Beast of Rosemead by Lucy Tempest - ADVISABLE

Beast of Rosemead by Lucy Tempest, 421 pages. Folkshore Press, 2019. $13.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When Bonnie wakes up in an unfamiliar room and without any memory of how she got there, she quickly jumps to the logical conclusion that she’s been kidnapped. As she makes her way to escape, she hears the voice of her father downstairs and discovers that both she and her father are safe. However, reality does not get much better as Bonnie learns of the Beast and faeries that plague this new place she is in and threaten everyone she loves -- trouble that only involves her loved ones because of her selfish dreams.

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast was a pleasure to read because of Tempest’s combination of details from the familiar story and unique twists that adapt the story to a new magical world. My understanding of how Beauty and the Beast should go didn’t make the book predictable. In fact, my expectations for upcoming details only made the changes Tempest made more exciting as I watched the old story unfold in new circumstances. I also loved this retelling because of the fun I had while reading it, often forgetting myself enough to laugh aloud in public as well as private.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen