Book Summary
Fantasy and reality collide in this retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” about a young woman’s heroic quest to save herself.
Beauty’s life is the stuff of fairy tales. The youngest in her family, Beauty isn’t trying to catch Stephan’s eye. He is the lord baron’s heir, well above her family’s modest station, but when he kisses her hand at a party, Beauty is swept away by his charm, his wit, and his passionate declarations of love.
Hearts can be untamable creatures, especially when touched by the fires of first love, and Beauty doesn’t see the truth of Stephan’s intentions until it is too late. Until he stops asking for Beauty’s love—and simply takes it from her one night despite her refusal.
Beauty locks away the secret of what happened to her, and when her father emerges from the enchanted forest with a stolen rose in his hand and the tale of a vicious beast on his breath, Beauty seizes the chance to run as far from Stephan as possible.
She has some experience with beasts, after all. Certainly the one in the forest couldn’t be any worse than the one she’s already encountered.
Breaking the Beast’s curse might be the key to discovering her own path to healing—and finding the courage to allow herself to feel reborn.
Book Details
Beauty Reborn
by Elizabeth Lowham
Publication Date: 5/9/23
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781639931064
Retail Price: $19.99
Page Count: 208
Young Adult, Fantasy
Cover images: © Shutterstock/Ironika/Paprika/Havoc
Book design: © Shadow Mountain
Art Direction: Richard Erickson
Design: Sheryl Dickert Smith
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairytale. I liked it even more after Disney released the cartoon movie showing her love for reading and books. I'm always on board to read a new re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.
Beauty Reborn has many of the same elements as other versions, but I like the unique twists that were found in the book. At first, Beauty is not the most likable character. Her trip to the Beast's castle brings many changes to her. Trigger Warning: One thing that should be mentioned, Beauty has been sexually assaulted by a titled man, Stephen, and this accounts for how she thinks and feels about the Beast. (Nothing graphic is told in the story.)
Beast also has a different story in that he hadn't always been a Prince, but wished to become one and a fairy gave him his wish with consequences. When Beauty and Beast interact, it's a slow burn of learning and growing before love grows.
Beauty Reborn includes Beauty's family, her father, her angry conceited older sister, and her more likable middle sister. There are many moments that I truly feel empathy for Beauty, her background, and her past relationship with her harshly critical late mother. Debut Author Elizabeth Lowham has a nice lyrical writing style that kept the story moving for me. I enjoyed this version and especially loved the moments that Beauty and Beast spent together reading, acting out plays, and letting the magic of the castle bring them together.
Beauty Reborn is a must-read for those that love fairytale retellings, especially of Beauty and the Beast.
****Meet Author Elizabeth Lowham ***
ELIZABETH LOWHAM dreams of a future house that is seventy percent library with at least three lavish window seats. Her reality is five bookshelves and a rocking chair, which isn’t so bad. Apart from reading and writing, her hobbies include sewing, sketching, dancing, eating, and other -ing verbs. Plus yoga. She has a bachelor of arts in English and works as an author, editor, and screenwriter. She is a sexual abuse survivor who believes stories have a unique power to lift and heal for author and reader alike. She lives with her husband and son in the Loveland area of Colorado.
For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at chansen@shadowmountain.com
###Author Interview with Elizabeth Lowham###
Tell us about yourself! What things do you love?
Fish fossils. Music. Sewing. Other things come to mind like family and books, but you probably guessed those. I am painfully, paralyzingly afraid of disappointing others, even strangers, which I think is maybe a little too common of a trait, especially for creative types. But I love people, and I love stories. I’m pleased to see my story out in the world.
What do you love most about writing?
I like to imagine there’s a big conversation about life happening at a table, and writing gives me a seat at that table, makes me part of the conversation. Stories are empowering and thought-provoking; they give us something to connect over and talk about. I love creating that opportunity.
What aspects of the Beauty and the Beast retelling were you most excited to include in your book?
In the original fairy tale, the beast proposes repeatedly to Beauty, and I always thought that was such an interesting aspect. I grew up on the idea that a proposal is something of a “once in a lifetime” moment, and I wondered about a girl who had been proposed to many times—what would her story be? Why is she getting all these proposals? What keeps her from either saying yes or from saying no and leaving for good? It also made me think hard about the beast—because where’s the line between someone who perseveres appropriately versus someone who’s pushy or obsessed? This line of thinking is what eventually gave me the main conflict of Beauty Reborn, which is Beauty’s first dangerous relationship with Stephan juxtaposed against her second comforting relationship with Beast, the journey between the two, and the person she becomes along the way.
