Lost in a Book

Lost in a Book expands on Disney's Beauty and the Beast, following Belle during her time at the Beast's castle. While exploring the castle's library, Belle discovers a mysterious book called Nevermore that transports her into an alluring new world. Death and Love, two ethereal sisters, engage in a high-stakes game using Belle as their pawn. As Belle navigates between reality and fantasy, she must determine what is genuine and what is illusion before time runs out. The enchanted castle's familiar characters appear throughout the story, grounding this tale in the Beauty and the Beast universe while introducing new magical elements and challenges for Belle to face. This novel explores themes of choices, reality versus escape, and the power of stories - both as sanctuaries and potential traps. The narrative examines how the books we love can either liberate or imprison us, depending on how we choose to use them.

Readers praise the book's exploration of Belle's love of reading and her dynamic relationship with Death and Love as characters. Many note it captures the tone and spirit of the original Beauty and the Beast while adding depth to Belle's character. Several reviews highlight the engaging prose and creative premise. Common criticisms include pacing issues in the middle section, predictable plot elements, and some character decisions that readers found frustrating. Multiple reviewers mention the story becomes repetitive during Belle's adventures in Nevermore. Average ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (17,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (1,300+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.3/5 (200+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Perfect expansion of Belle's world between the wolf chase and the ballroom scene" - Goodreads "The middle drags but the ending makes up for it" - Amazon "Death and Love are fascinating characters but Belle feels passive at times" - Barnes & Noble

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler A girl enters a magical library where she must defeat dangerous creatures trapped inside books to gain their powers.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult The prince from a fairytale book comes to life and forms a connection with a reader in the real world.

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser A teenager discovers her inherited ability to jump into books and interact with characters while protecting stories from a thief who steals fictional elements.

Story's End by Marissa Burt A twelve-year-old finds herself in a world where all stories originate and must save both that realm and her own from destruction.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi A colorless girl embarks on a journey through a magical world to find her missing father, reading and breaking stories along the way.

🌹 Jennifer Donnelly wrote this Beauty and the Beast story as part of Disney Press's official collection, making it a canonical extension of the beloved animated film 📚 The novel explores the power of Death as a character, who creates an enchanted book called "Nevermore" to lure Belle away from the Beast's castle 🏰 The story takes place during Belle's time at the Beast's castle, specifically between scenes from the original animated movie ✍️ Before writing Lost in a Book, Donnelly won the Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize for her historical novel A Northern Light 📖 The book delves into themes of reality versus fantasy, showing how books can be both an escape and a trap - mirroring Belle's own journey of discovering what truly matters in life