A review by alouette
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

honestly, i wanted to like this book more than i did, which is part of why i read it in one day. the other part is from it being truly dreamy and engaging! but even if i couldn't put it down, i still felt it lacking in some respects. notably, the characters, who all blurred together for me. even though i was invested in the revelations, the reflections on how we are accountable for the sins of generations before us, i was not particularly moved by the grief, love, or other emotions that the characters felt. especially because none of them, aside from Fel, got an introductory interaction- just a jumble of names to be cemented by one or two scenes where their personality mattered, and many where it didn't. 

i also know little of the language of flowers or flower identification, so i felt a disconnect from that theme too. same for the themes of Christianity and the Latine connections/background. the immigration one i felt, but even that is because i come from an immigrant family, not because the writing made me feel much heart-wrenching emotion. i know it's a book of magical realism, but i wish it had been a little less abstract in exploring the themes and instead offered concrete foundations to make them more accessible. i understand that such a story as this comes from a writer writing for themself, and i admire that, but it wouldn't take much to bring in the context that would make this book touch the heart of even the least empathetic reader.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings