3 things about this book:

1.The audiobook is really really good! And it includes an interview between the author and the narrator! Just great.

2. All the characters are super mysterious and I quite enjoyed getting to know them as the story progressed. Even the minor characters.

3. The story has two plots that happen in different time periods. And it actually works. The convergence of the two was truly well made.

TW: Rape. It’s a hard to read myth perpetuating depiction (stranger overcome with uncontrollable lust with lots of victim blaming), which permeates the entire story. It’s necessary to the plot as surprise twist, to make other attractions non-icky and show how the victim suffered then sacrificed to get what she wanted like a superhero rape backstory.


Recommended: Mermaid, mythology, YA fans. Well-written and dark tastes recommended that’s not dumbed down by assuming teenagers can or should only read twee melodramas and can’t handle mature subject matter. It’s better if you don’t think about it much and enjoy the ride for what it is: a haunting, gripping tale beautifully told with possibly ship-wrecking blights.

Pros

Well written and atmospheric
Returns to classic mermaid mythology
Dark & twisted
Solid, compelling characters
Engaging Story

Cons

Plot Holes
Mystery killing blurb
Foresaw most events
Awful depiction of rape


I don’t remember the first time Monstrous Beauty wound up on my radar though it’s been extremely well spread and hyped. I do remember lots of “this is the mermaid book I’ve been looking for” and similar praise. I can’t say the same but this dark, twisted YA tale is certainly right up my alley.

For me, mermaids have always been beautiful and dangerous so I’ve been looking for something fresh like moving past the gorgeous white girl top half and whale tail. Really, Monstrous Beauty returns to classic mermaid mythology everyone’s seemingly forgotten after Disney’s Little Mermaid.

However, I’ll certainly never forget meeting the awesome Mickey from Book Sharks when she gave it to me in a big bag of books to clear off her to-read shelf. Thank you again.

Ideally, I’d have read it right then and reviewed it right away. Alas, ‘twas not meant to be. Monstrous Beauty was waiting to be read on my shelf for so long, I’d forgotten what it’s supposed to be about. This worked out for because it added mystery, which the blurb completely kills with its first words: In 1872.

Without knowing the date, it’s a rather surreal experience wondering where they cross and collide that I thoroughly enjoyed. So I’ve no idea how it reads while knowing that beforehand. It may be a story killer because I was able to piece things together before Hester throughout the entire story anyways.

As gripping as the story is, it’s not without faults. There’s several plot holes noticeable while reading. For instance, why would anyone assume their child is dead when there’s clearly another option, which they were worried about just a second ago? I’m sorry but how does that make sense? This isn’t the only occasion of such gaps either.

Beyond that, at round the halfway mark there’s mind-boggling action via domino effect straight out of Hamlet. My first thought was that someone pissed off the DM badly to get the party wiped (lol), which I doubt was the intended reaction. It just came off as so outrageous yet I couldn’t look away.

Characters are sensational despite their awkward lapses described above. I really enjoyed their point of view, especially Hester’s and found them compelling. It’s so well-written and atmospheric; I couldn’t help but overlook the immersion breaking moments and breathlessly continue when that’s usually a deal breaker. It’s rhythmic, beautiful and haunting. I fully enjoyed it even though most turn of events were obvious; it’s all about the journey.

For a mermaid novel this is quite a ghost story. When you pick up a YA novel about a love between a human and a mermaid you expect something a bit twee, but this is a brutal story with some real gut wrenching scenes of violence and sacrifice. I hesitate to describe much of the plot because I knew nothing about the story when I started it and enjoyed the unexpected turns. Enough to say it is about a young woman who works as a pilgrim reenactor in Plymouth and literally lives half her life in a world of ghosts.

 

I listened to the audio of this because I heard the narrator perform a selection from it a library conference a few years back. Katherine Kellgren does an amazing job on this performance and I highly recommend the audio version.

The last thing I need in my life right now is 12 new shiny books on my shelf tempting me to read them while I'm trying to plow my way through A Dance with Dragons (I'm on page 221 of 959...I need more hours in the day!). In my defense, I ordered 10 of these from BookOutlet on Black Friday and they just came today. But it's still killing me having so many books that need to wait to be read. Not to mention Christmas is in 3 days and 80% of my wishlist was books....

 

Anyway, here's half of my haul!

 

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski: Historical fantasy YA, I think. I don't know much about this one, but I've heard good things! Bonus: The hardcover has tattered, uneven pages like an old book and it's awesome.

 

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama: Mermaids, curses, ghosts. Sounds good to me! Funny that I have two mermaid books in this haul...I don't think I've read a mermaid book since I was a kid. 

 

Every Day by David Levithan: This will be my first David Levithan book, and people rave about him so I'm interested to see how I like this. The premise is definitely intriguing...waking up as a new person every single day.

 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry by Gabrielle Zevin: I've heard really, really good things about this one. Plus, I tend to love books about bookstores!

 

Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard: Book 4.5 in the Pretty Little Liars series. Hunger for Knowledge here on BL and I are having what we have dubbed the Liarthon in 2015, finishing up this massive series over the course of 2015. I usually skip companion novels in series, but I want all the liars I can get! Bonus: The naked hardcover says "It's so much more fun to be naughty." in silver script. I may toss the dust jacket because I love the kitsch. 

 

Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown: Book two in the Lies Beneath trilogy. Haven't read the first one, but once I pick up the third one I plan to marathon these. Murderous  mermaids? Yes please!