Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2016
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A witty, wise, and heart-wrenching reimagining of Beauty and the Beast that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan.
Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn't look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg - and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.
Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy - until he meets Jamie. She's funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She's also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jamie's humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn't know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn't listening. Something that shouldn't change a thing. She is who she's always been - an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?
"Starred Review. A believable and beautiful human story." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. Spangler's captivating portrayals of Dylan and Jamie offer piercing insight into the long, painful battle to shatter stereotypes in order to win dignity, love, and acceptance. Ages 12–up." - Publishers Weekly
"Jaime is independent and complex as she battles with her feelings after Dylan acts horribly, and the reader is rewarded with Dylan's sincere transformation, as he prepares to follow his heart toward Jaime, if she can only forgive him." - Booklist
"An ambitious YA romance that doesn't reach its full potential but that may find fans among realistic fiction readers." - School Library Journal
This information about Beast was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Brie Spangler graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and is the author-illustrator of two picture books, Peg Leg Peke and The Grumpy Dump Truck. She makes her YA debut with Beast.
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