Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful follows the industrious Celine Rousseau as she flees France and sets off to America to begin her life anew. Once in New Orleans, Celine finds herself at the mercy of a local convent willing to take in fallen-ish women needing sanctuary and a husband. On that note, Ahdieh creatively supports her assertion that in fact, not every man or woman is in want of a wife or husband.
Celine and her journey confront social issues regarding women's (aka human) rights with the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, paranormal, and romance. The novel is a multi-genre chef's kiss and the author's style reminds me of Anne Rice-style vampires.Celine's voice is clear, Ahdieh's prose is magical but not heavy-handed, the romance is fire-starting, and I cannot wait to see how our heroine fares in the sequel!
Celine and her journey confront social issues regarding women's (aka human) rights with the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, paranormal, and romance. The novel is a multi-genre chef's kiss and the author's style reminds me of Anne Rice-style vampires.Celine's voice is clear, Ahdieh's prose is magical but not heavy-handed, the romance is fire-starting, and I cannot wait to see how our heroine fares in the sequel!