From Goodreads:
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.
What I thought:
Disappointing. That's how I'd sum this up in one word.
As a huge fan of vampires, I was really excited to see vampires making their way back into the spotlight. I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn so I dove into this expecting to love it. But there were so many stumbling points.
Celine Rousseau's horrible secret is, unfortunately, a very repetitive thread that's woven through nearly every scene, and, perhaps if the author focused on a different aspect of said secret, or handled it differently, I might have been on-board. But nope. No spoilers, but her entire characterization is based on this dark secret that doesn't stay a secret very long, and I thought it really clashed with the persona that Celine put forward.
Overall, I found Celine to be unlikable, but in the bad way. She takes turns thinking very highly of herself and judging herself for her past actions, all the while not really seeming all that conflicted. I don't think it helps that most of this story in told to the reader and that the writing stays pretty flat. The antagonist's POV chapters were probably the lowest point. The voice didn't work at all and I actually rolled my eyes a few times. Add in a love triangle that feels unrealistic and forced and I found myself putting this book down mid-paragraph a few times. If not for it being the only book I brought on a three-hour flight, I might have DNFed it.
As far as the mystery is concerned, the climatic scene at the end had me scratching my head. I think the most important aspect of any mystery is that it can be solved by the reader--even if only in hindsight. I mean, the antagonist is on the page, so there was ample space to drop breadcrumbs, but if there were clues, I missed them entirely, which made the big reveal not satisfying at all.
There were a few bits of scenes that showed real promise, which made this book all the more frustrating. I think it really could have been a great story if it had gone in a different direction and the author had taken the time to flesh it out. As it stands, I can't really recommend it. If you are looking for an amazing YA vampire novel set in New Orleans, I'd suggest The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. Not giving up on this author though.
My Rating: ** (1.5 stars)
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RATING SCALE:
5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you.
4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book.
3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it.
2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.
1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.
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Happy reading,
Chelly
