Reviews

Beautiful by Amy Reed

aquarius_bitch's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Drug abuse

fai_aka's review against another edition

2.0

I just don't like the writing style and the ending is confusing for me.

allieskat17's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Very well written. This book tells the story of a young girl falling under bad influences and not having any one there for her or watching out for her. She is pushed into drugs and sex way too young in order to please her so called friend. Her parents are too caught up in their own lives to notice their daughter’s spiral. From reading our stories our voices I know this was loosely based on what the author went through at 13 and my heart goes out to her

stephxsu's review against another edition

4.0

There is something disturbingly haunting about BEAUTIFUL. Debut novelist Amy Reed writes Cassie’s dark story in a prose that stuns and lingers.

BEAUTIFUL is similar to edgy movies like Catherine Hardwicke’s Thirteen in terms of content, but it is nearly poetic in its descriptions. Reed’s writing allows Cassie to distance herself from all situations she doesn’t want to be in, while simultaneously letting readers into Cassie’s mindset. The result both characterizes Cassie and effectively draws us into her frightening world.

My main issue with this book was the lack of information we were given on Cassie’s past, which would’ve acted as a comparison to and justification of Cassie’s current behavior. Throughout the book Cassie hints at an unhappy life in her old town—but is she a former good girl rebelling against her past? What is her motivation for falling in with the crowd she does? It is unclear to me what drove her to engage in the lifestyle she does, which made connecting with the story a little difficult.

Even so, BEAUTIFUL is a great read if you can stomach the material. It’s eye-opening, gut-churning, and exquisitely written.

supermomcrazytown's review against another edition

1.0

This book wasn't even worth one star... seriously, who writes this garbage? Do people actually consider this crap good reading material? I only finished it because I have a thing about not finishing books. The writing was horrendous, was there even a point to this story? At best, this could be discussed in a class or reading group on how not to write. I don't even want to keep this book on my bookshelf. I'll never read anything by Amy Reed again... oh and shame on you, Ellen Hopkins, I love your writing and I only bought this book because of your raving review on the front cover. don't bother with this book, honestly!! worst $12 I ever spent.

dynamicdylan's review against another edition

4.0

I'm still trying to process this book.

Here's what I know:

1) I hate Alex. So much.

2) Cassie and Sarah have one of the better relationships.

3) Amy Reed gave me hope, then took it, crushed it in her bare hand, threw it on the ground, then stomped on it. Thanks Amy.

Seriously, though. Read this book. It's dark, raw, gritty, and infuriating.

mellabella's review against another edition

2.0

I don't know what to make of this book. It begins with 13 year old Cassie at a new school. She is forcefully befriended by a girl named Alex (literally taken away from her lunch table. Not that she put up much of a fight). Her downward spiral into drugs, and sex begins. It happens pretty quickly actually. There is mention of Cassie at one point being not as beautiful as she is now. At her old school she was not popular. By being friend with Alex this is her chance to be what she wasn't before. Cassie is smart. She is in AP classes. Her eagerness to conform to the losers she surrounds herself with is confusing. I get it. The teen years are hard. Harder if you are insecure. But sometimes Cassie plainly sees that the life she is choosing is beneath her. Alex sounds like an absolute nightmare. I believe she is called (by her own mother) a sociopath. It's when Cassie befriends Alex's half sister Sarah that things start to go down hill. I guess this did remind me of the movie Thirteen a little. But, I recently read one of the authors other books Clean and loved it. I assumed I would like this one as much.

mallie_reads's review against another edition

3.0

This Book. Okay so when I was in middle school this girl my cousin was dating gave me this book and told me to read it. It set on my shelf for a few years and honestly I'm glad it did. Middle school me did not know enough about life to handle this book. This book is intense, it deals with young drug abuse, family abuse, and how when your young you feel the need to do things only to please other people. Is it the best book I've ever read not even close. Did I love it, yes. The topics are so Important for people my age now days. Its all about changing you identity to become someone your not. I'm so glad I finely picked this book up. Thank you to the girl whyogave this to me.

starlightbooktales's review against another edition

1.0

I was very disappointed. I don't understand what the big fuss was about. I mean has no one seen thirteen? This has been done before. Onto the next one.

mitz_reads's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was a really fast read and jumped right into the story line. It had a story line like Go ask Alice and the Ellen Hopkins books, about a girl just trying to fit and really gets mixed up with the wrong crowd. From the drugs, sex, and abuse, this girl has no control over anything. It was a good story overall.