Beastly by Alex Flinn Summary
Overview of Beastly
In "Beastly," a vain teen becomes a beast who must find true love or remain cursed forever. This #1 NYT bestseller captivated readers with its innovative fairy tale chat rooms before exploding in popularity after its $38 million film adaptation.
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The Monster Behind the Mirror
What if you woke up one morning and found yourself transformed into something monstrous? For Kyle Kingsbury, the handsome, wealthy golden boy of Tuttle School, this nightmare becomes reality after he humiliates the wrong girl at a dance. Kendra, who he dismisses as an "ugly witch," turns out to be exactly that - and she curses him with a beastly appearance that matches his cruel heart. The spell comes with a deadline: if Kyle can't find someone to love him despite his frightening exterior within two years, he'll remain a beast forever. His image-obsessed father promptly hides him away in a Brooklyn brownstone with only a blind tutor named Will and a housekeeper named Magda for company. Kyle renames himself Adrian, a fitting tribute to his new animal nature, and watches his old life disappear through a magical mirror - his only window to the world that has forgotten him. Meanwhile, Linda "Lindy" Owens navigates Tuttle School as an outsider - a scholarship student from Brownsville who quotes Pablo Neruda from memory while managing her father's spiraling addiction at home. Since losing her mother to cancer at seven, she's developed remarkable resilience, handling everything from grocery shopping to bill payments while maintaining perfect grades. When her father's drug debts catch up to them, he makes a desperate bargain with a mysterious homeowner - sending Lindy to live in a Brooklyn brownstone to save himself from prison. The arrangement feels like a fairy tale gone wrong, with Lindy essentially traded like a character from centuries past. Yet her new "prison" contains unexpected comforts: a sun-filled room, a library filled with her favorite books, and fresh roses appearing daily. Most intriguing is the mysterious host who refuses to show his face - at least until a magical crow leads Lindy to glimpse him through a window, confirming her father's wild claims about a beast-like boy.
When Beauty Meets the Beast
The Impossible Choice
The Search for What Was Lost
The Beauty in Being Beastly
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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