Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

10 reviews

alexisgarcia's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

in other reviews, some people have had some very valid critiques. however, i absolutely ate this book up. i started and finished it in one setting and it ended in a way that i enjoyed. ms. feeney has done it again 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

lorraine19's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Some mixed feelings on this one. The beginning was fairly slow and contained so much pointless filler. The worst filler was weird, uncomfortable smut scenes that completely side tracked the story and didn't contribute anything to the plot. I almost dropped the book because of that. I'm happy I didn't because the second half of the book was so good. Lots of suspense and lots of small details being pulled together in a clever way. The use of oxymorons was also interesting. If the beginning was as good as the ending it would have been an easy 5 stars.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

jhansell's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol

what_heather_loves's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"If there is a more beautiful place on this earth I haven't found it, and her so many ugly things have happened here."

A writer's search for his missing wife whilst trying to beat writer's block on an isolated Scottish island truns very weird. In typical Feeney style this is a terrifyingly, twisted dystopian and feminist tale of revenge.

"Wives think their husbands will change but they don't. Husbands think their wives won't change but they do."

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

Moderate: Child abuse

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

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.

mlo_reads's review against another edition

mysterious tense 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

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Non-spoiler synopsis:
Man is writer. Man’s wife disappears. Man cannot write. Man gets sent away to remote island to finally write again. Mysterious things happen. “Is this my wife?” man says at least 10 or 20 times while on the island. Maybe!

Review:
Honestly, I’ll keep this one short – did not love it. I felt like I knew every twist and turn before it was about to happen. Maybe it would be shocking if you turned your brain off after the first chapter while you read the middle of the book up until the last 20%. Honestly, the thing that shocked me most was the random loud ass noises in the audiobook!

Please read Beautiful Ugly if you love women, hate men, and want to be gaslit, but read it with the expectation that the twist probably isn’t as big as you think it might be; it published on January 14, 2025 and is OUT NOW!! And if you do, I’m curious to hear what you think of it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Suicide, and Alcohol

uranaishi's review

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy

andreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Couldn't look away and hated the ending but enjoyable reading experience. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking and Gaslighting

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Murder

kimveach's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book had a long, slow build-up to the twist.  I liked it, but I preferred other books by this author.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail