Reviews of The Curse Girl

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Because of her father's foolishness, seventeen-year old Beauty becomes a prisoner of the Curse House and the snobby, handsome Will, who contrary to local legend is not a "beast" at all (except maybe in attitude). She and Will would rather eat dirt than be nice to each other, but they must work together to solve a witch's riddle if they want to break the curse and escape before time runs out.
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Reviews of The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison

Aly reviewed on June 2, 2012

I love Fairy-tales, especially Disney movies because of the sugar coated sweet stuff. I really loved Beauty and The Beast because of how strong, caring and smart Belle was. She didn't just want a man like Gaston, who was handsome and strong, she wanted someone to love.

Beauty or Bee for short, reminded me entirely of Belle and sometimes the book was reminiscent of the Disney movie with all the door slamming and book reading, but it was still enjoyable.
Will was hilarious in that cute sarcastic way. Rose was so cute and I felt so bad for her. The characters were amazing, I hope theirs some sort of follow-up on Storm because he's amazing.

Loved it
(reviewed 38 days after purchase)
Suleyma Guzman reviewed on May 29, 2012

This book was amazing loved how Will was.. Not the normal type of guy i know of..really goood :) nice short read!!
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
Lily reviewed on May 18, 2012

Wow! What an awesome short read. This novella was generously shared by the author for a review, and I have to concede to the hype. This was hard to put down, and almost read same date, if I didn’t have to succumb to the very annoying need to sleep.

For anyone that enjoys the fairy tale stories of Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, this will be a very entertaining and enjoyable novella. ‘The Curse Girl’ is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast story set in current times. A young high school girl, Beauty, is delivered to the ‘Beast’s’ house by her father, who is marked by the ‘curse’ after he makes a very bad decision. In order to save her family from the curse, Beauty walks away from her life as she knows it, as soon as she steps foot in the house that is surrounded by myths of legend. She becomes a prisoner of the house with the Beast, who is really just a boy close to her age, who is also trapped along with his sister and household staff in the enchanted home. Beauty, in her quest of finding a way to escape, assists Will, the so called Beast, with finding an answer to the riddle that would break the curse they are all under.

For YA fans, this story follows the enjoyable rules of girl meets boy, can’t stand boy, then finds herself attracted to said boy as they work together towards a common goal. There is no ‘Insta-love’ here, which was a relief as I have just been assaulted too much lately with YA novels that feature such an annoying trend.

For the small size of this book, the author was great at character building. A lot of attention was paid not just to the two main characters of the story, but to everyone involved. Ya, of course Beauty and Will have the most focus for obvious reasons. But I did enjoy the attention to characters such as Housekeeper, Liam (before the predictable reveal towards the end), and of course the mean villainous witch, Marian. So the end result is, you care about them or despise them, and you can relate to them all in some way or another.

The ending was quickly wrapped up, and that was probably the only negative thing about this book. It just felt like it could have been a much longer story. But the negative is a positive. Obviously I was enjoying the heck out of this novel to be upset by how quickly it all wrapped up. But some of the wrap ups were a little too convenient, or without resolution (ie, her family moving away so no confrontation with father dearest who was so willing to give her up, and it ends pretty much once the curse is lifted – and yes I realize that may be a spoiler, but we all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, so get over it.)
I have to say I am impressed with the writing skill for a first published novel by this author. Kate Avery Ellison writes like a pro and reeled me in like one. I definitely have her next works on my ‘to read’ list for the future
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
May Anderson reviewed on May 17, 2012

So, I received this book due to a 'Read to Review' in the Young Adult Reads group. You'd expect a book based on such a popular fairytale to just fall flat, right? Wrong. This was actually an amazing modern retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Engaging, humorous in some places and very entertaining.

The characters were all well developed and managed to make me feel connected to them in a way. I loved Bee's determination and attitude and Will's wit (and dashing good looks). Rose was sweet and Marian was very well fleshed out as the villain though I did feel slightly sorry for her in the beginning. I can't say I supported Bee's Dad, but I can certainly see where he was coming from. The only character I really hated was Drew as I felt like punching him once or twice towards the end. Well, every story needs one unlikeable character to hate. Sorry Drew, you're the punching bag.

The snide remarks that ran through the text were a great addition to the storyline. There were some good twists in the plot that I wasn't expecting but I did like all the same. The conclusion was all kinds of adorable and the riddle was well planned. Oh, and kudos for having them hating each other at first. I hate 'love at first sight', doesn't really happen in the real world.

Great job to Ellison for actually succeeding where many have tried and failed
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
Allison reviewed on May 15, 2012

Wow ! I loved this book . It was a delight to read . A lovely play on the classic tale . Once I finally got the chance to sit down and read it I Couldn't stop until it was over .  I loved the relationship between beauty and will . It was the classic tale with a modern y.a twist .I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is in the mood for a charming tale . 
(reviewed 21 days after purchase)
millypre reviewed on May 11, 2012
(no rating)
When I started reading this book I thought it was just a simple review of the history of Beauty and the Beast, one of those books when, before reading, you realize that you know exactly what is going to happen.
But I must say that, surprisingly, in the end it has proved to be better than I thought.
The writing is simple and linear, maybe a bit 'too fast in some points, but nothing heavy or dull.
the story is a constant succession of events that leave you for a moment, speechless. and just when you're going to say: "Uh, I remember this part of history," immediately, something happens that makes you think "What now?"
I loved this book not only because the Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories, or because Will is fantastic (yes, I love the grumpy types that eventually prove to be sweet and romantic), but also because it was able to introduce new elements in the story, without spoiling the storyline.
In summary, I believe, that now, this book has become one of my favorites.
(reviewed 23 days after purchase)
JR Barker reviewed on May 11, 2012

I received this free as a read and review from Read it and Reap

I found this to be a nice and easy read and the story was a rather sweet one.
I really loved the Fey lands and would like to read more about them, perhaps in another book.
There were a few inconsistencies, but these were minor.
The descriptions were fantastic and sucked you into the story.

