A review by just_one_more_paige
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 
This was a recent ALC option from Libro.fm that caught my eye first because of the cover (I mean, tell me it doesn't pull your attention). The sci-fi ish sound of the blurb made me feel like it would be worth trying. And then I picked it up much sooner than I normally get around to "newly added to the TBR" books due to a shining review from @bibliomanicured (whose recent joining of bookstagram has shown that our reading vibes are very similar). 
 
Adina is born, in a childbirth experience that almost kills her mother, at the exact moment in 1977 when Voyager 1 was launched into space. Growing up in Philadelphia with her single mother, Adina is an unusually perceptive and, in the parlance of the uncreative, weird, child. The reasons for this become very clear to her, one day, as she starts communicating - by fax - with her extraterrestrial relatives (the ones that sent her to Earth to investigate and decide if it is a viable option for them to live, as their planet is dying). Over the years, as she grows up and makes a life for herself on Earth, she steadily faxes observations about humanity to her "superiors," everything from the griefs to the joys to the this-aspect-of-human-life-makes-absolutely-no-sense moments. When Adina's close friend (one of her only friends), convinces her to compile and share these "dispatches" in the form of a book, Adina finds herself agreeing, and in doing so, opens herself up to finding out, for real, if she is truly as alone as she always thought.  

 Ok so after the first couple pages, I won't lie, I was skeptical. The writing has a rhythmic poetry style that kind of felt like it was trying hard too hard to be different/avant garde situation. I actually even noted "we’ll see if it finds a naturalness with the story or if it settles into feeling forced throughout." Very quickly, I decided that it settled quite nicely. I got into the flow and found the narrative voice to be the *perfect* fit for Adina's personality and development. 
 
As some very recent comps, I thought this read sort of like a mix of Rouge and Chemistry. The writing was similar in style to Chemistry, a sort of smooth/controlled stream of consciousness of thoughts and observations that are seemingly random (though in this case, primarily astronomically-related), but then come around connected to each other and used to provide unique insight into humanity. With shades of Rouge, there is commentary on the ridiculousness/arbitrariness of beauty and fitting in standards, as well as an ever-present questioning of whether what you are reading is really happening, is metaphorical, and/or is in the narrator's head. In this case, the question is: Is Adina really an alien and communicating with her "superiors" on another planet OR is she neurodiverse in some way OR is Bertino just going for something weird/different for interest? I honestly couldn't say, upon finishing, and I sort of love that. 
 
I liked the way this slightly “outside the norm" perspective really shone a light on so many of the things about humanity that are contradictory, unexplainable, and absurd. Adina's reason for spending her time making and recording these observations, passing them on to her superiors, was a great framework to allow that style of exploration and "research." There is a subtle glorification of the mundanities - anguish, delight, loneliness, anticipation, coming of age (and more) - of everyday life that can only be seen for what they are by a “normal” (unimpressive, will-be-forgotten-by-history) human, and by sending her to Earth as one of those, Adina's superiors made her a character that, for all her extraterrestrial-ness (or, if, in fact, that aspect of the story is not real, her idiosyncrasies), is actually profoundly recognizable and relatable. 
 
I also want to quickly shout out the really cool ace rep! I haven't seen many ace characters represented in legit literary fiction (mostly YA and fantasy novels, like Elatsoe and Kaikeyi). And yes, technically this is sci-fi, but also...to be real, it's literary fiction. Like if you come in expecting traditional sci-fi, I think you'll be at least misled and at most disappointed. Anyhoo, the point I was making is that I was so excited to see Bertino show how much love there is, even without the traditional romantic/sexual love that people think of. Big appreciation for that. 
 
So, to sum up, Beautyland is the “observe and describe all the unique weirdness of humanity by/to aliens” trope, but make it literary. Bertino captures both the softness and the resiliency of humans, and that hard-to-pin-down feeling of being separate even somewhere that you are supposed to (or are trying so hard to) belong. Emotionally evocative through a lens of removal/distance that creates a lovely literary juxtaposition and quite a compelling narrator. 
 
“Sometimes people don’t like when other people seem happy.” 
 
“Pollution is human pressure weighing upon the earth.” 
 
“She doesn’t understand why she always has to be removed in order for her mother to breathe.” 
 
“If she believed the boardwalk t-shirts, a woman was a ball or chain, someone stupid you’re with, someone to lie to so a man can drink beer. If she believed television fathers, women were a constant pain, wanting red roses or a nice dinner out. If she learned how to be a girl from songs, it was worse. If she learned from other girls, worse still.” 
 
“…being physically present in one place while your mind is in another is loneliness.” 
 
“It must be the opposite of homesickness, to return home to find it more beautiful, to return and still feel distance.” 
 
“Her past passions sound tinny when clinking against the jar of time. But they add up to a stack next to her elbow, a growing collection of desire and insight that that might acquire significance if she trusts that it will.” 
 
“…Adina realizes friendships are reincarnations. Everyone reminds her of someone she knew.” 
 
“She and humans share a profound desire: To find other extraterrestrials and feel less alone. Is she alone? Are there others? Where are they? Where are they?” 
 
“The more we live, the more we lose, the more we believe we are lost.” 
 
“Good news at bad times brings no joy.” 
 
“Perhaps she’s never been anything other than lonely. Loneliness is a composite feeling: ironically unable to exist alone. I can contain anger, hunger, fear, jealously. Adina had misidentified it for homesickness for her planet but it also meant restlessness when one is not in the place they long for.” 
 
“Language is pitiable when weighed against experience. My deepest loves and sadnesses fell outside the realm of articulation and never reached the fax machine.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings