annieb123's Review of The Beautiful Ones

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance rich with love and betrayal, with more than a dash of magic.

'One of the most beautiful books I've read in a long time' MJ Rose, New York Times bestselling author of the Reincarnationalist series

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail's most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina's chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun and already Nina's debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis: the haphazard manifestations of her powers have long made her the subject of gossip - malicious neighbours even call her the Witch of Oldhouse.

But Nina's life is about to change, for there is a new arrival in town: Hector Auvray, the renowned entertainer, who has used his own telekinetic talent to perform for admiring audiences around the world. Nina is dazzled by Hector, for he sees her not as a witch, but ripe with magical potential. Under his tutelage, Nina's talent blossoms - as does her love for the great man.

But great romances are for fairy-tales, and Hector is hiding a secret bitter truth from Nina - and himself - that threatens their courtship.

The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, the new book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is available to pre-order now.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Beautiful Ones is a genre-crossing atmospheric YA romance with elements of magical realism by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Released 27th April 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in most formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written but slowly developing narrative about family, love, loyalty, social constraints and expectations with magic. The author is quite adept at her craft and her command of narrative prose is exceptional and impressive. Despite that, I found my interest flagging at several points. It took much longer to finish reading than it should have and my overall impressions were no doubt negatively impacted by having picked it up and put it down over a period of months (I generally finish books in one or two sittings).

There is an overarching grand theatrical feeling to the work which, although unquestionably original, called to mind Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, and with a shading of tortured Russian grand literature. My difficulty with the reading was at least partly due to the antipathy I felt toward the deeply unhappy character Valerie.

Beautifully well written. It didn't enthrall me. Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Beautiful Ones

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Reviewed by annieb123 on Nov 1, 2021

Reading updates