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Kendra Chronicles #1.5
Beastly: Lindy's Diary
See the #1 New York Times bestselling story Beastly through Lindy's eyes! This is her diary, kept while living in captivity with the beast. Lindy's Diary captures all the romance and edgy mystery of the original!
Diary,
I am locked away . . . with no one to confide in but you . . . and him. His fur, those claws—they caught me off guard at first, but now I'm noticing something else about him—something deeper. It's the look in his eye. It tells me he's got a secret to keep. That's okay—I've got one, too. I think I'm falling in love with him. . . .
Lindy
Diary,
I am locked away . . . with no one to confide in but you . . . and him. His fur, those claws—they caught me off guard at first, but now I'm noticing something else about him—something deeper. It's the look in his eye. It tells me he's got a secret to keep. That's okay—I've got one, too. I think I'm falling in love with him. . . .
Lindy
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2012
About the author
Alex Flinn
21 books5,645 followersLove Jacaranda is out in the world! Hope you'll check out this fun wish-fulfillment romance!
Now, bio:
I grew up on a street called Salem Court. This probably influenced my interest in witches. When I was five, my mom said I should be an author. And when I was eight, I got my first rejection letter from Highlights Magazine.
I learned to read early. But I compensated for this early proficiency by absolutely refusing to read the programmed readers required by the school system -- workbooks where you read the story, then answered the questions. When the other kids were on Book 20, I was on Book 1! My teacher, Mrs. Zeiser, told my mother, "Alexandra marches to her own drummer." I don't think that was supposed to be a compliment.
My family moved to Miami when I was in middle school. I had a really hard time making friends, so I spent a lot of time reading and writing then. By high school, I'd made some friends and gotten involved in various "gifted and talented" performing arts programs. I studied opera in college (I'm a coloratura -- the really loud, high-pitched sopranos.) and then went to law school.
It was law school that probably helped with my first novel. Breathing Underwater deals with the serious and all-too-common problem of dating violence. I based the book on my experiences interning with the State Attorney's Office and volunteering with battered women. I thought this was a really important topic, as 27 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been hit by a boyfriend. I'm happy that the book is so popular, and if you are reading this bio because the book was assigned for school, I'm happy about that too.
I think I write for young-adults because I never quite got over being one. In my mind, I am still 13-years-old, running laps on the athletic field, wearing this really baggy white gymsuit. I’m continually amazed at the idea that I have a checking account and a mortgage. So I try to write books that gymsuit girl might enjoy. It’s a way of going back to being thirteen . . . knowing what I know now.
Right now, I live half a mile away from my old middle school, in Palmetto Bay, a suburb of Miami, with my husband, daughters, dogs, and cats.
Now, bio:
I grew up on a street called Salem Court. This probably influenced my interest in witches. When I was five, my mom said I should be an author. And when I was eight, I got my first rejection letter from Highlights Magazine.
I learned to read early. But I compensated for this early proficiency by absolutely refusing to read the programmed readers required by the school system -- workbooks where you read the story, then answered the questions. When the other kids were on Book 20, I was on Book 1! My teacher, Mrs. Zeiser, told my mother, "Alexandra marches to her own drummer." I don't think that was supposed to be a compliment.
My family moved to Miami when I was in middle school. I had a really hard time making friends, so I spent a lot of time reading and writing then. By high school, I'd made some friends and gotten involved in various "gifted and talented" performing arts programs. I studied opera in college (I'm a coloratura -- the really loud, high-pitched sopranos.) and then went to law school.
It was law school that probably helped with my first novel. Breathing Underwater deals with the serious and all-too-common problem of dating violence. I based the book on my experiences interning with the State Attorney's Office and volunteering with battered women. I thought this was a really important topic, as 27 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been hit by a boyfriend. I'm happy that the book is so popular, and if you are reading this bio because the book was assigned for school, I'm happy about that too.
I think I write for young-adults because I never quite got over being one. In my mind, I am still 13-years-old, running laps on the athletic field, wearing this really baggy white gymsuit. I’m continually amazed at the idea that I have a checking account and a mortgage. So I try to write books that gymsuit girl might enjoy. It’s a way of going back to being thirteen . . . knowing what I know now.
Right now, I live half a mile away from my old middle school, in Palmetto Bay, a suburb of Miami, with my husband, daughters, dogs, and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
August 15, 2019
I can see into his soul, and it is beautiful.
Beastly is told from Kyle’s point of view, so the characterization is strongly one-sided in that story. While his character is perfectly elaborated in Beastly, I missed Lindy’s viewpoint, her thoughts and feelings.
Lindy’s Diary fills this gap and fairly successfully balancing characterization.
Lindy's perspective is really lovely, with more romance, more sweet episodes, more books, and more roses. I mentioned in my review of Beastly that if I were Lindy I would appreciate Adrian’s efforts. Well, she did. Books and roses charmed not only me, but Lindy as well.
I was a prisoner, but the prison library was excellent.
On one table in the corner, I found an e-reader with a note that said, “In case I forgot anything.”
I don’t like to think I can be bought, but if I could, this guy definitely knew the currency. Roses and books—I could survive in these rooms forever.
You can witness as she changes her mind about Adrian and slowly falls in love. She repeatedly observes how much alike they are, even at the beginning.
He was so opposite the way I was, so full of life and energy, and yet, I knew he and I were alike deep down. Deep down, we were both lonely. He was just better at hiding it. (May 23)
It’s intriguing. I’ve always felt like a freak myself. (July 13)
We were the same, motherless, fatherless, both freaks in our own way. We were the same. I was here because I was meant to be. (July 23)
After all, aren’t we both equally strange, equally damaged?
