I read The Wrath and The Dawn and The Flame in the Mist a few years ago; in each instance, I enjoyed the book but put off the sequel for too long and ultimately lost interest. This will not be the case for The Beautiful, as I enjoyed it more than I ever expected to. I fully believe it’s the best book Ahdieh has written thus far.

I can’t promise a good review because it’s 2 a.m., and I want to write this before any small details slip my mind. However, the main idea here is that I really liked this book, and I fully support vampires making a comeback in YA if those new stories are as good and diverse as this.

The story takes place in 19th century New Orleans, following Celine as she flees a misdeed in Paris and seeks a new life. She was a complex, interesting protagonist that stood strong against sexism and other timely oppression, refusing to be scared into compliance. I admired her strength, stubbornness and dedication.

There were so many other notable, well-written characters, primarily Celine’s friends — Pippa, a sweet girl also seeking a new beginning in New Orleans, and Odette, an outgoing sapphic girl I liked inexplicably. The other star of the show, however, was Sébastien, the temperamental, mysterious love interest. His and Celine’s slow-burn romance slowly hooked me, until suddenly, I was impatiently waiting for them to kiss. Yes, there’s some insta-love at play here, but it’s entertaining and I like it. Leave me alone.

I didn’t know exactly how vampires would be incorporated into the story, and I think Ahdieh’s approach was intriguing. Unfortunately, though, there wasn’t much action or information regarding the vampiric side of things until the last quarter of the novel. Despite how entertaining it all was, I feel like this was one way in which the novel was slightly disappointing. Part of the issue might be with the narration, as the majority of the book was from Celine’s perspective, with a handful narrated by Sébastien and an unnamed third person sprinkled in. I’m hoping more insight will be given in the sequel, but to be honest, I would’ve liked dual perspectives in this first installment. It would’ve been informative and I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of the story through Sébastien’s eyes. He’s fun.

One thing I didn’t expect in this story, alongside the romance and vampires, was a murder mystery. Throughout the book, there are several gruesome murders and a killer leaving clues in their wake. The mysterious third narrator I mentioned is the killer, and despite that and the clues, I never guessed their identity. Props to Ahdieh, honestly — there were numerous elements in the story I didn’t think would go together that she blended almost seamlessly.

And that ending! I have no words. I flew through the last couple of chapters in disbelief, and now I’m eager/desperate to know how the rest of Celine’s and Sébastien’s story unfolds.

The Beautiful didn’t quite make it to my favorites shelf, but it’s definitely a close call. I would highly recommend this novel.

Representation:
• Celine is biracial.
• There are many characters of color throughout the story.
• Odette is sapphic. I think she’s a lesbian? But no exact phrases are mentioned, so I’m not sure on that.

CW: blood, gore, violence, mutilation, murder/death