A review by blkbltchic
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is my current favorite book. The prose in it is beautiful and vivid. Being a sort of spin-off/fantastical adaptation of the Great Gatsby I wonder if those that either had not read or are unfamiliar with the story would be lost. Otherwise it was a fun exploration. I personally like when magic is treated as incredibly mundane and sporadically like it was in this book. I saw some complaints about it not being explained on how it works and the answer is simply that our pov character doesn't really know either. It's something that is there and can be used. Comparable to cell phones, most people use them everyday yet have no idea of the inner workings. Anyway, I loved it.