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A review by angieinbooks
Astrid Inside/Out by Louise McBain
3.0
The concept of Astrid Inside/Out is what drew me to this novel, as the conflict was so different than what I usually read. It's not entirely new--it plays on the ugly duckling/swan trope, but the execution is different. And this isn't a book or storyline that will stick with you when it's finished, but I did have a good time with the conflict and the characters in this novel. This was my first Louise McBain book and I was really happy with what I found.
Astrid is a successful blogger who's created a loyal following of readers who are interested in life in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia. She likes her life, she adores her older sister, she even likes her Roman nose (which her sister somehow avoided and most of the women in her family choose to fix when they reach adulthood). She's not happy about her relationship, but that's an entirely different drama.
On the eve of her sister Claire's departure (as the lead in a nation-wide ballet tour), Astrid has an accident and the casualty is her nose. And when she emerges from surgery, she discovers her signature Roman nose is gone and she looks exactly like her sister, a reputed beauty. And for the first time in her life, people are calling her beautiful. Understandably, this experience--and an entirely new face--causes a lot of trauma and insecurity for Astrid. And it's the catalyst for her girlfriend to dump her, which is humiliating because her girlfriend really deserved to be dumped.
And just as she's dealing with the aftermath of her surgery, a fight with her mother, and the end of her relationship, she runs into her sister's childhood friend, the daughter of a former Italian diplomat, Simone. The same Simone Astrid credits with her sexual awakening. The problem is, when her new face, can Astrid trust anyone likes her for her and not because of her newfound beauty?
I don't think anything McBain presents here is extraordinary. It's probably not going to become your favorite book ever, but I enjoyed it as an engaging weekend read and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
Astrid is a successful blogger who's created a loyal following of readers who are interested in life in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia. She likes her life, she adores her older sister, she even likes her Roman nose (which her sister somehow avoided and most of the women in her family choose to fix when they reach adulthood). She's not happy about her relationship, but that's an entirely different drama.
On the eve of her sister Claire's departure (as the lead in a nation-wide ballet tour), Astrid has an accident and the casualty is her nose. And when she emerges from surgery, she discovers her signature Roman nose is gone and she looks exactly like her sister, a reputed beauty. And for the first time in her life, people are calling her beautiful. Understandably, this experience--and an entirely new face--causes a lot of trauma and insecurity for Astrid. And it's the catalyst for her girlfriend to dump her, which is humiliating because her girlfriend really deserved to be dumped.
And just as she's dealing with the aftermath of her surgery, a fight with her mother, and the end of her relationship, she runs into her sister's childhood friend, the daughter of a former Italian diplomat, Simone. The same Simone Astrid credits with her sexual awakening. The problem is, when her new face, can Astrid trust anyone likes her for her and not because of her newfound beauty?
I don't think anything McBain presents here is extraordinary. It's probably not going to become your favorite book ever, but I enjoyed it as an engaging weekend read and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.