michelle rated it

Shelves: 2009, fairy-folk-tales, ya

Starting a new high school can be brutal. Lucius knows his first day might be a bit more rocky than others' since he's never really put any effort into fitting in. Lucius' parent's are hoping this new school will be a fresh start not only for him but for the entire family but Lucius knows having two hooks for hands will automatically label him as the 'crazy' kid. Add in that he blew his own hands off in a chemical explosion of his own creation and you've got yourself a social misfit. What he doe...moreStarting a new high school can be brutal. Lucius knows his first day might be a bit more rocky than others' since he's never really put any effort into fitting in. Lucius' parent's are hoping this new school will be a fresh start not only for him but for the entire family but Lucius knows having two hooks for hands will automatically label him as the 'crazy' kid. Add in that he blew his own hands off in a chemical explosion of his own creation and you've got yourself a social misfit. What he doesn't expect on his first day is to make an instant connection with the lovely Aurora Belle, another transfer student, who is so nice and pretty that the other students welcome her with open arms. Even though he doesn't expect it, Aurora continually goes out of her way to become friends with Lucius, drawing him out even thought the other students are mystified as to her reasons for doing so.

This compact little book (only 193 pages) was a quick read - full of little surprises that kept me turning the pages. Both Lucius and Aurora are trying to navigate their new lives while dealing with very personal struggles while ultimately learning about second chances and the empowerment that comes from looking past appearances.

It was also fun to note how much emphasis Lauren Baratz-Logsted placed on the names in this book. Knowing Crazy Beautiful is intended as a retelling of beauty and the beast, the names Lucius Wolfe and Aurora Belle take on a whole additional meaning. Aurora Belle is such an obvious princess name: Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, anyone?) and Belle, naturally for beauty - fits her to a tee. Lucius Wolfe: now that's just a beastly name altogether don't you think?

The story was light and fun and there were little details to make it stand out (like the names) but just didn't deliver in some aspects. For starters, the ending felt rushed and not as well thought out as it could have been. There was so much buildup and I felt that Lucius' motives for setting the explosion in the first place were never sufficiently explained.

That said, even though Lucius fairly leapt off the page at times, Aurora never really solidified into a real character. She was just a little too squeaky clean. Not that that's bad: I love a good girl as much as anyone, but you just want some depth to go along with all that innocence and kindness. Obviously, Aurora is beautiful and would never judge by appearances - not to mention the fact that her mother passed away from cancer = instant empathy points - but where's the flaws? the quirks? I hate to pick on the nice girl, but she just needed a little more oomph.

One thing I did love however was the actual book itself. The black and white cover: a little edgy and with that ever-so-important dash of instant attraction. It also didn't hurt that the book itself is a nice, bright unmistakable hot pink. Contrast, contrast - thy name is perfection.(less)

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Oct 04, 2009

Marjorie Light rated it

Spare, beautiful prose, full of truths and ironies, fleshes out a modern-day version of Beauty and the Beast. Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted works her magic, weaving a tale of a high school reject-of-his-own-making and the lovely, pure girl who sees beyond his hideousness.

Lucius and Aurora begin telling their story on their first day of school, where both are new students, and the viewpoint alters chapter to chapter. Particularly interesting is how the same incident is told first from ...moreSpare, beautiful prose, full of truths and ironies, fleshes out a modern-day version of Beauty and the Beast. Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted works her magic, weaving a tale of a high school reject-of-his-own-making and the lovely, pure girl who sees beyond his hideousness.

Lucius and Aurora begin telling their story on their first day of school, where both are new students, and the viewpoint alters chapter to chapter. Particularly interesting is how the same incident is told first from one character’s perspective and then from another’s. The tension is increased with the unfolding, as we yearn for the characters to see the light of truth beyond their misconceptions. As the legend becomes life, Lucius withdraws further into himself and sees the glimmer of her goodness from the bottom of his despair.

The minor characters serve their purpose well – Jessup, the nemesis of Lucius; and Celia and Deanie, foils for Aurora. Even Misty, Lucius’ little sister, who begins the novel as the perfect tormentor, has an interesting role in the drama. As in most fairy tales, the parents take a secondary role, but are important to illustrate how the main characters became the people they are. The contrasts of their families heightens the comparison between Lucius and Aurora.

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL flows smoothly and pulls us toward the inevitable ending. Like any fable, some portions of her novel are painted with large, bold brushstrokes, but Baratz-Logsted is deft at intricacies, as well. Her precise word choices spring from the page and paint a portrait of two teens fated to be together, while having many obstacles thrown in their converging paths. She softens the blow of their tragedy with humor, woven throughout.

