The Beautiful (Beautiful, #1)

by Renée Ahdieh

#1 New York Times bestselling author Renee Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

'Incredibly ornate [and] lush . . . nail-biting and swoony and satisfying and tense all at the same time' Sabaa Tahir

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead.


But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, it's also a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life in Paris. Quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its extravagant soirees and even its danger, she soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, and particularly the group known as La Cour des Lions.


But when a body is found in their lair, Celine is forced to battle her attraction for the group's enigmatic leader, Sebastien Saint Germain, and suspicions about his guilt, along with her own secrets.


As more bodies are discovered, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose - one who seems to have Celine in his sights. But when she finally takes matters into her own hands, she finds herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.

• ISBN10: 0593105648
• ISBN13: 9780593105641
• Publish Date: 8 October 2019
• Publish Status: Cancelled
• Imprint: Listening Library
• Edition: Bot Exclusive ed.
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 10 hours and 30 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Laurie]

Review posted on https://lauriesbookshelf.com
When I first saw The Beautiful appearing on social media, I was curious. It's about vampires and I really wanted to go back in the days and read a good young adult novel about vampires. All reviews I've read were glowing, so I decided to go ahead and read it.











The Beautiful started of interesting. Celine just arrived in New Orleans after fleeing her home in Paris. What has she done that she even had to flee? The next chapter was a weird one however. It's about a girl, Noémie, but she doesn't make another appearance at all in the rest of the book. Why? What? Huh? How?



Unfortunately, The Beautiful is not the young adult vampire novel I was hoping for. In fact, it was just revealed in the final chapters that its about vampires although we all knew it from the promotions. The Beautiful is more of a murder mystery and historical fiction combined.



I couldn't enjoy this book. Actually, I was super bored whilst reading. The characters and the murders didn't interest me at all. I was not curious to find out who the killer was. I really didn't like Celine and her inner monologues, there were way too many of them. Although the story was super slow, I could read it fast because of the writing. However, I was very relieved when I finished the book. The final chapeters were the most interesting, but it was too late to save this book for me. Unfortunately, another hyped 2019 release I don't like. I probably won't continue this series.
This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf

[lauriesbookshelf]

Review posted on https://lauriesbookshelf.com
When I first saw The Beautiful appearing on social media, I was curious. It's about vampires and I really wanted to go back in the days and read a good young adult novel about vampires. All reviews I've read were glowing, so I decided to go ahead and read it.











The Beautiful started of interesting. Celine just arrived in New Orleans after fleeing her home in Paris. What has she done that she even had to flee? The next chapter was a weird one however. It's about a girl, Noémie, but she doesn't make another appearance at all in the rest of the book. Why? What? Huh? How?



Unfortunately, The Beautiful is not the young adult vampire novel I was hoping for. In fact, it was just revealed in the final chapters that its about vampires although we all knew it from the promotions. The Beautiful is more of a murder mystery and historical fiction combined.



I couldn't enjoy this book. Actually, I was super bored whilst reading. The characters and the murders didn't interest me at all. I was not curious to find out who the killer was. I really didn't like Celine and her inner monologues, there were way too many of them. Although the story was super slow, I could read it fast because of the writing. However, I was very relieved when I finished the book. The final chapeters were the most interesting, but it was too late to save this book for me. Unfortunately, another hyped 2019 release I don't like. I probably won't continue this series.
This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf

[littleread1]

I really enjoyed the blend of paranormal with a story that felt like a Regency romance. It was well done and that ending left me excited for the sequel.

[kalventure]

✨ Read this review & others on Reader Voracious!

Friends, I know this sounds dramatic, but CALL THE POLICE! I've been personally victimized by this amazing book. The writing is lush and captivating, the characters are vivid, and the chemistry between characters oozes off the page. Honestly, it has been three months since I read this book and I could write this review from memory.

The atmosphere of this book is all-encompassing. Set in 1870s New Orleans, the city comes alive for the reader. I've been there once and felt like the book transported me back onto its streets. The lush descriptions paint such a full picture of being there and draws in the senses. Food is an important part of the city's culture so it has a place of importance in the story and how Celine experiences New Orleans. The city itself is definitely a character in its own right.

The pacing of the book is slow at first. You can tell that Ahdieh was focused on the atmosphere and slowly building it up as the plot progresses towards the climax. I was so enraptured by the characters and setting that I didn’t mind the pacing, but it may be difficult for some readers, especially if you are coming in expecting an action-packed vampire tale. I thought that Ahdieh did a fantastic job weaving tension into the narrative with the Vampire POV; I was hopelessly hooked from start to finish!

"I am not the worst thing that's ever happened to me, nor am I the worst thing I've ever done. Nothing in life is that simple."

This is a narrative - barring the Secret Murdering Vampire POV - that delves into the inner thoughts and feelings of the main character Celine. At 17, she has fled her home in Paris to escape her past and starts life anew at the Ursuline convent in New Orleans. Her past haunts her and she is fearful it will catch up with her.

