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A review by carbs666
The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Ok I really wanted to love this book but I only liked it and I'm going to tell you exactly why while avoiding spoilers as much as possible!
You have to wait until you're roughly halfway thru the book for anything to really happen. Theres a difference between building tension and having no plot, but the book is very much like a classic in this way, as well with how much the writing tells rather than shows. Hector does exactly NOTHING to recommend himself until the last 5 chapters of the book so not totally sure why I'm supposed to feel like he and Nina got their HEA? Nina interested me, but I felt very keenly like she didn't belong in this book; she would have been an excellent weird little heroine for a genuine romance novel, but I just spent the entire book feeling sorry for her while everyone else played her like a fiddle. Valerie was vile and jealous and self absorbed and pitiful - a truly perfect villain. I did not predict this book would go in the direction it did and while I suppose the ending was satisfying, I think I was expecting something darker. Also, the aspect of psychokenisis was very much an afterthought throughout the book - I think it could have been replaced with basically anything else as a common ground uppm which Hector and Nina could build their relationship and the book would have been almost exactly the same, which was somewhat disappointing to me.
I will say that the narrative kept me tense and on the hook enough for me to keep reading - I was desperate to find out what the ending would be, I just think when I got there I was a bit disappointed.
You have to wait until you're roughly halfway thru the book for anything to really happen. Theres a difference between building tension and having no plot, but the book is very much like a classic in this way, as well with how much the writing tells rather than shows. Hector does exactly NOTHING to recommend himself until the last 5 chapters of the book so not totally sure why I'm supposed to feel like he and Nina got their HEA? Nina interested me, but I felt very keenly like she didn't belong in this book; she would have been an excellent weird little heroine for a genuine romance novel, but I just spent the entire book feeling sorry for her while everyone else played her like a fiddle. Valerie was vile and jealous and self absorbed and pitiful - a truly perfect villain. I did not predict this book would go in the direction it did and while I suppose the ending was satisfying, I think I was expecting something darker. Also, the aspect of psychokenisis was very much an afterthought throughout the book - I think it could have been replaced with basically anything else as a common ground uppm which Hector and Nina could build their relationship and the book would have been almost exactly the same, which was somewhat disappointing to me.
I will say that the narrative kept me tense and on the hook enough for me to keep reading - I was desperate to find out what the ending would be, I just think when I got there I was a bit disappointed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Bullying