This novel is appropriate for middle school students to high school, even though the main characters are of high school age. As both the male and the female protagonists share the narrator’s role, either boys or girls will appreciate it. As a retelling of a fairy tale familiar to most, it is sure to attract reluctant readers, too. Lauren Baratz-Logsted has spun a romance worthy of the ages between a guy with hooks for hands and the beautiful girl, whom he longs will notice him. Due out September 2009 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.(less)

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Sep 22, 2009

Angie rated it

Shelves: good-uns, retellings

Honestly, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of CRAZY BEAUTIFUL once I heard it was a modern-day Beauty & the Beast retelling. Then I saw the cover. *clears throat* That's one good cover. Reminds me of another cover I'm rather fond of. In fact, reading and finishing this book prompted an immediate re-read of Perfect Chemistry. The two actually have a fair bit in common, though they are very different in style and length. There was a lot of hype around the blogosphere surrounding CRAZY BEA...moreHonestly, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of CRAZY BEAUTIFUL once I heard it was a modern-day Beauty & the Beast retelling. Then I saw the cover. *clears throat* That's one good cover. Reminds me of another cover I'm rather fond of. In fact, reading and finishing this book prompted an immediate re-read of Perfect Chemistry. The two actually have a fair bit in common, though they are very different in style and length. There was a lot of hype around the blogosphere surrounding CRAZY BEAUTIFUL and I found myself anxious to see if it lived up to my expectations. This was also my first novel by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and I was very much looking forward to both a new author and a fresh take on one of my very favorite old tales.

My arm rises toward my face and the pincer touch of cold steel rubs against my jaw.
I chose hooks because they were cheaper.
I chose hooks because I wouldn't outgrow them so quickly.
I chose hooks so that everyone would know I was different, so I would scare even myself.

Lucius is starting at a new school. He is unenthused, to put it mildly. Recently he, his parents, and his little sister relocated to a new home and a new town in an attempt to rid themselves of the taint of what happened to Lucius last year. Where he used to be plain Lucius Wolfe, now he's that crazy boy with hooks for hands. And he likes to live up to the reputation. It's clear from the word go that he's working pretty hard at not examining his life too clearly. It's just not exactly clear why. Aurora is also starting at a new school. The same school, as fate would have it. She and her father are trying to get back into the groove of their lives now that her mother is gone and the two of them are all each other's got. Where she used to be beautiful, popular Aurora Belle, now she's that new girl whose dad is the school librarian. Lucius and Aurora inadvertently make eye contact on the school bus one morning and a connection is forged, whether they know it yet or not.

My first reflection upon finishing this book is how much I loved the title. I love how it captures the way these two characters are perceived by the outside world, which is in direct contrast to the insight the reader gets about who they really are under the surface. Told in alternating point of view chapters, we get to experience firsthand Lucius' awkward blend of defiance and resignation when faced with all the rumors and insinuations about his mental status and the state of his missing hands. We get to be in the room with Aurora as she puts on a good face for her grieving, desperately hopeful dad, while achingly unsure whether or not she can get through another day pretending to be fine. Most of all, as is true with all good Beauty & the Beast retellings, we get to watch as two people in need find each other and see beyond the superficial to find that they are able to fill the cracks left by their past. CRAZY BEAUTIFUL is such a brief story. Weighing in at a featherweight 208 pages, I was worried I would emerge at the other end wishing for more, feeling like I only just got a taste of these two. I'm happy to say I didn't feel that way at all. On the contrary it felt like a perfectly natural glimpse into an ongoing story. There was a lot of crap that came before Lucius and Aurora encountered one another on the bus and, in the same vein, their story continues on beyond the final pages of the book. The lovely writing lent this modern high school story just the right hint of fairy tale splendor. I may be a sucker for this particular tale, but I thought Ms. Baratz-Logsted pulled it off beautifully. I read it in one sitting and it was exactly the sweet, funny, and moving read I hoped it would be.(less)

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Sep 18, 2009

Janice (Janicu) rated it

http://janicu.livejournal.com/85502.html...

The Premise: Well. I really think the blurb for this is better than anything I could say because...hooks for hands people:
"In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself. Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t ...morehttp://janicu.livejournal.com/85502.html...

The Premise: Well. I really think the blurb for this is better than anything I could say because...hooks for hands people:
"In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself. Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her. But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering. Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does. "

My Thoughts: At 197 pages (at least that was the length of my ebook), this was a short read that I read in a couple of hours. The narrative goes back and forth between Lucius and Aurora's points of view, but they are very short passages, sometimes just one sentence. There's a sort of poetic quality to the writing, as if sentences are used sparingly for maximum dramatic effect.

