Book Review: The Beast Within by Serena Valentino

Just before Christmas I read Fairest of All, the back story of The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs written by Serena Valentino. I wrote a little review on this blog regarding my thoughts about the story, and as anyone who read it may have noticed, I was less than enthused about it. Having said that I still wanted to give the author a second chance and decided to order this story along with Once Upon A Time: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell. I purchased both books for a super reasonable price, I believe they were each less than €8 including delivery which was brilliant. As a side note I really think amazon is a great place to find book deals, particularly if you don't mind the books being second hand.

All that being said, you would think I would have learned my lesson and not bothered reading The Beast Within, but it was a short book and the plot did intrigue me. Also I had recently read As Old As Time by Liz Braswell which I found to be a wonderful experience so I wanted to compare the backstory of another writer to that one. The plot begins with the Beast in his Prince days, before he ever encountered the enchantress and became a Beast. There are aspects to the beginning of this story, such as his relationship with Gaston that are original but also somehow don't fully work. The book goes on to give an explanation as to why the Prince was transformed into the Beast and this involves a story of a previous romance and.....the absolute worst aspect of Valentino's tale. This is the three "witch sisters" who she uses rather unimaginatively as the exposition in both this book and similarly in Fairest of All. They for me are the worst part of it and the least enjoyable to read about. The plot continues into the Prince's slow and painful decline into the Beast as well as the castle's descent into being enchanted too. The character of the Prince I have to say is absolutely horrendous. He is made to be a sexist, elitist and just vile person by the author throughout. This makes it very difficult for us as the reader to ever believe he could change as a person as dramatically as he does. The final part of the book is pretty much just the original story with those three witch sisters placed conveniently and rather irritatingly throughout the final chapters.

All in all this book was about a 2.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed parts of it, in particular the very beginning chapter which appeared promising and the attempt at real originality. That being said, there was just far too much mention of those three sisters and another love interest plot that I found slightly tedious to read about. Serena's writing style can also be very repetitive and when you compare it with that of Liz Braswell's you can see the lack of real writing experience and creativity. However, I would recommend this book if you are interested in seeing a back story to the Beast and some of the other characters in the plot, I would say if you were only going to pick one of those books to read, I would definitely suggest Liz Braswell's As Old As Time out of the two. I will most likely read Valentino's final book "Poor Unfortunate Soul", mainly because I have read that it's the best in her series and also because I am intrigued to see what kind of story she came up with for Ursula. I hope this review was helpful for anyone interested in The Beast Within and maybe they'll give it a shot and see how they feel about it. So go get a dreamy far off look and your nose stuck in a book

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As Old As Time Review: http://sineadsowndisneyland.blogspot.ie/2017/03/review-of-as-old-as-time-twisted-tale.html

Review of As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell

Ever since reading Fairest of All by Serena Valentino, I had longed to read a similar type of book but that was better written and with a more interesting story So, thankfully, I came across Liz Braswell's Twisted Tale Disney series on amazon. The premise of the books looked very interesting and they seemed to be more aimed for teenagers on up (even though I'm 26 that didn't stop me!) I immediately decided to purchase the third book in the series first as it's the one with the premise I was most interested in. That book is As Old As time, which as you can probably guess is about the Beast and Belle, and of course, with a little twist in the tale. The book cost me €8.00 including delivery which was excellent! Not only because it would be very difficult to find in a book shop near me, but also because even if I did, it would probably cost between €15-20.00! The cover of the book is paperback, and I really do like the design and font used for the title. There is a hardback one available which has an amazing cover so if anybody is getting this as a collector's item, I would highly recommend splashing out and hunting for that one. The condition of the book was brand new and it even came with a little paperback book mark. It is a good long read at about 485 pages, however the text is medium sized as are most young adult books so it doesn't take too long to get through.

Now, onto the book itself. The premise of the story as it states on the front cover is "What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast?". When I first saw that it really intrigued me. The story itself begins on the night that the Enchantress (now whom we know as Belle's mother) places the curse on the Beast and all the people in his castle. We are then taken back to when Belle's father Maurice met the enchantress and how they came to fall in love and give birth to their daughter. We also get to see how Belle's mother came to curse the young prince and all of the lovable objects in his castle. This part of the book, part one, is probably my least favourite of the entire story. Ironically, the aspect that I found so intriguing in the premise, i.e. Belle's mother being the enchantress, was actually not all that interesting to read about. That is, her back story is just a bit too long and wishy washy for me.