What separates your retelling from the original?
In my story, Beast’s castle is never truly a prison for Beauty. Rather, it’s a hiding place for her as she recuperates from the trauma she suffered at the hands of her ex. While she’s there, the same fairy that first enchanted the beast repeatedly offers Beauty a wish, and she must face the difficult decision of whether to try solving her problems with unreliable magic or whether to trust in herself and the people around her.
What message do you hope to leave with your readers?
At one point in the book, Beauty has a conversation with her father about whether good can ever come from evil. Together, they conclude that “the bad is not good, but through grace, we can make something good of it in the end.” We all face terrible things in life—pain, betrayal, loss—but I hope that Beauty’s story of learning to trust again can be a light in the dark for anyone who
needs it. We can’t prevent every bad thing in life, but just as Beauty did, we can make something good of it in the end.
How do you hope your book will help readers who have experienced trauma?
When Beauty is having a particularly difficult time, Beast sits with her in the dark—not speaking, just sitting with her. I would hope this book can do that for readers. I know it would have meant a lot to me as a teenager to have a story like this to tell me I wasn’t alone. Maybe it would have even given me a little hope for my own healing. Hope can be very scarce in the midst of trauma, so I would love if Beauty’s story could offer anyone that.
What was the inspiration for this book?
I’ve always wanted to write a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I wanted to make sure I had something new to add to the story before I did. I’ve also tried to write several stories about my experience as a trauma survivor and never been satisfied with any of them. Once I put the two ideas together, everything fell into place. I wrote the first draft in six days.
Why a Beauty and the Beast retelling?
Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite romance story. Especially when so many modern love stories seem to focus on physical attraction or intimacy above all else, the idea of cutting that aspect of romance away to focus on falling in love with a person’s personality, actions, attributes—their very soul—that really resonated with me. I think that’s why Beauty and the Beast continues to be a classic and why we’ll always see new versions. I’m proud to be part of it.
When did you start writing?
I wrote my first book when I was about six; it was the story of a magic Jack-O-Lantern. My mom gave it ten out of ten stars. When I was sixteen years old, I decided this was what I wanted to do professionally, so I made a goal to be published by the time I was twenty-five. It took a little longer than that, but I’m still happy with the path I took.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
No matter how much you love your first book, set it aside and write two more (unrelated books, not sequels). Nothing compares to what you learn by writing more books.
What was your favorite scene to write in the book?
The scene where Beast and Beauty have a pretend sword fight. It is delightful, if I do say so myself. :)
When did your love of books begin?
My mom always read books to me before bed, and I loved that. In elementary school, I would check a stack of books out from the Bookmobile (library) every week, and I would hide them in my desk to read while I was supposed to be learning math or state history. The Magic Tree House series really got me hooked forever and started my love of fantasy.
What are you most looking forward to as a debut author?
Doing signings! Come meet me in person; I want to talk your ear off and give you ten bookmarks.
~~~~~~Book Trailer for Beauty Reborn~~~~~~
https://youtu.be/p59BI9jEUGY
~*~*~*~*Purchase Beauty Reborn~*~*~*~*
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Advance Praise:
“This retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast' adds a #MeToo backstory. Suspense-building flashbacks. Soul-searching, cautionary realism. Beauty herself is an intriguing, well-crafted original, her story building on the tale’s perennial theme of consent: She goes willingly to a Beast who does not force her into marriage though his life and humanity depend on it. In that respect, this iteration does not disappoint. Readers who appreciate narrative risk-taking are well served.”
—Kirkus
“Lowham adeptly wrangles classic elements of 'Beauty and the Beast' to craft a sensitive and slow-burning retelling that tackles issues of sexual violence. Intellectual Beauty, who is still coping with having been sexually assaulted by her former suitor, a lord baron’s heir, secretly hopes the Beast will devour her, as she “would rather die” than have to face the suitor again. Instead, the magical, inexplicably empty estate provides an environment in which she and the Beast slowly develop a rapport through reading and philosophy. Beauty finds solace in the castle, and the distance from her family helps her reevaluate her complex relationships with them. Via intense flashbacks to Beauty’s life before living with the Beast, Lowham addresses Beauty’s harrowing history. While this lavish version of the original tale is comfortingly familiar, the creator’s narrative stands out in its portrayal of themes surrounding trauma and recovery alongside familiar musings on perceived differences between humans and monsters.”
—Publishers Weekly
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