Beast

Full disclosure- I preordered this book months ago. I was finishing another book when it dropped onto my Kindle app at 11:00 last night. I worked a full shift and spent time with the hubs. I still finished the book. This tells you how much sleep I actually got last night. I just couldn't put the book down! So this is (yet another) retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Each one is sweet and unique- look at Alex Flynn's Beastly- I really loved her take on it. I was charmed by the premise here. A young man with severe image issues, and a transgender young woman. Even though there are dozens revisited fairy tales, I am a sucker for them. Especially when the author can add a fresh twist. Dylan hates how he looks. He is huge, hairy and ugly. Even his best friend calls him The Beast. Ever since he was little all he ever had was his mom, and then his friend JP. The two were like family and he would do anything for the guy. After a really bad day, Dylan makes some poor choices. One thing leads to another and he winds up in a cast and going to therapy for self-harmers. At his one and only session he meets Jamie. Everyone is sharing, and if he wasn't having a pity party he might have heard her share her story. Instead all he sees is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, who doesn't seem disgusted by him. As the two grow closer, Dylan is ecstatic. He adores Jamie! He finally (maybe) has a girlfriend! And then he finds out- she is transgender. He has to decide how much this matters to him and what it all means- no small feat at fifteen. After a few huge missteps he has a lot of ground to cover. Can he win his girl over? Alright, time to gush! I adored these characters. Dylan is a young man with very normal desires for his age. Friends, popularity, and to not disgust the opposite sex. He is also nearly seven feet tall and furry- thus all the nick names. Jamie, on the other hand, has been walking her road for a while. She seems strong and beautiful-confident in her place.. but she isn't really. She knows who and what she is, and damn society... but it's hard not to notice the overly worried mom and all the newsfeeds. The book had a lot to say about how we as a society see ourselves, and how we view and treat one another. I can't recommend it enough. Five stars, plus one for creativity. On the adult content scale, while this was written for a YA audience, there is language, violence, and some very heavy issues. I would let my niece read this, but some are more worried about these things- that's why I do this section. I would give this book a three.

I am a sucker for all things Beauty and the Beast, and when I saw this loosely inspired contemporary with an LGBTQIA character, I knew I had to read BEAST.Dylan is a book smart, wise cracking teen whose best friend uses him as muscle, and whose looks and height have every student at school calling him "Beast." His mom's well meaning, but overbearing. After he falls off a roof, landing in the hospital, he ends up in group therapy for troubled teens and meets Jamie. Jamie is the Beauty to Dylan's beast.Books with male characters who have self esteem and body image issues are rare, and I thought author Brie Spangler handled Dylan's issues with sensitivity. I was there with him even when it was tough to see him beat himself up over his weight, his weight, and every physical aspect that he had deemed ugly. He is much more than his looks though (everyone is): he's smart and very, very funny. His trains of thought had me laughing out loud so many times while I was reading. He's done some bad things in his life, and when he meets Jamie, they accept each other's "horribleness."I loved Jamie. She was snarky, artistic, and funny as well. The fact that she's transgender does hinder their would-be relationship (which made me mad because Dylan accuses her of not telling him, which she did in therapy, but he wasn't listening) and puts Dylan on the defensive. This is where I didn't empathize with him so much. Add to this, he's looking for meanings and signs via his dead father, including a sign that his feelings for Jamie are okay. No. Just no. But this book really did works its magic on me. I am glad it's in the world.Highly recommended!

I loved the premise of Beast when I first heard about it, but it failed to live up to my expectations.The main problem was that I wasn't a fan of Dylan. He's so caught up in his appearance that he doesn't give much thought to anyone but himself. I also didn't like the entitled vibe I got from him, as if he was owed something - no, thank you. While I like realistic characters, flaws and all, and Dylan ticks that box, I couldn't get on board with 'terrible teenage boy' and his cringe worthy actions, even if it felt authentic.On the other hand, I loved Jamie. She was a breath of fresh air and for me, the saving grace of the novel. Maybe I would have liked the book better had it been written from her perspective. I can't personally speak for trans representation, but I thought the author handled it well and with sensitivity.Being a fan of Jamie, but not Dylan, the romance didn't work for me, which seem to be a reoccurring issue many readers. It wasn't swoon worthy and I felt Jamie deserved better.It was interesting to read about body image issues from a male perspective though, as this is rarely touched on in YA.Mixed feelings overall, but if you're after a unique, diverse contemporary with a Beauty and the Beast vibe (more so than a retelling), this may suit.

"Being a person has nothing to do with the packaging. It only has to do with being good."Sometimes you start a book and know that it's going to be outstanding. I knew within the first 20 pages that Beast was that book. I read it in one sitting and fell completely in love with Dylan and I ship him & Jamie so much. I can't wait to read more books by Brie, the world needs more diverse books so go read this one now!!!