Farzana Doctor gives us an engaging novel of young teenagers at an elite boarding school in Canada. The story begins with a new student and new French teacher(Nahla) at the beginning of their school year. There are some interesting things going on at the school which involve a bit of paranormal activity and also some very dark secrets. Nahla is the adult presence in the dorm and sees activities that cause her to question what is happening. The novel gives us some serious thought provoking issues that encourage the students stand up for what they believe is wrong. I enjoyed the book.

I want to thank NetGalley, ECW Press and Farzana Doctor for this YA book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an interesting story centered on three young women at a Canadian boarding school in the 1980s. I found it easy to tell all three leads apart from the start, which is always a plus in this kind of book. Their stories were interesting and timely in a post-me too way. I thought the ending tied things up nicely, but I would've liked to see an epilogue showing what the girls were up to in the future.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I picked it up specifically for the boarding school setting. Unfortunately, I didn't love any of the characters, which greatly hindered my enjoyment. The story itself was pretty good, but I didn't like the ending. It left me feeling confused and mad.

The Beauty of Us by Farzana Doctor is a deeply moving exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of family dynamics. The story follows a protagonist navigating the challenges of relationships, cultural expectations, and personal growth. Doctor’s rich prose and well-developed characters invite readers into a world of emotional depth, where themes of belonging and self-discovery resonate powerfully. This poignant narrative is a beautiful reflection on the intricacies of human connections, making it a must-read for those seeking heartfelt contemporary fiction.

The Beauty of Us by Farzana Doctor takes readers to Thornton College, an elite Canadian private school in the 1980s, exploring themes of identity, friendship, and trauma through the perspectives of Zahabiya, Leesa, and Nahla. Content warning: grooming and teacher-student relationships.

Zahabiya, a newcomer, struggles to fit in while dealing with family dynamics and first love. She confronts the manipulative Leesa, who embodies the school’s social hierarchy. As Zahabiya and her friends uncover Leesa's hidden truths, they find potential for redemption.

Nahla, a young teacher, navigates her struggles while unravelling the mystery of Mademoiselle LeBlanc and her connection to Leesa. Her journey reveals unexpected ties that challenge her perceptions.

Doctor’s immersive storytelling captures the essence of the 1980s and offers relatable character experiences. Zahabiya's perspective shines as relatable, while Leesa's viewpoint adds depth to her character. However, Nahla’s adult perspective felt less engaging compared to the teen narratives.

Overall, The Beauty of Us is a compelling exploration of resilience and understanding, making it a worthwhile read.

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The Beauty of Us is Farzana's debut in the YA genre, and like her previous adult works she has been able to put together a thoughtful and engaging store, this time it's a mature story accessible to older teens and people in there their early 20's.

Following three characters at Thornton Boarding school I found Zahibya, Nahla and Leesa were all equally interesting characters to follow along with and I wanted the best for all three of them. The female friends were excellent in this which is honestly refreshing, there was never blown out drama. They listened and respected each other. I also felt for Leesa and her personal life being the catalyst to being groomed which was sad to witness. Lastly it was interesting to see Nahla's role in all of it as well and how Mademoiselle Leblanc's lingered presence as guiding spirit gave this story a little bit of a magical realism spin.

Even though this story is set in the eighties it still felt modern in a lot of ways too. It's one I will be recommending. Such an excellent story.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book. I enjoyed this book but something was just missing for me a bit. I liked all of the different povs but i feel like something was just off about the main plot line that i don’t know how to put into words. i liked the different characters and their arcs and i think that was one of the main positives of the book. please check trigger warnings before going into this.

The Beauty of UsThe Beauty of Us by Farina Doctor is one of those books that hits you right in the feels. It’s about love, healing, and figuring out who you really are after life knocks you down.

The main character is super relatable as she deals with her past and tries to open up to someone new. Her relationship with the love interest feels so real—there’s no rush, just a slow build-up of trust and chemistry. You really get to see how they go from being cautious to something deeper and more meaningful. It’s sweet, but not in an over-the-top way, and their moments together feel genuine.

What I loved most is how the book talks about tough stuff like insecurities and emotional abuse, but without making you feel overwhelmed. The author balances the heavy topics with lighter moments, and you end up rooting for the main character the whole time.

The writing is simple and easy to get into. It feels like you’re watching the story unfold right in front of you without any unnecessary fluff. The pacing is just right, and before you know it, you’re at the end wanting more.

This is a new author for me. I really enjoyed The Beauty of Us. I liked the fact the book is set at an elite boarding school which made it a little different than the books I usually read. The author does a great job bringing this setting to vivid life. The book focuses on the lives of three women; Leesa and Zahabiya who are students and one of the teachers, Nahla. I found this a gripping read about coming of age, culture and identity. I’d recommend this.

The Beauty of Us by Farzana Doctor was a great read.
A thought-provoking story for teens. I enjoyed the topics that were mentioned here.

This book primarily tells the story of three women: Leesa and Zahabiya, who are students, and Nahla, who is a teacher at their school. All of them are struggling with a conflict and have varying levels of support. I thought the atmosphere of an elite boarding school was captured pretty well, and that the conversations of how different abuse victims can react were handled with sensitivity. The book takes place over one school term, and I liked the overall arc of each woman's journey during that time. Although it was a very small part of the book, one of my favorite aspects of it were the hints of supernatural interaction and aid. This book is a thought-provoking read about abuse of power, grooming, and the trust necessary to report.

