As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale Hardcover – September 6, 2016

this book is in the twisted tale series. engrossing! hard to put down! all the books in the series are well written and worth reading. this one is no exception.

If you loved the movie as a kid, enjoy the story as an adult. I couldn't put it down once I was past the initial intro of the basic story.

A retelling of a timeless tale that has the potential of becoming its own epic, As Old As Time brought a touch of realism that complimented well with the old fairytale we all loved.The blurb...What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast?Belle is a lot of things: smart, resourceful, restless. She longs to escape her poor provincial town for good. She wants to explore the world, despite her father's reluctance to leave their little cottage in case Belle's mother returns -- a mother she barely remembers. Belle also happens to be the captive of a terrifying, angry beast. And that is her primary concern.But Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, intriguing images flood her mind -- images of the mother she believed she would never see again. Stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful Enchantress who cursed the Beast, his castle, and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast must work together to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is twenty-one years in the making.This book is the first retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I've read, and it had definitely set a high standard for the next retellings I'll come across.The old Disney film that introduced this story to me all those years ago was easily enticing to a child with its fairytale atmosphere - the music, the singing, the quirky magical characters. Above all, it was because Belle was a bookworm that made her such a relatable character to me.But now, I'm an adult. Life has removed my innocence and the fairytale atmosphere is not enough to entertain or amuse me. Yet, this retelling did just that.The story was realistic and the characters were written well. I liked that Belle's curiosity and eagerness for knowledge and adventure were not lost but instead amplified. Other characters that seemed only secondary on the film were given more substance here. They became more human, more real. And it added to the charm of the story.The POV used in telling the first chapters of the story though was quite confusing that it hindered me from settling into the story's world. The reveal of the antagonist, if I should call her/him that, also somehow felt flat. Maybe because it was obvious, right from the beginning, where the story is going.Though it was brilliantly written, I couldn't really call it superb and that's why I'm only giving this a 4-star rating.Still, it was a great read. As I kept mentioning, it was realistic yet its fantastical charm isn't lost. Though I won't be recommending this book as a bedtime story for a five-year-old, I believe this book is for both young and young at heart.If you love this fairytale as a child and afraid this retelling will ruin it for you, I assure you, it won't. It actually gives it justice and so much more.

I love a good twist on a classic story and this one had me hooked from start to finish I couldn't get enough! I was actually sad I couldn't keep reading more and more about the characters.

I enjoyed the traditional feel with this retelling and admired the additional scenes the additional includes to fill in the blanks left in the original version. It is definitely much darker than the original but not too graphic or gruesome, which I liked. Belle is given much more of a voice than a typical damsel in distress role. This is an approach I’ve always loved with retellings. The interaction between her and the beast is memorable and builds at a pleasantly gradual pace.

I would definitely re-read this book in the future. A great gift for any beauty and the beast fan!Spoilers ahead!!!I really enjoyed this book and felt it would suffice very well as the original movie perhaps broken into 2 parts.The backstory is what really gave this book the bones. You get to delve into belles mother and father before her being born and get an insight into the history of the town, the king and queen, the prince , the plague and the mysterious disappearances in the town.There is a lot to digest in this book. There is mystery, magic, questions and little answers. The answers you do get explain the curse and the reasonings. I think we don’t always need a “and they lived happily ever after”. Sometimes you need real life conviction and taking the ending into your own assumption.You get a back story of the main villain and understand that sometimes self hatred can be worse than hatred for others. I enjoyed the non- Disney approach. There were moments of romance and violence. Something the cartoon movies shy away from.The ending was good for me- my favorite ending of the books I have read so far being “Unbirthday”. This book is my second favorite. I enjoyed the magic and mystery this book had and would recommended it to any beauty and the beast fan.

Part 1 of this book leaps back and forth between Belle's parents lives before Belle and scenes from the Disney movie the story is based on. It's kind of annoying reading chapters that are nearly identical to the movie. Part 2 is where the story twists and from there the plot is actually pretty great.