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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Swiftly paced, well ground in its setting and culture with a lovable cast of characters, a mystery with elements of fantasy that ties into the cultural and identity-related anguishes of the characters (which is why I tagged it as "social horror", though take that with a grain of salt).
This isn't a strictly a YA book; the characters are 17-18, but the themes are common to many culture-centred mysteries, regardless of age.
This isn't a strictly a YA book; the characters are 17-18, but the themes are common to many culture-centred mysteries, regardless of age.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss+, in exchange for an honest review thank you!
TWs: drowning, choking, possession, internalized homophobia. antisemitism, violence, sexual assault, death of a loved one
When The City Beautiful is described as dark, gothic, and queer, you can absolutely be sure the description is accurate. I really hope the finished copy comes with trigger warnings because the ones above are just some from the top of my head. Now that we're clear on that, we can get to the actual review.
The City Beautiful is set in 19th-century Chicago during the World's Fair and the atmosphere the author has crafted is out of this world. It reminded me a bit of The Diviners in this aspect. The way the city was described was almost cinematic. You could feel the dust from the streets sticking to your skin. Everything felt so vibrant and alive and it makes the novel even more hard-hitting.
The characters were all likable and well-developed. Alter was such a relatable protagonist because you rarely see novels about queer characters who struggle with the fact that their sexual orientation is looked down on by the religion they were raised in. I'm personally not Jewish so you should check out some own voices reviews for more insight on this topic but still being afraid that no one will accept your sexual orientation because of religious reasons resonated with me deeply. I also find it beautiful that the main character isn't forced to pick between his religion and his queerness. I do feel that romance wasn't the main focus of this book so if you come here to get a very romance-oriented story, you're going to be disappointed. It was very important but the main point was Alter growing as a person and learning to accept himself and stand up for himself.
The plot was a very murder mystery-like kind of story with a paranormal twist. It was interesting and kept me engaged. There was very well-crafted suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat and made it hard to put the book down.
All in all, The City Beautiful is a stunning novel with a rich atmosphere and compelling characters and it feels very unique compared to other YA books I've read. I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Murder
challenging
dark
tense
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I read this book pretty much in one sitting, and I'm so glad I did. It is always interesting to see historical fiction that focuses of times, places, and people who have been overlooked, and Polydoros sets the scene in such a rich and detailed way. Not to mention the inclusion of the dybbuk, which I have never seen in a novel before, and which brings this beyond a regular ghost story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Antisemitism
challenging
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a wonderfully haunting story about antisemitism and Jewish culture at the turn of the 20th century. I had such a deep emotional investment in these characters. I think this book was so well paced and the elements of Jewish folklore, history, and storytelling were so well integrated into the plot. This book was so deeply emotional and I was very invested in the mystery/thriller element so deeply.
While I think more people should read this book, please take the content warnings very seriously.
While I think more people should read this book, please take the content warnings very seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Additional CW: off-page but descriptive grooming/pedophilia plotline, grief over parent, hallucinations, suicide mention, self-harm, non-consensual drug use
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
I really need to start writing down characters name and relationships before I return books to the library cause I know there were parts of it that made me knock it down a star but I can’t remember specifics. Either way the ending was spectacular and I love the characters and bonding between them all