I’ve been having a lot of trouble lately staying interested in any of the books I’m currently reading (a.k.a. I’ve been in a reading slump), but The Beautiful hooked me in from page one. I love that it’s a paranormal book set in the late 1800s New Orleans. There’s something so magical/spooky about New Orleans that I think the author captured beautifully.
I also love that Celine is unapologetic about who she is. I find that in a lot of YA vampire books the main female character tends to be written as a damsel in distress. In many YA fantasy books, the protagonist usually feels unbeatable. Celine is not like that. She does not cower in the face of a challenge, but she’s not all-powerful and invincible. She also has a healthy dose of fear and survival instincts. She’s basically the perfect blend of bravery and human that I think a lot of YA fantasy authors struggle to write.
While I enjoyed this book, the reason I didn’t give it a higher rating is because it left me feeling unsatisfied. I went in thinking I was getting a vampire story, when in reality I was getting a murder mystery that happens to have vampires in it (if that makes any sense). The fact that vampires existed in this world felt less like a plot point and more like a small detail. It felt like the characters just HAPPEN to be vampires, but it wasn’t super necessary to the story.
If you like the typical, cheesy YA vamp book, this is not going to satisfy you. If you’re not into that kind of stuff, this book is pretty fun. The only thing I’d recommend is don’t go in expecting to get a lot of vampy stuff like drinking blood and fangs. Just think of it like a paranormal murder mystery.
I also love that Celine is unapologetic about who she is. I find that in a lot of YA vampire books the main female character tends to be written as a damsel in distress. In many YA fantasy books, the protagonist usually feels unbeatable. Celine is not like that. She does not cower in the face of a challenge, but she’s not all-powerful and invincible. She also has a healthy dose of fear and survival instincts. She’s basically the perfect blend of bravery and human that I think a lot of YA fantasy authors struggle to write.
While I enjoyed this book, the reason I didn’t give it a higher rating is because it left me feeling unsatisfied. I went in thinking I was getting a vampire story, when in reality I was getting a murder mystery that happens to have vampires in it (if that makes any sense). The fact that vampires existed in this world felt less like a plot point and more like a small detail. It felt like the characters just HAPPEN to be vampires, but it wasn’t super necessary to the story.
If you like the typical, cheesy YA vamp book, this is not going to satisfy you. If you’re not into that kind of stuff, this book is pretty fun. The only thing I’d recommend is don’t go in expecting to get a lot of vampy stuff like drinking blood and fangs. Just think of it like a paranormal murder mystery.