A review by the_bookish_kat
You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

This book was fantastic and I adored the concept of this dystopian world that isn’t so different from reality and I loved all the characters, especially the character of Belle, who is indoctrinated into this society and learns the truth about the world that she lives in. However, I also felt like the dystopian elements could’ve been fleshed out more, and I would have loved to have read more about The Doctrine, as there was a lot of telling but not showing. Furthermore, I felt that the story was a bit oddly paced as the majority of the set up took up three quarters of the book and the last one hundred and fifty pages or so was dedicated to the resolution. Whilst I loved Belle’s side of the story, I felt that Joni’s character could have been a bit more fleshed out, especially since she pretends to play the perfect role in the society of the world that they live in and find that she really enjoys it. I felt like that was a really interesting idea that could’ve been fleshed out, and it is a shame it wasn’t as it would’ve been a great parallel to Belle’s story. But Holly Bourne is a great writer and this story had me gripped and I couldn’t put it down. Some of the best parts were ordinary moments that made me recoil in horror as I realised that these things happened in our everyday society. Whilst it wasn’t perfect, this book was still very good.