As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale

Disney’s classic Beauty and the Beast takes a dark, yet intriguing, turn in this twisted tale. In this story, Belle’s absent mother was a powerful sorceress named Rosalind—the sorceress, in fact, who cast the spell cursing a spoiled young prince to life as a Beast unless he could learn to love. The beginning plodded, as I itched to follow the story of young Maurice and Rosalind, but every other chapter interrupted the flow with Belle’s familiar story—basically straight out of the movie. However, after the first section (about the point where Belle sneaks into the forbidden west wing), the narrative spins off in a new direction entirely.

I grew up with Disney’s animated classics, and Beauty and the Beast was one I, a bookish brunette in a small town, particularly identified with, so I was intrigued, but not quite certain how I would respond to this book. I collect novelizations of the classic fairy tale, though, so this addition could not be overlooked. Happily, it stays true to a beloved relic from my childhood while taking on new, more mature (still teen-friendly) themes. I will be seeking out the earlier titles from the Twisted Tale set and am looking forward to more.