The only difference is, my damage is inside. (December 30)
It reveals that she had a crush on Kyle in school, but as the story progresses, she mentions Kyle less and less frequently. Her thoughts revolve around Adrian instead.
You come to know Lindy’s personality and family background, but her father’s drug-addiction and her abandonment by him could have been portrayed in a more detailed way, with implied moral lessons, because shouting in my face direct sentences like “ADDICTION IS NOT SEXY!” in all capital letters is really unsettling. Of course it's true, but still.
Lindy is forced to grow up prematurely, but she is still a 16-year-old girl. Her character is credible, appropriate for her age. It is so typical and sweet when she refuses Adrian’s invitation for dinner, and then she is wondering about why he doesn’t ask her again.
My favorite parts are the Christmas episodes and the play in the leaves.
Leaves. Hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of them, brown and yellow and red and orange, in bright piles on the concrete floor. Some were so high they almost covered the rosebushes. (October 25)
Lindy’s Diary is the number 0.5 in the Kendra Chronicles series, so it comes before Beastly. I think reading after that is also okay, because it highlights the missing points.
My favorite quotes.
August 9, 2018
I love Princess Diaries so there's no question why I love this one. I love diaries! HAHA!
Well, this is just Beastly, really, just told through Lindy. And I like this one more than Beastly! I mean, Lindy wasn't really "there" in Beastly. She didn't appear right away. With this book, I then knew where she was. I came to learn more about her character, which wasn't really emphasized in Beastly. I love her. God, why didn't Alex Flinn write Lindy in Beastly the way she wrote her in Lindy's Diary? Phew.
My only problem with this book is the timeline, well, not that it changed the story. As far as I can remember, Beastly was published in 2007 (or was it 2008?). That means Lindy's Diary is published five years after. So, let's say that Beastly happened in 2007, then that means Lindy's Diary also happened in 2007 since they're just the same story told from different point of views. But in Lindy's diary, Lindy, or should I say Miss Alex Flinn mentioned "Tim Burton's Alice". If I'm not mistaken, that movie was still not in existence in 2007. So what happened?
But duh! I still love the book! So much! Looking forward to reading Bewitching. :)
This reminds me of Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun, or Twilight told through Edward's point of view. I heard that Steph is finishing it even if some of it leaked. Well, I want it now.
August 14, 2013
LOVE this book. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
BUT. You MUST read Beastly first. Lindy's Diary as a stand-alone book is utterly unremarkable and rather boring. As a companion to Beastly, however, it is sensational, and you cannot afford to miss it. It adds a dimension that you just cannot get by reading Beastly alone.
I've read some of the other reviews on goodreads (after reading the book), and I don't agree with most of the negative ones. Lindy's Diary may come off as boring, or even repetitive - like I said, it's unremarkable unless you read it as a companion to Beastly. Yes, it does repeat quite a bit of the content in Beastly, but then, they're supposed to be two sides of the same story, what did you expect? What makes this book really something is the added perspective that you DON'T get from reading Beastly. This happens quite a few times, actually, when Lindy writes about the same event that Kyle/Adrian went through...and yet, the details are different! :O In this way, Flinn beautifully captures how different the same event can appear to two different people, and how different people (even those in love) place importance on different things. Lindy's Diary also includes quite a few delicious little snapshots into Lindy's life (before as well as at Kyle's) that Beastly completely omits. If you liked Beastly, you must read Lindy's Diary.
BUT. You MUST read Beastly first. Lindy's Diary as a stand-alone book is utterly unremarkable and rather boring. As a companion to Beastly, however, it is sensational, and you cannot afford to miss it. It adds a dimension that you just cannot get by reading Beastly alone.
I've read some of the other reviews on goodreads (after reading the book), and I don't agree with most of the negative ones. Lindy's Diary may come off as boring, or even repetitive - like I said, it's unremarkable unless you read it as a companion to Beastly. Yes, it does repeat quite a bit of the content in Beastly, but then, they're supposed to be two sides of the same story, what did you expect? What makes this book really something is the added perspective that you DON'T get from reading Beastly. This happens quite a few times, actually, when Lindy writes about the same event that Kyle/Adrian went through...and yet, the details are different! :O In this way, Flinn beautifully captures how different the same event can appear to two different people, and how different people (even those in love) place importance on different things. Lindy's Diary also includes quite a few delicious little snapshots into Lindy's life (before as well as at Kyle's) that Beastly completely omits. If you liked Beastly, you must read Lindy's Diary.
August 28, 2013
This was a total let down. It's written in Lindy's point of view. I don't think it's really necessary to read this after reading Beastly.
February 1, 2012
Two years ago, I read Beastly and loved it. I know it is a bit overrated and the movie sucked (the script writers should be sued). But I just loved the modern-day twist incorporated in Beauty and the Beast for Beastly. By far, the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I was not really sure what to expect for Lindy's diary entries. Kyle's POV was entertaining by itself because of the huge dramatic change he goes through throughout the course of Beastly's two years. Here, it also takes place over the course of two years, but this time it left out many details because Beastly has already told the events. I kind of wish Alex Flinn had told these events from Lindy's POV more because I could not really see the entire relationship Kyle and Lindy had developed in Beastly. In other words, I wanted to see MORE.
My first read-through of Beastly: Lindy's Diary was quite disappointing. I found myself unable to relate to Lindy's thinking and philosophy. I understand that her life was definitely not the best. In fact her life just plain sucked. However, Lindy's diary entries repeatedly state that she cannot love the beast, even though she admits it. Just admit it girl!!! It's ridiculous! Love can be reluctant, but Lindy was just too much. From Lindy's POV, I saw Kyle's predicament as more pitiful. She described his "beastly" features a whole lot better than Kyle did. Probably because she was not ashamed of her own face. She pitied him and claimed to have fallen in love with him. But never followed through. Now that I think about it, she still does not seem to love him, according to her diary entries. Of course, in Beastly she does, which proves that Kyle's thinking is skewed.
