Belle: a retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Cameron Dokey

Belle is convinced she has the wrong name, as she lacks her sisters' awe-inspiring beauty. So she withdraws from society, devoting her time to wood carving. Secretly, Belle longs to find the fabled Heartwood Tree. If carved by the right hands, the Heartwood will reveal the face of one's true love.
During a fierce storm, Belle's father stumbles upon the mysterious Heartwood -- and encounters a terrifying and lonely Beast. Now Belle must carve the Heartwood to save her father, and learn to see not with the eyes of her mind, but with the eyes of her heart.

This book is part of the Once Upon a Time series, which consists of retellings of different fairy tales. I have to say, I'm a fan.

I loved this book. I loved it. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie, so I was very excited to read this book. I wasn't disappointed.

Belle was a great character. She was both smart and self-deprecating. The way she accepted that she wasn't as beautiful as her sisters was heart-breaking and refreshing at the same time. You always read about the girls who hate themselves because they're to plain, but Belle wasn't like that.

I loved all of the other characters too. April and Celeste were the perfect mix of slightly snobby and kind, and the beast, oh how I loved him! Although the actual section of the book that contained the beast was rather short it was still fantastic. The only complaint that I would have would be to make that part longer, so we can really see Belle and the Beast fall in love.

Definitely a book you'll want to read if you like fantasy's, strong heroines, or just want a new take on an old tale.

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Ending: 3/5