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emilybryk's review
3.0
This felt like a book that was scared of itself. It's set up as, unambiguously, not about to fall into horror novel or woman-in-peril-novel cliches, and that's great. But then, once we're pretty sure that we know who everyone is and that something maybe bad sort of and kind of weird sort of and troubling happened 20 years or so ago, where do we go?
I respect (and even admire!) Ms. Mitchell's clear desire to not write a book that is just women getting abducted or women taking their revenge, but we wind up with women moping around and sort of thinking "maybe I'll do something. Or not."
I respect (and even admire!) Ms. Mitchell's clear desire to not write a book that is just women getting abducted or women taking their revenge, but we wind up with women moping around and sort of thinking "maybe I'll do something. Or not."
howlingreads's review
4.0
I was very surprised by this book. For several reasons, firstly, the characters. Carly-May gives off what would normally be an unappealing hollywood personality, but Mitchell expertly humanises her and really gives her a depth that no one, other than the reader and possibly Lois, can really see. The narrative often switches between both Lois and Chloe reminiscing about moments of the abduction and their lives before and after it happened. There’s a parallel element to their individual narratives that brings the overall plot a linear perspective. This book definitely requires the reader to absorb elements of the timeline and place them in them into their respective date like a jigsaw but this adds to the intrigue. You don’t learn everything at once it is heavily focused on the women’s memories as they encroach on their adult lives.
Another part about this book that made it particularly unique was the meta-narrative elements. Because in the plot, Lois writes a book about the abduction, the middle section of the novel Pretty Is, features a section from Deep in the Woods by Lucy Ledger. These complex interweaving narratives gives the reader a biased idea of what happened during the abduction, that gives the appearance of fact, when it is actually Lois’ memory. The way that this meta-narrative is evidently biased is through Chloe’s reaction to reading both the screenplay and the novel once she realises.
What I love about this book is that it contains a multitude of complex characters and themes but is still very readable. The plot including Sean is something I’ve decided not to discuss because even though it is tightly interwoven into the overall story, what I find fascinating about this book is the characters of Lois and Carly-May, who as women have become engulfed by those six weeks and have carried their secret with them while their family’s abandoned them and everyone else is clueless. By finding each other again they were able to work through their unanswered questions and really try to understand why Zed kidnapped them in the first place. Unfortunately, this is not clarified by Mitchell, though I think the impact of the book is entirely dependent on this factor.
This is a unique book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys YA Thrillers with a gritty narrative.
Have you read Pretty Is? What are your thoughts? Tweet me @HowlingReviews.
Another part about this book that made it particularly unique was the meta-narrative elements. Because in the plot, Lois writes a book about the abduction, the middle section of the novel Pretty Is, features a section from Deep in the Woods by Lucy Ledger. These complex interweaving narratives gives the reader a biased idea of what happened during the abduction, that gives the appearance of fact, when it is actually Lois’ memory. The way that this meta-narrative is evidently biased is through Chloe’s reaction to reading both the screenplay and the novel once she realises.
What I love about this book is that it contains a multitude of complex characters and themes but is still very readable. The plot including Sean is something I’ve decided not to discuss because even though it is tightly interwoven into the overall story, what I find fascinating about this book is the characters of Lois and Carly-May, who as women have become engulfed by those six weeks and have carried their secret with them while their family’s abandoned them and everyone else is clueless. By finding each other again they were able to work through their unanswered questions and really try to understand why Zed kidnapped them in the first place. Unfortunately, this is not clarified by Mitchell, though I think the impact of the book is entirely dependent on this factor.
This is a unique book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys YA Thrillers with a gritty narrative.
Have you read Pretty Is? What are your thoughts? Tweet me @HowlingReviews.
tobesmagobes's review
3.0
Well I read this and liked some of it and hated more. The Sean character was stupid and excessive. Had the book just been about the two girls and the movie I would have preferred it. Maybe I'm getting too old for this shit.
tarablock's review
3.0
This book had great potential. The premise and characters started off so promising. But the end just did not deliver, and the climax was so anticlimactic.
jklein725's review
3.0
Would probably give this a 3.5. I liked the book in general but was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It felt like things didn't wrap up as much as I expected them to.
abookloversdiary's review
mysterious
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? It's complicated
2.0
dadu's review
4.0
This is the type of book I would recommend just so that I can talk about it with someone. There are so many interesting topics the book explores. The writing is fantastic, it's smooth and has a natural cadence to it that makes you not want to stop reading.
The concept of being connected to someone because of a shared experience is taken to an extreme, which I absolutely loved. Two girls, abducted during a summer when they were 12, forced to live in a remote cabin with a man trying to preserve purity and childhood. There's a great reference to Robert Browning poem - Porphyria's Lover. The concept of loving someone/something so much, you would rather kill it than let it go.
