4.4k reviews for:

Beautyland

Marie-Helene Bertino

4.21 AVERAGE

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This is a gem about being human. This felt very special. 
inkstainedlife's profile picture

inkstainedlife's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

anthgrif's review

4.0
emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
jessika_england's profile picture

jessika_england's review

4.0
emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

amywit77's review

3.5
adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

erstwhile_me's review

3.75
emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

meekerde's review

5.0
emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
veuxmourir's profile picture

veuxmourir's review

3.0

The premise makes this book sound like its scifi but it's really just a classic coming of age literary fiction book. Ultimately, I liked it but I fail to see the hype. I'm left wishing the author had leaned more into the scifi elements, because the premise sounds really interesting but the bulk of the alien communications are really mundane observations about American culture. And it really never surpasses that, which is okay! It still makes for a nice book, but I went into it expecting something different, something much more weird and fun, so I feel a little but let down. But if coming of age novels are your thing then definitely give this a shot. 
carojust's profile picture

carojust's review

5.0
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

"Beautyland" is about the human experience, and doesn't ask to be more than that, yet overflows generously, reminding us of what we're here for, why we have each other, with the wisdom of looking from the outside in, the inside out. 

Marie-Helene Bertino writes in a way that makes me feel safe, maybe because it's the closest I've felt to being seen. 

Tears are coming out of me like they've been waiting for years. 

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