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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Murder
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Religious bigotry
I got an advanced reader copy of the book from NetGalley.
The City Beautiful is an ambitious book that ultimately has too many things going on. The book is set in Chicago in 1893. The World's Fair is going on, there may be a serial killer stalking members of the Jewish immigrant community, and the protaganist is trying to find whether or not his friend was murdered.
Along the way there is a gay love story, commentary on capitalism, a pickpocket ring of young Jewish kids, a woman who wants to be a reporter, sketches of the lives if Jewish immigrants, some fantastical elements, some thriller-y bits, and a well meaning matchmaker who is also psychic.
There's a lot happening in the book. At times I wished that there were fewer ideas being explored in the book. At other times I wished that the book was longer to get deeper into the ideas presented.
It wasn't a bad book at all. The story is engaging and there is a lot going on. I'd be interested in reading more from this author in the future.
The City Beautiful is an ambitious book that ultimately has too many things going on. The book is set in Chicago in 1893. The World's Fair is going on, there may be a serial killer stalking members of the Jewish immigrant community, and the protaganist is trying to find whether or not his friend was murdered.
Along the way there is a gay love story, commentary on capitalism, a pickpocket ring of young Jewish kids, a woman who wants to be a reporter, sketches of the lives if Jewish immigrants, some fantastical elements, some thriller-y bits, and a well meaning matchmaker who is also psychic.
There's a lot happening in the book. At times I wished that there were fewer ideas being explored in the book. At other times I wished that the book was longer to get deeper into the ideas presented.
It wasn't a bad book at all. The story is engaging and there is a lot going on. I'd be interested in reading more from this author in the future.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I read it instead of listen to the audiobook. I don't know, the narrator's voice acting choices didn't sit well with me most times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Death of parent, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Genocide, Stalking, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
A heart-wrenching, additive mind-fuck!
The City Beautiful is set in 1893 Chicago, this is unlike any story I've ever encountered. It's gripping, intense, dark, and almost horrifying at times but still warm and loving. Aden Polydoros crafts a story that is not only scary but beautiful. I fell deeply in love with this book by the first couple of pages. The world is atmospheric and deep with culture, the fantasy aspects feel rich.
I was completely invested in the mystery and murders. Where I feel some mystery's drag, The City Beautiful never feels tiring. It's gripping and fast, you're never without action or character development. Every page is needed, every scene is important in either information, culture, or growth- sometimes a mixture of all three. I really like how much you're able to learn about Jewish culture and traditions, as well as the hardships they've had to face. There's a lot of anti-Semitism. A lot. It's tough to read but necessary.
The first layer of this story is a mystery. The second layer is love. There's a good balance between the two. You never feel the novel switch genres to incorporate either one but they're woven together to create a great story and great characters.
Alter is an incredible lead, perfect shoes for the reader to slide into. You easily sympathize with his story and truly root for him. You understand his struggles. And Frankie, truly a lovely and complex character. The chemistry between them is undeniable and believable. Both characters have faults, but none of them are out of place. Their actions and decisions are grounded by their past experiences. When you can completely understand a character's actions without being in their head- that makes for good writing.
I loved this book completely. Aden Polydoros wrote a story that will stand the test of time. Everyone should ready The City Beautiful. I want to read it again for crying out loud. It's beautiful and heartbreaking with bits that make you want to cry and bits that make you want to scream. The writing is rich with imaginary and alive. Go, go, go read this!
Thank you to Netgally, Inkyard Press for allowing me this arc in exchange for my honest review.
The City Beautiful is set in 1893 Chicago, this is unlike any story I've ever encountered. It's gripping, intense, dark, and almost horrifying at times but still warm and loving. Aden Polydoros crafts a story that is not only scary but beautiful. I fell deeply in love with this book by the first couple of pages. The world is atmospheric and deep with culture, the fantasy aspects feel rich.
I was completely invested in the mystery and murders. Where I feel some mystery's drag, The City Beautiful never feels tiring. It's gripping and fast, you're never without action or character development. Every page is needed, every scene is important in either information, culture, or growth- sometimes a mixture of all three. I really like how much you're able to learn about Jewish culture and traditions, as well as the hardships they've had to face. There's a lot of anti-Semitism. A lot. It's tough to read but necessary.
The first layer of this story is a mystery. The second layer is love. There's a good balance between the two. You never feel the novel switch genres to incorporate either one but they're woven together to create a great story and great characters.
Alter is an incredible lead, perfect shoes for the reader to slide into. You easily sympathize with his story and truly root for him. You understand his struggles. And Frankie, truly a lovely and complex character. The chemistry between them is undeniable and believable. Both characters have faults, but none of them are out of place. Their actions and decisions are grounded by their past experiences. When you can completely understand a character's actions without being in their head- that makes for good writing.
I loved this book completely. Aden Polydoros wrote a story that will stand the test of time. Everyone should ready The City Beautiful. I want to read it again for crying out loud. It's beautiful and heartbreaking with bits that make you want to cry and bits that make you want to scream. The writing is rich with imaginary and alive. Go, go, go read this!
Thank you to Netgally, Inkyard Press for allowing me this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Antisemitism
Moderate: Rape, Violence
dark
mysterious
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
I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The City Beautiful is a compelling YA historical thriller with paranormal elements. Set during the 1893 World’s Fair made infamous due to the activity of HH Holmes and the possible Jack the Ripper connection, I loved how Aden Polydoros took such a notorious event and chose to capture a different side of it through the eyes of a Jewish protagonist, Alter, exploring the rampant anti-Semitism during the time period, while also providing a story with Jewish visibility that isn’t set during the Holocaust, which has been a rarity until recently.
I really liked Alter and had a lot of empathy for his situation, working to bring his family to America. I also felt for him as he lost his friend who he had feelings for, although the spiritual connection also made for some interesting situations, especially as he develops a relationship with another love interest. It’s a nice sweet, slow burning romance, and it’s incredibly well done.
The mystery is also incredibly engaging, with the unraveling of what occurred in his friend’s final days and exploring social issues in the process.
Structurally/plot wise, the book does suffer from some pacing issues that did take me out of the story just a little. However, it is more or less an enjoyable read in spite of this.
This is an immersive and gritty read, releasing just in time for spooky season.