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A review by literarypenguin
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From the very first sentence to the last paragraph I fell in love with this beautiful book and not just because of the stunning cover! It was a great story about family and romance and deep-held secrets that need to be unearthed in order to move on.
The story revolves around family, the family you are born into or a family you find on your way through life. The family of women is such a strongly bonded family and you can tell how much they all mean to each other, and how they would do anything for one another. Their family has lived with a curse for centuries but even a curse can't break the love they have. It only makes them stronger and more supportive of each other. I loved learning the stories of the many descendants of women and how they managed to thrive despite this darkness following their families.
The writing was beautiful and exquisite! Every sense and little detail felt whimsical and it really made you feel like you were on the grounds of the garden yourself! I fell in love with this author's writing and I can't wait to read more of her books hoping the writing is just as lovely as this one's. I can say that this writing succeeded in making you feel like you were a part of the story.
I loved Estrella! I fell in love with her no fear, caring, and honest personality. Her love for her family and how she would do anything to help them even at the cost of losing something for herself was so admirable. She loved passionately as well, for both men and women, but because of her family's curse, she didn't allow herself to love them or denied herself this love for fear of hurting them and herself. Estrella carries so much of her family and the burdens on her shoulders because she doesn't want to be seen as a mistake by her family. She wants to try to bring her family back in a positive light.
Fel was such a sweetheart! He was so sweet and as I learned more about him I fell in love with his character more and more! The way that he adopts these women as his own family and how they accept him no questions asked is so amazing to see! He can also be very protective and cares deeply for this new family. He is also shown to be intelligent and cunning when he needs to be. Fel and Estrella were so cute together and I loved their blossoming romance and watching it develop over the course of the story.
This book does have a very strong message. Besides the importance of family and that families love it also shows how in this world immigrants are shown to be lesser people and not worth remembering. How some secrets are buried for years before people eventually find out or in most cases never do. How these people had to work hard to make it in life only for others to treat them horribly and not deem them worthy enough to remember. It is something that we need to get better with and change for the better.
I highly recommend this book if you want a book with a beautiful cover and a beautiful story held within it's pages!
The story revolves around family, the family you are born into or a family you find on your way through life. The family of women is such a strongly bonded family and you can tell how much they all mean to each other, and how they would do anything for one another. Their family has lived with a curse for centuries but even a curse can't break the love they have. It only makes them stronger and more supportive of each other. I loved learning the stories of the many descendants of women and how they managed to thrive despite this darkness following their families.
The writing was beautiful and exquisite! Every sense and little detail felt whimsical and it really made you feel like you were on the grounds of the garden yourself! I fell in love with this author's writing and I can't wait to read more of her books hoping the writing is just as lovely as this one's. I can say that this writing succeeded in making you feel like you were a part of the story.
I loved Estrella! I fell in love with her no fear, caring, and honest personality. Her love for her family and how she would do anything to help them even at the cost of losing something for herself was so admirable. She loved passionately as well, for both men and women, but because of her family's curse, she didn't allow herself to love them or denied herself this love for fear of hurting them and herself. Estrella carries so much of her family and the burdens on her shoulders because she doesn't want to be seen as a mistake by her family. She wants to try to bring her family back in a positive light.
Fel was such a sweetheart! He was so sweet and as I learned more about him I fell in love with his character more and more! The way that he adopts these women as his own family and how they accept him no questions asked is so amazing to see! He can also be very protective and cares deeply for this new family. He is also shown to be intelligent and cunning when he needs to be. Fel and Estrella were so cute together and I loved their blossoming romance and watching it develop over the course of the story.
This book does have a very strong message. Besides the importance of family and that families love it also shows how in this world immigrants are shown to be lesser people and not worth remembering. How some secrets are buried for years before people eventually find out or in most cases never do. How these people had to work hard to make it in life only for others to treat them horribly and not deem them worthy enough to remember. It is something that we need to get better with and change for the better.
I highly recommend this book if you want a book with a beautiful cover and a beautiful story held within it's pages!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Biphobia and Homophobia
Minor: Blood