A review by kendracus
The Beautiful, by Renée Ahdieh
5.0
4.5 stars
New Orleans, Vampires, murders, all in the late 1800s!?!? sign me up
In order to escape her past, Celine travels from Paris to New Orleans. When Celine arrives in New Orleans, she is instantly captivated by its atmosphere and intricate history. A few days into her new life, Celine meets Odette, someone who seems to carry the entire city of New Orleans in the palm of her hands. Odette hires Celine to make her a dress, and soon Celine is wrapped up in the world of La Cour des Lions. She meets the enigmatic Bastien around the same time one of the girls from the convent is found dead.
Wow, I loved this book. I had some friends who had really enjoyed it so my hopes were quite high and this book did not come to play! It exceeded my expectations and more!
I think one of the things this book executed incredibly was it’s solid cast of characters. Each and every character was so diverse and deep in personality. It was easy to distinguish who’s who because of that. Also, I feel like we took a deep dive into each character throughout, making it feel like we truly got to know that person and develop a deep connection with them.
The author set up a love triangle that will definitely have more of a presence in the second book but I think it was well done. I’m not keen on love triangles but the way this one happened was unexpected and well-developed. Also, in a love triangle, I never find myself liking both guys. And here I am, liking both guys. Of course, I much prefer the mysterious and dangerous and darker one over the other, but I definitely have a soft spot for both.
I can see how this book might not be for everyone but I just truly adored it. It was a perfect October read. It was dark and enchanting and enthralling and enigmatic and there was a mysterious serial killer on the loose so that really helped with the spooky vibes.
I think this book is paving the way for a whole new generation of YA novels. Not only is it bringing vampires back, but it is also doing it in such a sophisticated and well thought out way. Absolutely nothing about this novel felt cheap or rushed or juvenile. You could tell the author did immense amounts of research for her setting and specific languages involved.
ugh I just LOVED this book
I think this book did an incredible job of answering plenty of questions but also leaving so many unanswered for the following novel(s). At the end of the book, I was like “oh, wow, now I get it,” and then I was thinking “...wait... no I don’t,” which sounds funny but it only makes me even more chuffed for the next novel in the series. It gives you as a reader and healthy knowledge and understanding as to what the story is about but also leaves you wanting so much more.
The only reason this gets 4.5 stars rather than a full 5 is because I felt like Celine and the love interest made a connection without any sort of a foundation. I did begin to truly believe in it once they developed further. They had great chemistry and tons of sexual tension. I just didn’t fully love the beginning of it all. But I can definitely overlook that since everything else about this book was so good.
Celine is an opinionated introvert. She doesn’t hide her opinions but she does keep certain feelings and experiences held deep down inside of her(understandably so). She’s bold and proud and confident. She was so fun to have as an MC. I became invested in her life and attached to her story. Her decisions never really bothered me and I loved the way her brain worked. Seriously itching to continue on with her story.
Odette is a force to be reckoned with! I loved her relationship with Celine. She was outgoing and charming and strong and slightly unpredictable.
Bastien is my new book boyfriend. No, but really, I love him. He’s our typical broody boy who is up to absolutely no good however he is one million percent redeemable and you can tell that from early on. He’s surrounded by his “family” that he also just doesn’t seem to quite fit in with. He’s also sensual and seductive and omg THAT SCENE!!! and THAT ENDING!!!
Pippa is almost the polar opposite to Celine, which created such an interesting dynamic, one that you really root for. Pippa instantly latches in to Celine. She’s a great friend. She kind, thoughtful, understanding, and non-judgmental.
Michael is introduced in such a way that is meant to shock you. He’s cocky and stern but I loved him from the start. He’s a detective on the case of the murder that starts all the drama, so his persona makes sense. We didn’t get to know him too well in this book but that’ll definitely change throughout the next book.
Everything about this book was a win in my opinion. I’m dying to know more about this world and what happens next.
Basically, you need to read this book. I rest my case.
