Of Beast and Beauty

In Juliet Immortal and Romeo Redeemed, Jay gave an apocalyptic twist to Romeo and Juliet, and now she does so with the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” On a far-flung planet, the descendants of humanity have evolved into two camps: Smooth Skins live in domed cities, while the Monstrous—deformed by the influence of a goddess—scrape by outside, hated and feared. Does it make sense to draw an analogy to “Beauty and the Beast” when nearly every character is a mutant, rather than just one cursed individual? In any case, Jay’s characters are well-realized, and Isra, a blind princess destined to be sacrificed for her city, and Gem, a reluctant Monstrous warrior, have much more than superficial appearances to negotiate. There is a personal, romantic side to their struggle, but it’s the ideological, cultural, and cosmic perils that threaten to overwhelm them. Even if the story has only a tenuous relationship to the claimed source material, Jay’s setup is intriguing and her writing assured. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown. (July)