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A review by monetp
The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh
4.0
"At sea, the myths they’d shared over cups of gritty, bitter coffee had taken on lives of their own. They’d blended with the stories of the Old World to form richer, darker tales. New Orleans was haunted. Cursed by pirates. Prowled by scalawags. A last refuge for those who believed in magic and mysticism. Why, there was even talk of women possessing as much power and influence as that of any man." ~ [b:The Beautiful|42265183|The Beautiful (The Beautiful, #1)|Renée Ahdieh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547578763l/42265183._SY75_.jpg|65881999]
If you enjoy The Originals tv show, this is the book for you! This story bears enough similarities in terms of setting, the supernatural elements, and witty dialogue, but the plot is entirely unique. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is [a:Renée Ahdieh|4600197|Renée Ahdieh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487663209p2/4600197.jpg]'s writing style. It's mysterious and poetic and so gorgeously interwoven into the plot! I loved being able to see through Celine's complex POV and I found her to be a flawed and exciting heroine. For some reason, when Sebastien (Bastien) was first mentioned I pictured Ricky Whittle. Now, whenever I read about Sebastien I picture him as Whittle and I am fine with that!
I couldn't have predicted that ending...oh my gosh I can't wait for the next book now! With spellbinding abandon I was transported into this magical alternate reality of New Orleans. The Court of Lions is just fascinating! I'm glad that Ahdieh didn't elaborate on everything in this first book. I'm grateful that there's still mysteries to discover. Specifically, I want to learn more about Odette's powers! What did she see in Celine's future?
All in all there wasn't much about this novel I didn't enjoy. I didn't find Sebastien's uncle to be particularly menacing. I know he was supposed to come off that way, but he was far too polite! Everytime he spoke to Celine their conversations were repetitive and dull. I wish he was a more entertaining and intimidating villain.
This book was such a pleasant surprise! Young adult fantasy novels usually have such predictable plots but "The Beautiful" was suspenseful at every turn. The rich world building was stunning, and the female characters aren't exact copies of one another; they are each uniquely powerful characters. Most of all, Ahdieh managed to write about a wide cast of characters and find time to make each of them engaging and multifaceted.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Perhaps she labored on some clandestine craft, deep in the hollows of her cell. A painter perhaps. Or a sculptor. What if she was secretly a wordsmith by night? Even better if she wrote entirely in asides or things laced with double meaning, like Malvolio in Twelfth Night."
"No. Celine Rousseau was not a weathervane. She would not be moved by the Ghost’s presence as everyone else was. He was not special, just like all the privileged boys she’d encountered in her past. Another spoiled and entitled..."
"Bastien offered them a scythe-like smile, and it reminded Celine of a character in a book she’d read recently. A cat from Cheshire who enjoyed speaking in verse."
"To be a ghost in the night, commanding those around her without words."
If you enjoy The Originals tv show, this is the book for you! This story bears enough similarities in terms of setting, the supernatural elements, and witty dialogue, but the plot is entirely unique. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is [a:Renée Ahdieh|4600197|Renée Ahdieh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487663209p2/4600197.jpg]'s writing style. It's mysterious and poetic and so gorgeously interwoven into the plot! I loved being able to see through Celine's complex POV and I found her to be a flawed and exciting heroine. For some reason, when Sebastien (Bastien) was first mentioned I pictured Ricky Whittle. Now, whenever I read about Sebastien I picture him as Whittle and I am fine with that!
I couldn't have predicted that ending...oh my gosh I can't wait for the next book now! With spellbinding abandon I was transported into this magical alternate reality of New Orleans. The Court of Lions is just fascinating! I'm glad that Ahdieh didn't elaborate on everything in this first book. I'm grateful that there's still mysteries to discover. Specifically, I want to learn more about Odette's powers! What did she see in Celine's future?
All in all there wasn't much about this novel I didn't enjoy. I didn't find Sebastien's uncle to be particularly menacing. I know he was supposed to come off that way, but he was far too polite! Everytime he spoke to Celine their conversations were repetitive and dull. I wish he was a more entertaining and intimidating villain.
This book was such a pleasant surprise! Young adult fantasy novels usually have such predictable plots but "The Beautiful" was suspenseful at every turn. The rich world building was stunning, and the female characters aren't exact copies of one another; they are each uniquely powerful characters. Most of all, Ahdieh managed to write about a wide cast of characters and find time to make each of them engaging and multifaceted.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Perhaps she labored on some clandestine craft, deep in the hollows of her cell. A painter perhaps. Or a sculptor. What if she was secretly a wordsmith by night? Even better if she wrote entirely in asides or things laced with double meaning, like Malvolio in Twelfth Night."
"No. Celine Rousseau was not a weathervane. She would not be moved by the Ghost’s presence as everyone else was. He was not special, just like all the privileged boys she’d encountered in her past. Another spoiled and entitled..."
"Bastien offered them a scythe-like smile, and it reminded Celine of a character in a book she’d read recently. A cat from Cheshire who enjoyed speaking in verse."
"To be a ghost in the night, commanding those around her without words."