My second read-through was slightly different, but not by much. I did find myself slightly more sympathetic to Lindy. I understood her feelings somewhat better than the first time, but I still found myself disliking Lindy. I felt so sorry for Kyle and everything he has to suffer because of Lindy's hesistance in where she plans to head her relationship with him. When I reached the end of the novella again, I was once again disappointed with the last diary entry. It was somewhat unfulfilling. I know the whole story ends with Kyle's narration in Beastly, but I wanted more of Lindy's feelings. I wanted to fully understand what she really thought of Kyle/Adrian. It just felt so incomplete when I finished.
Lindy's Diary was a must-read for me when I first found out about it. I was so excited to read it, but it was a little disappointing for someone like me, who wanted to find out the whole story between the two lovebirds. Beastly did a pretty decent job, but Lindy's Diary not so much. Lindy's diary entries did encourage me to revisit the world of Beastly because of some of the allusions it made to the plot. But honestly, I would not recommend it for people who enjoyed Beastly and are thinking to read Lindy's Diary.
I was not really sure what to expect for Lindy's diary entries. Kyle's POV was entertaining by itself because of the huge dramatic change he goes through throughout the course of Beastly's two years. Here, it also takes place over the course of two years, but this time it left out many details because Beastly has already told the events. I kind of wish Alex Flinn had told these events from Lindy's POV more because I could not really see the entire relationship Kyle and Lindy had developed in Beastly. In other words, I wanted to see MORE.
My first read-through of Beastly: Lindy's Diary was quite disappointing. I found myself unable to relate to Lindy's thinking and philosophy. I understand that her life was definitely not the best. In fact her life just plain sucked. However, Lindy's diary entries repeatedly state that she cannot love the beast, even though she admits it. Just admit it girl!!! It's ridiculous! Love can be reluctant, but Lindy was just too much. From Lindy's POV, I saw Kyle's predicament as more pitiful. She described his "beastly" features a whole lot better than Kyle did. Probably because she was not ashamed of her own face. She pitied him and claimed to have fallen in love with him. But never followed through. Now that I think about it, she still does not seem to love him, according to her diary entries. Of course, in Beastly she does, which proves that Kyle's thinking is skewed.
My second read-through was slightly different, but not by much. I did find myself slightly more sympathetic to Lindy. I understood her feelings somewhat better than the first time, but I still found myself disliking Lindy. I felt so sorry for Kyle and everything he has to suffer because of Lindy's hesistance in where she plans to head her relationship with him. When I reached the end of the novella again, I was once again disappointed with the last diary entry. It was somewhat unfulfilling. I know the whole story ends with Kyle's narration in Beastly, but I wanted more of Lindy's feelings. I wanted to fully understand what she really thought of Kyle/Adrian. It just felt so incomplete when I finished.
Lindy's Diary was a must-read for me when I first found out about it. I was so excited to read it, but it was a little disappointing for someone like me, who wanted to find out the whole story between the two lovebirds. Beastly did a pretty decent job, but Lindy's Diary not so much. Lindy's diary entries did encourage me to revisit the world of Beastly because of some of the allusions it made to the plot. But honestly, I would not recommend it for people who enjoyed Beastly and are thinking to read Lindy's Diary.
May 10, 2020
This was okay. It starts a bit sooner than Beastly as we get a much better feel from Lindy's POV. Although I wish she hadn't been a silent Adrian fan from the beginning I do like how she gives him a chance. It makes more sense her worry about her father even though he doesn't deserve it. I hope she really has washed her hands of him for good at this point! If you thought her father was bad before, you have NO idea! This leads all the way to the end of Beastly.
May 30, 2024
Absolutely loved reading this book, loved getting LIndy's Diary!
April 24, 2013
This novella is told in epistolary fashion as a series of diary entries from Lindy’s perspective of what transpired during Beastly.
Lindy actually lost points from me during the first half of the book! She admitted in the diary early on that she had feelings for Adrian but kept them to herself because she knew the two of them could never have a “normal” life. Yet, she also revealed that she did not find Adrian to be beastly at all but thought that his face and, in particular, his eyes were quite beautiful. I did not get the impression from reading Beastly that she cared much of what other people would think, but this diary proves me wrong. I was disappointed that she seemed to shallow! However, by the end of the book, she realized that it had been a mistake to leave and wanted desperately to return to Adrian. So, I was happy about that! Maybe Kendra’s curse not only had an effect on Kyle but also on Lindy, because she no longer took stock in what other people thought by the end of the story.
Memorable quotes:
"I wish everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was."
"The fact is, here, in this apartment, where I'm being held prisoner, I'm actually happier than I've been in a long time, and these people - this freakish boy, blind man, and their maid - are the closest I've had to a real family since my mother died."
"I'm happier here, happier than I've ever been. I feel safe for the first time in my life."
"Adrian loves me, and I know it. And I know it because I feel the same way about him. I love him."
"But do I love him enough to give up everything else?"
Although not as good as Beastly, I still really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Bewitching, which was released last year!
