Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly Review

Title: Lost in a Book
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Standalone
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book through my local library and reviewed it.

Jennifer Donnelly won my heart a long time ago in high school when I bought her first novel, A Northern Light. Ever since, I've really enjoyed her novels. When I heard about this book, I just knew I had to read it. I mean, one of my favorite authors, telling a completely original story that kind of ties into the brand new, live-action Beauty and the Beast movie? I mean, this was like literary catnip to me. I was drooling. It's been sitting in my library stack for a while now. (I put all the books that have holds on the top so I can be sure to get to them before I return them.) I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it!

Smart, sweet, bookish and independent, Belle has grown used to her new home, the Beast's castle. But even so, she longs for her father, for friendship and travel and adventure in the great wide somewhere (Sorry not sorry, I couldn't resist). When she finds a magical book in the library that the Beast bestows on her as a gift, she is convinced that she's found the answer, her escape. But darker forces are working behind the scenes, and she soon finds that she has to find the truth about Nevermore, before the book claims her as its own...

I really liked this book! It was absolutely enchanting. The prose was gorgeous, and as I read it, it almost felt like I could see an alternate, mini-movie in my head. It was so much fun. Belle is my character; when I was sixteen years old, I discovered her for the first time, and I found my princess. This Belle was a tiny bit different, but I loved her! She was refreshing and kind, and I loved the way that Donnelly made her her own interpretation. It was also lovely, the pacing, the adventure, the way the other characters were new but nonetheless familiar. Honestly, I gobbled it up in a day and a half. What a sweet, lovely little book, with a heart-pounding adventure at its center!

There were times, though, when I got a little bit lost, when other elements of the book came into play, so I couldn't completely rate it. Nonetheless, this book was so much fun--a brand new adventure in one of my favorite classic stories! The bottom line: An original story in the Beauty and the Beast universe (the live action movie, coming out next month), I loved Lost in a Book! A must-read for fans of the original tale and those who are looking to whet their appetites for the movie! Next on deck: Caraval by Stephanie Garber!

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