I love the main character SO MUCH -- The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh review

ABOUT

Title: The Beautiful

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Series: The Beautiful #1

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

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.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.

I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion whatsoever nor was I compensated in any way.

This is the beginning of the vampire renaissance, and boy what a glorious start. The book follows Celine Rousseau, a Parisian dressmaker who flees to New Orleans and abandons everything she's ever known. As she tries to make a new life for herself, she is enamoured by a group of glamorous people surrounded by dark rumours, known as La Cour des Lions, and also its brooding leader, Sébastien Saint Germain. As people begin to die, Celine finds that the killer is stalking her and that involving herself with Bastien has put her in the centre of a fight with dark creatures.

I love Celine. I love her so much. I was somewhat annoyed with her at the beginning, but as we follow her throughout the story, I just fell for her so hard. We meet her as she arrives in New Orleans and she's still grappling with what she's done and what she's running from. She's trying to come to terms with it and also start a life for herself in a foreign place, knowing no one. As the story goes on, she really comes into her own and accepts what she's done and even embraces it. I think Celine is a true Slytherin, and not in an "I'm dark and edgy" kind of way. She's prideful, not letting others make her look a fool or get the better of her. She's cunning and smart and she won't let any boy derail her plans.

Speaking of boys, her chemistry with Bastien is intense. He's all broody and the leader of a glamorous dark court and every time he meets Celine, it's intense and full of tension and slow burn. There was a lot of me screaming internally for the two of them to kiss already. He's embroiled in a lot of secrets and they both know that they shouldn't pursue the other despite the attraction they feel for one another.

Another one of the great things about this book is all the food in it. There's a scene in a restaurant and it just made my mouth water. Like, listen to this menu: "Langoustines poached in butter, white wine and thyme. Pistachio-encrusted turbot garnished with flakes of white truffle. Roasted quail served with a crème d'olive alongside root vegetables sautéed in Herbes de Provence, then topped with edible flowers. Isles flotantes -- clouds of perfect meringue floating in a decadent sauce of crème anglaise." Are you hungry yet? There's also a mention of ribollita later and ripping apart crusty bread. YUM.

Apart from all these notable mentions, the book is beautifully written and paints a gorgeous and dangerous world that Celine inhabits. The Beautiful is a book meant to be savoured and enjoyed with each bite, not unlike dark chocolate. This book is rich and sumptuous and full. While the plot didn't progress in the way that I had expected, the writing captured me at every page and the only reason it took me so long to read this book is because of my continuing obsession with the Sims. While I say that it's meant to be savoured with how lush the writing is, the action progresses in a well-paced manner which had me turning the page to see what happens next and also to see if Bastien and Celine would kiss. I can't wait for the second book, especially with the way this book ended. The Beautiful is my favourite book I've read in this year!

TL;DR: vampires! awesome food descriptions, awesome main character and chemistry with love interest.

Happy Reading!