Beautiful Ugly

73pctGeek reviewed Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeny

Too silly for my tastes

2 stars

An author, struggling after the disappearance of his wife, takes his agent up on her offer and retreats to an island in order to write his next novel.

This was not for me. Rife with weak characters, and poor writing, the prose is fussy and simplistic with no differentiation between different “voices” or styles of writing. F.ex. “newspaper articles” read like the rest of the prose, lacking any journalistic verisimilitude. I also don’t consider stupid shit which is in no way foreshadowed or supported by the writing a “twist”. Not unfinishable, but a waste of my time.

Molly Foust reviewed Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeny

Review of 'Beautiful Ugly' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The fun factor on this book is five stars. I found I could not stop exclaiming. DID YOU JUST DO THAT? (introduce a parodic fate character who weaves) WTF (with the Island mistrustful of outsiders trope) HAHAHAA (was that a Vanished reference redone?.) The author anticipates your skepticism and valiantly distracts and misdirects you. Just let it happen because no matter how incredulous you might be, the end is hilarious and worth it.
I was so charmed that suspending my disbelief became a labor of love. The atmosphere of a remote Scottish island in the Hebrides is just where you want to be. The hodgepodge of your favorite characters plucked from Wickerman, Gone Girl, Macbeth, sundry horror movies/ thrillers and transformed with a good dose of female power are so fun. Even the plot twists were torn from here and there and remade with such dramatic aplomb that what stands …

The fun factor on this book is five stars. I found I could not stop exclaiming. DID YOU JUST DO THAT? (introduce a parodic fate character who weaves) WTF (with the Island mistrustful of outsiders trope) HAHAHAA (was that a Vanished reference redone?.) The author anticipates your skepticism and valiantly distracts and misdirects you. Just let it happen because no matter how incredulous you might be, the end is hilarious and worth it.
I was so charmed that suspending my disbelief became a labor of love. The atmosphere of a remote Scottish island in the Hebrides is just where you want to be. The hodgepodge of your favorite characters plucked from Wickerman, Gone Girl, Macbeth, sundry horror movies/ thrillers and transformed with a good dose of female power are so fun. Even the plot twists were torn from here and there and remade with such dramatic aplomb that what stands is a mighty fine story. I chuckled, shook my head, and delighted in the revenge. It was truly the best thriller I have read in a long time. I would love to see the movie, and I love that this island exists, even if it is in Alice Feeney's imagination.

chris b reviewed Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeny

4 stars

Ok so some of the stuff made me think the main character was just... not that bright. like things I noticed in the first 3rd were big reveals in the last 3 chapters. But also it did keep me reading

Cluther

rated it

February 27

Zoa P.

rated it

May 6