Reading: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - Jessica Gunderson (writer), Thais Damiso (illustrator)

This re-imagining of the classic tale Beauty and the Beast actually saddles our poor Beauty with a pair of mean and narcissistic sisters more fitting for Cinderella. Jealous of Beauty for her sweet nature and innocent beauty, these mean-spirited hussies are more than happy, when Beauty's father is captured by a great beast while trying to get a rose as a gift for her, to have their naive sister trade places with their father and be trapped forever in the Beast's castle. From there the story is a fairly straight up retelling of sorts, but the book's prose is too clipped, reading more like a Reader's Digest condensed version of the classic tale as the book leap-frog's past details and hitting only the main points of the story, before you suddenly find yourself at The End. Thais Damiso's illustrations are nice, breathing some life into both characters and setting, but ultimately the books feels as rushed as the story itself is depicted here, leaving this reader wishing for a more complete (satisfying) reading experience. (Available September 1)  2.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.