"Every place she went, life insisted on confining her."

Celine feels trapped by not only her past but also society and its expectations of her. It's the 1870s after all, so her fierce and independent nature is looked down upon by pretty much everyone. The life she thought she would have is no longer within reach, but she isn't quite sure she wants the one waiting for her either.

"Knowing who you are is necessary in order to determine who you want to be."

The Beautiful draws on the multicultural history of the city and is gloriously diverse. I love the sense of feeling accepted and home that Celine feels straight away in NOLA because of it is a blending of so many cultures. This is historical fantasy done right: accurate for the times but not falling into the traps of being racist and sexist. Celine and other characters buck at the expectations of society, while others prefer subterfuge.

"She wanted to create something and be part of the world instead of merely observing it."

I loved the characters of this book. Bastien and his Panama hat. Odette with her pretty dresses and pants "Some days I adore wearing corsets and dresses. But sometimes it pays to wear pants." Pippa and her steadfast friendship to Celine. Every single one of them (and more) are fully realized with their own desires and backstories. Celine is just doing her best but she makes mistakes and is a flawed character, which I appreciate.

"You're nothing like them. They're leeches. You're a lion."

The romance and chemistry between Bastien and Celine is the slowest burn, and friends, I am here for it. Their chemistry oozes off of the page whenever they are in the same room, a certain kind of magnetism that I don't often find depicted well in books. The longing and desire is intense. (Unrelated but I just remembered the ending of the book and am in need of the sequel right now.)

I know some people were disappointed that the plot kind of dances around the vampires, who don't really show up until the end of the book. And that is a valid complaint, although for me I was so enthralled with Celine and her story that it didn't bother me at all. For me, this was a compelling coming-of-age romance with some paranormal mysteries I wanted to uncover. There is a secret vampire perspective interwoven into the story and I was sleuthing to figure out who he was. Everything was built up so well to the climax and The Damned is set up so well, I need it. Now. Please?

I absolutely loved The Beautiful with every ounce of my being and it is one of my favorite books from 2019. I was swept away by the beautiful writing and transported 150 years into the past. I dream of beignets. And Bastien. But this is more than just a paranormal romance with vampires; it's a coming of age story and love letter to the city of New Orleans. Celine, like the city, is biracial and This is a book where it pays to just be drawn into the narrative and just let it flow around you, answers do come at the end of the book and thankfully we have a short wait for The Damned.

Representation: biracial rep, racially diverse world, lgbtqiap+ (Odette is lesbian & also might be genderfluid)
Content warnings: attempted rape, blood, death, murder, violence

✨✨ June 1, 2019: Under the spoiler is my first impressions review based on reading the excerpt (first 47 pages) on BookishFirst. The Beautiful is instantly engaging with effortless prose that sets the tone of the book: I love the undercurrent of foreboding that is present from the first page. Things are not as they seem and I am excited to learn more! The writing style is fast-paced and intriguing, and the book captures the essence of New Orleans during Mardi Gras season well from my experience (albeit in the 21st century).

"Maybe Celine did not have to live her life in fear of what might happen tomorrow. "

Oh goodness, do I relate with Celine so much already! I can tell that she is going to be headstrong with the desire for agency over her own choices. I am interested in the idea of atonement for what she did back home that led her to flee to New Orleans and how it with contrast with her own aspirations to go against the grain of society. And considering that her voyage to America was sponsored by the Catholic Church, that tension will likely have an extra layer of complexity.

"Every place she went, life insisted on confining her. Perhaps she deserved it. Her sins were many, her pardons few."

Plus she isn't one for the social expectations of women having never turned down a pan de chocolat. And her penchant for needlepoint subterfuge referencing Hamlet means I need her to be my best friend now. Pippa and Anabel are also equally interesting and fully fledged characters.

Celine is white passing (Biracial white and 'from the Orient' - her father never deigned to give her at least the country because it "wasn't important") and Pippa isn't interested in finding a match (which could develop into some LGBTQIAP+ rep).

Overall I am really impressed with the first 47 pages and absolutely cannot wait to have the chance to read the full book!

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[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from BookCon 2019 and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Vampires and YA have a history. In the early 2000s, Twilight took the world by storm and everyone and their mom was reading vampire YA. In fact, Twilight is one of the things that helped solidify YA as a genre. But the vampire waved burned up in the sun quickly (sparkled up in the sun?) and I think plenty of us look back on that era and cringe. It’s been taboo ever since.

Renée Ahdieh took a risk with The Beautiful.

This book was well approached – if I had to compare it with any pre-existing vampire story, I’d say it comes the closest to the Sookie Stackhouse series. I’d also say that while we’re all excitingly looking for vampires, The Beautiful isn’t actually a vampire books. There’s vampires involved, but it’s a romance first and a paranormal story second. For all the hype, we see very little of vampires.