*crossing my fingers that I can get my hand in an arc*
New Orleans, Vampires, murders, all in the late 1800s!?!? sign me up
In order to escape her past, Celine travels from Paris to New Orleans. When Celine arrives in New Orleans, she is instantly captivated by its atmosphere and intricate history. A few days into her new life, Celine meets Odette, someone who seems to carry the entire city of New Orleans in the palm of her hands. Odette hires Celine to make her a dress, and soon Celine is wrapped up in the world of La Cour des Lions. She meets the enigmatic Bastien around the same time one of the girls from the convent is found dead.
Wow, I loved this book. I had some friends who had really enjoyed it so my hopes were quite high and this book did not come to play! It exceeded my expectations and more!
I think one of the things this book executed incredibly was it’s solid cast of characters. Each and every character was so diverse and deep in personality. It was easy to distinguish who’s who because of that. Also, I feel like we took a deep dive into each character throughout, making it feel like we truly got to know that person and develop a deep connection with them.
The author set up a love triangle that will definitely have more of a presence in the second book but I think it was well done. I’m not keen on love triangles but the way this one happened was unexpected and well-developed. Also, in a love triangle, I never find myself liking both guys. And here I am, liking both guys. Of course, I much prefer the mysterious and dangerous and darker one over the other, but I definitely have a soft spot for both.
I can see how this book might not be for everyone but I just truly adored it. It was a perfect October read. It was dark and enchanting and enthralling and enigmatic and there was a mysterious serial killer on the loose so that really helped with the spooky vibes.
I think this book is paving the way for a whole new generation of YA novels. Not only is it bringing vampires back, but it is also doing it in such a sophisticated and well thought out way. Absolutely nothing about this novel felt cheap or rushed or juvenile. You could tell the author did immense amounts of research for her setting and specific languages involved.
ugh I just LOVED this book
I think this book did an incredible job of answering plenty of questions but also leaving so many unanswered for the following novel(s). At the end of the book, I was like “oh, wow, now I get it,” and then I was thinking “...wait... no I don’t,” which sounds funny but it only makes me even more chuffed for the next novel in the series. It gives you as a reader and healthy knowledge and understanding as to what the story is about but also leaves you wanting so much more.
The only reason this gets 4.5 stars rather than a full 5 is because I felt like Celine and the love interest made a connection without any sort of a foundation. I did begin to truly believe in it once they developed further. They had great chemistry and tons of sexual tension. I just didn’t fully love the beginning of it all. But I can definitely overlook that since everything else about this book was so good.
Celine is an opinionated introvert. She doesn’t hide her opinions but she does keep certain feelings and experiences held deep down inside of her(understandably so). She’s bold and proud and confident. She was so fun to have as an MC. I became invested in her life and attached to her story. Her decisions never really bothered me and I loved the way her brain worked. Seriously itching to continue on with her story.
Odette is a force to be reckoned with! I loved her relationship with Celine. She was outgoing and charming and strong and slightly unpredictable.
Bastien is my new book boyfriend. No, but really, I love him. He’s our typical broody boy who is up to absolutely no good however he is one million percent redeemable and you can tell that from early on. He’s surrounded by his “family” that he also just doesn’t seem to quite fit in with. He’s also sensual and seductive and omg THAT SCENE!!! and THAT ENDING!!!
Pippa is almost the polar opposite to Celine, which created such an interesting dynamic, one that you really root for. Pippa instantly latches in to Celine. She’s a great friend. She kind, thoughtful, understanding, and non-judgmental.
Michael is introduced in such a way that is meant to shock you. He’s cocky and stern but I loved him from the start. He’s a detective on the case of the murder that starts all the drama, so his persona makes sense. We didn’t get to know him too well in this book but that’ll definitely change throughout the next book.
Everything about this book was a win in my opinion. I’m dying to know more about this world and what happens next.
Basically, you need to read this book. I rest my case.
*crossing my fingers that I can get my hand in an arc*