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Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge

Start date: February 1, 2017

Finish date: February 28, 2017

Discussion: Stand Alone

Why we're reading this: Won the theme BOTM
Theme: covers with red roses
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* Stand Alone- Maybe Meant to Be
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What Members Thought

Dec 03, 2013 Desa rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi-fantasy, english, paranormal-romance, read-in-2014, cover-lust

3'5-4★

Cruel Beauty has been different, unexpected, bittersweet and romantic. And not what I was expecting.

The beautiful writing and the Beauty and the Beast retelling along the Greek mytholgy, have created a really unique YA book.

I can't wait to read more of Rosamund Hodge's books.
...more

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Jun 21, 2013 a_tiffyfit rated it really liked it

Shelves: re-readable, 2014-release-need-it-now, 2014-reviewed, 2014-favorites

If there is one thing that any of my friends would tell you, it's that I adore Beauty and the Beast. It didn't start with the Disney film for me, but with a retelling of it by Robin McKinley called Beauty. I found a tattered copy in my school library. I kept renewing it for a month. My mom and I scoured bookstores looking for it and it was out of print. I went to the librarian at school and LIED. I outright lied. I said I couldn't find the book and I would need to pay for it and its replacement. If there is one thing that any of my friends would tell you, it's that I adore Beauty and the Beast. It didn't start with the Disney film for me, but with a retelling of it by Robin McKinley called Beauty. I found a tattered copy in my school library. I kept renewing it for a month. My mom and I scoured bookstores looking for it and it was out of print. I went to the librarian at school and LIED. I outright lied. I said I couldn't find the book and I would need to pay for it and its replacement. I paid the fine and kept that book and treasured it.

So you can guess that I was VERY intrigued by this book and wanted to read it as soon as I could! Before I get into gushing about it, let me talk about the one thing I didn't like. I don't consider myself a picky reader, but misused or lacking punctuation drives me up a wall. I was a bit appalled that this book was from Harper Collins and the proofreading/editing for simple punctuation was not up to my standards. It wasn't dreadfully horrible, but it was noticeable.

Now the book! While it did not unseat Beauty by Robin McKinley as my most favorite version of this fairy tale, Cruel Beauty comes in a close second. At the core is this wonderfully heartfelt story that is bathed in light and humanity. But to get to that core, we must delve into the darkness and acknowledge that the worst darkness comes from within.

The story opens with a girl lamenting and upset about her impending marriage; a marriage she has not chosen and one that is supposed to save her people. Nyx is to marry the Gentle Lord.

Nyx Triskelion is "Beauty" in this case and I loved this rendition of "Beauty". Unlike all of the others who have come before her, Nyx isn't completely good. She struggles to be good, but she has so many negative emotions that stem from her childhood. She is a twin and the daughter her father has decided to sacrifice to the Gentle Lord, Lord of Bargains, as a wife. She's resentful, sad, doesn't feel loved by her family, and is quite angry at the role that's been forced upon her. She blames her dead mother for not being able to bear children, she hates her sister for constantly being happy and adored by their father, she abhors her aunt who has slipped into their father's bed, and she's livid that she is to be sacrificed as a wife to the Prince of Demons. For her entire life, she's been told she will avenge her mother's death, save her people, and to lie to her twin sister, the one who is adored and showered with affection, so as to protect her from the truths in the world.

What she doesn't expect is that her husband is strangely charming and more human than she dared imagine the Prince of Demons to be. She grew up in a world where you are warned not to stare into shadow as something might look back, where her father has used his basic magic skills to try to cure those demon-afflicted, and where the entire society blames Ignifex for the Sundering. She learns that there is more to the world than black and white. She learns that her people, whom she is destined to save, have no idea of the truths behind their pieced together stories.

I loved the Greek mythology that Rosamund Hodge has wound into this fairy tale. Stories of Hermes and Aphrodite and other gods play a keen role throughout and add layers of complexity to this retelling. Nyx is educated enough to know the scholarly stories and it is these stories that help her. Ignifex is ignorant of who he used to be. His shadow, Shade, knows but is forbidden to tell. Instead of asking Nyx to marry him every night, as it was in the tale I read before, Ignifex has a different riddle. She can guess his name. If she gets it right, all will be freed. If she gets it wrong, it's death for her.

The verbal play between Nyx and Ignifex will make you smile. The "insta-love" is not my favorite, even the insta-lust. Nyx goes from being angry and upset to kissing Shade. And soon, she is kissing Ignifex. Within days, there is a declaration of love and this swelling of emotion. Romantic, but I would've liked it to drag out a bit. *shrugs* Personal preference, but it didn't detract from the story for me.

I could go on and on and rave about this book, but I'm hoping you'll pick it up and read it. I think Ms Hodge has created a wonderful alternate to the standard Beauty & the Beast tale and it's one that many will enjoy. From a house that is constantly changing to mythology that fleshes out the story to a devilishly handsome prince and an intrepid young maiden whose heart is not pure, this was an enjoyable read that has earned a place on my re-readable shelf! ...more

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Sep 21, 2016 Angie Taylor rated it it was amazing

I absolutely adored this book! It's magical from beginning to end. The writing and story telling is one of my favorite books of 2016. Best unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast ever. I don't it even think it can be compared because this story is so good. Loved it. ...more

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Mar 27, 2014 Wendy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014, ya-fiction, fairytale-retelling, mythology-retelling

3.5 stars. The ending was just a tad too convoluted for me. I found a lot of this book almost had too many elements to it. Enjoyed it, but it didn't leave me hankering for more. ...more

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