gifted by the publisher

Adina Giorna was born the moment when Voyager 1 launched into space. A precocious child who possesses knowledge of a faraway planet, Adina contacts her extraterrestrial relatives via a fax machine. But as she spends more time on Earth, Adina finds herself pulled between her various identities. Is there a chance she's not alone?

BEAUTYLAND is a coming-of-age tale that explores alienation in a quiet & reflective manner that doesn't read YA at all. The readers experience her loneliness, friendships, grief, loss, and aging through Adina's quirky and singular voice. The narrative voice took me a bit to get into, especially on audiobook, but once I got used to the writing, I cared for Adina deeply.

While there are heartbreaking moments, I also appreciate the humorous observations of humans through Adina's eyes. The supporting characters also take on unique voices and trajectories of their own, and I was utterly impressed with the depth of character development Bertino achieves.

BEAUTYLAND excavates the feelings of loneliness and alienation with an ingenious setting. It's a book that left me with a deep sense of loss of time yet a profound sense of appreciation for life simultaneously.

BEAUTYLAND is perfect for book clubs where one will benefit greatly from pondering the ambiguous ending and intimate discussions on life & loss. A special shout out to @bitterpurl for humoring my absurd ideas