Tale As Old As Time...?

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book

by Jennifer Donnelly

ISBN: 978-1484780985

Hardcover, 352 Pages

Published  by Disney Press January 31, 2017

Bought Copy

About: 

Smart, bookish Belle, a captive in the Beast’s castle, has become accustomed to her new home and has befriended its inhabitants. When she comes upon Nevermore, an enchanted book unlike anything else she has seen in the castle, Belle finds herself pulled into its pages and transported to a world of glamour and intrigue. The adventures Belle has always imagined, the dreams she was forced to give up when she became a prisoner, seem within reach again.The charming and mysterious characters Belle meets within the pages of Nevermore offer her glamorous conversation, a life of dazzling Parisian luxury, and even a reunion she never thought possible. Here Belle can have everything she has ever wished for. But what about her friends in the Beast’s castle? Can Belle trust her new companions inside the pages of Nevermore? Is Nevermore’s world even real? Belle must uncover the truth about the book, before she loses herself in it forever. (From Goodreads)

Rating: 2 Stars

Review: 

When Belle of “Beauty and the Beast” fame gets stuck in the middle of a bet between Death and Love this is the disaster that happens. The story itself, if it were stand alone and had nothing to do with Disney’s movies, would have been entertaining. The problem with this book is that it IS suppose to be part of the movie universe and it just doesn’t fit the already set characterization of all the beloved characters. The book is suppose to take place around the time the Beast gives Belle the library. At this point in time in the movie a friendship is started and love might even be making an appearance. In the book however, Belle and Beast barley are talking and she’d rather get sucked into a weird book then interact with him. What adds to my dislike of this book was that the author insisted on making the “alive” inanimate objects (Chip, Mrs. Pots, Cogsworth, etc.) more human then they should be. I can’t imagine Chip pulling a book off a shelf and reading it. Or Chip going outside to feed the chickens. Or any of them washing the windows in the library. They have no hands or arms for the most part. The story just didn’t work for me. And what was up with the constant mentioning of toasted cheese sandwiches? Grrr! All in all read this book only if you’re a die hard Beauty and the Beast fan and are desperate for a fix. Or better yet, there are plenty other Beauty and the Beast retellings out there to read so go for one of them instead.