The Treachery Of Beautiful Things

by Ruth Frances Long

Seven years after the forest seemingly swallowed her brother whole, seventeen-year-old Jenny, whose story about Tom's disappearance has never been believed, sets out to finally say goodbye, but instead she is pulled into a mysterious world of faeries and other creatures where nothing is what it seems.

• ISBN10: 0803735804
• ISBN13: 9780803735804
• Publish Date: 6 September 2012
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 1 May 2014
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Dial
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 372
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

The Treachery of Beautiful Things was one of my most anticipated novels last year, but I didn't get to it until now. The fae are quickly become one of my favorite paranormal creatures, and I tend to love fairy tales, so I was hoping this one would be a winner for me. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing.

Jenny is one of my least favorite type of characters. You know the ones who are thrown into a new situation or a new world and they act like they know better than those who have always been there? Yep, she's one of those. Whenever Puck or Jack tell her to do something, or not to do something, she always has to do the opposite and when they save her her response is something like "But I had to!" No, you didn't have to, and you almost got yourself killed! What she thinks is bravery and taking control of the situation is actually recklessness and stupidity. Less than 1/3 into the book I found myself severely irritated with Jenny.

However, I loved the world! Faerie is hidden within the forest in the mortal realm, and it's full of creatures both beautiful and terrible. It's impossible to tell who's dangerous and who's not, since the most beautiful of the fae can be the most deadly, while the most hideous could save you from certain death. Jenny, of course, learned all of this the hard way. The trees were my favorite part. They're alive in more ways than one. The forest is always watching and protects its own.

The story was also good, too, when Jenny wasn't driving me bonkers. She's out to save her brother who was stolen by the forest seven years prior. However, she gets caught up in the games of Queen Titania and King Oberon. Each wants her for their own selfish reasons, and neither is willing to let her go so easily. Jack, a forest guardian, has debts to both of the rulers, but he also a duty to protect those who get lost in the forest. Jenny isn't sure if she can trust him, since his loyalties may lay elsewhere, but who else is she suppose to trust in Faerie?

It keeps up a good pace, so I was almost always engaged in the story. There's quite a bit more action and violence than I had expected, but nothing too over the top. I do think I would have loved this one if there had been a more likeable heroine. Or maybe if it had been in 1st person POV, so I could at least understand what Jenny was up to when she made her horrible decisions.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[ladygrey]

This is like a fairy tale. And there are so few books that are original stories that are like classic fairy tales in form and language and feel. But from the opening pages this has the weight and lyricism and beauty and darkness of a fairy tale.

I can't say I loved Jenny as a heroine. But I liked her stubbornness and I really liked that she wasn't naive or foolish; or when she was it served her. Jack is a great tragic hero and he's easy to like. The romance was a little thin but once they came together the way the fought for each other was great. Their being in love was better written than falling in love.

In some places I really wanted more depth. It was like [a:Robin McKinley|5339|Robin McKinley|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314406026p2/5339.jpg] light. She's talking about things like Jenny fooling herself for a moment about Jack or Jack's crossing allegiances and all sorts of really fascinating and tangled ideas. But they're just mentioned without being explored. Of course, I really liked how she included the darker and more sordid elements of a fairy tale in a tasteful way.

The story is rooted in old mythologies which is fantastic. It was actually all very good. It just wasn't quite deep enough or rich enough for me. It's the line between four stars and five stars.

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

This review is also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.

The beginning of this story leaves a bit to be desired. My notes on it are basically scattered words to the effect of “weird,” “ridiculous names,” and “wow.” Essentially, I thought it was a little cheesy. And, really, the main character “shines with innocence?” That just made me laugh.

But I am glad I continued.

Quickly enough, I became truly captivated by the main characters. Jenny is obstinate, but it makes her endearing rather than annoying. She is absolutely determined to rescue her brother, and no man and no strange land is going to stand in her way. She’s brilliant. Jack is more complicated. Is he good? Is he bad? Does he truly care for Jenny or is he just playing for his own rewards? The constant questioning of his loyalty was really tugging at my heartstrings, and in fact was almost too stressful for something I was reading for fun, but it did keep me on the edge of my seat! This is a case where you will be pretty sure you know what is going on, but you will never want to bet on it. There is true suspense.

The world itself is also intriguing. It is (you guessed it!) both beautiful and treacherous. But, actually, it is. No need to worry that the title exaggerates! And although Long draws heavily on folklore, I found my very general knowledge of her sources was enough to give me grounding in the book. I have no idea if other YA books use these elements “better,” but they work here.

The plot, after the slightly silly beginning, is truly exciting. In addition to the ever-looming question of who is on whose side, there is simply a lot of action, a lot of running, and a lot of plotting. And it is worth noting that there is a climax truly deserving of the name. Yeah, things go down.

The ending is a little neat, but after the trauma of the preceding pages, I personally would not want it any other way. It makes me happy to think that things might finally fit together in Jenny’s life, my life, the world at large. Long brings an idealized fairytale ending to a fairytale that had previously been bleak. So, readers get the best of both worlds, and that is satisfying.