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A review by chapterchatswithcaroline
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was January 2022 when I read my first book by Alice Feeney, Rock, Paper, Scissors, and here I am two years later (2025), starting my year with another Alice Feeney book, Beautiful Ugly.
Beautiful Ugly is the story of Grady, who is on the phone with his wife, sharing the most exciting news of his life—that his new novel is a New York Times bestseller. But everything changes when his wife, Abby, mysteriously goes missing on her way home.A year later, Grady is still consumed with grief and desperate to uncover what happened to his wife. Unable to write since her disappearance, he feels lost and broken. When his agent suggests he travel to the Island of Amberly to find peace and rediscover his creativity, Grady reluctantly agrees. However, when he arrives on the island, he finds himself surrounded by eerie mysteries and a sense that something is deeply wrong with both the place and its inhabitants. Then, one day, he sees the impossible—his missing wife.
This is the second book I’ve read by Alice Feeney, and I’ve noticed several similarities in her writing style. Her stories often revolve around a couple whose marriage has soured over time, are set in remote parts of Scotland, and deliver major twists and turns at the end—many of which are hard to see coming. That said, I have to admit that Alice Feeney writes beautifully. Her words and quotes are so captivating that they kept me hooked till the end, regardless of how strong or weak the plot was.
Beautiful Ugly is a slow burner, even though the chapters are short. The book offers a good amount of eerie moments, and, true to Feeney’s style, most of the major twists and turns arrive at the end. However, some of these twists felt quite predictable. The characters weren’t exceptionally compelling, and there were parts of the story that didn’t sit quite right with me—such as the subplot involving the baby and the history of the island’s mystery, which felt disjointed. Even the central plot of Abby’s disappearance seemed unresolved, as if the author wasn’t entirely certain who to pin the blame on.
The conclusion of the book didn’t leave a strong impression on me either. It wasn’t exceptional enough to elevate the mystery, especially having read other books of a similar kind. However, I still give this book 3 stars, mainly for the incredible quotes it contains. Alice Feeney has a way with words that never fails to impress.
The cover of Beautiful Ugly is stunning and could be a good reason to pick up the book on its own.
Will I recommend this book?
Yes, if you’re looking for:
* A slow burner with short chapters.
* A book filled with beautiful quotes.
* A gorgeous cover.
* Stories with major twists that come at the end.
Beautiful Ugly is the story of Grady, who is on the phone with his wife, sharing the most exciting news of his life—that his new novel is a New York Times bestseller. But everything changes when his wife, Abby, mysteriously goes missing on her way home.A year later, Grady is still consumed with grief and desperate to uncover what happened to his wife. Unable to write since her disappearance, he feels lost and broken. When his agent suggests he travel to the Island of Amberly to find peace and rediscover his creativity, Grady reluctantly agrees. However, when he arrives on the island, he finds himself surrounded by eerie mysteries and a sense that something is deeply wrong with both the place and its inhabitants. Then, one day, he sees the impossible—his missing wife.
This is the second book I’ve read by Alice Feeney, and I’ve noticed several similarities in her writing style. Her stories often revolve around a couple whose marriage has soured over time, are set in remote parts of Scotland, and deliver major twists and turns at the end—many of which are hard to see coming. That said, I have to admit that Alice Feeney writes beautifully. Her words and quotes are so captivating that they kept me hooked till the end, regardless of how strong or weak the plot was.
Beautiful Ugly is a slow burner, even though the chapters are short. The book offers a good amount of eerie moments, and, true to Feeney’s style, most of the major twists and turns arrive at the end. However, some of these twists felt quite predictable. The characters weren’t exceptionally compelling, and there were parts of the story that didn’t sit quite right with me—such as the subplot involving the baby and the history of the island’s mystery, which felt disjointed. Even the central plot of Abby’s disappearance seemed unresolved, as if the author wasn’t entirely certain who to pin the blame on.
The conclusion of the book didn’t leave a strong impression on me either. It wasn’t exceptional enough to elevate the mystery, especially having read other books of a similar kind. However, I still give this book 3 stars, mainly for the incredible quotes it contains. Alice Feeney has a way with words that never fails to impress.
The cover of Beautiful Ugly is stunning and could be a good reason to pick up the book on its own.
Will I recommend this book?
Yes, if you’re looking for:
* A slow burner with short chapters.
* A book filled with beautiful quotes.
* A gorgeous cover.
* Stories with major twists that come at the end.