Nevermore

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you could revisit one of the stories you read/watched/listen to as a kid? Well, that's where the genre I refer to as "Re-imagines" comes into play.

This genre refers to all books that use elements from a classic fairy tale or novel to create an original story-line. One example of this is "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame-Smith. The original story is, of course, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Grahame-Smith recreates the plot by adding in the sci-fi element of zombies.

Personally, I love re-imagined stories. They give you that nostalgic feel of rereading an old friend while giving you the new element of a twist to the story-line. In fact, I am going to be reviewing one of these novels in this post.

"Lost in a Book" by Jennifer Donnelly is a re-imagined version of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast". This story follows a Belle that has become familiar with her new home in Beast's castle and she has learned to make friends with those living within it.

Often left to wander the library alone, Belle finds a new book one day, and it is like nothing she has ever read before. "Nevermore" is an enchanted book that has a unique ability—it can pull the reader into its pages to live a life of adventure.

Belle is enchanted by the new escape she has discovered and is intrigued by the characters she meets within the pages of "Nevermore". When she realizes that everything she ever wanted can be found in this strange new world, Belle is reluctant to leave.

But as smart as she is, Belle doesn't sense the danger in living inside of a book she knows nothing about. Drawn in by the life she wants but cannot have, will Belle break free of this false sense of security and reveal the truth about "Nevermore" before she is lost inside?

***

Donnelly has truly created a fantastical re-imagined world in "Lost in a Book". She allows us to see a different side of Belle's personality in this story, which I really enjoyed. Belle develops through this story as she learns the danger of leaping before she looks. The two quotes below show this growth and maturity.

“Isn't that what a good story does? It pulls you in and never lets you go."

“Keep being the author of your own story. Never let anyone else write it for you again.”

Belle's character in "Lost in a Book" stays true to what I believe a re-imagined story should be—an old character with a new dream. In this story, Belle wants, simply put, "adventure in the great wide somewhere". She finds that somewhere in "Nevermore", and even if it doesn't exactly go the way she expected it to, she came out better and stronger in the end.

"Lost in a Book" allows us the freedom to be dreamers: “Life can be so difficult, and stories help us escape those difficulties. It’s all right to lose yourself in one.” But it also teaches us about love, and the comedic element Donnelly adds to her morals only adds to their resonation.

“Love-real love- sees with the heart, master. Not with the eyes."

The Beast looked at him skeptically. "How do you know that?"

"Because I'm in love with a woman who's a feather duster," said Lumiere. "That's how.”

Overall, "Lost in a Book" is the perfect addition to any Disney lover's bookshelf. It is also a great book to read if you are looking to get into the re-imagined genre. Donnelly seems to know just how Belle and many of us feel about reading when she wrote: “Mirrors only show us what we are. Books show us what we can be.”

My rating: 4.5/5. Let me know what you think about re-imagined books and if you have read any stories in this genre!