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A review by bookishwithbug
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is a fucking delight.
Adina is an alien born to an Earth mother. She sends messages to her extraterrestrial superiors via fax. And those faxes are full of absolutely adorable, insightful and profound observations about what it is to be human (and not). Adina reminds us of the moments that we, humans, are at our most beautiful. But she also holds up a mirror for us to see our moments of inhumanity, cruelty and destruction.
"What would these people say instead of I love you? I'm scared. I worry I will never recover. I love you is a can of soda that comes free with every meal. Yet every day humans suffer from lack of hearing it."
I laughed. I cried like the sad little human I am. I'm better for having read this book. It's quirky and warm, and I want to live in it forever. @marie.helenebertino
did something really special here.
As a mom to a child from the stars (you can't convince me otherwise), I felt this book and Adina's journey in a way I'll never be able to explain. I hope my little stargirl is able to see the world as innocently and profoundly as Adina does. I hope she lives like she knows she is alive.
"Every human being dies. But the bad news is that every day, they act like they don't know they're alive."
Read this one with your heart ("Human beings fetishize no organ more than the heart") all the way open ❤️
Adina is an alien born to an Earth mother. She sends messages to her extraterrestrial superiors via fax. And those faxes are full of absolutely adorable, insightful and profound observations about what it is to be human (and not). Adina reminds us of the moments that we, humans, are at our most beautiful. But she also holds up a mirror for us to see our moments of inhumanity, cruelty and destruction.
"What would these people say instead of I love you? I'm scared. I worry I will never recover. I love you is a can of soda that comes free with every meal. Yet every day humans suffer from lack of hearing it."
I laughed. I cried like the sad little human I am. I'm better for having read this book. It's quirky and warm, and I want to live in it forever. @marie.helenebertino
did something really special here.
As a mom to a child from the stars (you can't convince me otherwise), I felt this book and Adina's journey in a way I'll never be able to explain. I hope my little stargirl is able to see the world as innocently and profoundly as Adina does. I hope she lives like she knows she is alive.
"Every human being dies. But the bad news is that every day, they act like they don't know they're alive."
Read this one with your heart ("Human beings fetishize no organ more than the heart") all the way open ❤️