Scan barcode
sdt0087's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual assault
Moderate: Animal death and Cancer
just_one_more_paige's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a recent ALC option from Libro.fm that caught my eye first because of the cover (I mean, tell me it doesn't pull your attention). The sci-fi ish sound of the blurb made me feel like it would be worth trying. And then I picked it up much sooner than I normally get around to "newly added to the TBR" books due to a shining review from @bibliomanicured (whose recent joining of bookstagram has shown that our reading vibes are very similar).
Adina is born, in a childbirth experience that almost kills her mother, at the exact moment in 1977 when Voyager 1 was launched into space. Growing up in Philadelphia with her single mother, Adina is an unusually perceptive and, in the parlance of the uncreative, weird, child. The reasons for this become very clear to her, one day, as she starts communicating - by fax - with her extraterrestrial relatives (the ones that sent her to Earth to investigate and decide if it is a viable option for them to live, as their planet is dying). Over the years, as she grows up and makes a life for herself on Earth, she steadily faxes observations about humanity to her "superiors," everything from the griefs to the joys to the this-aspect-of-human-life-makes-absolutely-no-sense moments. When Adina's close friend (one of her only friends), convinces her to compile and share these "dispatches" in the form of a book, Adina finds herself agreeing, and in doing so, opens herself up to finding out, for real, if she is truly as alone as she always thought.
Ok so after the first couple pages, I won't lie, I was skeptical. The writing has a rhythmic poetry style that kind of felt like it was trying hard too hard to be different/avant garde situation. I actually even noted "we’ll see if it finds a naturalness with the story or if it settles into feeling forced throughout." Very quickly, I decided that it settled quite nicely. I got into the flow and found the narrative voice to be the *perfect* fit for Adina's personality and development.
As some very recent comps, I thought this read sort of like a mix of Rouge and Chemistry. The writing was similar in style to Chemistry, a sort of smooth/controlled stream of consciousness of thoughts and observations that are seemingly random (though in this case, primarily astronomically-related), but then come around connected to each other and used to provide unique insight into humanity. With shades of Rouge, there is commentary on the ridiculousness/arbitrariness of beauty and fitting in standards, as well as an ever-present questioning of whether what you are reading is really happening, is metaphorical, and/or is in the narrator's head. In this case, the question is: Is Adina really an alien and communicating with her "superiors" on another planet OR is she neurodiverse in some way OR is Bertino just going for something weird/different for interest? I honestly couldn't say, upon finishing, and I sort of love that.
I liked the way this slightly “outside the norm" perspective really shone a light on so many of the things about humanity that are contradictory, unexplainable, and absurd. Adina's reason for spending her time making and recording these observations, passing them on to her superiors, was a great framework to allow that style of exploration and "research." There is a subtle glorification of the mundanities - anguish, delight, loneliness, anticipation, coming of age (and more) - of everyday life that can only be seen for what they are by a “normal” (unimpressive, will-be-forgotten-by-history) human, and by sending her to Earth as one of those, Adina's superiors made her a character that, for all her extraterrestrial-ness (or, if, in fact, that aspect of the story is not real, her idiosyncrasies), is actually profoundly recognizable and relatable.
I also want to quickly shout out the really cool ace rep! I haven't seen many ace characters represented in legit literary fiction (mostly YA and fantasy novels, like Elatsoe and Kaikeyi). And yes, technically this is sci-fi, but also...to be real, it's literary fiction. Like if you come in expecting traditional sci-fi, I think you'll be at least misled and at most disappointed. Anyhoo, the point I was making is that I was so excited to see Bertino show how much love there is, even without the traditional romantic/sexual love that people think of. Big appreciation for that.
So, to sum up, Beautyland is the “observe and describe all the unique weirdness of humanity by/to aliens” trope, but make it literary. Bertino captures both the softness and the resiliency of humans, and that hard-to-pin-down feeling of being separate even somewhere that you are supposed to (or are trying so hard to) belong. Emotionally evocative through a lens of removal/distance that creates a lovely literary juxtaposition and quite a compelling narrator.
“Sometimes people don’t like when other people seem happy.”
“Pollution is human pressure weighing upon the earth.”
“She doesn’t understand why she always has to be removed in order for her mother to breathe.”
“If she believed the boardwalk t-shirts, a woman was a ball or chain, someone stupid you’re with, someone to lie to so a man can drink beer. If she believed television fathers, women were a constant pain, wanting red roses or a nice dinner out. If she learned how to be a girl from songs, it was worse. If she learned from other girls, worse still.”
“…being physically present in one place while your mind is in another is loneliness.”
“It must be the opposite of homesickness, to return home to find it more beautiful, to return and still feel distance.”
“Her past passions sound tinny when clinking against the jar of time. But they add up to a stack next to her elbow, a growing collection of desire and insight that that might acquire significance if she trusts that it will.”
“…Adina realizes friendships are reincarnations. Everyone reminds her of someone she knew.”
