Reviews of The Curse Girl

I love the story of Beauty and the Beast and better with a different twist. I really enjoyed this version of the Beauty and the Beast story. Although a little too short for my taste but it was very interesting on how a story can be tweaked to create another wonderful story that I will not soon forget. Will is a jerk; Liam is a better person even though he is not your typical male. Rose is a sweetheart and all the other characters bring back the feeling that one got when we first saw the movie. Thank you Kate Ellison for the opportunity gave me and allowed me to review the book.

Talk about a tug on your heartstrings kind of book. Let's put this into perspective. I think I'm going to be doing this more often, especially with awesome books like these because you guys need to see the facts for yourself and their fun to do. Anyway, what I'm talking about is the before-and-after analysis. Ever had that reaction before and that reaction after? Of course you have. Well, mine for this book were really widespread:

Before:
Well, that's a really cryptic summary and there's not a lot of what's going to happen, but it sounds good so I'm going to give it a try.

After:
OhmygodIlovedthatbookIneedtorereaditbutit'ssolateI'llreadittomorrowbecauseitwassogoodKateneedstowritethisstoryinWill'spointofviewsoIcandosomegoodfangirling!!!

Yeah. Those thoughts, through my head, at that speed. Exactly. First of all, isn't this cover the best thing that you've ever seen? It's gorgeous, isn't it? Now, it doesn't give you a lot as to what the story's really about, but I like how the title is related to what happens in the story, and it's not some random title that doesn't even come up in the story, like some other books. The Curse Girl is actually what Will and everybody in the supposed "haunted house" calls Bee, so yes, it's very relavant.

This is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When I first started reading, I was extremely confused because this book was one of those "jump now, talk later" kind of books in the beginning, and I was more than hopelessly confused. But, since us book reviewers aren't here for nothing, I searched up the book again, and I read a review. It was supposed to be a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast, and I immediately got it. That was really the only problem in this book, the fact that the beginning was basically incomprehensible, along with a few minor plot holes because of the sheer shortness of this book, and another thing that's really small I'll bring up later.

When you read everything from Bee's point of view, you get the impression that Will's a jerk and nothing but a jerk. Which, is pretty much true for the first few chapters. I really admired Bee's character, how sarcastic and fiery she was. Bee definitely knows what she wants and goes out and gets it. And she's got this heart of gold. At night, there's someone in the dungeon called Liam who's like a werewolf and just screams most of the night because she's in so much pain, and Bee just drops everything and goes to help him and try to ease the pain. I think that's a really sweet thing of her to do.

Throughout this book, you see Bee and Will trying to break the curse that has Will trapped, you kind of see them falling for each other, which was really sweet. I loved the fact that it wasn't anything rushed, given the length of this book. It was gradual, so when it did happen, you were like "Awww. *goofy grin plastered on face*" (You are the best thing/That's ever been mine. Mine, Taylor Swift) And the fact was this wasn't an easy love. It was one with lots of bumpy hills and low points, but it eventually all paid off and you got a profit from it. :) (And I remember that fight, 2:30 AM/When everything was slipping right out of our hands...You said I'll never leave you alone. Mine, Taylor Swift.)

The Curse Girl had drama, drama, drama, and more drama. There were bunches of times where you would think that everything was going well and it was all going to work out, and then BAM! there's a complication, some fighting, some screaming, and some gasping and cursing on your part. (Well, on my part, it was just the gasping.) It definitely kept you on the edge of your seat, and I was surprised by everything that happened in the book. Trust me, this is the perfect book to read if you like to be surprised.

Now it comes to the "I wish..." part of the review that's almost inevitable for people like me who always just want more. As I said in my After reaction, if you can decipher that, "Kate needs to write this story in Will's point of view so I can do some good fangirling!" A lot was happening on Will's part that Bee never got to figure out fully, so I think I would have a heart attack if Kate wrote this book in Will's point of view. She probably won't, but if she does, I will probably and most likely blow my top. ;)

Beautiful cover, right? Plus, who doesn't like Beauty and the Beast? This story is bound to capture a lot of attention. It instantly captured my attention, but I would have liked to see more.