Marceline, the main character, has a secret boiling inside of her that shapes much of her view of self-worth. There’s the romantic struggle to or to not love someone that feels Shakespearian. Renée Ahdieh wanted the reader to fall in love alongside Celine. Our love interest, Sebastien, is one of the traditionally “tall, dark, and handsome” types that is sure to win the hearts of many readers. In particular, those who fall for the villain are going to fall for Bastien.

Where Renée Ahdieh shines in The Beautiful is her conversation about fashion. Celine – a former Parisian with a passion for fashion – is at her best and brightest when designing clothing, and is lucky (unlucky?) enough to fall in line with Odette. Her patron has money to spare, and the girls become friends. The descriptions of parties and ensembles are elegant. Renée Ahdieh did her research in this area, and it shines through in the way she writes about it. I also very much appreciated the grace with which she rolled French phrases into the dialogue and Celine’s thoughts. They flowed naturally and were atmospheric and accessible to non-French speakers.

One thing that drove me crazy? I feel like so many scenes in this book were just a means to an end. The flow felt forced and structured. I’m not sure if this is going to come off to too many casual readers, but I felt there were conversations that existed solely for the purpose of encouraging the relationship and therefore the emotional toll at the end. They felt so clunky and obvious in their design; I think the lack of subtlety made it less effective for me. I felt the ending was very predictable, and walking away from the book, it was not… memorable. Its structured made it the type of book you read because it’s hyped, but not the type you’re dying to pick up and devour again.

This is all personal to my experience with The Beautiful. I know many people are excited for this book, and the romance will delight the romantic souls out there in the audience. Renée Ahdieh is a good writer, but I simply don’t believe this is her strongest work. And if you’re coming in for vampire goodness, this book will not deliver in that respect. There’s a little mystery, a little drama, a little New Orleans, but The Beautiful is missing that “wow” factor.

[Beth C.]

Vampires exist, and while they're beautiful - they don't sparkle ;) But they aren't the only creatures that exist in this world, though humans aren't truly aware. In New Orleans, those creatures can thrive. But there is a killer at large, one with a message to a very specific person - and bent on revenge. In the middle of that walks Celine, fresh off the boat (literally) and running from a crime in her homeland. Can the killer be stopped before the ultimate goal is reached?

So, what's not to like about the premise? New Orleans. Vampires. A female character who is fierce. ALL THE AWESOME. Unfortunately, I found the title did not live up to my expectations. So much of it felt like it was dragging...does it *really* take that long to build up the story? I was 2/3 of the way through before the pace really began to pick up and things finally started playing out. Plus, in an uncharacteristic way for me, I was correct in who the killer was (NO SPOILERS). Mind you - I'm the person that NEVER guesses correctly in the movies or the books, but I got it in one here. Having said that, I *did* finish the book - mostly out of curiosity to see if I was right about the killer's identity. And it will definitely make a fun "beach read" for some - quick and without much lasting impact. Some of the characters are great - well thought out and interesting. But overall, the book felt more bland than I would have thought, so I don't plan on reading the next one in the series.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

Where are all the vampires at?

Let me start by saying that I am SO here for vampires making a comeback in YA! I missed the first vampire craze, not knowing YA was a thing and all. The Beautiful was on the top of my ALA list and I was so excited to have the chance to read a copy! (Meeting Renee Adhieh was also incredible.)

Celine has newly arrived in New Orleans, fleeing Paris after committing a necessary crime. She is fortunate enough to be taken in by a convent, but must follow their rules which she quickly finds stifling. It isn't long before Celine finds herself tied up with La Cour des Lions and intrigued by its leader, Sébastien Saint Germain. She also keeps ending up much too close to women being murdered.

Celine was a fine heroine, strong and with a dark secret that made her much more interesting as it was slowly revealed. Sébastien was my favorite character, of course. He was mysterious and a bit frightening and I really enjoyed every minute he was on the page. Unfortunately though, this book had both instalove and a love triangle, neither of which I particularly liked. The romance was still fine, I just wanted more from it.

The more I think about this book, the more I'm not sure how I feel about it. For a book I expected to be about vampires there wasn't very much vampire action. This was much more a murder mystery than it was a vampire novel, I'm sorry to say. That isn't to say that it wasn't a good story, because it was. It just wasn't anything like what I was expecting to read. The vampires were more hinted at here and there than being a main focus, which was a shame.

My favorite thing about The Beautiful was by far the atmosphere. It felt like being back in an Anne Rice novel. You know, just with less vampires. I appreciated the way New Orleans was written and the dark, creepy nature of the streets at night with a killer on the loose.

I went into The Beautiful expecting a dark, romantic vampire novel and was surprisingly disappointed. I don't know if my expectations were more due to marketing or hype, but they were not met. I still enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the second one to see what happens next, but I don't think this is going to be the story that brings vampires back into the mainstream.