Lindy actually lost points from me during the first half of the book! She admitted in the diary early on that she had feelings for Adrian but kept them to herself because she knew the two of them could never have a “normal” life. Yet, she also revealed that she did not find Adrian to be beastly at all but thought that his face and, in particular, his eyes were quite beautiful. I did not get the impression from reading Beastly that she cared much of what other people would think, but this diary proves me wrong. I was disappointed that she seemed to shallow! However, by the end of the book, she realized that it had been a mistake to leave and wanted desperately to return to Adrian. So, I was happy about that! Maybe Kendra’s curse not only had an effect on Kyle but also on Lindy, because she no longer took stock in what other people thought by the end of the story.
Memorable quotes:
"I wish everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was."
"The fact is, here, in this apartment, where I'm being held prisoner, I'm actually happier than I've been in a long time, and these people - this freakish boy, blind man, and their maid - are the closest I've had to a real family since my mother died."
"I'm happier here, happier than I've ever been. I feel safe for the first time in my life."
"Adrian loves me, and I know it. And I know it because I feel the same way about him. I love him."
"But do I love him enough to give up everything else?"
Although not as good as Beastly, I still really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Bewitching, which was released last year!
October 10, 2021
This was way better than expected. Usually, I am not the biggest of reading the same story from another point of view, but this story offered enough new information to enjoy it. Lindy as a character got a lot more believable, and I liked the added scenes.
April 16, 2021
Skimmed to the end once I got halfway through. Not as good as Beastly. Lindy’s POV was surprisingly boring and some of the scenes seem out of place even for another perspective.
Read
November 29, 2013The companion novel to 'Beastly,' written from the perspective of the "Beauty," Lindy.
I only came across this book by chance. It appears to have been released less than a month ago. I snatched it up on Kindle due to the low price and an interest in reading the story from Lindy's perspective.
Lindy may be the "Beauty" figure in the story but she is not stunningly beautiful. She isn't ugly but neither is she presented as a sex bomb disguised as a Plain Jane. She is someone the reader can relate to.
When it comes to the story of 'Beauty and the Beast' there is a huge focus on the role of the girl. She is the one who is taken away. She is the one whom the sympathies of the reader should lie with. So, after enjoying stepping into the modern-day retelling of the story in 'Beastly' I was interested to see what a modern day "kidnapped" girl would have to write in her diary.
An important part of 'Beastly' was that Kyle had to learn that beauty was about what was inside and not all about looks. What interested me was that Lindy had her own variation of this lesson to learn. She might not have been shallow like Kyle but she was still drawn to Kyle's physical appearance.
What I most wanted to see was Lindy's take on living with the "Beast." There were plenty of references made to other adaptations of the original story, like the Disney film and 'The Phantom of the Opera' and "Stockholm" was not a word that was ignored. Flinn manages to write Lindy's voice in such a way that whether or not we can identify with her thought process is irrelevant, we see her own rationality in it.
'Lindy's Diary' is not a book I would recommend unless you have already read 'Beastly.' If you have and enjoyed it, go for it. You won't be disappointed.
I look forward to reading more of Alex Flinn's novels, particularly 'Cloaked.'
(From my blog: Quill Café)
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher.
I only came across this book by chance. It appears to have been released less than a month ago. I snatched it up on Kindle due to the low price and an interest in reading the story from Lindy's perspective.
Lindy may be the "Beauty" figure in the story but she is not stunningly beautiful. She isn't ugly but neither is she presented as a sex bomb disguised as a Plain Jane. She is someone the reader can relate to.
When it comes to the story of 'Beauty and the Beast' there is a huge focus on the role of the girl. She is the one who is taken away. She is the one whom the sympathies of the reader should lie with. So, after enjoying stepping into the modern-day retelling of the story in 'Beastly' I was interested to see what a modern day "kidnapped" girl would have to write in her diary.
An important part of 'Beastly' was that Kyle had to learn that beauty was about what was inside and not all about looks. What interested me was that Lindy had her own variation of this lesson to learn. She might not have been shallow like Kyle but she was still drawn to Kyle's physical appearance.
What I most wanted to see was Lindy's take on living with the "Beast." There were plenty of references made to other adaptations of the original story, like the Disney film and 'The Phantom of the Opera' and "Stockholm" was not a word that was ignored. Flinn manages to write Lindy's voice in such a way that whether or not we can identify with her thought process is irrelevant, we see her own rationality in it.
'Lindy's Diary' is not a book I would recommend unless you have already read 'Beastly.' If you have and enjoyed it, go for it. You won't be disappointed.
I look forward to reading more of Alex Flinn's novels, particularly 'Cloaked.'
(From my blog: Quill Café)
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher.
December 18, 2012
The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews
I have been wanting to read this for a little while now. I adored Beastly (and several of Alex’s other works) and the idea of re-reading Beastly from Lindy’s perspective was hype enough to make me want to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed. This little novella is exactly what it’s advertised as, a retake of Beastly via Lindy. If you’re read Beastly, you already know the basic plot. Kyle is an asshat and Kendra curses him to live as a beast until he finds someone to love him. Lindy turns out to be that someone.
I loved seeing her side of things. She’s sweet and caring and really has a thing for Kyle, though she tries to hide it. She struggles to make ends meet, but you don’t really hear her complaining about her situation. School, work, tutor on the side, try to keep her dad out of trouble, and she manages it all gracefully. There aren’t many people who could in that situation. Seeing “Adrian” through her eyes was also interesting to read about. I loved that she knew that he loved her without having to hear him say it or be reassured continually that she was worthy of someone like him. Basically, she is a great change of pace over the sloppy, whiny, heroines that dominate YA.
Reading this did have a downside though. It highlighted all of the ways the Beastly film disappointed me. I like it well enough on its own, but when compared to the book, it’s fucking terrible. They changed so much, most of it for reasons I don’t understand. Yeah, I get that wearing a fur suit constantly during filming is a hassle, so I can kind of understand why they did that, though I don’t agree with the change, but changing Madga’s name? Changing Lindy’s appearance? Removing the magic mirror? So many senseless changes that he beauty of the story gets lost in it.
I have been wanting to read this for a little while now. I adored Beastly (and several of Alex’s other works) and the idea of re-reading Beastly from Lindy’s perspective was hype enough to make me want to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed. This little novella is exactly what it’s advertised as, a retake of Beastly via Lindy. If you’re read Beastly, you already know the basic plot. Kyle is an asshat and Kendra curses him to live as a beast until he finds someone to love him. Lindy turns out to be that someone.
I loved seeing her side of things. She’s sweet and caring and really has a thing for Kyle, though she tries to hide it. She struggles to make ends meet, but you don’t really hear her complaining about her situation. School, work, tutor on the side, try to keep her dad out of trouble, and she manages it all gracefully. There aren’t many people who could in that situation. Seeing “Adrian” through her eyes was also interesting to read about. I loved that she knew that he loved her without having to hear him say it or be reassured continually that she was worthy of someone like him. Basically, she is a great change of pace over the sloppy, whiny, heroines that dominate YA.
Reading this did have a downside though. It highlighted all of the ways the Beastly film disappointed me. I like it well enough on its own, but when compared to the book, it’s fucking terrible. They changed so much, most of it for reasons I don’t understand. Yeah, I get that wearing a fur suit constantly during filming is a hassle, so I can kind of understand why they did that, though I don’t agree with the change, but changing Madga’s name? Changing Lindy’s appearance? Removing the magic mirror? So many senseless changes that he beauty of the story gets lost in it.
December 31, 2012
How did I not know about this book until a couple of days ago?!?! I LOVED Beastly and gobbled Lindy's Diary up within a day. It's a short story that shows Lindy's POV of Beastly, in diary format. In case you haven't read, or heard of, Beastly, it's a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view.
The only reason I'm not giving Lindy's Diary a full five stars is because it was short and because it was told in diary form. Although, I'll totally admit, even though I don't usually like books written in diary format, I didn't hate it for this one. It gave you just enough content from Beastly, and just enough new content to hold a reader's attention. And while all of the major stuff was covered, I would have loved to see a few more of my favorite scenes from Beastly through Lindy's eyes.
I recommend Beastly: Lindy's Diary to anyone who read Beastly. If you have read Beastly than you already know all of the characters and hopefully loved the book. So you already know what this one's going to be about. If you haven't read Beastly, you might not necessarily NEED to read it in order to understand Lindy's Diary, but you'll definitely want to if you want to catch the full story.
The only reason I'm not giving Lindy's Diary a full five stars is because it was short and because it was told in diary form. Although, I'll totally admit, even though I don't usually like books written in diary format, I didn't hate it for this one. It gave you just enough content from Beastly, and just enough new content to hold a reader's attention. And while all of the major stuff was covered, I would have loved to see a few more of my favorite scenes from Beastly through Lindy's eyes.
I recommend Beastly: Lindy's Diary to anyone who read Beastly. If you have read Beastly than you already know all of the characters and hopefully loved the book. So you already know what this one's going to be about. If you haven't read Beastly, you might not necessarily NEED to read it in order to understand Lindy's Diary, but you'll definitely want to if you want to catch the full story.
April 1, 2012
This is a short novella and you can gather from the title that it is a re-telling of Beastly from Lindy’s point of view.
In Lindy’s diary we get an insight to her side of the story and of the thoughts and feelings about Kyle and Adrian. All in all Lindy comes across as normal teenager with a huge crush on the most popular kid in school, that feels like a fish out of the water due to being a ‘nerd’ and being the ‘poor girl’ in a school full of rich kids. I admire her drive to be more, to be hungry for knowledge and know that her way out of her situation is getting a great education. It is hard to read this novella and not feel pity for her.
If you read Beastly, you know the plot and the story, I prefer Beastly because it had more detail and felt less rushed and better paced. I still enjoyed this novella; it has a quick read and a most for Beastly fans.
About the cover: A rose had to be present of course, I like this cover much better than Beastly's.
In Lindy’s diary we get an insight to her side of the story and of the thoughts and feelings about Kyle and Adrian. All in all Lindy comes across as normal teenager with a huge crush on the most popular kid in school, that feels like a fish out of the water due to being a ‘nerd’ and being the ‘poor girl’ in a school full of rich kids. I admire her drive to be more, to be hungry for knowledge and know that her way out of her situation is getting a great education. It is hard to read this novella and not feel pity for her.
If you read Beastly, you know the plot and the story, I prefer Beastly because it had more detail and felt less rushed and better paced. I still enjoyed this novella; it has a quick read and a most for Beastly fans.
About the cover: A rose had to be present of course, I like this cover much better than Beastly's.
August 27, 2015
Me gusto mucho leer el punto de vista de Lindy en esta historia.
Aporto muchas situaciones nuevas, no solo un punto de vista distinto de los mismos sucesos de Beastly, sino un par de cosas que nos perdimos o a las que Kyle no le dio gran importancia pero ella sí. Me encanta leer libros en forma de diarios.
Aporto muchas situaciones nuevas, no solo un punto de vista distinto de los mismos sucesos de Beastly, sino un par de cosas que nos perdimos o a las que Kyle no le dio gran importancia pero ella sí. Me encanta leer libros en forma de diarios.