I like this book, the concept derived from Beauty and the Beast was extremely interesting. The story quickly grabbed my attention, making me entranced by the gorgeous words.

"A shattered chandelier lay three feet away, crystal droplets spread like frozen tears across the marble."

See? Gorgeous. Great imagery. Even the characters were fun, without any downright flaws, but my biggest thing with The Curse Girl is that it would have benefited greatly from a longer length. I liked the characters, but there wasn't really enough time to connect with them in a way that would have brought forth an even greater investment. I would have liked to see more of the budding feelings between 'Curse Girl' and 'Beast Boy' that would have lessened the instantaneous feeling that I got. I also would have liked to see a bigger interaction with the the other characters, because of the length, the story pretty much solely focuses on Bee and Will which isn't a bad thing, but it would have brought more emotion and better ties from me, the reader, to them, the characters. In other words, it would have rounded out the story more, adding depth. I know I'm not the only reviewer that has stated that the length should have been longer and honestly it's great how it is, but it would have been beyond fabulous if there was a little more detail. I know this because Kate Ellison has a talented writing ability that draws you into the world that she has created. There were just so many things that could have used more elaboration which would have only added layers to an already great story. Plus, there definitely should have been a more romantic ending!

The plot successfully kept me interested as they searched for the clues to break the curse, even twisting in unexpected ways at times. There were the obvious things that came from Beauty and the Beast, but there were also fresh ideas that made the story as fun and great as it was. There was one huge inconsistency that I found that didn't hugely subtract from my reading experience, but it was a big part of Bee as a character so it did take away from the magic of the story. If you've read the story, I'm sure you'll know what I'm referring to. It is firmly stated that Bee experiences something for the first time in a long while when I precisely remember reading about it happening twice prior to that moment.

A fast, fun read that shouldn't be missed, especially if you are a fan of fairy tales and um, Beauty and the Beast!

I was given this book by the author to review and LOVED it!! Not to say there weren't flaws in the plot and writing - there were - but overall I found the story to be a quick read that sucked me into its spell.

This is the story of Beauty and the Beast with a contemporary-ish twist. Beauty (Bee) has leave her life and go live at the cursed house to fulfill the promise that her father made in order to save her stepmother. She grew up hearing gruesome stories about the house and its inhabitants. Yet she leaves all her life to confront the beast that lives within the house out of duty to her family. The housed and its inhabitants are cursed by a spell that can only be broken by the Curse Girl one that is named Beauty. Although the friendship is rocky at first (to say the least) Bee & Will forge a truce and a pact to find a way to break the curse.

There were a lot of holes in the story. What happened to Bee’s mom? Was it her mom or no? How did she come to have a special power? Why did she feel that her Dad didn’t love her? What’s up with Rose?? I liked her but didn’t really understand her part in the story. Liam… although you discover the mystery of Liam I still wanted to know more. The ending was a bit too rushed but don’t all fairytales end that way.

Overall, a fun read!

This is a cute little read. It is a re-telling of the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' fairy tale. It was actually fairly accurate to the original as the author kept a lot of the same elements with just a little twist.

Even though this is a novella the characters are fairly well developed and you are able to care for them. The only thing I would have changed would be a little more of a back story about her family. In saying that, I understand it is very hard to have a lot of detailed info in a short story.

I recommend this little gem. If you like fairy tale re-tellings than this one will not disappoint!

I was so fortunate to receive a copy for review.

One for: AMAZING!
This is a wonderful quick adorable retelling of the classic tale of the Beauty and the Beast.

1 Star: The characters are likeable! Will is adorable and lovely annoying in the beginning.
2 Stars: Fairy tale elements. I LOVED the Fey Lands and how dangerous these magical beings really are. And I loved the fact that there was a stepmom and two stepsisters.
3 Stars: Their love doesn't develop that quickly. I hate when that happens
4 Stars: I love old fashioned boys so Will was spot on for me!
5 Stars: I never really liked the Beauty and the Beast, but I really like this version.

-1 star: WHY ISNT THERE MORE? THIS COULD BE EVEN MORE AMAZING if it was longer!
+ 1 star: the general magic of the house!

