A review by clairebau
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Oh, wow. I knew I'd like this book because it's so conceptually fascinating, but I liked it more than I thought I would, despite it being in first person. 

I'll start with my issues: the pacing was off. The ending felt rushed. I was disappointed by this.

This book reminded me why I love reading women written by women. The characters are rich and well-defined yet described simplistically in a quick, punchy writing style that I just adore. I'm not generally into mysteries, but I had a ton of fun piecing together details to try to solve the plot of this horror/thriller combo. Gorgeously, gorgeously done. Exposition was provided in a perfect steady drip that captivated me. The characters are awesome. The gore is written so effectively; the horror is intrinsic, and never did I have to be told how scared or unnerved to feel. God, I love weird books. As someone who struggles with her relationship to beauty as a "hobbyist" and willing participant but still identifies as a more radical-leaning feminist, this was the book for me. Everyone quotes this, but I'll drop it here too:

"Beauty has always been one of the ways women have been able to access power, and I can't fault any of them for wanting more of it."
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