Emily May's Reviews > Beautiful Ugly
Beautiful Ugly
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It's been years since I read an Alice Feeney book because the last one I read-- I Know Who You Are --was so bad that it really put me off. But she's gained an impressive fan base since then; enough to make me want to try another. So here we are.
And I can now feel confident in my decision to avoid the author's books. Beautiful Ugly is simply one of those types of thrillers I never like and, for some reason, are extremely popular. The Freida Mcfadden-type thrillers where weak characters, loose plotting, everything is built around a wacky twist that of course you didn’t see coming because it’s so ludicrous.
We open Beautiful Ugly to struggling author Grady detailing his wife's disappearance a year ago. While on the phone to him, she saw a woman lying by the side of the road, got out to help her, and hasn't been seen since. Her car was found abandoned at the roadside.
Now, Grady is tortured by what happened to her. He can't sleep. Can't write. When his agent offers him a unique opportunity-- to live in the remote writing cabin of a much-loved and deceased author --even moving to a strange little island seems worth it if he can rescue his career.
The premise is interesting and there is enough in the first half that is compelling and eerie to make me give this two stars instead of just one. But there is not a single character worth caring about and, in fact, I cared less about both Grady and Abby the more I read about them. Plus, the further I got into the book, the more the implausibility mounted.
Everything is built up around the twist, and the truth is that I just couldn't believe in it. Part of the explanation of events made me laugh out loud because it was so bizarre and silly. Many characters behaved in a way that didn't make sense. (view spoiler) And when we got to the whole island backstory, my god... what a convoluted mess.
I like a good twist as much as anyone, but it is not enough, for me, for it to be shocking. It also has to be somewhat believable.
And I can now feel confident in my decision to avoid the author's books. Beautiful Ugly is simply one of those types of thrillers I never like and, for some reason, are extremely popular. The Freida Mcfadden-type thrillers where weak characters, loose plotting, everything is built around a wacky twist that of course you didn’t see coming because it’s so ludicrous.
We open Beautiful Ugly to struggling author Grady detailing his wife's disappearance a year ago. While on the phone to him, she saw a woman lying by the side of the road, got out to help her, and hasn't been seen since. Her car was found abandoned at the roadside.
Now, Grady is tortured by what happened to her. He can't sleep. Can't write. When his agent offers him a unique opportunity-- to live in the remote writing cabin of a much-loved and deceased author --even moving to a strange little island seems worth it if he can rescue his career.
The premise is interesting and there is enough in the first half that is compelling and eerie to make me give this two stars instead of just one. But there is not a single character worth caring about and, in fact, I cared less about both Grady and Abby the more I read about them. Plus, the further I got into the book, the more the implausibility mounted.
Everything is built up around the twist, and the truth is that I just couldn't believe in it. Part of the explanation of events made me laugh out loud because it was so bizarre and silly. Many characters behaved in a way that didn't make sense. (view spoiler) And when we got to the whole island backstory, my god... what a convoluted mess.
I like a good twist as much as anyone, but it is not enough, for me, for it to be shocking. It also has to be somewhat believable.
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Reading Progress
November 1, 2024
– Shelved
November 13, 2024
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Started Reading
November 18, 2024
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Finished Reading
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Belle
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Nov 18, 2024 07:09AM
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Yes, I can confirm it's not worth it!
At 33%
No, I disagree. I have read tons of great fiction with clever, well thought-out twists.
It had some good ideas, but had so many plot holes, underdeveloped characters, and random details that didn’t connect with anything.