Book Review: Beautiful Beast, by Cindy C. Bennett

Beautiful Beast, by Cindy C. Bennett
Calli is cursed by her beauty.

Though she knows it's cruel, Calli agrees to accompany her friends to Monster House where it is rumored the beast howls at the moon each sunset. When she hears him for the first time, her heart is wrenched by the anguish she hears in the sound.

Facing trespassing charges for her folly, Calli is forced to move into Monster House where she is to befriend the beast. Using the bribery offered by his father to gain some desperately needed money for her father, Calli accepts his terms. Horrified but trapped by her circumstance, Calli steps inside the doors of the great house to face the unknown.

Alex is cursed by his beastliness.

Alex believes Calli has bribed her way into his home in order to get a look at the beast of Monster House, and is determined to hate her. He isn't prepared as she batters down the hard walls of his soul with her kindness and humor.

Alex allows Calli into his inner sanctum, sharing with her the most private parts of his heart. But when he finds out the truth, will her love be enough to convince him of her true feelings, or will she lose him forever?

Ages: 13 and up
File Size: 243 KB
Print Length: 94 pages

My Review:
Generally I'm not that fond of self published titles, but I've read some of Cindy Bennett's traditionally published work before and so I figured this was a pretty safe bet.  I really enjoyed the contemporary take on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. It was very short and I read it in one sitting.

There were some elements to the story that I didn't find believable, but chose to overlook them.  There were some grammatical issues that drove me a bit crazy, like using the wrong spelling for the same word over and over.  But other than the little things like that, I really enjoyed the book.  It was a fun, romantic teen read that stayed nice and clean throughout.

The characters were fun and I enjoyed their teasing and bantering.  Callie has a bright personality and she is able to win over just about everyone she come in contact with.  Alex is complex, and carries a lot of weight emotionally and physically.  Callie quickly looks past Alex's appearance to uncover the beautiful person underneath the skin.

This book is only $0.99 for the Kindle version.

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website

Pin It

Book Review: Rapunzel Untangled, by Cindy C. Bennett

Rapunzel Untangled, by Cindy C. Bennett

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is. Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (February 12, 2013)



My Review:

 I have to admit, I am a huge sucker for a retelling of a fairy tale.  Some of my favorite books are new versions of old stories.  Rapunzel Untangled has joined my list of favorite teen reads for the year.  

I found Rapunzel to be a little naive and blindly obedient, but she doesn't know anything else, so it makes sense.  She was a total sweetheart, and I just loved her.  Fane was a fantastic hero.  He was a typical teenage boy while still managing to be thoughtful and courageous.  

One of the enjoyable aspects of this story was that it takes place in the present day.  Rapunzel has a computer that is hooked up to the internet.  She gets a Facebook account and "friends" Fane.  I love her reactions to modern day technology (like cars) and other things like movies, pizza, and M&Ms.  I enjoyed the relationship between Rapunzel and Fane, and I loved that while they were instantly attracted to one another, it took time for their relationship to develop into something more than friendship.  The content was perfectly clean, and I really appreciate that in a young adult novel.  

Bit of a spoiler here:  I was frustrated with the mystery behind Rapunzel.  I think it worked, but it could have been more believable than it was.  Vedmak played too small a part in the whole thing.  I spent the entire book reading about Gothel and figuring out what her motivation and plans were, just to have Vedmak swoop in during the last couple of chapters and change the game entirely.  I thought that his motivations were solid enough, but I wish that I could have learned more about him throughout the rest of the book.

In all honesty though, I enjoyed the story far too much to really complain about Vedmak.  It was a delightful modern day fairy tale full of adventure, romance, and even Facebook!

The Cover: I absolutely adore this cover.  That hair is simply gorgeous!  I like the way the braid is loose and a little messy.  The blonde color contrasts very nicely with the darker background.  I also really like the title design.  Super cute and still easy to read.


Amazon | Goodreads | Website


About the Author:

Cindy C Bennett lives in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains near Salt Lake City. She has spent several years doing volunteer work with teen girls, whom she finds to be fascinating creatures - hence, her writing stories for and about them. When not reading or writing, she loves to spend time with her family which includes a husband, two sons, two daughters, two daughters-in-law and two dogs. She thinks the best things come in pairs! She does her best creating while cruising down the highway on her Harley Davidson Fatboy. GEEK GIRL (a Sweetwater book) is her first published novel. HEART ON A CHAIN, IMMORTAL MINE, BEAUTIFUL BEAST (book 1 of Enchanted Fairytales), RED AND THE WOLF (book 2 of Enchanted Fairytales), RELUCTANCE (a Noble YA short story), IN THE BEGINNING (part of the It's a Love Thing anthology), and WATCHED (part of the Screams in the Night: Tales of Terror anthology) are her others.



Pin It