This is a Beauty and the Beast tale, but there's a lot more going on than this (although it's one of my favorite tropes). Lucius and Aurora are both high school students going to a new school. They're both sophomores and encounter different reactions from the student body. Lucius is treated badly, both for his appearance and rumors of what he'd done to get his hooks, but Aurora is immediately accepted and well liked. The way it was written, it conveyed high school and family in a believable way. Lucius is an outsider but he didn't strike me as a real bad boy, despite what he'd done (and this book's cover). His attitude was more of an intelligent guy who is marginalized by others, but I liked how Aurora trusted her own judgment in him. I could see this happening in any high school with regular students rather than a Hollywood version of high school with the usual cliches. There's the idea of starting over, which both Aurora and Lucius have to do, going with or against the crowd, rumors, the consequences of your actions and a really sweet romance. And had a couple of laughs at Lucius's sarcastic sense of humor, especially when he goes shopping with his younger sister and is forced to discover how pitiful his fashion sense is.

When I look at other reviews for this book I see people wanting more to the story, wanted to see more of what happened after it ended, but I didn't have so much of that problem just because I knew that the book was short, and I guess I had that in the back of my mind. I think I ended liking it better than them. The only minor complaint I'd have is wanting to know a bit more about what Lucius was up to when he blew up his hands. It takes a while before we get there and when we do, his reasons behind it weren't delved into and I wish they were, but maybe this book didn't want to focus on the past as much as focus on moving forward.

Overall: I liked this quite a bit. A short, feel-good kind of read with a sweet romance in it. (less)

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Sep 14, 2009

Debbie rated it

I have to admit when I first read the book blurb for Crazy Beautiful it did not really grab me. I mean the idea of a guy with hooks wooing a girl? It just sounded too strange but when I got a chance to review it I figured why not give it a chance. Thank goodness I did. It was a wonderful book that made me wish there was more when I finished it.

I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the writing. Each chapter alternates from Lucius' point of view and Aurora's point of view....more

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Aug 17, 2009

Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen rated it

I devoured this book. Crazy Beautiful is one of those books you want to curl up and read in one sitting. The cover is gorgeous, but I was expecting a more intense story I think with older characters. (The characters are 15) Instead, we get a look at a sweet story of love and friendship between two fractured people.

Lucius experimented with chemicals from school and caused an explosion which cost him his hands. He's chosen hooks and has set himself up to be an outcast at school-which ...moreI devoured this book. Crazy Beautiful is one of those books you want to curl up and read in one sitting. The cover is gorgeous, but I was expecting a more intense story I think with older characters. (The characters are 15) Instead, we get a look at a sweet story of love and friendship between two fractured people.

Lucius experimented with chemicals from school and caused an explosion which cost him his hands. He's chosen hooks and has set himself up to be an outcast at school-which he is, except when it comes to Aurora.

Aurora has recently lost her mother to cancer and now she and her father are starting over in a new town. She's genuinely nice and I really did feel like she was a wonderfully sweet person-she wasn't annoyingly perfect and nice-she was real.

I loved Aurora's relationship with her father-I love seeing strong family dynamics in books and Aurora and her father have a great relationship. This contrasts with Lucius and his parents, who have lost trust in him. Yet I can't say theirs is a negative family dynamic as their family is struggling to recover from the accident and it's written so perfectly-you feel their struggle. I really liked the relationship between Lucius and his younger sister Misty-the scene at the mall is one of my favorite siblings scenes ever!

There's so much in this one-it's a tale of friendship, romance, jealousy, and starting over. It does justice to the Beauty and the Beast story and it reads like a lovely fairy tale. It's told in alternating viewpoints with each chapter, and I liked how things from each chapter would bleed over into the next characters-both are served orange juice for breakfast, both characters will use the same word-it was very clever and I liked looking for the things that connected them. I'm most impressed with how author Lauren Baratz Logsted could manage to say so much without going into great detail. She doesn't need to write long descriptive paragraphs about what's happening. Some chapters are only a few sentences long-but the characters have depth and their relationship is believable.

The only complaint that I have was that I wish it would have been a tad longer-the ending felt a little too rushed. Crazy Beautiful is definitely one to look for in September.

Side note-As a librarian, I really loved how Aurora's dad was a librarian and Aurora was a booklover. It's always good to see librarians get a shout out in books. For some reason he reminded me of Giles in Buffy, which made me smile as I was reading it. Gotta love librarians!:)

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Jul 19, 2009

Kristin rated it

In Crazy Beautiful, Lauren Baratz-Logsted revisits Beauty and the Beast, adapting this tale of love and transformation to a present-day setting. First meet the Beast, Lucius, who lost his hands in an explosion of his own doing. As an act of self-punishment and to keep others at a distance, Lucius chooses to live with hooks rather than prosthetic hands. Now meet Aurora, absolutely radiant, not to mention talented, but unhappy after losing her mother. Both new kids at school, they go in different ...more

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title link	preview: Crazy Beautiful
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