Beastly has a simple purpose: Update the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. For the most part, it succeeded. As I read I couldn’t help thinking it reminded me of a grittier version of Disney’s animated feature (which is heavily modified from the original story). The prose was smooth, but not all that compelling and at times I got the impression the audience was being written down to. The cameos by other fairytale characters and authors was cute and the retooling of the plot worked even if it begged you to turn off your logic radar, so for the most part, I enjoyed it.
Personal rating: 3/5 stars