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Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

10 reviews

bregigler's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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jesswise's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


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uranaishi's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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jmariejones's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was my first read by Alice Feeney & I enjoyed the entirety of this book. The hidden message at the end was fun, as I’ve never experienced one before. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

• Non-linear timeline
• Multiple POV
• Broken marriage
• Unreliable narrator(s)

My personal questionable thoughts:
* I enjoyed hating the main character
* If I was single, I would live on Isle of Amberly

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theneverendingsam's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I was ok with it. There's a couple scenes that would qualify as "spicy" that I felt detracted from the story more than built it. SPOILERS and cursing AHEAD

it was clear from the start that Grady is a narcissistic asshat. He objectifies his wife and is all "me, me, me, I, I, I" at a time that a reasonable partner would be more concerned with their spouses safety. It reminds me of someone I know in real life, so maybe it's demonstrating the strength of the author's writing. Also the self pity party made me want to put the book down, but I was determined to read this one. I'm glad I did.
The first ending twist, that the husband did it, didn't surprise me, but I'm not sure if thats a me thing. The second plot twist, that there are two Abby's, explained why the font change happened, instead of it being an editing error. I still don't know if I like this one.
there are other elements of the story that I'm not sure if they belong, like the
baby and the hole in the ground
. I'm also not sure why
the author felt the need to spell out that there are only women on the island, but maybe that isn't as clear to other readers as they go through everyone they've met. And the news articles are very on the nose.
I'm a little sad that we didn't get more of the villagers back stories.

Overall, I think my dislike of certain characters is a reflection of how realistically they're written, and the pacing of the novel made it a quick and fun read. I read the majority of this book in a single day, and while there were a couple tropes, they were well utilized. However, the fast pace prevents depth in supporting character backstories, which I think could've been utilized to add to the thriller feel of the book. 

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atauriello's review

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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savvyrosereads's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Rating: 5/5 stars

One year after his wife’s disappearance, Grady goes to a remote Scottish island for a writing retreat—and thinks he sees his wife there.

I LOVED this one. The entire plot is wildly twisted and full of multiple incredible reveals—some of which I figured out and some I couldn’t begin to guess. And that final page?!?!?! My mind was blown and I was internally screaming—absolute perfection.

I read a fair amount of thrillers and to be honest it takes a lot to surprise or thrill me these days and this one absolutely delivered. Also the meta moment of the “hidden message” (IYKYK)…Alice Feeney, you are a GENIUS.

10,000% recommend!

CW: Child abuse (including sexual abuse); violence against women generally; child death; suicide (off-page); gaslighting

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thejennismightier's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

No man is an island, but a woman can be if she needs to be.

Low 4/high 3. Honestly this book was a mindf*ck and I do mean that in the best way. 

I love a psychological thriller. I love an unreliable narrator, and this book delivers both in spades.

Make sure you
go the end of the book and follow the instructions for the first 14 chapters.


While I didn't love the ending, it feels utterly justified. All in all, happy I picked this for my December BOTM book.

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saralandes's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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buckeyelynes's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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