I knew i could count on Renée Ahdieh to provide me with the stunning prose and riveting plots I craved. Her writing is so captivating that I couldn't put it down.

I'm aware that a common criticism of this novel is that vampires don't appear until the very end. First, let me say that this is not the case. Listen, I think the problem is that vampire culture has evolved through time (twilight onward). I'm not trying to be a downer about the transformation, but this novel makes heavy use of conventional vampire legend. You may find them throughout the text if you know where to look.

This novel completely captivated me. I like reading a book about vampires that stayed true to the ancient traditions; perhaps my preference for such an approach reveals my advanced age, but oh well. For whatever reason, the "twilight" era of vampire literature has never appealed to me. It's one of those books that will either completely captivate you or completely turn you off. Please let me know if you enjoyed it or not by leaving a comment.

This is such a compelling read with a well-researched setting and some exciting twists. I wasn’t so sure about the pacing at first, but by the end, I was really rooting for the main characters and excited to see what happens to them in the next book.

A dazzling paranormal murder mystery set in 1870s New Orleans about a girl who tries to escape one darkness only to find herself right in the middle of another.


Celine Rousseau fled a fancy dress shop in Paris for a convent in New Orleans after things that could definitely be the end of her (she’s got secrets) went down. She’s hoping for a fresh start in New Orleans — new city, new her, and none of that darkness she fears she carries within herself. But fresh off the boat that brought her to America, she runs head-on into the shadowy side of New Orleans, as though she’s drawn to the darkness. The shadow has a name, Sébastian Saint Germain, who is none other than the leader of La Cours de Lions. A group that may or may not harbor vampires (the vampire storyline is covert, not overt; don’t expect fangs on every page, or even in every chapter). But there is definitely a big bad monster stalking the streets of New Orleans, taking lives, and all the while zeroing in on Celine.

Celine is tough, independent, and determined to maintain her agency. Her focus is on the friendships she strikes up (Pippa and Odette) over potential love interests (Sébastien and Michael). The pace (both action and romance) is a luxurious slow-burn throughout the first two acts (if slow-burn is not your thing, you were warned), with gorgeous descriptions of New Orleans (Ahdieh’s writing is exceptional). The action picks up as The Beautiful heads into its heart-pounding finale in the third act, with a plot twist that will leave your head spinning and your hands grabbing for the sequel (The Damned).

Firstly, I just want to say that I don't think people are really using the term slow correctly when they're talking about this book. I'm also going to say that I didn't expect to spend my evening reading this book, but now that I have I guess I should talk about it.

I think that this is just an average read. If I were to be direct I'd probably say that I might have enjoyed this more if it were a standalone because while i guess the story ends on a cliffhanger and there might be more to the story, I'm pretty satisfied with how things ended here. I don't feel particularly drawn to pick up The Damned, most certainly not anytime soon.

A lot has been said about the lack of vampires on the page in this book, and I guess if you wanted to take that stance you could. It's clear from the beginning of the book this isn't like the 2010s paranormal boom vampire that was also the reason that vampires in YA went away for so long. This is a very different take on the creature and not one that I have a lot of feelings for. I think it's fine, they were definitely there, but they also aren't really the kind of vampire for me. Maybe it's because I became an avid reader in the early days of the paranormal boom and I have a kind of archetype of a vampire that I want to read about and these are very much not those. I couldn't say. For what they are and for what the story wanted them to be, they were fine. I never really questioned that his was a book with supernatural elements.

The singular driving force that kept me going through the novel was definitely our hero, Celine. I just thought she was an interesting character. I loved the way she interacted with the rest of the cast, though I don't really think that any of the supporting characters were all that fleshed out. I'm not even certain that Celine was, I just liked her. Odette was another character that I found myself fond of for no particular reason. As for Bastien.... Look I wanted to like the man. I might like the man. But there was something about constantly comparing the Black Indigenous love interest to the devil that wasn't sexy to me, that was a choice. Please someone tell me that's not what I was reading, that I misunderstood something.

I think it was cute. Other reviews have talked about the vibes and them being pleasing. If anything I appreciated how it was lowkey just a slice of life contemporary, there just happened to be some dead bodies popping up. I wouldn't actively discourage people from reading the book because I enjoyed myself, but I can definitely understand how others expectations might not have been met. Maybe I'll get around to the sequel at some point, but we already went over that earlier.

Sadly I did not enjoy this one, I really neared lore vampires! Here is the link to my Instagram review https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTUxNTI5NzE4MzA4NTA1?igshid=1mivf351vujlm&story_media_id=2343786169040887379

I was really hoping to enjoy this book more than I did. In my opinion some of the side characters were far more interesting than the main character.
I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I had hoped.

Vampires making a comeback? I am here for it. Especially when it's books like “The Beautiful” that are paving the way. Vampires have always been one of my favorite concepts to read about so I was super excited to get my hands on this book.

I was not disappointed with a single page. This book had it all, strong female character, handsome love interest, and one hell of a plot. The writing was beautiful, This was my first book by Renée Ahdieh and I can promise you, it won’t be the last.

Celine Rousseau is my latest spirit animal and I adore her with every fiber of my being. She told it like it was and I adored her romance with Sebastien, plus Michael. I am excited to see where everything goes in the Damned. Which so happens to be my next read.

I have so many thoughts about what is to come, but I have a feeling Renée Ahdieh is going throw me for a loop and I am so ready!

If you like historical settings, vampires, and a story that simply won’t let you go then pick up this book.

Hmm...where to start with this one. Well, I didn't *hate* it, but it did take me almost a month of prodding through and reading a little here and there between other books to get through it (mainly because the coy teen romance and subtle vampires just couldn't hold my interest for long periods of time).

I found the book to be quite unsatisfying, and I honestly went into it hoping for a bloody, seductive, vampire romp, and I just didn't get that. Most of the time, I was even questioning if there were actually any vampires in the book. There were also times that I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again but nothing really happening. The characters also fell flat for me. I kept reading about how Bastian was such a bad boy type, but I just never got that vibe from him. I think he is meant to be a mysterious character, but he was entirely too mysterious, because I felt like I knew very little about him. He also comes off as pretty mellow and mild, rather than holding to his various monikers of Lucifer, the devil, the ghost. Celine was....hmm....boring and confusing? Like, does she want to be with Bastian or not? Is she a fierce, adventure seeking female or not? I just couldn't like her. She is quite the wishy-washy character, and we never got a clear picture of who she actually is. I didn't have any clear opinions of or connections to any of the characters. And the Court of Lions? Like, can we have some clarification?

What I did like about the book was that it took place in 19th century NOLA. Like, how much cooler can a setting be? The allure and atmosphere created through Ahdieh's beautiful prose was phenomenal. This is the first Ahdieh book I've read, but I can certainly tell that she has a way with language and it shows.

2.5/5- I'll be one of the first to admit that I don't read a ton of YA. However, I have been picking up more YA Fantasy/Horror recently, and I've found some books that have been beautifully written. I know that lots of people rave about the amazingness of this book, and I thought this one sounded like it would have been up my alley, but I was just left not feeling much at all about it. I was highly underwhelmed.

After fleeing Paris in 1872, Celine finds herself in New Orleans. She wants to start anew and ends up at the Ursaline Covent. She becomes entangled with La Cours de Lions and their leader, Sebastien Saint Germain. As bodies begin piling up around her, Celine believes the killer may be after her.

I was pretty bored for the first little bit of this, but I definitely began to enjoy it more as the story went on. Celine was an interesting main character, I liked how she went against societal norms and constraints set for her. I loved the tension between Bastien and Celine, their witty banter was fun to read. I did find the shift from hate to love to be a bit abrupt, but that might just be me. I'm also not particularily excited for the possible love triangle, I'm hoping that doesn't happen in the second book, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Although I liked Celine and Bastein, Pippa and Odette were the true stars in my eyes. I loved the friendship between Celine and these two girls. They were both very different from one another, but they both supported and cared for Celine in their own way. Odette just made me so happy every time she was on page. The biggest complain I have is that it was a bit disappointing that the vampires didn't come in for a good majority of the book... I wanted more.

