Beauty and Beast has always been my favorite Disney fairytale. I am going to have to emphasize the Disney part of this because the other versions of beauty and the beast are not the same as Disney. This book concentrates more on the how the other fairytales are which is not a bad thing at all. I actually really enjoyed this author's twist and rewrite of Beauty and Beast. I really hope there is a sequel with the way she ended the book. At least the first half of Roses takes place before what we normally think of as the Beauty and the Beast story. It follows Beauty as a child, left to be raised by an aunt who despises and neglects her. In this version, she's actually considered to be somewhat of a freak instead of a beautiful girl. This part of the book was kind if slow for me, to be honest.The rest of the book basically follows the typical Beauty and the Beast story, though there are a few little alterations. This part went by more quickly, but I feel like it lacked the development that the first half had. So much time was spent on Beauty's childhood, yet it seemed like Mannering kind of abandoned the story once Beauty arrived at the castle. Like, "You know what happens next, so I don't need to spend as much time on it." A little disappointing.The ending was abrupt.Time in this book is measured by seasons instead of years. Honestly, this drove me crazy. I eventually quit doing the math to translate the characters' ages into years because it just annoyed me. I have no idea how old anyone is beyond the time when Beauty was about 10.I finally figured out the difference between Magic Bloods and Magic Beings. I think. Magic Bloods are people with magic abilities, like sorcerers and foretellers (psychics). Magic Beings are mythical creatures, like griffins and such.Note: Can't recall anything bad.
What do You think about Roses (2013)?
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this retelling, and hope for a sequel!
—jessica