This is a fine piece of fiction for teenager readers and up. Set in a boarding school, but could have been any school really. It works on many levels - as a teenager coming of age story, a finding your place and being accepted amongst pupil peers, and as a maybe warning and finding strength to speak out for yourself and others. Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This was such a gripping read about culture, growing up, identity, and finding yourself. The switching between characters made for great pacing and added strong development in addition to the plot. As a teacher myself, I appreciated the way this touched on sensitive topics as I think many don't realize how much young kids are going through today. Thanks for the ARC - I'll definitely be adding this one to my library!

The Beauty of Us by Farzana Doctor offers a thoughtful exploration of personal and cultural identity. The novel's characters are well-developed, and the narrative addresses relevant themes with sensitivity. While the story provides an engaging read, it may not fully resonate with all readers due to its slower pacing.

A campus novel with a me too situation. Told from different points of view (my one complaint, honestly, didn’t need so many) that was a solid addition to the genre.

3.5 ⭐️ The story begins with Nahla, a young and enthusiastic teacher, who arrives at Thornton College to teach French, replacing previous teacher Sylvie. As Nahla settles into her new role, she discovers Sylvie’s journal, which with the help of several students begins to unveil a dark secret. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including Nahla, an authoritative figure, and two students, providing a multi-faceted view of the events at the boarding school.
The author creates a narrative that is thought-provoking, addressing serious issues such as abuse of power, the ethics of teacher-student relationships, and the courage it takes to stand up against wrongdoing.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Beauty of Us" by Farzana Doctor immerses you into the world of Thornton College, an elite private school in Canada during the 1980s. Through the perspectives of Zahabiya, Leesa, and Nahla, Doctor skillfully explores themes of identity, friendship, and overcoming trauma. Before going into this review, I do want to provide a content warning for grooming and teacher-student relationship (adult teacher with an underage student). Also, one of the perspectives of this book is from a different teacher at the school (in her young 20s). So, 2 of the 3 POVs are from teenagers and 1 is from an adult. Now, getting into the review:

Zahabiya, a recent arrival at Thornton College, grapples with fitting in among her peers while navigating the complexities of her own family dynamics and the struggles of first love. Alongside a group of racially diverse students, Zahabiya faces the challenges posed by the school's social hierarchy, particularly embodied by the manipulative Leesa, who also gets a POV in the book. As Zahabiya and her friends uncover Leesa's hidden truths, they are confronted with the potential for redemption.

Meanwhile, Nahla, the new teacher at Thornton, finds herself embroiled in her own struggles, both personal and professional. Through Nahla's perspective, you are drawn into the mystery surrounding the enigmatic Mademoiselle LeBlanc and the secrets she left behind, which all tie back in to Leesa’s hidden truths. As Nahla grapples with her own past through family drama and present through a potential romance, she discovers unexpected connections that challenge her perceptions of herself and her role at the school.

Doctor's story is compelling and immersive, capturing the essence of the 1980s era while delving into timeless themes of resilience and growth . Through richly drawn characters and masterful storytelling, "The Beauty of Us" offers a relatable exploration of the human experience, reminding you of the beauty found in moments of connection and understanding. I really enjoyed the perspective of Zahabiya as she felt very relatable and realistic. While Leesa is more of an antagonist in the book as the “queen bee” of the school and some bullying of other students, I did find it unique that we got to see her perspective throughout the book as we got to see the reasoning behind Leesa’s actions. Not many books take the risk of providing the antagonist’s perspective, but the book also allowed us to see her chance of redemption.

I did find the teacher’s perspective to not fit as well just because she wasn’t a teenager (in her early 20s) and was working at the school as a faculty member. While I understand that her perspective was important, especially with her connection to Mademoiselle LeBlanc, I just wasn’t able to connect with her and/or enjoy her POV as much as the other two.

I would recommend this book to older YA readers due to some of the mature themes throughout the book (mainly grooming). I think there is a lot to learn from this book, especially with the importance of saying something when you notice an inappropriate relationship. This book also focuses on the need for friendship in order to overcome life’s struggles, especially when you’re in high school. Overall, I really enjoyed “The Beauty of Us,” and I can’t wait to read more from Doctor.

This book tells the story of a group of students and a new teacher at an elite private school in Canada. It is set in the 1980s and conjures up that era.

Zahabiya is a recent arrival and is part of a group of students from ethnic minority backgrounds who are often targeted by another girl, Leesa. She is already struggling to find stable ground after her father's recent remarriage, from which she has escaped to this school.

Amidst all this, Zahabiya is now trying to find her place, put off by the negativity of her roommate Mei, and feeling unsure of how to navigate her crush on one of the boys.

The new teacher Nahla Naim has her own problems, and is also trying to navigate her way, having come in as the replacement for the long time French teacher Mademoiselle LeBlanc, who has passed away.

All these characters, including Leesa who is hiding a big secret that is discovered by the others, must find a measure of inner peace and a way of managing the challenges they face in their external environment. And perhaps, just perhaps, they can find that way together...

This is an absorbing story well told. Farzana Doctor is a gifted storyteller, and brings alive her characters. Readers will empathise with the plight of Nahla, Zahabiya, and even, to some extent, Leesa. All in all, this novel is worth a read.