“We forget our dreams, but our nightmares linger with us evermore.”
I was pretty disappointed with The Beautiful. This is one of those popular books that people either really love or loathe with a passion. I was somewhere in between. In the beginning I was having a hard time getting through it and it didn't seem to be picking up until I reached 60%. At that point I became attached to Celine (Our main character) and a few select others like the handsome devil Bastion.


The Beautiful is set in New Orleans during the late 1800's. It gives us a gorgeous back drop and stunning descriptions. Celine has just escaped a troubled past and heads to a convent where she will teach french. Along the way she meets Pippa from Yorkshire who will always be dear to her. Celine's life begins to take shape in New Orleans complete with romance and a world she never knew existed. Will her troubled past life mess everything up? Will the truth of why she left Paris come to haunt her?


This story had all the great makings of a great book but it fell incredibly short for me. I found my attention wavering at several points which made me sad because I was really invested in Celine's choices seeing her character evolve. Unfortunately a key plot point towards the end just didn't sit well with me. I felt like maybe I had missed some clues? I was also confused about clues being given in general and honestly I don't even know if they were explained. I was devastated when a key character had a huge mishap and I'm still really upset over it because that character made the story for me. I'm not complaining about the mishap either! I hope things in the sequel balance it all out and that it was not all in vain!


“One day, someone should tell you how beautiful you are in the moonlight," Bastien said softly.”
I was granted The Damned on Netgalley and I'm not quite sure if i'll be able to pick it up. I know I know... I feel privileged to have gotten it but i'm just not sure this story was meant for me. It does have some great things going for it and it talks about some important issues like Race, inequality, and status. I was actually quite impressed with those. I just wish the story had made more sense.

Equal parts sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, Renée Ahdieh weaves a magical new fantasy tale in her book, The Beautiful. Following a mysterious society and one girl’s wish to start anew, supernatural forces come into play that make our protagonist question everything.
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.
Although the first few chapters are a bit slow, the mysteries of the Court of Lions and supernatural elements haunting New Orleans are revealed bit by bit, hooking the reader into the story. By midway through the novel, I was itching to know what would happen next!
The setting of 1800s New Orleans makes this YA novel even more alluring. I don't know if this novel would have worked if it were for the time period. It adds an extra level of intrigue and it’s a lot of fun to read about these characters trying to rebel against the confines of society and finger out what kind of serial killer is plaguing their city.
Speaking of characters, all of them are so much fun to learn about. Celine, the protagonist, is determined and witty and longs for a sense of agency in her life. Her friends, Pippa and Odette, are loyal in their own ways and help Celine throughout the story. And Bastien’s dark and enigmatic personality is just so enticing that you can’t help but want to dig deeper into what makes him tick. Even Michael, an antagonistic character who seems to be a meek gentleman, shifts from annoying to a likable. The characters help make this story what it is and keep the reader entranced with the plot from start to finish.
And HOLY GOODNESS THAT PLOT TWIST?!?!! I would’ve NEVER guess who the killer was and the things that are revealed at the end of the book make the longing for the sequel even greater. While everything starts to make sense towards the end of the novel, you’re still left wanting more.
Overall, if you’re looking for a new fantasy series to sink your teeth into, then Ahdieh’s The Beautiful is the perfect book to satiate your craving. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out in June to see what these amazing characters get up to next!

Thank You Penguin Teen and Renee Ahdieh for giving me this copy.

I do love a good Vampire book, and this fit the bill! I can’t even think of one thing I would change about it. Celine chose to travel to New Orleans for a fresh start. She had a past she wanted to keep from others and what better way? Move to a place no one knows you and you can start fresh. She starts to see that things in New Orleans are not as they should be. Women are being killed but not just killed, drained of their blood! Celine feels it has something to do with her arrival and is determined to find the person responsible at any cost.
Celine’s character is a strong female, wanting to have some of the power men do. She is a woman ahead of her time and a force to be reckoned with. I don’t want to give away any parts of this book because it was SO good! I can say the turn at the end was a shocker to me. So keep reading, you have to see what happens!