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doodlebeanz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I am honestly just so... confused and baffled by this book. And I don't know if it's in a good or bad way. I was honestly pretty creeped out by it at certain points, which is something I weirdly look for in a thriller (I enjoy tormenting myself come bedtime, apparently). But as much as I enjoyed it, and as wild a ride as it was, I still felt shortchanged somehow. The plot was there, for sure, but it got a little lost and a little confusing and contrived.
The first part of the story, I was in. Missing wife, creepy remote island, oddly behaved residents of said island... sign me up for that. It definitely got pretty creepy, especially considering I listened to it as an audiobook (HIGHLY recommend. There are sound effects used and it honestly adds such a creepy soundtrack for the book that definitely pumped up the creepiness). As a reader, I had absolutely NO idea what was going on for majority of the plot. I figured out some things, but even in the moment, I was just guessing and just happened to be right. I had a lot of theories throughout the story, and the twist was definitely a WTF moment, but it also just felt... wrong? Like it didn't seem plausible or realistic. It seemed SO out of character, which I think is the point, but it left me feeling very confused and a bit put off, tbh.
In typical Feeney style, some plot points weren't really tied up nicely.I think the main gist of the story was that everything he was experiencing, people were doing to him. He was drinking hallucinogenic tea (or was he?), which caused him to feel far more paranoid and freaked out than usual, and everyone was acting oddly purposefully to make him feel even crazier. Nothing paranormal was happening, people were just fucking with him. But... it's never really made clear if that's the case. Like the harmonica playing in the woods? The face in the window? His weird dreams about a man-tree coming to life in his house? Just... were those all a hallucination or were those things actually happening? Idk, feel a bit shortchanged there. But that's classic Alice Feeney writing... she leaves you wanting more, but not always in a positive way.
This book felt like 2 or 3 different stories stuffed into one. I felt all the big plot lines were explained, but not well and they didn't really connect. I just have SO many questions lmao. They say that no one (tourists/outsiders) goes on the island,only women are allowed to live there permanently, but yet when Grady was waiting for the ferry across, there were other cars and stuff waiting there... so where were they going? Is the island actually haunted or is it all just in their heads? And most importantly, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE ENDING?! WTF was that?! I absolutely hated it UGH.
I don't really understand why she felt th need to write in a dog. It just seemed to be for shock value, because adding a dog, at least in my experience, always makes the stakes 10x higher. Once a pet is introduced, I immediately assume they are going to get hurt/die, and it makes me SO anxious and I think that's the majority of people. Ultimately, nothing happens to Columbo, he's a good boy, but there are tense moments where you think something bad is going to happen and that just cheapens the experience of reading, at least for me. I am against all forms of animal cruelty/harm, even if it is in writing form!
All in all, I enjoy Alice Feeney's writing but sometimes it's so much build up with such little pay off. Will I be uncomfortable going to sleep tonight? Yes. Do I feel shortchanged by this book and wish it delivered more? Absolutely. Two things can be true. The book was a wild ride from start to finish, I felt like I personally was taking hallucinogenics right along with Grady while I read and I am not sure if that's positive or not. Solid 3.5 stars. Can't go up to 4 for the animal sidekick only being there for shock value and for the ending/big twist being disappointing. I'd recommend if you're a fan of Feeney though!
The first part of the story, I was in. Missing wife, creepy remote island, oddly behaved residents of said island... sign me up for that. It definitely got pretty creepy, especially considering I listened to it as an audiobook (HIGHLY recommend. There are sound effects used and it honestly adds such a creepy soundtrack for the book that definitely pumped up the creepiness). As a reader, I had absolutely NO idea what was going on for majority of the plot. I figured out some things, but even in the moment, I was just guessing and just happened to be right. I had a lot of theories throughout the story, and the twist was definitely a WTF moment, but it also just felt... wrong? Like it didn't seem plausible or realistic. It seemed SO out of character, which I think is the point, but it left me feeling very confused and a bit put off, tbh.
In typical Feeney style, some plot points weren't really tied up nicely.
This book felt like 2 or 3 different stories stuffed into one. I felt all the big plot lines were explained, but not well and they didn't really connect. I just have SO many questions lmao. They say that no one (tourists/outsiders) goes on the island,
I don't really understand why she felt th need to write in a dog. It just seemed to be for shock value, because adding a dog, at least in my experience, always makes the stakes 10x higher. Once a pet is introduced, I immediately assume they are going to get hurt/die, and it makes me SO anxious and I think that's the majority of people. Ultimately, nothing happens to Columbo, he's a good boy, but there are tense moments where you think something bad is going to happen and that just cheapens the experience of reading, at least for me. I am against all forms of animal cruelty/harm, even if it is in writing form!
