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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Beautiful Malice, Rebecca James' debut novel, is one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. From the very first page I was drawn in and I could not put it down. It was an intense story.
Katherine Patterson wants to escape. All the pain and suffering that she has faced over the past year has become too much. Starting over is the only way to bury her secrets and move on with her life. The only problem is that she can't move on. Her past will always come back to haunt her. New friends and relationships help her forget but she isn't the only one with secrets. And her new friend Alice may be hiding the biggest one of all.
Katherine was not your typical main character. She went through so much and she just wanted to get past it. When Alice was first introduced it seemed like she could help her. As the book went on though Alice's destructive side came out. She was horrible! Not only to Katherine but to Robbie as well. Robbie was a true friend to Katherine and he was so sweet. Phillipa and Mick were also friends who loved Katherine and were good for her. There was a great mix of characters and I couldn't get enough of them.
The plot of Beautiful Malice was very intense. I couldn't guess how it would end and because of that I couldn't stop reading. There was just too much stuff going on for me to put it down. I knew something bad was going to happen at some point but it was not at all what I expected. Also, the chapters switched around a lot. It starts out in present time but then goes back to her time with Alice and then to her sister's murder. I didn't like it at first but then I realized that it was the best way to show everything.
Overall, Beautiful Malice is a wonderful novel full of romance, suspense, and mystery. It is definitely one for older teens though because of it's subject matter and language. If you can handle that, then I definitely recommend it. I can't wait for her next book!
Katherine Patterson wants to escape. All the pain and suffering that she has faced over the past year has become too much. Starting over is the only way to bury her secrets and move on with her life. The only problem is that she can't move on. Her past will always come back to haunt her. New friends and relationships help her forget but she isn't the only one with secrets. And her new friend Alice may be hiding the biggest one of all.
Katherine was not your typical main character. She went through so much and she just wanted to get past it. When Alice was first introduced it seemed like she could help her. As the book went on though Alice's destructive side came out. She was horrible! Not only to Katherine but to Robbie as well. Robbie was a true friend to Katherine and he was so sweet. Phillipa and Mick were also friends who loved Katherine and were good for her. There was a great mix of characters and I couldn't get enough of them.
The plot of Beautiful Malice was very intense. I couldn't guess how it would end and because of that I couldn't stop reading. There was just too much stuff going on for me to put it down. I knew something bad was going to happen at some point but it was not at all what I expected. Also, the chapters switched around a lot. It starts out in present time but then goes back to her time with Alice and then to her sister's murder. I didn't like it at first but then I realized that it was the best way to show everything.
Overall, Beautiful Malice is a wonderful novel full of romance, suspense, and mystery. It is definitely one for older teens though because of it's subject matter and language. If you can handle that, then I definitely recommend it. I can't wait for her next book!
(06/22/2014) @ page 126, 46.0%: "I'm feeling terrified of Katherine's future—even though we kinda already know what is gonna happen. I love it."
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Fantastic book! The way the story completes itself and how the characters are developed is amazing. The kind of book that makes you wish you were the one who wrote it. It gives you desperation through out the chapters and the ending feels proper for Katherine. I'll miss these characters—what feels unbelievable since the book is quite small. It leaves me with a bittersweet taste (rather sweet than bitter, though).
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Fantastic book! The way the story completes itself and how the characters are developed is amazing. The kind of book that makes you wish you were the one who wrote it. It gives you desperation through out the chapters and the ending feels proper for Katherine. I'll miss these characters—what feels unbelievable since the book is quite small. It leaves me with a bittersweet taste (rather sweet than bitter, though).
a very well told story with a creepy atmosphere, a pace that makes you hold your breath and a story with so many twists and turns it can leave you spinning.
But I loved the adventure of it. The first half starts slow and unfolds some details. It isn't until the 2nd half that things are revealed and the plot just get thicker, deeper and more disturbing.
until you are left with a very haunting conclusion.
Even though I knew elements of the story well before they were revealed, it didn't make them any more comforting or less awful.
and Chapter 22 will stick with me as one of the most horrific chapters I've read. It was perfect in it's shocking truth and I respect [a:Rebecca James|3503644|Rebecca James|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] for not shying away from it but also not giving gory details. It was done so well even with it's brutal honesty.
But I loved the adventure of it. The first half starts slow and unfolds some details. It isn't until the 2nd half that things are revealed and the plot just get thicker, deeper and more disturbing.
until you are left with a very haunting conclusion.
Even though I knew elements of the story well before they were revealed, it didn't make them any more comforting or less awful.
and Chapter 22 will stick with me as one of the most horrific chapters I've read. It was perfect in it's shocking truth and I respect [a:Rebecca James|3503644|Rebecca James|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] for not shying away from it but also not giving gory details. It was done so well even with it's brutal honesty.