January 19, 2019
Beastly ya me pareció malo, pero como este venía con él libro y es como un complemento que se lee en un rato (si hubiera sido largo habría pasado mucho) he decidido echarle un ojo. Y la verdad es que me ha confirmado lo mismo que el libro al que complementa: no hay realmente amor entre Lindy y Kyle, sólo se utilizan mutuamente. En el otro quedaba claro que Kyle no cambia y quería a Lindy para romper su maldición, siendo que sólo "se enamora" (más bien siente atraído físicamente) cuando ve que arreglada es guapa. Aquí se ve que Lindy no quiere a Kyle, quiere salir de la miseria y él es su trampolín. Y si se hubiera explorado esa idea este libro y Beastly podrían haber sido interesantes. Pero no. La autora me quiere convencer de que lo suyo es amor del bueno y siento que me está tomando por idiota o es pésima escribiendo, porque lo que está mostrando es lo contrario. Por ejemplo, Lindy insiste mucho en que al principio se siente atraída por Kyle no porque sea guapo ni rico cuando es literalmente lo único que sabe de él, ya que no lo conoce. Además, dice literalmente que le gustaría tener un príncipe que la rescatara de su horrible vida de pobre con un padre drogadicto. Y cuando se da cuenta de que "se ha enamorado" de la bestia es cuando piensa: "Nunca había vivido tan bien como aquí. Me he dado cuenta de que estoy enamorada." Ajá. Lo dice de la nada tras, literalmente, reconocer que ha pasado de estar en una situación precaria en la que se mataba a trabajar a tener clases particulares y yoga privado y le encanta esa nueva seguridad.
No es malo que quiera vivir bien y huir de la miseria, eso es muy lógico, pero que no traten de engañarme con que es una historia de amor verdadero cuando se muestra claramente lo contrario.
Otras cosas que no me han gustado:
- Que cambian escenas que pasan en el otro libro. ¿Es que la autora no podía ni copiar y pegar lo que ella misma había escrito? Por ejemplo: en Beastly Kyle no conocía de nada a Lindy de antes, pero aquí pone que habían hablado una vez y recordaba su nombre.
- Otra vez el tópico de ser lista por leer. A ver si queda claro de una vez que la lectura da conocimiento (si es lectura educativa, claro), pero no por leer mucho eres mejor ni mas inteligente que el resto del mundo.
- Kendra, que en el otro libro era un personaje que ni fú ni fá y aquí no la aguanto con su manía de provocar visiones y pesadillas estúpidas a Lindy. Cada vez que hacía algo tipo intentar darle un mensaje, por ejemplo, disfrazándose de conejo de Alicia y hablando con rimas quería gritar: "para de una puñetera vez. ¡No eres graciosa y te estás cargando el ambiente con tus estupideces en medio de una situación seria!".
No es malo que quiera vivir bien y huir de la miseria, eso es muy lógico, pero que no traten de engañarme con que es una historia de amor verdadero cuando se muestra claramente lo contrario.
Otras cosas que no me han gustado:
- Que cambian escenas que pasan en el otro libro. ¿Es que la autora no podía ni copiar y pegar lo que ella misma había escrito? Por ejemplo: en Beastly Kyle no conocía de nada a Lindy de antes, pero aquí pone que habían hablado una vez y recordaba su nombre.
- Otra vez el tópico de ser lista por leer. A ver si queda claro de una vez que la lectura da conocimiento (si es lectura educativa, claro), pero no por leer mucho eres mejor ni mas inteligente que el resto del mundo.
- Kendra, que en el otro libro era un personaje que ni fú ni fá y aquí no la aguanto con su manía de provocar visiones y pesadillas estúpidas a Lindy. Cada vez que hacía algo tipo intentar darle un mensaje, por ejemplo, disfrazándose de conejo de Alicia y hablando con rimas quería gritar: "para de una puñetera vez. ¡No eres graciosa y te estás cargando el ambiente con tus estupideces en medio de una situación seria!".
May 11, 2017
Um yes, I did check out the deluxe edition of Beastly from my library to read this. I'm great, how are you?
So I read this in like 2 hours, and it was cute. I like what it added to the story. And I mean, that's it. I've already expressed all of my thoughts and opinions on the actual book, but yes, I did like Lindy's voice. It was sweet. Yep.
So I read this in like 2 hours, and it was cute. I like what it added to the story. And I mean, that's it. I've already expressed all of my thoughts and opinions on the actual book, but yes, I did like Lindy's voice. It was sweet. Yep.
August 13, 2017
Ugh... This was a recap of Beastly but Lindy's POV. There were some new scenes with Kyle but really it just felt the same. I miss him... I miss him... No substantial new things happening. I don't get the point of this book.
November 23, 2020
Η οπτική της Λίντι, άρα τίποτα που δεν το γνωρίζαμε ήδη, ή που δεν το υποθέταμε, χαριτωμένη κι ευχάριστη, διαβάζεται εύκολα και γρήγορα, αλλά δεν προσθέτει και κάτι νέο στο σύμπαν του "Beastly".
January 5, 2021
The problem with this novella is that it was too rushed and it didn't really align properly with the original novel. Also, Lindy's voice is exactly the same as Adrian's, which is really jarring.
October 21, 2016
“It was like we were two halves of an oyster shell, and when you put us together, it hid the gray gunk inside.”
A very good companion to the beautiful retelling of B&B.
I was afraid to read it after some reviews pointed out but I really understood her. Trauma, such the one she suffered, sometimes render oneself unable to freely express such feelings. Understandable is also her fear of being trapped in a closed space, which contributed to said insecurity.
However, Lindy's feelings and frame of mind are different than those Kyle described in his book. His "bestiality" is rarely a matter of concern, and her description of his feline movement and striking blue eyes dispelled the appearance of monstrosity Kyle always conveyed in his book.
Moreover, some of her actions that seemed selfish or surprising in the book are beautifully explained in her diary. And maybe the most striking revelation is that
I loved the role of Kendra in this as well. This girl really tried her best, without her enormous help those two stupid kids may have never had their HEA. Of course, she casted that terrible spell and it was hard to understand why, in a sea of cruel, selfish, handsome people, she handpicked Kyle for such a curse but at least she works hard to redeem herself.
The ending was simple and beautiful.
One thing that bothered me, however, was how this book was plagued by a number of inaccuracies in regards to the previous book. Maybe reading them months apart helps people overlook such mistakes but for me, having read them one after another in two days, it is painful at times to see how some events that could by no means have happened in Beastly are inserted in this book.
Moreover, I wish this book had been longer, because it was such a pleasant lecture. Lindy is vivid and captivating, maybe more than Adrian himself and I really wish there was more to read by her.
However, the little it was it was good and the lack of accuracy at times is compensated by a beautiful, heartfelt prose, that will please many fans of B&B/ Beastly, both old and new.
“I'm starting to loose touch with reality, but reality sort of sucks.”
A very good companion to the beautiful retelling of B&B.
I was afraid to read it after some reviews pointed out but I really understood her. Trauma, such the one she suffered, sometimes render oneself unable to freely express such feelings. Understandable is also her fear of being trapped in a closed space, which contributed to said insecurity.
However, Lindy's feelings and frame of mind are different than those Kyle described in his book. His "bestiality" is rarely a matter of concern, and her description of his feline movement and striking blue eyes dispelled the appearance of monstrosity Kyle always conveyed in his book.
Moreover, some of her actions that seemed selfish or surprising in the book are beautifully explained in her diary. And maybe the most striking revelation is that
I loved the role of Kendra in this as well. This girl really tried her best, without her enormous help those two stupid kids may have never had their HEA. Of course, she casted that terrible spell and it was hard to understand why, in a sea of cruel, selfish, handsome people, she handpicked Kyle for such a curse but at least she works hard to redeem herself.
The ending was simple and beautiful.
One thing that bothered me, however, was how this book was plagued by a number of inaccuracies in regards to the previous book. Maybe reading them months apart helps people overlook such mistakes but for me, having read them one after another in two days, it is painful at times to see how some events that could by no means have happened in Beastly are inserted in this book.
Moreover, I wish this book had been longer, because it was such a pleasant lecture. Lindy is vivid and captivating, maybe more than Adrian himself and I really wish there was more to read by her.
However, the little it was it was good and the lack of accuracy at times is compensated by a beautiful, heartfelt prose, that will please many fans of B&B/ Beastly, both old and new.
“I'm starting to loose touch with reality, but reality sort of sucks.”
February 9, 2012
Originally posted on Pretty In Fiction.
How did I not know about this book until a couple of days ago?!?! I LOVED Beastly and gobbled Lindy's Diary up within a day. It's a short story that shows Lindy's POV of Beastly, in diary format. In case you haven't read, or heard of, Beastly, it's a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view.
The only reason I'm not giving Lindy's Diary a full five stars is because it was short and because it was told in diary form. Although, I'll totally admit, even though I don't usually like books written in diary format, I didn't hate it for this one. It gave you just enough content from Beastly, and just enough new content to hold a reader's attention. And while all of the major stuff was covered, I would have loved to see a few more of my favorite scenes from Beastly through Lindy's eyes.
I recommend Beastly: Lindy's Diary to anyone who read Beastly. If you have read Beastly than you already know all of the characters and hopefully loved the book. So you already know what this one's going to be about. If you haven't read Beastly, you might not necessarily NEED to read it in order to understand Lindy's Diary, but you'll definitely want to if you want to catch the full story.
How did I not know about this book until a couple of days ago?!?! I LOVED Beastly and gobbled Lindy's Diary up within a day. It's a short story that shows Lindy's POV of Beastly, in diary format. In case you haven't read, or heard of, Beastly, it's a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view.
The only reason I'm not giving Lindy's Diary a full five stars is because it was short and because it was told in diary form. Although, I'll totally admit, even though I don't usually like books written in diary format, I didn't hate it for this one. It gave you just enough content from Beastly, and just enough new content to hold a reader's attention. And while all of the major stuff was covered, I would have loved to see a few more of my favorite scenes from Beastly through Lindy's eyes.
I recommend Beastly: Lindy's Diary to anyone who read Beastly. If you have read Beastly than you already know all of the characters and hopefully loved the book. So you already know what this one's going to be about. If you haven't read Beastly, you might not necessarily NEED to read it in order to understand Lindy's Diary, but you'll definitely want to if you want to catch the full story.
February 14, 2018
Wow this was a total let down. I was really excited when I found out this was coming out. A few years ago I read what Stephenie Meyer had written of Midnight Sun and loved it, so I was interested to see how Alex Flinn would do the same thing. But I don't know if it was because they were written so far apart or what, but this was so silly compared to Beastly. Many of the conversations didn't match, she referenced things that hadn't happen in the world during Beastly, and those Kendra dreams: WTF? Thankfully it was relatively short and didn't take up too much of my time or else I probably would have stopped reading it. Although I guess I should have because this totally screwed up the ending from Beastly. Ugh this was just a major disappointment.
February 16, 2023
This book is missing some details from the first book, Beastly. For example, what happened to the movie scene? Linda talked a tiny about at the end but would of loved to see the whole scene from her point-of-view. I personally thought that the ending was a little disappointing.
However, there were some new scenes/details/lines that I absolutely loved,
-The ice skating scene
-The Christmas scene
-The description of Linda’s room
-The description of Adrian unfortunate appearance
- “If only everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was.”