All in all, I enjoy Alice Feeney's writing but sometimes it's so much build up with such little pay off. Will I be uncomfortable going to sleep tonight? Yes. Do I feel shortchanged by this book and wish it delivered more? Absolutely. Two things can be true. The book was a wild ride from start to finish, I felt like I personally was taking hallucinogenics right along with Grady while I read and I am not sure if that's positive or not. Solid 3.5 stars. Can't go up to 4 for the animal sidekick only being there for shock value and for the ending/big twist being disappointing. I'd recommend if you're a fan of Feeney though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
book_byrd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, and Grief
minimicropup's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a melodramatic and paranoia-laced mystery that started strong but was all downhill from there and I didn’t like the gender clichés and convoluted twists without a satisfying resolution. I’d say it’s a don’t overanalyze book but the fun is in analyzing who said what and trying to figure things out so it was disappointing for me.
Energy: Contradictory. Caustic. Patronizing.
🐺 Growls: The setup for this was interesting, but once the main conflict was revealed the execution felt outdated with a mishmash of reasons in because-the-author-said-so style. I really disliked the ending—if it was meant as satire or tongue-in-cheek, I missed that--it seemed like we were supposed to cheer some of these people on? I usually hate endings where the bad guys win, but I guess there wasn’t much choice here since everyone was terrible 😅 . The sudden moral judgements and gender wars/having-kids thing was off-putting (to me).
🐕 Howls: The audiobook had occasional inconsistencies in quality (a line would suddenly be different volume or the voice actor sounded different, to the point I thought it was an intentional thing). The ending overlooked earlier plot points in a way that didn’t add up.
🐩 Tail Wags: How it made me question who’s telling the truth (if anyone). The present tense writing style heightened the tension and paranoia. The audiobook (mostly) and non-intrusive atmospheric sounds.
Scene: 🏴 Small Scottish Isle of Amberley.
Perspectives (2): A best-selling author struggling to write after the sudden disappearance of their spouse. The spouse leading up to their disappearance.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). 🌧️ Rainy off-season.
🔥 Fuel: What happened to the missing wife? Is she still alive? Whose version of the relationship is truth? Could they both be true? What’s with the eerie island vibes?
📖 Cred: Unbelievable
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Seagulls. Fish and chips. Labrador retriever. Stormy skies. Box myrtle tea. Land Rover. Crashing waves.
- Characters speaking to us, deep in their minds
- Books about writers
- Who-to-believe juxtaposition
- Insufferable, unlikeable, unreliable, immature characters
- Terrible decisions, life unraveling
- Breezy, direct, unsettling writing style
- Desperate measures, drama bombs, revenge
- Intertwining plots, nothing as it seems
- Isolated, remote settings, sus small community
- Messy relationships
- Plotting & scheming popcorn mystery
Content Heads-Up: Child death. Childless (wanting a baby). Domestic violence. Drugging, torture. Financial insecurity. Grief. Loss of spouse. Misandry. Misogyny. Murder. Paranoia, insomnia. Pedophilia (implied; brief memory). Sexual content (consenting; recall). Toxic relationship.
Rep: British. Cis. Hetero.
📚 Format: Library Audio
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Grief
jesswise's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy
kris386's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide and Stalking
Minor: Animal death
burnourhistory's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood and Vomit
juanat77's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Alice Feeney is becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. Her books are thought provoking, filled with twists and turns and always have you looking back into the story. Beautiful Ugly is no different. Dual timelines. Dual POV. Towards the end of story I second guessed so much and skimmed the book from the beginning to put the pieces together. Her books need to be read with an open mind and not necessarily believing exactly what you read.
It is a slow burn but written really well. All of it comes together beautifully. That end!!!!!! It worked out perfectly. I could see it being adapted to film. It is brilliant. Almost reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock tale.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes dark, creepy, psychological suspense, and stories that make you question everything!
Four stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
literary_laur's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
amandaglowgetter's review
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
iamnita's review
dark
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
1.0
This book did not do it for me. There was only surface until the surface throughout the book. Characters in the book were un-necessarily rude throughout and the grand reveal, the big twist, the reason for being was underwhelming to say the least. The author didn’t sell me on any of this and it’s probably the last time for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Please do read the trigger warnings about this book. They’re not talked about enough. I wasn’t sensitive to them but they could really effect some people.