The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh (ARC Review)

Title: The Beautiful
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Books for Young Readers
(Penguin Random House)
Date published: October 8, 2019

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I was so excited when I heard that Renée Ahdieh was writing a vampire book! I had taken a long enough break from them I think and was more than ready to dive back into their world. Then, I found out that The Beautiful would be set in 1800s New Orleans and I nearly died! I love the 1800s and New Orleans! It’s like this book was written just for me! When I started reading, I was definitely not disappointed. The characters intrigued me from the first, and Ahdieh described the setting very well.

I found myself wandering the streets of the French Quarter along with Celine, Sébastien, and the others! (Please note that the cards in the above photo did not come with the book and don’t represent the characters in the book, they’re from a vampire card deck that I already owned!) I also liked that I couldn’t predict what would happen with any of the characters’ plots and that I was left guessing until the very end! I love being surprised. Needless to say, I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Damned!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Renée Ahdieh lives in North Carolina with her husband Victor and their dog Mushu. In her spare time, she likes to cook, mess with makeup, and wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.