- How Adrian accidentally exposes himself of not being a beast forever.
Some things for the people that want to read this book, read the first book, Beastly, first, and you can only find this book as an ebook so don’t spend to long searching for it like I did. Also, another tip, don’t watch the movie Beastly. It is so different from the book, which is amazing. The person who thought that changing some of the details from the book should be sued.
Overall, this was an amazing book with lots of new details, but, I think we can all agree, nothing can beat Beastly.
However, there were some new scenes/details/lines that I absolutely loved,
-The ice skating scene
-The Christmas scene
-The description of Linda’s room
-The description of Adrian unfortunate appearance
- “If only everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was.”
- How Adrian accidentally exposes himself of not being a beast forever.
Some things for the people that want to read this book, read the first book, Beastly, first, and you can only find this book as an ebook so don’t spend to long searching for it like I did. Also, another tip, don’t watch the movie Beastly. It is so different from the book, which is amazing. The person who thought that changing some of the details from the book should be sued.
Overall, this was an amazing book with lots of new details, but, I think we can all agree, nothing can beat Beastly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2021
Beastly is actually a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's perspective. And after the success of the first book, I'm glad that Alex Finn decided to write this one, which finally gets us to see Lindy’s side of the tale.
I admit I was having a hard time understanding Lindy when I read Beastly since it focused mainly on Kyle/Adrian, and when I found out about this, I was beyond excited. Yes! is basically about Lindy's thoughts, point of view, and feelings throughout the events that happen during Beastly. Everything that happened to Lindy finally made sense. And in this book, we finally see Kyle as Adrian (the beast) through Lindy's eyes. She showed me the beauty of the beast that Adrian never considered himself in Beastly. *sigh*
"I wish everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was."
Overall, is such a fun and quick read. It's not as sweet and emotional as the first book, but it was good. But I suggest reading Beastly first before you read this.
I admit I was having a hard time understanding Lindy when I read Beastly since it focused mainly on Kyle/Adrian, and when I found out about this, I was beyond excited. Yes! is basically about Lindy's thoughts, point of view, and feelings throughout the events that happen during Beastly. Everything that happened to Lindy finally made sense. And in this book, we finally see Kyle as Adrian (the beast) through Lindy's eyes. She showed me the beauty of the beast that Adrian never considered himself in Beastly. *sigh*
"I wish everyone could see him as I did, see how beautiful he was."
Overall, is such a fun and quick read. It's not as sweet and emotional as the first book, but it was good. But I suggest reading Beastly first before you read this.
July 2, 2013
There are different sides to every story... And this side was absolutely adorable!
I read Beastly a year ago and I liked it a lot. Fairytale retellings are just so appealing to me. I finally got a copy of Lindy's Diary and wouldn't you know? I loved it! Lindy was such a smart and sweet character. She loved books, she saw the good in people, and she loved her dad despite his drug addiction. I wanted the book to be a little longer because I liked seeing Kyle/Adrian through her eyes. It was interesting to know that Kendra was helping the two lovers all along. Not only did she send Lindy dream visions, she also sent little angels to prompt them into uniting.
It was sweet and simple. That's why I like it so much, because there were corny scenes. I just really want to know what eventually happened to Mr. Owens and if Kyle/Adrian's dad learned that looks isn't that important.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book after reading Beastly.
I read Beastly a year ago and I liked it a lot. Fairytale retellings are just so appealing to me. I finally got a copy of Lindy's Diary and wouldn't you know? I loved it! Lindy was such a smart and sweet character. She loved books, she saw the good in people, and she loved her dad despite his drug addiction. I wanted the book to be a little longer because I liked seeing Kyle/Adrian through her eyes. It was interesting to know that Kendra was helping the two lovers all along. Not only did she send Lindy dream visions, she also sent little angels to prompt them into uniting.
It was sweet and simple. That's why I like it so much, because there were corny scenes. I just really want to know what eventually happened to Mr. Owens and if Kyle/Adrian's dad learned that looks isn't that important.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book after reading Beastly.
June 30, 2014
cute, but kind of silly. Told in diary style, it gives a little back story on Beastly
I did like that it gave us more history on Kyle and Linda...
and it gave more information on Kendra meddling a little...to help things along
AND it helped explain some of the moments they had.
so I think it added content to the 1st book.
I did like that it gave us more history on Kyle and Linda...
and it gave more information on Kendra meddling a little...to help things along
AND it helped explain some of the moments they had.
so I think it added content to the 1st book.
May 24, 2015
This book is about Lindy's life and perspective of when she was forced by her father to live with a beast. This book is from the book Beastly but from Lindy's eyes. In this book you get to experience what she felt and how she saw the beast. You also see a snap of her life with her father and how she lived in tough conditions and had a nasty house. This book is about acceptance, not judging a book by its cover, and friendship.
July 29, 2016
When I read Beastly I often wondered what Lindy was thinking, I am so glad I read this book. Many of my questions were answered and because Beastly was such an excellent book and I've read it so many times, I was thrilled to be able to read more related to it. I really liked Lindy when I read the first book and now I like her even more. Great book!
January 29, 2017
This is a nice follow up on the previous "Beastly", but it's not ny way near as good.
This is basically a collection of scenes from Beastly told in the POV of Lindy mixed into other reflections of Lindys life and thoughts. The diary format is sometimes refreshing and sometimes unnecessary. Still it was fun to read after Beastly.
This is basically a collection of scenes from Beastly told in the POV of Lindy mixed into other reflections of Lindys life and thoughts. The diary format is sometimes refreshing and sometimes unnecessary. Still it was fun to read after Beastly.
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