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thestarfly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A wonderful book if you're a fan of Jane Austen and Fantasy. The plot is quite predictable, but in a comforting and familiar way. The fantasy/telekinetic elements are an interesting angle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexism
Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, and Confinement
mandkips's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Beautiful Ones is a Bridgerton-esque high society historical drama with romantic entanglements a la The Great Gatsby or The Age of Innocence. Add in some telekinetic powers, and you’ve got a recipe for scandal!
Like most other girls who enjoy reading, I am a sucker for a stubborn, opinionated woman who doesn’t care for social rules and boundaries (Elizabeth Bennet and Jo March, I’m looking at you). Nina Beaulieu is a worthy addition to these ranks. As a former scientist myself, I really love that her passion is for entomology and the natural world (while I also love my history and literature ladies, it’s refreshing to see one that’s interested in science!). Nina’s innocence was sometimes frustrating, but I was never annoyed at her, only the society that put her in those positions.
I’m a big fan of worldbuilding, so I was a bit disappointed not to get more in this book. The setting is ambiguously European, with French sounding names and English culture, but there were mentions of the other countries and continents, but very little detail. While more background wasn’t necessary or relevant to the story, the details that were included distracted me from the main plot with curiosity about various passing details. I also wish there had been more expansion on the magic system. We get a fair amount of detail about Nina and Hector’s abilities, but next to nothing about the other powers that people have. It would be interesting to explore the interaction between power and social class further. I kept wondering if maybe Vivien had powers that she hid for propriety’s sake, that could come out if she got angry or upset enough…alas.
Let’s talk about the love triangle. I don’t care for love triangles, and this was actually more of a love..square? diamond? whatever it’s called when there’s four people involved. While I’ve always preferred love triangles with a clear correct choice (otherwise I just feel bad for whoever gets their heart broken), this one went almost too far in the other direction; two and a half of the point of the love quadrilateral were insufferable (the half is Hector because he could be so infuriatingly dumb sometimes.)
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending): Happy, though not entirely satisfying. It felt a bit rushed and didn’t tie up everything as neatly as I would’ve liked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infertility, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Beautiful Ones has this knack for veering close to familiar historical romance tropes, only to cast everything in an unexpected, almost off-putting light. Things are a bit darker, more bitter in flavor. There is still joy to be found in these pages, but it comes alongside the uglier emotions and the sillier ones, cold calculation and bold naïveté woven through the threads of romance. There is also a layer of fantasy here, where some are born with a talent for telekinesis. Two of our main characters have the ability, and though it does impact the plot, world-building is light, and I would argue that the romance is the larger part of the story.
The first half of the book was iffy for me. It relies on a love triangle, which is often an irritating contrivance I would prefer to skip past. The characters have unlikable motives, and each of the three characters' perspectives has the power to ruin the other two for you. I was relieved when it all blew up without having to wait for the end of the book. A toxic secret comes to light, throwing all relationships and feelings into turmoil, requiring a cautious rebuilding in the second half. At that point, I found the plot more enjoyable. After the tension snapped, the characters settled more fully into their roles and chose what to fight for. Where I had been lukewarm towards all three leads at first, the latter part of the story allows one character to step forward into a role of ruthless villainy both alarming and impressive. The other two face reality in a way that makes both seem more balanced and thoughtful, which in turn made me value their goals more.
This book is a compelling twist on a story of society romance with elements of critique and magic layered in. I listened to the audiobook and appreciated the voice acting, carrying off French-sounding names I definitely would have butchered in my head. While I had a mixture of reactions throughout, the writing was elegant, and I appreciated a narrative that somehow managed to be both unexpected and recognizable in its path.
The first half of the book was iffy for me. It relies on a love triangle, which is often an irritating contrivance I would prefer to skip past. The characters have unlikable motives, and each of the three characters' perspectives has the power to ruin the other two for you. I was relieved when it all blew up without having to wait for the end of the book. A toxic secret comes to light, throwing all relationships and feelings into turmoil, requiring a cautious rebuilding in the second half. At that point, I found the plot more enjoyable. After the tension snapped, the characters settled more fully into their roles and chose what to fight for. Where I had been lukewarm towards all three leads at first, the latter part of the story allows one character to step forward into a role of ruthless villainy both alarming and impressive. The other two face reality in a way that makes both seem more balanced and thoughtful, which in turn made me value their goals more.
This book is a compelling twist on a story of society romance with elements of critique and magic layered in. I listened to the audiobook and appreciated the voice acting, carrying off French-sounding names I definitely would have butchered in my head. While I had a mixture of reactions throughout, the writing was elegant, and I appreciated a narrative that somehow managed to be both unexpected and recognizable in its path.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent, Gun violence, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
gcjay1994's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
caidyn's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not my favorite by this author, but I still so enjoyed it. I'd been hoping for a creepy read since it is the season. Yet, it's more like a family drama and a period piece full of classism and sexism. An enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
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