Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Beautyland

This was absolutely a revelation for me! Such compelling character work and beautiful things to say about loneliness, belonging, memory, and love. Adina will be a character that stays with me for a long time, she’s a person I see myself in and also deeply felt for as she navigated her love and her grief. I loved that we followed her for her entire life chronologically which made for a very poignant journey, where things would come full circle in ways that felt so real and devastating. This was weird and charming and smart, absolutely adored this reading experience!

Content Warnings

alayamorning's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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meemzala's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

If we are lucky, we all have a little bit of Adina within ourselves.

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deedireads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/.

Beautyland is one of those books that will sneak up on you and hit you right smack in the feels. My favorite kind of book. (The audiobook was also excellently performed, and the story was easy to follow in that format!)

This is a literary novel about an alien named Adina; her “superiors” put her on Earth at the time of birth to observe and teach them about humans. As she grows up, from early childhood with a single mother in Philly through adulthood in NYC, she reports back on what she learns via a fax machine in her bedroom.

This may sound a little absurd; it is. It may sound like sci-fi; it’s not. At its core, it’s nothing less than a deeply resonant and creative exploration of the otherness of growing up and then the simple alienation of existing alongside others while always seeking connection. Bertino gives us a look at how it’s possible to be lonely and surrounded by love at the same time, at humanity and the small things that make life both hard and beautiful.

You should definitely read it.

Content Warnings

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A book on what it means to be human... It sounds simple, and yet it's beautifully poignant.

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tastybooks916's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Devastating, magical, unforgettable

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nautilus18's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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emlilley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is captivating and moving, an untrite reflection on humanity, grief, loneliness, connection, and perspective. Though I would classify this as a “sad” book, the ending offers the option of hope, if you believe in Adina.

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