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j_richardson1228 's review for:
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:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5* I was considering giving it 3, but I can't.
I think I've reached a point where I have to tap out with Feeney as an author. For the last seven years I've been chasing the high of her debut, and while some efforts were completely ludicrous (2019's I Know Who You Are), the books themselves were never boring. On the contrary, I thought 2021's Rock Paper Scissors marked a potential turning point, and Daisy Darker the following year was even stronger--her best since her debut, in my opinion. However, Beautiful Ugly is a drag, and I realized as I was reading this that I have absolutely no recollection of 2023's Good Bad Girl, so I think the spark just isn't there anymore..
And let me emphasize, those first 50-100 pages here are rough. I'm not one to complain about a slow burn, but it literally felt like nothing was happening. In all honesty, the book doesn't actually pick up until the last 110 pages or so, and while this is a relatively short novel, having only a third of it be decently engaging/stimulating isn't a great look; especially when you take into consideration how much repetition exists here. If Feeney isn't repeating trains of thought ad nauseum, then she's stuffing these chapters with the most generic, bargain-bin writing cliches and turns of phrase. It became nauseating at a certain point.
Look, prior to today, I would never have claimed Feeney was some god-tier writer. She doesn't use the most flowery language, nor does she have the most beautiful prose, but I at least considered her competent enough for the genre fiction she's been writing. And I don't mean that as an insult. If anything, I think, in the past, I gave her more leeway than most, but some of the writing here is just bad; sometimes because of how cliche it is, but occasionally because it's just kind of awkward and clunky, like the following gem from page 235:
Or am I just so sad because I lost the love of my life that I simply cannot function?
I can't be the only one who thinks that reads like absolute dogshit, can I? And what's worse? It's followed two sentences later by something I'd consider genuinely moving:
My sorrow is a ledge nobody can talk me down from and I prefer to fall alone.
I could pick at other examples, but the point is, regardless of these issues, the story itself just isn't that strong. Once it starts to unravel, the mystery itself is interesting enough, and it makes sense on a technical level, but it's also weirdly convoluted in a way that makes it impossible for the reader to even attempt to guess all of the little twists and turns that pop up in the last 33% of these pages. It's fun, sure, but it's also just kind of stupid, and I don't think Feeney excels when writing from a male POV. There's a great disparity of intrigue that exists between Grady and Abby's chapters. She's simply better at writing engaging women characters, even if, in the moment, they aren't necessarily likeable.
Okay, I think I'm going to wrap this up. Alice Feeney, it's been fun, but I think I'm going to hop off the train now. Once it gets going, Beautiful Ugly manages to be mildly entertaining, but I genuinely believe there's been a steady decline in the overall quality of Feeney's writing over the years, and for that reason alone, I must save myself the time and energy. I can take a thriller being silly if it's written well, but if the thriller isn't all that thrilling and the writing feels, at its worst, elementary, then we've come to an unfortunate impasse.
I think I've reached a point where I have to tap out with Feeney as an author. For the last seven years I've been chasing the high of her debut, and while some efforts were completely ludicrous (2019's I Know Who You Are), the books themselves were never boring. On the contrary, I thought 2021's Rock Paper Scissors marked a potential turning point, and Daisy Darker the following year was even stronger--her best since her debut, in my opinion. However, Beautiful Ugly is a drag, and I realized as I was reading this that I have absolutely no recollection of 2023's Good Bad Girl, so I think the spark just isn't there anymore..
And let me emphasize, those first 50-100 pages here are rough. I'm not one to complain about a slow burn, but it literally felt like nothing was happening. In all honesty, the book doesn't actually pick up until the last 110 pages or so, and while this is a relatively short novel, having only a third of it be decently engaging/stimulating isn't a great look; especially when you take into consideration how much repetition exists here. If Feeney isn't repeating trains of thought ad nauseum, then she's stuffing these chapters with the most generic, bargain-bin writing cliches and turns of phrase. It became nauseating at a certain point.
Look, prior to today, I would never have claimed Feeney was some god-tier writer. She doesn't use the most flowery language, nor does she have the most beautiful prose, but I at least considered her competent enough for the genre fiction she's been writing. And I don't mean that as an insult. If anything, I think, in the past, I gave her more leeway than most, but some of the writing here is just bad; sometimes because of how cliche it is, but occasionally because it's just kind of awkward and clunky, like the following gem from page 235:
Or am I just so sad because I lost the love of my life that I simply cannot function?
I can't be the only one who thinks that reads like absolute dogshit, can I? And what's worse? It's followed two sentences later by something I'd consider genuinely moving:
My sorrow is a ledge nobody can talk me down from and I prefer to fall alone.
I could pick at other examples, but the point is, regardless of these issues, the story itself just isn't that strong. Once it starts to unravel, the mystery itself is interesting enough, and it makes sense on a technical level, but it's also weirdly convoluted in a way that makes it impossible for the reader to even attempt to guess all of the little twists and turns that pop up in the last 33% of these pages. It's fun, sure, but it's also just kind of stupid, and I don't think Feeney excels when writing from a male POV. There's a great disparity of intrigue that exists between Grady and Abby's chapters. She's simply better at writing engaging women characters, even if, in the moment, they aren't necessarily likeable.
Okay, I think I'm going to wrap this up. Alice Feeney, it's been fun, but I think I'm going to hop off the train now. Once it gets going, Beautiful Ugly manages to be mildly entertaining, but I genuinely believe there's been a steady decline in the overall quality of Feeney's writing over the years, and for that reason alone, I must save myself the time and energy. I can take a thriller being silly if it's written well, but if the thriller isn't all that thrilling and the writing feels, at its worst, elementary, then we've come to an unfortunate impasse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder
Minor: Pedophilia, Suicide