The Beautiful was my most anticipated book of 2019. I know the bulk of society decided they were done with vampires after Twilight, but that was something that I definitely never agreed to. Twilight was just getting me started on the vampire trend. The lack of these mythic creatures in seemingly most of recent releases has been disappointing, which means that as soon as The Beautiful was announced, it was at the top of my TBR.
Going in, I was entranced. The setting and atmosphere of the story is extraordinary. The attention to detail paints an image that is unfamiliar but addictive. It left me wanting to know and learn more. In addition, I absolutely loved the dynamics that were set up early in the story, such as that of Celine and Pippa. The relationships amongst the characters were the stabilizing force in the story and, truthfully, what actually ending up keeping me interested.
The only word I can think of to describe the second half of the book is “murky.” Its narrative and development felt very unclear to me. I found myself re-reading but still failing to comprehend the events that were taking place. The initial set up seemed to drift away. Revelations and plot twists seemed to come out of left-field. My least favorite trope of all time occurred. While the ending set up a very interesting thread to be continued in book 2, I couldn’t help but feel devastated at the turn the narrative and writing took. I’m crossing my fingers that book 2 will capture my heart the way that the beginning of this story did. Here’s to waiting another whole year for the answers I need!
Going in, I was entranced. The setting and atmosphere of the story is extraordinary. The attention to detail paints an image that is unfamiliar but addictive. It left me wanting to know and learn more. In addition, I absolutely loved the dynamics that were set up early in the story, such as that of Celine and Pippa. The relationships amongst the characters were the stabilizing force in the story and, truthfully, what actually ending up keeping me interested.
The only word I can think of to describe the second half of the book is “murky.” Its narrative and development felt very unclear to me. I found myself re-reading but still failing to comprehend the events that were taking place. The initial set up seemed to drift away. Revelations and plot twists seemed to come out of left-field. My least favorite trope of all time occurred. While the ending set up a very interesting thread to be continued in book 2, I couldn’t help but feel devastated at the turn the narrative and writing took. I’m crossing my fingers that book 2 will capture my heart the way that the beginning of this story did. Here’s to waiting another whole year for the answers I need!