The Beautiful Ones

As far as I remember, the advance copy of this book was one of the earliest copies I ever received on Netgalley, during my initial days of blogging in 2017. But I was also overwhelmed by the many arcs I had gotten due to my enthusiastic and impulsive requesting, and I quickly lost interest in this one. I never expected to encounter this book again, with a new cover and rerelease and more importantly, the now popular name of the author behind the book. I was also lucky enough to receive this one as a gift recently, so I was finally interested to see what it was all about.

As someone who is very rare in my picks of historical fiction, it was nice to delve into a new fantasy world, albeit with very similar societal structures and show more expectations to that of the various romances I have encountered with dukes and viscounts. That’s why this world felt very familiar and easy to get into, just with a tad bit of magic (or is it science?) added into it. I have always felt the author excels in writing lush and vibrant descriptions, and I think that was very evident in this type of story and definitely made it more richer. It was so easy to get lost when the author wove enchanting tales about the billowing dresses, the opulence of the city, the rustic country and more importantly, the raw and gritty emotions that drive people to do hurtful things. The pacing was also just right, always enticing me through some new crumb, whenever I felt my interest lagging.

And what fascinating characters the author has managed to create. I really loved Nina for her sweetness and innocence, but also for trying her best to be herself in a world that wanted to mould into a box she couldn’t fit in. Her enthusiasm for her beetles and butterflies, the easy way she could give her affections without expecting much, her desire to be able to want more than just a proper marriage - it all dug deep into my heart and I know she’ll remain quite a memorable character for me. On the other hand, Hector wasn’t easy to like to start with but I enjoyed getting to know him better and slowly fall for him as well. It was so easy for him to be perceived as a bad guy after the first half of the book, but the author deftly captures the turmoil within him and takes us on a journey with him, where he pieces back together his broken heart and embarks on a new but scarier phase of his life - to try and love again. Nina and Hector’s relationship starts off with lies but it truly develops into something full of love and understanding and particularly, respect, which I absolutely adored.

Valerie is a character who I suppose some readers might feel sympathetic towards because of the circumstances of her upbringing and the insurmountable expectations on her shoulders placed by her family, and maybe there was some goodness in her when she was younger - but in the present, I only found her to be spiteful and obsessive and vindictive, who just couldn’t tolerate anyone else’s happiness because she wasn’t happy herself. I’m not usually prone to hating characters, but my mom has been subjecting me to a daily Hindi tv show where there is a very similarly vindictive woman whom I hate and I suppose I may have projected all that loathing onto Valerie’s character as well. But I don’t think I’m wrong in this case.

There were also a good number of side characters, but only a few make a significant impression. I was indifferent towards Etienne in the beginning but it was nice to see him value his friendships, across social classes. I still don’t know how I feel about Luc, probably more pity than anything but I definitely can’t say I like him. Nina’s family as a whole seemed to be a good support to her and it was nice to see that.

Overall, this was quite an entertaining fantasy of manners, with gorgeous descriptions, very in-depth characters, a boatload of angst, and a delicious slow burn romance that made the experience worth it. The author does a singularly good job of evoking all kinds of emotions in the reader, and I really appreciated that. This probably has to be my favorite book by Garcia, but I have one more arc to go and I really hope Certain Dark Things will give me all the vampire content I want. show less

"You are going to break one of us, and it will not be me," she said, and he almost caught her wrist, but she pulled away - she always pulled away - and left him alone.

"Do you think you can put your heart in a box of iron and throw away the key? Do you think that is the best way to live? Keep your damn heart in a box and let nothing touch it!" she exclaimed.
Ready to depart, now that she had said her piece, she whirled away from him. Her chest burned with ardent sorrow, but at least she was glad she was not weeping.
"No, I do not think it is possible, because you are in there already!" he yelled back.

Oh my! I chose this book for my Valentine's Day read and I was not disappointed. I first heard about it from a booktuber. I have watched show more over two dozen review videos by this person and she is usually very negative (but constructive) about the books that she reads. In fact, she is so well known for her contriteness that, being accused of never liking any novels, she had to make a list of ones that she did like. And this one, this one made the list. In fact, she fairly glowed when she spoke of it. She didn't say the premise of the book at all but I didn't need her to because of the amazing change in her disposition. She could not stop smiling and squeeing and said that it gave her the feeling of her all-time favorite movie, 1995's Pride and Prejudice. Well, I am quite the fan of that film as well. Quite. So on that statement alone, not even knowing the plot or promise of the book, I ordered a copy. And if you are a fan of P&P, you should do the same.
It's like P&P, Sanditon, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Little Women, North and South, Poldark and even some of the similar modern books like the Pink Carnation series. It is everything right from all those books, simply fantastic. I loved every minute I spent with it and I want to read it all over again - right now. show less

The Beautiful Ones ♦ Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Review

[b:The Beautiful Ones|55311334|The Beautiful Ones|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611470492l/55311334._SY75_.jpg|54122902] is my first book of [a:Silvia Moreno-Garcia|4088550|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1597118464p2/4088550.jpg], and I was left delighted afterwards. In all honesty, I don’t believe Silvia Moreno-Garcia is capable of producing a subpar book. I have read multiple other reviews of other books she already published. And lucky for me, I already have three more of her books here patiently waiting.