= total of 5 stars!

It's quite ironic that as a little girl I absolutely abhorred fairy tales. Disney's version was always too sticky sweet, not remotely realistic, but that's the point I suppose. Although I still detest the Disney fairy tale, I have grown to appreciate, and love, the retelling of the classic tales in the YA genre.

Ellison is able to re-weave the tale of Beauty & the Beast in such a remarkable way that I for once liked, no, loved it. Perhaps it was her re-imagined telling of the time honored tale, but I'm really leaning toward her multi-dimensional characters, descriptions so vivid they played out like a movie in my mind, and snippets of the supernatural. Add in witty, snarky, banter topped with an advanced (for the genre) vocabulary and I was absolutely smitten from the first chapter.

Bee is infuriating, yet endearing. Witty, snarky, intelligent, a rebel in blue jeans. The type of girl I would have loved to hate and hated to love in high school - in other words, the girl I'd want to be best friends with. Will is equally matched to both these attributes with a time honored gentlemanly flair (when he wants to). A smattering of secondary characters round out the ensemble with humor and a conscience, if for nothing else but a reminder of how good people get trapped in bad situations.

I can't for the life of me understand why this book hasn't garnered more praise, it certainly deserves it. I eagerly anticipate Ellison's upcoming novels...her writing is truly inspired and I suddenly want to learn origami.

I absolutely loved this book! Not only was it a retelling of one of my all time favorite fairytales, it stood out more than I expected. Bee and Will were a hoot and I loved Kate Ellison's take on the witch and the curse. I had been toying with the idea of doing my own retelling of this classic, but reading this blew that thought right out of my mind. Ellison's take is perfect in my estimation. I wouldn't have done anything differently, well maybe a few things, but they are so insubstantial I would be writing the same book. lol.

So if you are like me and love Beauty and the Beast, especially the Disney version, you have to read this book. I laughed so many times at the natural feeling banter. Bee became real to me. And as an author, I can't think of any highter praise than that. Great job Kate! I'll be looking into your other books for sure. I loved your style.

*I received this book to review by the Author*



This story is a re-telling of the classic story Beauty and The Beast. If you are familiar with this Disney story you are able to recognize all the characters in this book easily.

Beauty also called "Bee" for short is a modern version of Belle. Bee is 17 years old living the regular teen life which includes hanging out with friends and dating Drew one of the cutest guy in school. Bee's life takes a drastic and enchanting change when her low down father trades his daughters life to the towns Legendary "Beast" for his second wife's well being.

I absolutely Adored this book! Two thumbs up and Five Stars for this crafty re-telling of a story that is so close to everyone's heart! The Author jump's right into the story from the first page which was very smart of her because the readers really dont need a lot of background because this is such an old story. I also appreciated how the author took all the special elements of the book including the Rose,the housekeeper,the curse, and The Beast and ran with it and made her own twisted story of Love,Murder,Betrayal,Forgiveness, and a little magic!

This was a short and lovely read. The Author plays a game of tug of war on your every emotion while reading and I found myself laughing out loud to "No He didn't" to "No She didn't!". I also loved the character commentary between Bee and William bickering back in forth and I laughed out loud when Will told Bee that her names fits her because she acts like a Bitch! LOL HILARIOUS!! I enjoyed this from beginning to end. All the twist and turns along with the mystery behind the events that lead to everyone being Cursed and the mystery to figure out how to break the Curse that has taken on a life of it's own.

Recommend to: I recommend this book to everyone who loves the original story of Beauty and The Beast. You will definitely have fun reading this and figuring out who all the characters are because of the twists the author puts in the story. A must read! I will definitely be reading more of Kate's books!


Cover Rating: 5 stars! The cover is a Beauty! :)


Favorite Quotes: "If being happy prevents you from being good, then I'd rather you were miserable. Misery breeds repentance, after all."


-Marian/Witch -The Curse Girl by Kate Avery

"Hatred is an ugly thing, Bee. It's like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. It corrupts the person holding it inside."

-Liam-The Curse Girl by Kate Avery

This is a great modernized version of the beauty and the beast. I loved it and couldn't put it down. A sequel would be perfect.