Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Release Date: September 7, 2009
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 208
From: publisher
Interest: plot

In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.

Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.

But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.

Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.
Crazy Beautiful is a contemporary twist on Beauty and the Beast. It’s a resplendent love story about looking beneath the surface, forgiveness and second chances. Even though it may seem to be about the love between the two characters, ultimately it’s about loving yourself as well. Told in alternating perspectives between Lucius and Aurora, it gives an unique edge to the story.

Baratz-Logsted’s characterization is excellent. Lucius and Aurora aren’t outlandish, they’re two very normal, struggling teens and that is what makes them really appealing. A continuation of the back story to Lucius current state would have been appreciated, it was lightly touched on but never fully explained. What exactly was he doing when he lost his hands?

Despite it's darker tones, I also found various moments of humor thrown in, which only added to the novels vast appeal. The writing was engaging, it kept the pages turning quickly until the much to sudden end!

Overall an emotional and unique story.