I am not going to lie. This book is pushing itself into Twilight territory, but I like that the story is told from the Beast's perspective. When I watched the Disney movie as a kid, I rooted for him, but I it was all about Belle for me. This story took a twist on the classic tale, setting the story in present day New York City. Kyle Kingsbury starts out as a confidently handsome rich kid (the same stereotype you might find in Pretty in Pink) who looks down upon anyone who doesn't look as good as he does, which is pretty much everyone since he's the most beautiful boy in the world. OK -- This was the typical teenage story I was expecting. Next thing you know, you're getting his background story and starting to feel sorry for him and seeing his small but thoughtful act of kindness to a (not pretty) girl, and you're all turned around. Needless to say, there is a happy ending and there aren't a lot of big surprises in this version of the story, but it was an enjoyable read and I can definitely see working on character study with my students.