Belle in Once Upon a Time

Aug 20, 2009 Marie rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 18, 2008 Allison rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1owned, five-stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I personally loved this book, because as far as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast goes, it sticks close to the original/traditional tale, while giving a little more backstory and detail. I found this book's Belle really likeable, and I loved that Dokey decided to give her sisters depth, instead of just making them the typical evil sisters- beautiful, vain and self-centered.

I loved The Beast in this book, and the way he dealt with Belle. He was, in my opinion, exactly what The Beast should be. I personally loved this book, because as far as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast goes, it sticks close to the original/traditional tale, while giving a little more backstory and detail. I found this book's Belle really likeable, and I loved that Dokey decided to give her sisters depth, instead of just making them the typical evil sisters- beautiful, vain and self-centered.

I loved The Beast in this book, and the way he dealt with Belle. He was, in my opinion, exactly what The Beast should be. He's gruff but somehow desperate, strong but still vulnerable. And of course, I really loved the fact that he was not a prince in disguise, just an unfortunate cursed hunter! I would say he is one of my favorite "Beasts".

However, I do think the book also has several flaws. My biggest complaint is that The Once Upon A Time series ALREADY DID Beauty and the Beast a few years ago. As much as I love "Belle", I feel that the series should explore more obscure fairy tales before recycling their earlier tales. As much as I hated "Spirited" (the first version of B&B), it did possess one quality that "Belle" lacked- originality!

Unlike basically any of the others in this series, I felt that "Belle" lacked the peculiar twist that has made these stories so fun. It was not set in a unique setting, or in a strange age, and the author didn't see any need to update or tweak the tale. For all intents and purposes, "Belle" is the typical retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Belle's woodcarving aside, the story is just another incarnation of Beauty and the Beast. Although that's not necessarily a bad thing, I've come to expect the "twist", and I was rather disappointed to find this story was like any other retelling.

My last complaint is one that applies to nearly all of the "Once Upon a Time" books. I personally felt that this book was a bit too heavy with the setup/introduction, and, as a consequence had a very rushed conclusion. I blame the publisher for forcing the authors to keep their tales under a rather tiny word count. There are, of course, benefits to petite novels, but in this case, I felt that cutting the length actually hurt the book. By making it so short, Belle didn't have much "screen time" with her Beast, which, to me, made it a little unbelievable when she realized she was madly in love with him. I could never see myself falling in love that quickly or that easily!

Still, I was pleased with the tale, despite it's flaws. It may not be inventive and new, but I think it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It retells the classic tale from a slightly new perspective, for a young adult audience!

I can't wait for the next installment, starring Mulan! ...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Emily Eastman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: once-upon-a-time, favorites

correction. This is my favorite book in this series. I loved the whole concept that this story showed. Like redemption, choice and accountability, love, and seeing with your heart and not your eyes. Through this amazing well written novel all of this was portrayed. Through the Beast (Gaspher) and Belle. I truelly enjoyed reading this book.

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Feb 06, 2010 Sarah rated it it was ok

I didn't really like this book because it's supposed to be a retelling of Beauty AND the Beast, but it doesn't get to where her father runs into the beast until after about 100 pages. The story is mostly about Belle. ...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: fairytale, fantasy, adventure, teen-romance, retelling, teen, teen-novel

Cute retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I liked the twist with why and how she stays with the Beast - and what question he asks her every evening. It was sweet!

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