Outside of the psychological explorations, there were some things I wish were fleshed out more. The character of Sean should have either been more involved or less. He's a character who is there to progress the plot and is a pathetic one at that.
Not a read for everyone, but if you want a break from plots and dive a little bit more into taboo subjects, pick it up!
The concept of being connected to someone because of a shared experience is taken to an extreme, which I absolutely loved. Two girls, abducted during a summer when they were 12, forced to live in a remote cabin with a man trying to preserve purity and childhood. There's a great reference to Robert Browning poem - Porphyria's Lover. The concept of loving someone/something so much, you would rather kill it than let it go.
Outside of the psychological explorations, there were some things I wish were fleshed out more. The character of Sean should have either been more involved or less. He's a character who is there to progress the plot and is a pathetic one at that.
Not a read for everyone, but if you want a break from plots and dive a little bit more into taboo subjects, pick it up!
ellekeene's review
1.0
0 stars would be more accurate. A lot of nothing happens in this novel, and then then the completely predictable happens. The writing is flat and amateur. Avoid.
aigra's review
3.0
I expected this to go in a different direction and I don't know if I like or hate the ending ... I guess it's better than something predictable.
leafingthroughlife's review
3.0
Pretty Is tells the story of Lois and Carly May, the grown up victims of a child abductor, struggling to find their ways in the confusing aftermath of their abduction, a strangely idyllic time that was, nonetheless, fraught with fear and left an inevitable impression on the two that trails them into adulthood. The book alternates between the two women's perspectives, illuminating their lives and their struggles as they mature, somehow always feeling more connected to their abductor than to their own families. Lois grew from a beautiful studious young girl into a smart college professor who spun her abduction into a famous novel written under a fake name. Carly May, a brash former child beauty queen, changed her name to Chloe and abandoned her father and wicked stepmother to chase fame in Hollywood. Though the two haven't seen each other in years, the time of their abduction lingers fresh in their minds, and when Lois's book finds its own way to Hollywood, the two might finally have the chance to revisit their shared past.
Mitchell is a debut novelist, and with that considered, Pretty Is becomes that much more impressive. Mitchell skillfully weaves together many different stories in one. She brings her two damaged main characters to life, exploring their upbringings and their leftover traumas both from the abduction and the scars they carry with them from their own family lives. At the same time, Mitchell is exploring each character's present, and even including a swathe of Lois's novelization of the abduction that proves particularly compelling. As the novel becomes a movie and Lois starts a sequel and a mysterious student starts unearthing Lois's path, the stories pile up, but not all of them are equally well-handled. The Sean the creepy student storyline, in particular, seems extraneous to the rest of the novel, a side show perhaps intended to reveal how troubled uber-controlled Lois's thoughts still are.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that the "excerpt" from Lois's novel that fills out the middle of the book is so much more compelling that it makes the rest of the novel pale somewhat in comparison. The pages in this section flew by in a way that Carly May and Lois's more introspective narratives do not. That said, Mitchell's story layering style is ambitious and, on the whole, successful. While I didn't love the characters, I was taken in by their stories and eager for the two to meet again and unpack their shared psychological trauma. If you're looking for a page-turning mystery/thriller sort of novel, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a deeper, more literary effort that does a fascinating job of illuminating the confused aftermath of an abduction, definitely give Pretty Is a try.
Mitchell is a debut novelist, and with that considered, Pretty Is becomes that much more impressive. Mitchell skillfully weaves together many different stories in one. She brings her two damaged main characters to life, exploring their upbringings and their leftover traumas both from the abduction and the scars they carry with them from their own family lives. At the same time, Mitchell is exploring each character's present, and even including a swathe of Lois's novelization of the abduction that proves particularly compelling. As the novel becomes a movie and Lois starts a sequel and a mysterious student starts unearthing Lois's path, the stories pile up, but not all of them are equally well-handled. The Sean the creepy student storyline, in particular, seems extraneous to the rest of the novel, a side show perhaps intended to reveal how troubled uber-controlled Lois's thoughts still are.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that the "excerpt" from Lois's novel that fills out the middle of the book is so much more compelling that it makes the rest of the novel pale somewhat in comparison. The pages in this section flew by in a way that Carly May and Lois's more introspective narratives do not. That said, Mitchell's story layering style is ambitious and, on the whole, successful. While I didn't love the characters, I was taken in by their stories and eager for the two to meet again and unpack their shared psychological trauma. If you're looking for a page-turning mystery/thriller sort of novel, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a deeper, more literary effort that does a fascinating job of illuminating the confused aftermath of an abduction, definitely give Pretty Is a try.