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A review by junibjones
The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley
5.0
The moment I find a book that gives me even a tiny whiff of Beauty and the Beast I will instantly go for it. That, initially, is what drew me to Ceinwen Langley’s ‘The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist’. The sapphic lean was’t a bad add-on either—give me queer retelling a of anything and I’ll bite. But this book is so much more than the nods to Beauty and the Beast. It’s plot is wholly original and includes a cast of characters who can hold their own.
In 18th century France, Celeste Rossan is a young, independent woman whose mind is always on science and the natural world around her. Nothing would please her more than to spend her days in the forest sketching and studying animals while her sister was bred for a softer life. When financial ruin strikes her family, Celeste enters into an engagement she does not anticipate nor is it something she wants. Her fiancé—sweet, caring Éntienne—would’ve been perfect for her sister, who could actually love him beyond that of a brother.
Desperate for a way out that would still keep her father and sister protected, Celeste fakes her death and sets off on a half cocked journey. Barely a few miles from town she is caught in a blizzard and attacked by wolves, only to be saved by an odd little barn owl and a beast. Faced with a completely new discovery, Celeste studies the beast and before long she finds herself falling for her.
I loved Misadventures so much. I was never bored, always intrigued by the beast and her life in the chateau. I was able to guess several things just based on the bare bones connection to so many other renditions of Beauty and the Beast, but beyond that I was constantly surprised and even when my guesses were wrong I was enjoying myself. The beast was so peculiar and I found that while she was described often as fox like I couldn’t get this image out of my head of the mutation. Fox-like but also sort of lemur-ish? And large enough to ride on? 10/10 must cuddle.
By no means is Celeste a perfect character, but I found her very relatable. I found myself longing for Eloise and Brigette along with Celeste, how she felt about the journal. Brigette dressing like a man and “feeling right”? Ugh, still my queer gender fluid heart. I’ve already recommended this book to a bunch of my friends, been texting my best friend while reading and had so much fun waxing poetic about The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist.
In 18th century France, Celeste Rossan is a young, independent woman whose mind is always on science and the natural world around her. Nothing would please her more than to spend her days in the forest sketching and studying animals while her sister was bred for a softer life. When financial ruin strikes her family, Celeste enters into an engagement she does not anticipate nor is it something she wants. Her fiancé—sweet, caring Éntienne—would’ve been perfect for her sister, who could actually love him beyond that of a brother.
Desperate for a way out that would still keep her father and sister protected, Celeste fakes her death and sets off on a half cocked journey. Barely a few miles from town she is caught in a blizzard and attacked by wolves, only to be saved by an odd little barn owl and a beast. Faced with a completely new discovery, Celeste studies the beast and before long she finds herself falling for her.
I loved Misadventures so much. I was never bored, always intrigued by the beast and her life in the chateau. I was able to guess several things just based on the bare bones connection to so many other renditions of Beauty and the Beast, but beyond that I was constantly surprised and even when my guesses were wrong I was enjoying myself. The beast was so peculiar and I found that while she was described often as fox like I couldn’t get this image out of my head of the mutation. Fox-like but also sort of lemur-ish? And large enough to ride on? 10/10 must cuddle.
By no means is Celeste a perfect character, but I found her very relatable. I found myself longing for Eloise and Brigette along with Celeste, how she felt about the journal. Brigette dressing like a man and “feeling right”? Ugh, still my queer gender fluid heart. I’ve already recommended this book to a bunch of my friends, been texting my best friend while reading and had so much fun waxing poetic about The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist.