Book: beast mode by Mary Warren
Reviewed by Anonymous
Rating: 5/5
The latest book in the Grimm Reapers Roller Derby series, Beast Mode is another fantastic fairytale retelling. Beauty and the Beast is probably a favorite story of most book girlies. This retelling does it justice as far as I can tell.
Belle is going through some trials as a minimum wage maid and the sole provider for her father who is ill with dementia. Currently homeless and barely making it with multiple jobs, she gets a break when she is assigned to clean for Raphael Renault, a local businessman commonly known as the Beast. Raphael is a typical control freak workaholic, but something about Belle snaps him out of his focus, and demands he put all his focus on her.
I love the way the fairytale is adapted to the modern circumstances. Each of the characters from the popular Disney story are well represented in their counterparts here. Raphael makes a perfect Beast, he even understands the way to Belle's heart is through her library.
I also loved the way Belle personifies the way a caregiver feels. It's easy for a caregiver to get lost in taking care of their loved one, and sometimes it takes someone taking over the reins for that to sink in. While still dealing with some heavy issues surrounding medical care, and even abuse in the workplace, I think this book feels relatively low stakes and cozy. I was invested because of the characters, but the fairytale feel made me confident they would find a way through the hard stuff.
The ending is probably my favorite thing about this book. It really feels genuine to the characters, and is the happiest solution possible. I think if Belle is your Disney princess of choice, you will love this book like I do.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.