Beauty and the Beast: Lost In a Book - A Review

I bought the book on a whim.  It was at Walmart.  Every time I would go to look at the books, it was there, calling to me.

Now, let me be clear, I am not a huge Disney fan.  But...  I have a weak spot for fellow bookworms.  Since one of my favorite things is to get lost in a book, I wanted to read the book with my youngest daughter.  

I bought the book.  It is titled Beauty and the Beast: Lost In a Book. Over the last couple of weeks, my daughter and I jumped into this tale.   Parts of it we knew well, the classic Disney version of Beauty and the Beast is the setting and backdrop for the book.

I honestly didn’t expect the book to be very good.  I expected it to be trite and predictable.  I was thrilled when it wasn’t.

Oh, there was some of the play between characters from the Beauty and the Beast animated movie.  The interactions between the enchanted characters struck a note of familiarity.  The Beast and Belle argued in a familiar manner.  

The part that changed up the entire book was the addition of a book world, Nevermore.  Nevermore is a book.  An enchanted book in an enchanted castle is not unexpected, but when a wager between Love and Death occurs, Belle’s experience with enchantment is taken into a deeper level.  Her deepest desires, to see the world, to be around cultured people, and to be reunited with her father are all used against her in a world that is beautiful and intriguing.  It all seems as if the world, Nevermore, in the book is too good to be true. 

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Nevermore is a fake world of fake people.  Belle has lessons to learn, about the true desires of her heart, about true friendship, and about what she truly wants in life.  Belle has to make a decision on who is the author of her story.

The surprise of Lost In a Story is that the story of Nevermore was told so well.  The reader can totally understand the elaborate deception, and how a person would long for their heart’s desires.  Wanting more in life that imprisonment in a castle, even an enchanted one, is easily understandable.  The excitement and beauty of Nevermore was enticing, and the reader was drawn in, despite having the foreknowledge that the land was a trap.

My ten year old was actually heartbroken more than once.  When one character in the book learns to love, and sacrifices himself for Belle, it was a very personal moment for my little bookworm.  She was upset, to the point that I wondered if the book was too intense for her.  Since we were near the end of the book by this point, I pressed on.  The suspense in the last chapters of the book was very intense for a child. The book definitely had a darker, more sinister edge than the Disney cartoon or movie.  

As I stated, I am not a huge Disney fan.  The book, however, was a nice combination of reliable characters we know and love mixed with new, unpredictable villains and settings.  Seeing Belle make mistakes and learn tough lessons added a depth to her that the movies didn’t portray.  Belle was more than a sweet bookworm in this book.  Her deeper thoughts and desires were investigated.  

I enjoyed reading the book with my daughter.  My only recommendation might be to not read it to children too young. Amazon recommends the book for readers ages ten and up.  If you have a sensitive reader, you might want to wait until age twelve or older.