Richie's Picks: Great Books for Children and Young Adults

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"Love will not serve those who do not live for her, and in her, and to whom she is not the breath of life." -- Jennette Lee

"I get down on my knees and I start to pray 'till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord somebody, ooh somebody, please,
Can anybody find me somebody to love."
-- Queen

" 'What's the difference? You think looks shouldn't matter. With the Internet, they really don't. It's all about personality.' Then I figured out her problem. 'You're just mad because I figured out a way around your curse, a way I can meet someone without them getting freaked about what you've done to my looks.'
" 'That's not it. I cast the spell on you to teach you a lesson. If you learn it, great. I'm not rooting for you to screw up. I'm trying to help you. But this just won't work.'
" 'But why?'
" 'Because you can't fall in love with someone you don't know. That profile of yours is full of lies.'
" 'You read my mail. Isn't that against the -- '
" ' "I love to go out and party with my friends..." '
" 'Stop it!'
" ' "My dad and I are really close..." '
" 'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!' I covered my ears, but her words still taunted me. I wanted to break the mirror, the computer monitor, anything, but it was all because I knew it was true. I just wanted someone to love me, someone to break the curse."

Kyle Kingsbury plays a dirty trick on the fat Goth freak who had, from the back of the classroom, complained bitterly about the anachronistic concept of electing a spring dance court, a process blatently based upon looks. Turns out the Goth freak is really a witch, and as punishment for the trail of cruelty he's left in his wake, she promptly turns Kyle into a furry and smelly beast. But, because she's glimpsed a tiny hint of redeeming value in Kyle's pathetically shallow character, she provides him a shot at redemption:

" 'Two petals, two years to find someone willing to look beyond your hideousness and see some good in you, something to love. If you will love her in return, and if she will kiss you to prove it, the spell will be lifted, and you will be your handsome self again. If not, you'll stay a beast forever.' "

Even though Kyle is devastated by his new appearance, he first clings to his old behaviors. He assumes that he can finesse his way out of this condition, can continue to rely on that sense of entitlement based on looks and money that has always served him so well. But he quickly discovers that the road to recovery will not be that easy:

" 'Get away from me!' She opened the door. 'Let me know if you get over whatever this is.' She ran out into the hallway.
"I ran to the door. 'Sloane?'
" 'What?' She was jiggling the elevator button, trying to hurry it there. " 'Don't tell anyone, huh?' " 'Oh, believe me, Kyle, I won't tell a soul. They'd think I was nuts. I must be nuts.' She looked at me again and shuddered.
"The elevator came, and she was gone. I went back to my room and lay on the bed. I could still smell the scent of her, and it didn't smell good. I hadn't loved Sloane, so it was no surprise she didn't love me either. That must be why the kiss didn't work. The witch had meant it -- I had to be in love.
"I'd never loved anyone, even when I was normal, never had anyone want to be with me, other than because of who I was, how much stuff I had, and how good I was at partying. I hadn't cared much. There was time for the other stuff later.
"But what were the chances I'd ever find someone to really love me now? And maybe loving her back would be the hardest part of all."

Kyle Kingsbury is, thus, compelled to embark on a two-year journey of self-discovery.

"High above the forests lie the pastures of the sun
Where the two who learned the secret now are one."
--Justin Hayward

When I first received the uncorrected proof of BEASTLY, I didn't even crack the cover open and take a peek. That might seem surprising, being that Alex Flinn's books have repeatedly been great contemporary YA tales, and I've written about a bunch of them. But it was clear that this book was a retelling of a fairy tale, and I am not a fan of fairy tale retellings. Or I thought I wasn't. Or I didn't used to be.

"I love you, I thought."

Kyle's moving and oftentimes lonely story, his search for the secret of true love, is regularly punctuated by truly hilarious interludes: the transcripts of Kyle's involvement -- using the screen name BeastNYC -- in the "Unexpected Changes chat group" where we get brief glimpses of SilentMaid (who is considering a voluntary change that will cost her beautiful voice), Grizzlyguy, and Froggie -- ("Froggie: hardest prt 4 me is eatin flys" "Froggie: dont lk flys").

For those who will argue that this story of transformation is the author's most accomplished piece of writing and most compelling and memorable work to date, I'm with you on that.

Richie Partington, MLIS
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