Even though this didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still whole-heartedly enjoyed reading The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh.
I had high, HIGH hopes for this novel: it was sold as a fresh take on vampires, it was a period piece set in the fascinating city of New Orleans, I was sold. And for the most part, I got what I wanted. I just…still wanted more.
Don’t get me wrong, there was still so much to love in The Beautiful. The main character Celine is brave, forthright, and smart. The love interest is particularly mysterious, which I always enjoy. I even felt attached to so many of the side characters in this novel, always wondering who was going to be okay in the end.
However, the story overall gets off the ground with quick, thrilling strides and then- I felt as if it got a little lost. Somewhere in the middle of the story it started to feel somewhat repetitive. The changing perspectives helps immensely and I would’ve loved to see more of it, as Celine’s inner life tends to go in some circles. While it had its problems though, I still wanted to know what happened next. And I wanted to know how it ended. And that’s, overall, a success for me.
If vampires and period pieces are your jam, you might love this. I don’t read a lot of vampire novels, so many I just didn’t connect as much as someone else might. But I still enjoyed this and I still recommend it to anyone who thinks it sounds good. Try it out. You may find you like it more than you think you will.
I had high, HIGH hopes for this novel: it was sold as a fresh take on vampires, it was a period piece set in the fascinating city of New Orleans, I was sold. And for the most part, I got what I wanted. I just…still wanted more.
Don’t get me wrong, there was still so much to love in The Beautiful. The main character Celine is brave, forthright, and smart. The love interest is particularly mysterious, which I always enjoy. I even felt attached to so many of the side characters in this novel, always wondering who was going to be okay in the end.
However, the story overall gets off the ground with quick, thrilling strides and then- I felt as if it got a little lost. Somewhere in the middle of the story it started to feel somewhat repetitive. The changing perspectives helps immensely and I would’ve loved to see more of it, as Celine’s inner life tends to go in some circles. While it had its problems though, I still wanted to know what happened next. And I wanted to know how it ended. And that’s, overall, a success for me.
If vampires and period pieces are your jam, you might love this. I don’t read a lot of vampire novels, so many I just didn’t connect as much as someone else might. But I still enjoyed this and I still recommend it to anyone who thinks it sounds good. Try it out. You may find you like it more than you think you will.