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meemzala's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer
deedireads's review against another edition
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.
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
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, and Grief
eveningreverie's review
emotional
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
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever sobbed as hard at the end of a book as I did at like half of Beautyland. What an absolute masterpiece. The perspective from which the main character writes is so interesting and yet simultaneously incredibly relatable. I loved the ways her observations and the happenings of the story were tied together, even if we didn't know the context behind an observation and only had the text of the fax itself. The relationship between her and her "parents" was emotionally annihilating in its resonance. On top of all this, the title's linkage to the story contents was perfect in every way. The ending may feel confusing or even a bit depressing to some, but I think it tied up the novel in a way that makes sense for the character and the themes. This nearly felt like a new take on the themes of Because of Winn-Dixie in the way it speaks on the melancholy of life. Grief makes a big appearance.
A new favorite for sure.
A new favorite for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
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