The second part of the book which I would consider to have a sort of mystery vibe to it was my favourite and the most enjoyable to read. I won't give too much away but mainly it focuses on the Beast and Belle and how they came to get to know each other. It is also the section in which what I consider to be the real twist occurs. As a side note, I read this book out loud to my boyfriend as he played a video game and he found this to be the best section of the story also, so there's second opinion for you! I really was fond of how Belle's character was portrayed in this also. She was given a bit more of a realistic personality while still having the same sweetness and likability as she had in the animated classic. The Beast is also given a more multidimensional personality. The lovely way in which he behaves in the ballroom scene of the film and his sweetness is brought out more as well as the darker more beastly sides to his curse.

The third section of this book is also quite good but I have to say, not at all suitable for younger kids to read. There are elements of torture, violence, mental health issues etc... very heavy stuff for anybody younger than at least 15 to be ready in my opinion. I did appreciate the way they took the story and the ending that is what given, although I do really wish the author would have tightened it up just a touch as it did feel, as the beginning did, a little drawn out.

Ultimately this was an extremely enjoyable read for me as a Disney fan and actually I have to say as a lover of Mystery/Thriller novels. As I previously said there are some elements of violence and slightly adult oriented subject matters so I wouldn't exactly be rushing to purchase this for a child as a gift or anything but maybe that's just my age showing and I'm being a bit too Mrs. Potts like about it! There are two other books in this series, one is about Sleeping Beauty and the other Aladdin. I actually cannot wait to settle down with a cup of tea and get stuck into those two soon, because as Walt said, "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on treasure island".

Top 10 Most Romantic Disney Moments

This list is a combination of what I consider to be the most heartwarming, beautiful and romantic Disney moments ever. The list is made up of moments from both Disney classics and Disney Pixar features. Obviously, every fan will have their own personal favourites but I'll do my best to include ones that every fan will appreciate. So here are my most loved ones <3

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

The very final scene of Disney's original classic in which Snow White is awakened by true love's first kiss by her Prince. This is Disney's first ever full length animated feature and it contains all of the things we have come to expect and adore in Disney features, including romance.The sweet way in which the Prince places a kiss upon his true love and her reaction of pure happiness and delight to see him as she awakens is so charming to see. This, combined with her bitter sweet farewell to each of the dwarfs and the building reprise of the song "Someday My Prince Will Come" makes this an unforgettable moment in movie history

9. Tarzan (1999)

This movie is really underrated in my opinion. The opening scene in particular is so emotional and I think Phil Collins soundtrack is tremendously good. The part of this film, that is so romantic, is the scene in which Tarzan meets Jane. Of course, everybody will know the term "Me Tarzan, you Jane" and how they integrated this famous line into this lovely scene was terrific. The most touching bit for me as a viewer, was when Tarzan removes Jane's now ruined glove and holds his hand against hers, showcasing his unique way of introducing himself to her.

8. The Aristocats (1970)

This movie is one of the cutest movies ever made. Firstly, it's about a family of cats, so automatically, if you're an animal lover you'll adore it. I love the character of Thomas O'Malley in particular, he reminds me of a 17 year old cat that lives between my mother and aunt's houses called Sparky. Lets face it, with that swagger, charm and velvety voice, Duchess didn't have any chance to resist him. The scene that follows the infamous "Everybody Wants to be A Cat" sequence in which Thomas and Duchess discuss the possibility of him become part of her family and he offers himself up as Papa to her kittens is such a lovely moment. The cherry on top of this scene is when Thomas affectionately curls his tale around Duchess's tail and they place their heads side by side. What a suitably romantic moment for such a purrrrfect couple!