However I didn’t gel with the main character as she was a bit of a stroppy mare.

Unfortunately the ending felt a tad rushed.

That aside, it was a good tale. The witch was witchy, the drama was dramatic. The tale was not quite as old as time (apologies, couldn’t resist) and had a nice blending of the old and new, both in ideals and lifestyles.


Would recommend to younger Teens.
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
A Ash reviewed on May 10, 2012

I absolutely loved this book. It was an easy-read, and I read it in one sitting, with a quick break in the middle to tell my husband how much I was enjoying it. Then, once I finished it, I took a break, and later that night, read the whole thing again. Because it was fun, and cute, and because it has great re-readability.

This book was well-written, with a few errors but nothing major. It had great flow, and despite the fact that the reader knew the basic plot (yay, a Beauty and the Beast retelling - I love these so much!) it still managed to surprise several times. It didn't just unfold following all the steps of B&tB - there were subtle twists and new reasons for things. I don't want to give too much away, but the placement of the curse, the way to break the curse, and how the curse functioned were all significantly altered, so that the reader could feel appreciation for the B&tB plot without feeling like s/he was reading Beauty and the Beast.
And I really loved the naming process in the house, and the way it provided the title for the book. And the fey lands - I think that was a very interesting addition.

I wish the book had been longer. I wish certain things had been further explained. But the book was sufficiently long, and the things left to the imagination were perhaps more appreciated that way. And it was adorable to read. I was laughing out loud and my husband kept coming in to ask me "What's happening now?" because I was so amused.

The largest criticism I have is that some of the threads in the plotting got loose. But none of these things are terribly important. The book was very fun to read, and I would highly recommend it for a quick and satisfying adventure. I liked it so much that I immediately went and bought the other things for sale by the author, so I do think she's an author worth watching.
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
Lyla Tyela reviewed on May 9, 2012

He glanced up once, eyes bored. “Please stop talking. I’m trying to eat.”

First I was like :
Bee - You are a whiny selfish brat,
Will - You are a self absorbed attractive jerk,
Rose - You weakling,
Liam - Shut up with your screaming,
Marian - You. Are. Amazing, sorry. Evil.

Then I was like :
Bee - Make up your mind and please, keep slamming the doors ( you are so mature )
Will - Why Will ? Why didn't you tell her ?
Rose - What the hell is happening to you :O
Liam - It's nice to be able to talk to someone,
Marian - You are crazy, woman !

Now I'm like :
Bee - I'm proud of you intelligent human, I love your determination :')
Will - I think I'm in love with your hair ;)
Rose - You need to get out more ;D
Liam - No comment. You shocked me.
Marian - Haha, shame. You got what you deserved !

Most hated characters go to :
Drew - You selfish ass. I bet if your sister, if you have one, went missing you wouldn't even have cared. I wouldn't mind hitting you in the head with a rotten fish :D

Dad - I cannot believe you sold your daughter out for wife number two. I pity you. No toilet paper for you sir. Good for nothing loser.

Other :
I adored the ending !
I loved this re-write :')
I loved Marians mood swings,
On the edge of my seat much.
More, more, more !
(reviewed 22 days after purchase)
Ashley Montgomery reviewed on May 9, 2012

Beauty is dropped off at an old abandoned house by her father. She believes she is being a martyr for the family by sacrificing herself to “The Beast” in order to protect her family and release them from the magic. The plan is for her to step inside, make sure the mark on her father is gone and then run back out. However, once she steps inside and turns back to her father, the door slams shut and she is locked in.

She later learns that she is really there to break a horrible curse gone wrong. Her father actually offered her in exchange for her stepmother’s health, who has cancer. She becomes known as “The Curse Girl”.

After many fights and arguments will “The Beast”, they decide to call a truce and work together to lift the curse. They even go to The Fey Lands, a mystical world, to try to confront the witch that set the curse. Although the trip doesn’t go well, the witch accidentally gives them a clue.

While on this journey, she realizes that “The Beast” really isn’t such a beast after all. He is, in fact, quite handsome and charming, and she begins to fall for him. However, her affections take a twisted turn when she learns that her old boyfriend showed up to “rescue her” and “The Beast” has hidden it from her. She storms off to her room and starts making origami, which is what she does when she’s scared and upset. She somehow manages to make a key. Upon awakening, she realizes that the key has become real by the magic of the house. She packs her things and uses the key to escape.

Upon her escape, she learns that everyone she left behind has moved on. She has never been so hurt and betrayed, not even by “The Beast” or her father. She realizes that no matter how infuriating and aggravating he can be, she really does love him and goes back to finish breaking the curse. But, when she arrives, no one is around.

What has happened to everyone? Has the spell been broken? Read the book to find out!

I will say that when I first started this book, I had my skepticism. However, the more I read, the more I wanted to read. The suspense just pulled me in! The story itself was great and it had a great set of characters. I actually started to fall for “The Beast” myself as I learned that he was really just a victim himself. I feel that the story was mostly about love, betrayal and forgiveness and how things aren’t always as they seem. I would definitely recommend this to fans of young adult, fantasy and romance.
(reviewed 21 days after purchase)