“She and humans share a profound desire: To find other extraterrestrials and feel less alone. Is she alone? Are there others? Where are they? Where are they?”
“The more we live, the more we lose, the more we believe we are lost.”
“Good news at bad times brings no joy.”
“Perhaps she’s never been anything other than lonely. Loneliness is a composite feeling: ironically unable to exist alone. I can contain anger, hunger, fear, jealously. Adina had misidentified it for homesickness for her planet but it also meant restlessness when one is not in the place they long for.”
“Language is pitiable when weighed against experience. My deepest loves and sadnesses fell outside the realm of articulation and never reached the fax machine.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Cancer, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Bullying
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Adina (an alien) goes to Earth to report on humans, and we basically follow her entire faux-human life. She gets a dog, a boyfriend, makes friends, learns about human emotion and universal themes of loneliness, heartache, mistakes, grief, corruption, and more. Adina is longing to go home basically the entire book too, but her return continues to be delayed, as her connections on Earth deepen and become more complex.
Adina’s reports are the most “snackable,” and quotable, like her ruminations on relationships, human behavior, and mortality. I think most people will find some of these reflections to be universally relatable, and while it’s a bittersweet story, it was an accessible read to reflect on what it means to be human. Nothing particularly novel or riveting, but somber, poignant reminders regardless.
Adina (an alien) goes to Earth to report on humans, and we basically follow her entire faux-human life. She gets a dog, a boyfriend, makes friends, learns about human emotion and universal themes of loneliness, heartache, mistakes, grief, corruption, and more. Adina is longing to go home basically the entire book too, but her return continues to be delayed, as her connections on Earth deepen and become more complex.
Adina’s reports are the most “snackable,” and quotable, like her ruminations on relationships, human behavior, and mortality. I think most people will find some of these reflections to be universally relatable, and while it’s a bittersweet story, it was an accessible read to reflect on what it means to be human. Nothing particularly novel or riveting, but somber, poignant reminders regardless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal death and Death
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Sexual content, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Dysphoria, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Body shaming, Bullying, Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
devynreadsnovels's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
mmccombs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This was absolutely a revelation for me! Such compelling character work and beautiful things to say about loneliness, belonging, memory, and love. Adina will be a character that stays with me for a long time, she’s a person I see myself in and also deeply felt for as she navigated her love and her grief. I loved that we followed her for her entire life chronologically which made for a very poignant journey, where things would come full circle in ways that felt so real and devastating. This was weird and charming and smart, absolutely adored this reading experience!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, Death, and Animal death
meemzala's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If we are lucky, we all have a little bit of Adina within ourselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Cancer
deedireads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/.
Beautyland is one of those books that will sneak up on you and hit you right smack in the feels. My favorite kind of book. (The audiobook was also excellently performed, and the story was easy to follow in that format!)
This is a literary novel about an alien named Adina; her “superiors” put her on Earth at the time of birth to observe and teach them about humans. As she grows up, from early childhood with a single mother in Philly through adulthood in NYC, she reports back on what she learns via a fax machine in her bedroom.
This may sound a little absurd; it is. It may sound like sci-fi; it’s not. At its core, it’s nothing less than a deeply resonant and creative exploration of the otherness of growing up and then the simple alienation of existing alongside others while always seeking connection. Bertino gives us a look at how it’s possible to be lonely and surrounded by love at the same time, at humanity and the small things that make life both hard and beautiful.
You should definitely read it.
Beautyland is one of those books that will sneak up on you and hit you right smack in the feels. My favorite kind of book. (The audiobook was also excellently performed, and the story was easy to follow in that format!)
This is a literary novel about an alien named Adina; her “superiors” put her on Earth at the time of birth to observe and teach them about humans. As she grows up, from early childhood with a single mother in Philly through adulthood in NYC, she reports back on what she learns via a fax machine in her bedroom.
This may sound a little absurd; it is. It may sound like sci-fi; it’s not. At its core, it’s nothing less than a deeply resonant and creative exploration of the otherness of growing up and then the simple alienation of existing alongside others while always seeking connection. Bertino gives us a look at how it’s possible to be lonely and surrounded by love at the same time, at humanity and the small things that make life both hard and beautiful.
You should definitely read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cancer, and Animal death
eveningreverie's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever sobbed as hard at the end of a book as I did at like half of Beautyland. What an absolute masterpiece. The perspective from which the main character writes is so interesting and yet simultaneously incredibly relatable. I loved the ways her observations and the happenings of the story were tied together, even if we didn't know the context behind an observation and only had the text of the fax itself. The relationship between her and her "parents" was emotionally annihilating in its resonance. On top of all this, the title's linkage to the story contents was perfect in every way. The ending may feel confusing or even a bit depressing to some, but I think it tied up the novel in a way that makes sense for the character and the themes. This nearly felt like a new take on the themes of Because of Winn-Dixie in the way it speaks on the melancholy of life. Grief makes a big appearance.
A new favorite for sure.
A new favorite for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
More...