A review by thestorydragon
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Pros:

✨Prose / Writing Style
✨Immersive Atmosphere

 Cons: 
✨Twists Felt Like a Cheat
✨Slow Pace
✨Underwhelming/Lackluster Conclusion
✨Plot Holes
 

 

I’ll always snag a Feeney because I can’t get enough of her prose. Even in Daisey Darker, which was decent at best, I tagged nearly the entire novel because the lines were that good. Her turns of phrase blow me away. But this plot has me irritated. If I hadn’t read Rock Paper Scissors, I don’t think I would be as abashed. But so much here feels like a rip-off of (in my opinion) Feeney’s best novel. And it confused me throughout because I drew so many comparisons that I genuinely thought she was referencing her previous publication throughout.
 

She wasn’t.

There was some good here. The feminist take in this novel was welcome, and there is commentary within these pages that truly spoke to me. But the execution as a whole wasn’t there, and I’ve read that other, fabulous novel from this author. I know she’s capable of a phenomenal story. This just … wasn’t it.

I have a longer review where I speak more in depth about this novel (and its similarities to Rock Paper Scissors) linked below. Be warned, it contains major spoilers for both books! 

SEE FULL REVIEW: https://www.thestorydragon.org/adult-reviews/beautiful-ugly