The Beautiful Ones ♦ Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Opinion

The story of The Beautiful Ones revolves show more around two telekinetic characters named Hector Auvrey and Nina Beaulieu. Although Nina has spent her entire life in the country, her cousin, Gaétan Beaulieu and his wife, Valérie Beaulieu, bring her to the city, so she can mingle with the socialites also known as The Beautiful Ones. Hector, who also happens to be the wife’s betrayed boyfriend, uses Nina’s quest to learn more about her abilities as a chance to rekindle his relationship with Valérie.

I’m not sure how to express how much I adored this book. In a fascinating unique style, it combines different genre — and it made me fall in love with this mix of historical fantasy romance. Silvia Moreno-Garcia also does a fantastic job of bringing this universe to life. The setting is very intriguing, and I nearly felt as though I was right there with the characters. Which are flawless, as well as her world building.

»The world remained and there was something remarkably comforting about this thought, since heartbreak often invoked images of cataclysms that would devour every speck of ground beneath one’s feet.«

― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Beautiful Ones, p. 134

There was also the romance between Nina and Hector, and I could feel all those emotions. The age difference did bother me a little, because it was hard to tell Hector’s age. The author never revealed that about him. Therefore, I just hoped both were just a decade apart. Besides that, I adored them to pieces. With all the drama and the second chances, and Hector ultimately learning to live in the here and now and to leave the past behind, it just hit all the perfect notes for me. Even now, pondering that I want to reread should say a lot about this book.

"You are beautiful, Valérie. I don’t think you’ll ever cease to be beautiful, and you’ll continue to drive men crazy with your beauty. But there is no goodness in you, just poison, and a desire to wound", he said without malice, as if he were explaining a difficult arithmetic operation.

― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Beautiful Ones, p. 219

Valérie’s lack of depth as a villain is probably the only thing I have to criticize. Not that I cared much for this character, but there were occasions when a tiny feeling of pity rose up inside of me for her. But every next move or word of her extinguished this little flame over and over again. Honestly, it’s a very odd situation I hardly find myself in while reading a book. But Valérie’s character gave me mixed emotions of feeling sadly sympathetic with her, but also hating her to the core. There was simply no kindness from her in the midst of everything, which is what I was hoping for. Nevertheless, her character didn’t ruin the book for me. But on the contrary, it gave the whole plot and pace the right spice, which made me cheer for Nina and Hector even more and to see Valérie go down and swallow her own poison.

Conclusion

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Beautiful Ones is basically a passionate, fast-paced romance with the magic of telekinesis peppered throughout. It just works, and I’m not sure how. Just don’t ask. But believe me, when I say: Silvia Moreno-Garcia is that gifted as a writer.



This review was first published at The Art of Reading. show less

When Hector Auvray and Valérie Beaulieu were both nineteen, they had a passionate summer romance, but after Hector left to try to gain the income and status to be worthy of Valérie, she succumbed to her own greed as well as that of her family, and married a wealthy but boring man, Gaetan Beaulieu. She sent Hector a “Dear John” letter, and they did not see each other since then. Now, ten years later, Hector is a well-known telekinetic performer, and Valérie is one of the “beautiful people” in Loisail, France.

They meet up again because of a chance encounter between Hector and Antonina (Nina) Beaulieu, Valérie’s cousin by marriage. Nina is staying with Gaetan and Valérie for the summer, and is attending parties (escorted by show more Valérie) in hopes of having an epic romance, like in the books she loves. For Valérie, taking Nina around was torture:

“She, Valérie Beaulieu, chained to this lump of a child who…. after three weeks in Loisail … had not [even] memorized the names, ranks, and particularities of the most important men and women of the city…."

She refers to Nina as Gaetan’s “nitwit cousin.” She also resents Gaetan’s affection for Nina. Why should he have devotion to anyone but her, and furthermore, provide for his family when he was not nearly as generous with Valérie’s family? The author writes:

“The limits of Valérie’s power and influence chafed her. She begrudged Antonina for this reason and also because she was by nature a jealous, possessive creature.”

And Valérie is not alone in her distaste for Nina. Nina was also spurned by “the beautiful ones” of society:

“They saw a determined spark lurking behind those hazel eyes that they classified as insolence, a lack of artifice that struck them as boorish, a capacity to remain unimpressed by the bric-a-brac on display that they deemed stupidity."

Hector asks for and receives permission from Gaetan to court Nina, but he has a secret agenda: he wants to see Valérie again; he has remained obsessed with her:

“His love of Valérie was vicious. It gripped him utterly.”

Hector finally managed to get Valérie alone and confronted her about her betrayal when she ended their relationship and married Gaetan. She basically dismissed him by declaring they were just young and foolish, and her family would never have allowed her to wed (a nobody) like him. They needed Beaulieu’s money.

Still, Hector confessed, “I have not forgotten you, Valérie.” Valérie, even while spurning him, said if he wanted to make a fool of himself courting Nina he could be her guest. But secretly, she relished that he still wanted her.

Surprisingly, Hector found he was not entirely unhappy in the company of Nina. They shared a talent for telekinesis; Nina asked Hector to help her gain mastery of her ability, and he enjoyed teaching her. He also liked her lack of pretension and her honesty and optimism.

Gaetan finally sees the light about Valérie, as do the rest of the characters. They others also learn the truth about the past relationship between Valérie and Hector, of which they had been unaware. Although what happened next may seem predictable, the story was full of surprises and I had no idea how it would come out until the end was upon me.

Discussion: There are for the most part just three main characters, with one of them seeming mainly to serve (1) to highlight the basic emptiness of “the beautiful ones” (i.e., effete upper class) and (2) to act as a catalyst for the other characters to grow.

There is magic in this book (i.e., with respect to the telekinesis), but it is woven into the story almost as an aside. In any event, the magic seemed to me to be metaphorical, to illustrate the way people with determination can affect the world.

Evaluation: The appeal of this story crept up on me, crescendoing to an ending that was just lovely. show less

Oh this book. The author tweeted about it being "Dangerous Liaisons but with Force Users"; I'd probably call it Edith Wharton with telekinesis (but French). The point stands. Bound-tight societal emotion, with bonus magical powers.

I loved it. It has a slow start, gradually unfolding itself with intriguing characters tearing themselves ragged on each other (and we know I'm a sucker for that) and an excellence in construction that I could appreciate intellectually. But by around a third to a half of the way through, it had somehow and inexplicably become essential. I burned through the second half of the book in about 24 hours because I had to know, and not just what, but how. Every word was vital. Every word was perfect.

It's gentle. It's show more intense. It's an amazing journey for all characters involved. It's a delight. If you're into fantasy of manners--or characters who are immaculate catastrophes--then get thee into this because wheeeee! show less

Magical and Beautifully Written


Insomnia was a real thing for me yesterday. I managed to finish four books and this is one of. I think the fact that I sat here in the dark with nothing but my kindle and it was such a joy. What I love with this author is that I never know what to expect when I read a Silvia Moreno-Garcia book. Honestly, that is so refreshing. Sometimes I want predictability, but sometimes I want to have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I just want to sit back and enjoy taking my emotions on a bumpy ride. Book rollercoasters are the only ones that don’t make me sick.

I will start out by saying that this book does have a love triangle of sorts in it. I usually don't go for that trope, but this one was handled well. show more Nina was a delight. She's such an oddball and a perfectly whimsical heroine, which are my favorite kind. Hector, the hero, took a bit more time to warm up to, but I think that's part of his story. He really had to work to get the reader's approval and Nina’s I loved when I felt this big shift in him--breaking apart the old and new Hector. I don't want perfect characters. I want characters that mess up, learn from their mistakes, and grow into better humans. I think Nina and Hector were able to do that. Because it's Silvia writing this, I honestly had no idea how the story would end. I didn't know if I'd get a happily ever after ending or if I'd close the book with tears in my eyes. I will let you pick it up and try it for yourself that is the best way to experience this book.
The prose is lovely and the writing style is so easy that you can get lost in it beautifully. Not one word was wasted and sometimes there were so many profound quotes that I had to keep from underlining text on every other page. It's really good writing that sweeps you up and into this world. If you like family drama, unrequited love, second chances and a playful dose of magic in your stories, this might be for you. If it isn’t I would recommend that you try Mexican Gothic first that is the book that got me started on this magical ride into finding a new author I truly enjoy. Overall this is a four-star read for me I think it could have been a five for sure I just have become a very picky girl when it comes to my books. I already have Velvet was the Night. It’s high on my list for 2022. I am truly just enjoying this author. show less

Silvia Moreno-Garcia captured the attention of the online book community at large with Mexican Gothic in 2020, but her brilliance didn’t start there. While not her debut, The Beautiful Ones is a book of particular note, managing to both entice and disgust in easy flourishes. This book has one of the best crafted villains I’ve ever read, and an ending I didn’t expect.

The Beautiful Ones is more magical realism than fantasy. It is a bit of romance and a bit of the unusual, but the cold steel heart of it is an examination of social structure and elitism and it is harsh. Harsh in the best way possible. Subjects such as old money vs. new money, decorum, family responsibility, and honor are all on bright display here. I love being able show more to fall into step with the characters, but also the ability to detach and watch the storylines play out to their own nefarious ends. I savored The Beautiful Ones in a way I did not expect.

All the characters are intriguing, although the contrast between Nina and Valerie was my favorite. Valerie was a surprise – not mentioned in the book’s description but a constant presence in its pages. What a good foil they are to one another! I think, in its depths, this is more Valerie’s book than Nina’s. I generally find the description misleading, as it is much less about Nina’s ability and more about the twisted relationships between various parties.

Without specifics, the scene at Clocktower Hill and leading up to it was my absolute favorite. I was so, so certain there would be a different outcome. No idea what I’m talking about? You’ll have to read the book to see.

The Beautiful Ones is an easy recommendation, particularly for those who enjoy period romances without too much steam and with a great deal of manipulation. I would read it again, and I have placed it on my long list of books I want to purchase in hardcopy. show less