I’ve heard The Beautiful described as Anne Rice for young adults. As a Rice fan I’d have to say... it really isn’t. There are only two similarities: New Orleans and vampires. When it comes to the tone, quality of characterization and plot, they are vastly different.

New Orleans is such a vibrant and lush backdrop for a story - and this book kind of wastes it. The setting is barely described and honestly, because of that it really could have been set anywhere. It was definitely a sorely missed opportunity to add some beauty to the book.

And then there’s the characters and the inevitable love triangle. Both aspects felt incredibly flat, with no sparks at all between any of the main players. That made it really hard to care about their fates.

But it’s not all bad news - the plot itself is creative and has a lot of potential. But a good book needs to be more than an intriguing blurb on the back cover. I hope future books in the series move closer towards reaching that potential. I’m just not sure whether I will bother to read them. Ah well...

2.5/5

Set in 1950’s New Orleans, Out of the Easy has a little bit of everything: a murder mystery, some NOLA history, a touch of romance and a lot of gritty truths. It centres on Josie, an 18 year-old woman who dreams of moving to a place where people don’t know her name. Because in New Orleans, Josie is known as the daughter of a brothel prostitute - and to top it off, her mother is a total nightmare. While Josie dreams of university, her mother’s screwups pull her into a murder investigation and the crosshairs of the mob.

This story has so many layers, but there is one overarching theme that really stuck out for me: the importance of family (and not necessarily the one you have by blood). Josie’s chosen family is a motley crew, from Willie Woodley the grumpy brothel madam who is Josie’s anchor and unconventional mother-figure, to bookstore owner Charlie Marlowe - the father she never had, who gave her a room to live in above the shop when she was only 11. These relationships (and several others) are what make this book so special - Sepetys has created some very solid, relatable characters that will definitely pull your heartstrings. I’ll admit, I did get teary a couple of times; no spoilers, but have tissues handy!

The only thing I wish was a bit different was the ending. I like how it was resolved, but felt like it wrapped up too fast. There is an unexpected time jump at the end that could have used more of a lead-up - I found the effect to be a bit jarring. But this book is so good, it’s easy to overlook it.

4.5/5

Alice Hoffman’s ability to blend subtle supernatural elements with hauntingly realistic characters and events is a true talent. The World That We Knew is a fantastic example.

Set in WWII, the story follows a small group of Jewish teens trying to survive in German-occupied France. The twist is that one girl is protected by a golem - a supernatural creature created in desperation by her mother. While the teens face darkness and uncertainty, the golem Ava slowly discovers her own humanity.

I guess it goes without saying that this book packs quite the emotional punch - no character is truly safe. Hoffman then adds an extra layer that really makes this tragic era come back to life, slipping horrifying statistics into the narrative itself. It pulls you out of the story for a moment and is extremely unsettling to read; I’d say it definitely raises this book to a whole other level. I know I’m not doing this book justice, so I encourage you all to read it for yourselves.

Have you ever finished reading a book, only to have the urge to immediately read it again? That’s how I felt the moment I finished The Starless Sea last night. This story is filled with beauty and an incredible amount of detail; I think I’ll need to read it again just to make sure I catch everything.

The story is so unique, that I’m not even sure how to describe the plot. I suppose you could call it a love letter to libraries and the magic of books. Don’t expect to fly through it - the complexity of the tale demands focus. I’m convinced that’s why some people don’t appreciate her first book The Night Circus - the pacing doesn’t follow what you usually see in today’s popular genres (like YA). The Night Circus and The Starless Sea are meant to be savoured.

So, of course this book gets all the stars! Funny side note: the story wraps up in my hometown, which gave me a bit of a chuckle. I’ve never read a story with it mentioned before! Anyone else here from ‘Mississomething’?

Normally, I love historical fiction as well as stories about the monarchy. But The Other Windsor Girl just didn’t sit right with me.

Don’t get me wrong: the quality of the writing wasn’t bad. I was definitely engaged throughout. But I found the characters and plot line to be a bit problematic. (I’m not going to make any assumptions about the behaviour of the royal family in this book. It’s fiction, people!)

The main character is a young woman named Vera - an author that publishes a series of steamy romance novels under an assumed name. She dreams of becoming a ‘serious’ author in New York and is always searching for her big break.

But then she gives up her promising career (and even love) for the fame of being Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting - a position that leaves her on the receiving end of a tonne of abuse from the royal. Vera actually believes that the Princess is her friend, but in reality it’s a very toxic working relationship. Between Vera’s irritating attitude toward the world, Margaret’s aggressive stupidity and a series of men who can’t keep it in their pants, there truly is not a single likeable character in this book.

The pacing of the story itself is pretty good - it doesn’t drag. But at the end there’s a sudden jump forward in time where things get wrapped up in a happy bow. It was a jarring and unrealistic progression of the story; it could have used more buildup and a firmer grasp of plausible outcomes for Vera.

This book is definitely not a keeper for me, but YMMV.

2.5/5