This book was... well... I wasn't that into it. But I don't really feel like writing a full-out review for it so I'll just say that I liked the story. It was nothing amazing, definitely not original, but it was enough to keep you reading. The writing was confusing at first but after a while you get used to it. My biggest problem with the book was the characters. All of them were just terrible. You couldn't relate to any of them and the romance between Katherine and Mick was forced. Just... nothing about the characters were likable and made it very difficult for me to read. I still say you should read it to see for yourself. If you're curious enough, check this out at the library. You may end up liking it more than I did.
EDIT: If you want to see exactly how I felt throughout the entire book, just read my status updates. It should give you a better understanding of what I felt whilst reading this.
EDIT: If you want to see exactly how I felt throughout the entire book, just read my status updates. It should give you a better understanding of what I felt whilst reading this.
I read this book in one sitting. Yes it was a very heavy read, especially for a 15-year-old, but it still remains one of my favourite stories. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and made me feel so many emotions. It’s dark and twisted and it’s the story I tell people to read if they are wanting to get into thriller novels. The alternating tense worked well in this story and although I found it hard to keep up with at first I don’t think it would have worked had it been a linear story. A great albeit heartbreaking novel.
Felt amateurish. Plot twists weren't that thrilling. I didn't believe for a second that these characters were teenagers. They all sounded and acted like adults in their late twenties. Also I couldn't determine the setting, which irritated me. I assumed it was set in Australia (based on author's residence, the characters' names, and lingo used), but then halfway through, a character is set apart from others by his Australian accent. The main character just kept saying she lived in "the city."
I guess I would recommend this book to people who love any mysteries or thrillers. I was interested enough to read the book to the end.
I guess I would recommend this book to people who love any mysteries or thrillers. I was interested enough to read the book to the end.
I have been wanting to read this novel for ages. I'd first heard about James on ACA when they interviewed her about her success. Lines like "the next JK Rowling" and "international sensation" were thrown out quite a bit.
My friend read this a while ago and said it really was amazing. That the fuss around this book wasn't just to pump up releases. And then I found it at KMart and it was ten bucks and I thought, 'why the hell not?'
Which brings me to my review.
I honestly did love the writing (though I have to admit the cover is the best thing--the Aus version is gorgeous!). Though I wish that there had been some sort of indication between time changes (we have present, in the future and in the past story all--and they're all in present tense except for a few chapter which surprisngly had past tense. Very confusing.).
I really did like Katherine. She was down to Earth and once you got passed her emotional wreckage, she was a great narrator. I sincerly loved Robbie and Mick.
And then there's Alice.
To me, Alice was the leading chaacter in the novel. She was developed and she was the bitch (excuse the language) that turned Katherine's life upside down. She was nasty, sometimes caring and just plain wicked. Everything is explained by the end of the novel and all you think at the end is, "what the Hell?"
While it wasn't the international bestseller I was expecting, Beautiful Malice was an incredible read and I'm sorry I hadn't read it sooner.
My friend read this a while ago and said it really was amazing. That the fuss around this book wasn't just to pump up releases. And then I found it at KMart and it was ten bucks and I thought, 'why the hell not?'
Which brings me to my review.
I honestly did love the writing (though I have to admit the cover is the best thing--the Aus version is gorgeous!). Though I wish that there had been some sort of indication between time changes (we have present, in the future and in the past story all--and they're all in present tense except for a few chapter which surprisngly had past tense. Very confusing.).
I really did like Katherine. She was down to Earth and once you got passed her emotional wreckage, she was a great narrator. I sincerly loved Robbie and Mick.
And then there's Alice.
To me, Alice was the leading chaacter in the novel. She was developed and she was the bitch (excuse the language) that turned Katherine's life upside down. She was nasty, sometimes caring and just plain wicked. Everything is explained by the end of the novel and all you think at the end is, "what the Hell?"
While it wasn't the international bestseller I was expecting, Beautiful Malice was an incredible read and I'm sorry I hadn't read it sooner.
My friend, Claire recommended this book to me and at first I was a little hesitant as I'd never read a thriller before, but boy, did that all change! I fell in love with most of the characters and ah, they were so entertaining! This book is from three different POV's; Katherine before her sister died, Katherine after her sister died, and Katherine after she's had a baby. It'll make more sense when you read the book. Oh my god this plot kept me on the edge of my seat! And the end of the book, wow, oh wow! It was unexpected and amazing! I can't even do justice talking about this book, you need to read it, pronto.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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:
Complicated