7. Wall-E (2008)

I saw this film with a friend and her little sister and her friend when I was 17 in the cinema. I'm not sure whether it was the sentimentality we had from being somewhat older or what but that movie really made my friend and I very emotional and teary eyed, and definitely didn't have the same effect on the younger girls. I guess, the subtly of this film and quietness of it is harder for pre teen girls to appreciate but I think it is really effective. The scene I consider to be so romantic is when Wall-E and Eve meet. I find this scene so wonderful because of how flipping adorable they are together. The fact that Wall-E has been alone for so long and all he wants is someone to spend time with just breaks my heart and the opening of this movie makes it one of the hardest for me to watch due to how emotional I get, but somehow when Wall-E meets his Eve for the first time, you get this feeling that you know everything is going to be okay and they are meant to be together. Plus his attempt to say "Eve" without the aaaaaa at the end, is so cute and funny, beautiful moment. 

6. Sleeping Beauty (1958)

Disney's 1958 "Damsel in Distress" classic is kind of controversial in how much it splits audiences opinions. I personally think it's really good, not brilliant like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast, but still a solid and entertaining animated movie and a must see for all Disney lovers. The moment in particular that I found so lovely and romantic in this film was is the "Once Upon A Dream" where Aurora and Phillip first encounter each other. The elements of how infatuated they clearly are with each  other, the beautiful song and the sweetness of the animals dancing and messing around with Aurora before she meets Phillip are all wonderful and enjoyable to watch. As a side note, Prince Phillip was the first Disney character I had a crush on......Yes, I'm woman enough to admit it, this probably added to my liking this scene so much 

5. Tangled (2008)

Tangled is the kind of predecessor to Frozen as it has similar animation, and a similar style of story telling, I don't think it was as successful as Frozen, but it was still a really lovely movie. For me, one scene stands out in particular and that is the "I See the Light" scene where Rapunzel and Flynn are in the row boat watching the lanterns in the sky. That song is so magical and it really hits such a romantic note. I feel Mandy Moore's voice was the perfect choice for Rapunzel and it gave us a reminder of how she was one of the few late 90s teen queens who could actually sing. The phrase in the song that is particularly touching is "All at once everything is different, now that I'm with you" I mean, that is a perfect sentiment for a moment like that.

4. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

With all the hype over the new remake of Beauty and the Beast, I had to recently rewatch it and as per usual, I enjoyed every second of it. The remake will unfortunately never surpass the "Tale As Old As Time" scene, as it is truly tender and romantic and that isn't something that can be easily said in most films. My favourite part of this scene is when Belle gently rests her head on Beast's shoulder, his reaction is so cute and genuine. Angela Lansbury's rendition of the timeless song works so well when combined with the groundbreaking animation is so wonderful, you can see why this film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and why it has some of movie history's most romantic on screen moments

3. Aladdin (1992)

The magic carpet ride scene in Aladdin works so well because of the chemistry between the two characters, how they were able to convey such amazing chemistry between two animated characters is outstanding. They genuinely come across like they are falling for one another and the setting of the two flying on the magic carpet through all of these exotic places as well as the classic song "A Whole New World" are all so beloved by all Disney fans. I would recommend anybody who hasn't seen it to watch the singing voices of Aladdin and Jasmine, Brad Kane and Lea Salonga perform the song over 20 years later on Good Morning America. They still sing it beautifully and it completely recreates the moment for all of the movie's fans.

2. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

This is officially one of the most adorable movies ever made. It is a love story of course between a Lady (a cocker spaniel dog who lives in a nice home with a well to do young couple) and a Tramp (a mixed breed street dog who gets his meals between different homes and restaurants around the neighbourhood). I personally love dogs and other animals so much, so a Disney movie about two dogs in love feels like it was tailor made for me and I'm sure many other's feel that way too! The infamous spaghetti and meatballs moment in the movie is probably on everyone's list of great romantic moments, it's so tender and affectionate. Lady and Tramp going for a meal at Tony's italian restaurant where they serve up their tasty grub to the dogs and they serenade them with the lovely "Bella Notte". It would make the perfect date for anybody and I'm sure many a couple has recreated that spaghetti string moment on a lovely bella notte together

1. The Little Mermaid (1989)

My all time ultimate favourite Disney romantic moment has got to be "Kiss The Girl" in The Little Mermaid. The song is one of the best Disney songs ever written from one of the greatest Disney scores ever composed. I love every song in The Little Mermaid and often walk around my apartment singing them for no particular reason. The setting of this whole scene, the back up singing of the other animals, Sebastian's voice encouraging the other animals and the audience to "Sing with me now" and the way the animators made the characters of Ariel and Eric look so infatuated with each other is so great to watch.