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LOL soooo dumb.
I should have followed my instinct to DNF once I was freaking annoyed by BOTH Grady and Abby within the *first FIVE* pages š
I actually have so much less respect now for the authors who praised this on the cover as āgeniusā etc
A couple bright spots (though some are likely inadvertent)ā¦
- the landscape and seascape descriptions are lovely
- the dog š
- the repeated referrals to the cottage The Edge made me giggle and think of U2. But then there was a sentence where The Edge is mentioned, followed in the same sentence by something like ābut I have yet to find what Iām looking forā š¤£š¤š¤£
- it read very much like a goofy Dollar Store version of the Pegg/Frost movie Hot Fuzz. I just kept thinking about āvillage of the yearā and āthe greaterr gooooood ā š¤£
- the surpriserevelation that the first word of the first several chapters spells out a message was fun. I anticipated most of the plot twists very early on, but didnāt catch that little Easter egg
A couple of the biggest eyerollsā¦
There wereTWO Abbyās?? Dummmmmb. And Grady āforgotā ?? Ugh.
I should have followed my instinct to DNF once I was freaking annoyed by BOTH Grady and Abby within the *first FIVE* pages š
I actually have so much less respect now for the authors who praised this on the cover as āgeniusā etc
A couple bright spots (though some are likely inadvertent)ā¦
- the landscape and seascape descriptions are lovely
- the dog š
- the repeated referrals to the cottage The Edge made me giggle and think of U2. But then there was a sentence where The Edge is mentioned, followed in the same sentence by something like ābut I have yet to find what Iām looking forā š¤£š¤š¤£
- it read very much like a goofy Dollar Store version of the Pegg/Frost movie Hot Fuzz. I just kept thinking about āvillage of the yearā and āthe greaterr gooooood ā š¤£
- the surprise
A couple of the biggest eyerollsā¦
There were
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not see that coming. I wasnāt really sure what to expect at the beginning of this book but got exactly what I needed by the end. Lovers of suspenseful twisty page turner thrillers will thoroughly enjoy this one. I loved the way the author wrapped all the loose ends and how all the puzzle pieces fell into place. The only reason I didnāt give five stars was due to some repetitiveness in the MCās thought processes that I felt could have been either expanded on or written in a different way which started to annoy me a bit but even then, only a small deduction. Overall, a great read that I would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful Ugly is the first Alice Feeney book Iāve picked up, and also the first thriller Iāve read in a whileāand it was a solid reentry into the genre. The main character, Grady, is profoundly unlikeable in that delicious ālove to hateā way that makes the story more gripping.
The book is packed with twists and turnsāsome I anticipated, others genuinely caught me off guardāand that balance kept me turning the pages. While itās not necessarily aiming for something deep or life-changing, itās still a thoughtful and highly entertaining read.
The book is packed with twists and turnsāsome I anticipated, others genuinely caught me off guardāand that balance kept me turning the pages. While itās not necessarily aiming for something deep or life-changing, itās still a thoughtful and highly entertaining read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Iād give the first 2/3 of the book a definite 4.5āļø, and the last third a 1.5āļø.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault
The dog does not die!šš»
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide, Stalking
Minor: Animal death
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I couldnāt get into this book. I tried, but kept putting it down and only reading a few pages at a time. There were several places I felt like we were getting somewhere and were going to figure out what was going on with Grady. Nope. It was also hard to tell who the flashbacks that were happening in between present day time were for. I got to the last 20 pages I was not happy with the path the plot took or the way it ended.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Abandonment
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holy plot twist, Batman! Wow. When you think you have it figured out, another twist comes along. Very gaslighty and creepy. Loved the description of the island. Now I want to visit the Hebrides! Had to look up the details about the transplanted redwood trees which turned out to be based in fact. I will say I got a bit annoyed that Grady didn't get more assertive about his car and the ferry and so on. Was that just British politeness or a plot device? Or the confidence a man has that nothing bad will happen to him? Hmmm .. Other than that, loved it and tore through this audiobook in less than two days. TW: child molester.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love a good mystery thriller with an unreliable narrator! It kept me engaged while reading, and I sometimes had to stop reading before bed for fear of the ever present dark shadows at nighttime! Not a spooky or horror filled story per-se but mysterious in that you really donāt know whatās going on! I was guessing throughout, but this one contained a last minute twist that I wasnāt expecting and when I finished the book, it made me want to go back and read pieces of it looking for clues. A good thrillery read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse