Dead Beautiful

Dead Beautiful served up everything I love about this genre and more. This is one of those books where I wished I were the main character (vicariously)! I wanted to jump into the pages and become Renee; despite the horrors she faced. I felt like I was living the story along with her. That's how beautifully written this story is. It pulls you in from the start and the pages just keep turning; for me, they turned deep into the night :o] a big thank-you to my clip on book light! Ms. Woon writes as if this were one of many novels; I can't believe this is a debut story. The story line does entail a lot of what the genre revolves around but make no mistake; this is definitely distinctive despite any similarities of young love or boarding schools. I won't go into the plot or character descriptions as it's been done but what I will say is if you enjoy the YA paranormal genre (whether you're a teen, young adult or mature adult!) than read this book.

It's rare to come across something different and original. Well, almost original. We have creepy/ weird boarding schools with wealthy students. Dangerous, loner, beautiful boy meets new girl. Dead parents. Yada yada yada. But each aspect is unique in its own way. Classes consist of Philosophy, Crude Sciences, Survival skills etc. The beautiful boy, isn't cold and stuck up. He's actually really sweet. Woon gives each thing her own twist which makes things nice. Even the plot, mythology (or should I say philosophy?)--the heart of the story is different and interesting. The best part about the book, it kept you guessing. Out of the five of surprises, three I saw coming. The rest--I was like, WHOA, that's cool. Lately tons of YA books have been easy to guess, so it was nice to actually be shocked. There are tons of things I loved about the book, but yet it has it's downfalls. Woon falls under the slow paced categories. For the first half of the book, it feels like we're on a rollercoaster that's climbing and climbing and climbing...a drop would be nice any day now? Now, I can't blame her. When your character is dealing with deaths, new school, and friends, you have to make your character go through certain things. But she could have done it better. Another thing that drove me CRAAAZZZZZY at times, was the main character Renee. At times I loved her for her outward attitude. She questioned everyone/thing, skeptic, even humorous at times. But when it came to important things like, "LOOK THIS MAY BE IMPORTANT AND IF YOU CATCH THIS YOU'RE SMART," she never would catch it. It drove me crazy at times. She's smart one second and completely oblivious the other. This is something that happens in other YA novels, but it's the authors fault. They make there characters ignore or refuse to acknowledge something when it's in there characters nature to notice things. But honestly, I like it. The romance between Renee and Dante was perfect. Not over done, another can't live without kind, but still. It was sweet and believable. Dante was a sweet guy and I didn't find myself snoring when he talked but I didn't find myself swooning. He would be someone I would befriend, but not chase after. Liked the book. If there's a sequel--there's defiantly room for a sequel (A few unanswered questions could create an amazing part two) then I'll be sure to pick it up. Reviewed by [...]

It's not often that I come across literature-quality writing in YA fiction. And let's face it, most of us read YA fiction (teens and adults alike) for the escape it offers us and not necessarily for much else. This isn't to say the writing in all YA fiction is sub-par...but truly top-notch writing, the kind that gives you chills and makes you want to sloooow down and cherish every word, perhaps even reread the book just after finishing -- well it's not something that happens on a regular basis. You probably know where I'm heading with this. Dead Beautiful is very much a GREAT YA novel. Within the first few paragraphs of the first chapter, I knew I'd stumbled across something really fantastic. Renee is an incredible female lead: she acts her age yet she's also strong and not afraid to zig while others zag; she responds as one would expect in the face of tragedy, opposition, and fear yet she still remains a sympathetic character (unlike in some novels where the heroine's self-pity and negative attitude weighs down the entire story); her relationships with those around her evolve naturally without feeling rushed. The plot is truly unique. It unfolds slowly and delicately allowing the reader to savor the surroundings and get to know the characters better. Yes, this is a "boarding school" book...so certain elements remain the same: girl is thrust into new school environment, must navigate social waters while solving a mystery, will align with some peers/teachers while inadvertently pissing off others, etc. But the overarching story is really something else. I won't throw out any spoilers here but it took me about 3/4 of the way through the book until I slowly pieced together what I thought was going on. And even then, I only got about half of it right. Dead Beautiful reminds me in some ways of one of my very favorite novels: The Secret History by Donna Tart. I think it's the writing...as well as the constant sense of dread combined with brilliant flashes of beauty and hope. And of course the whole exclusive school/secret student society thing. Anyway, both books stayed with me long after I'd finished them...and they provided a lot of food for thought: about the nature of death, about morals (and the lack thereof), about finding the things you most hoped for in the midst of great sorrow, about the strength and fragility of relationships, about surviving and embracing change. Read this book! And don't let the mildly corny cover turn you off...

This story was instantly grabbing as it starts with the main character, Renee, losing something that we can almost all relate to at some point: Parents. As Renee's parents die a sudden death, her entire world was changed within a matter of days. Obviously, losing people always evokes immediate change, but Renee suffers more as she loses her parents and then is ripped from her home, her town, her school, her friends, and her environment. She's sent to boarding school across the U.S. to the East coast, opposite of everything she knows. As she struggles with the grief of losing her parents and being shuffled into this new life that her grandfather has chosen for her, she quickly finds that her new school is rife with mystery, intrigue, death, and, of course, hot boys that she's forbidden to date. Along with the secrets of the school come the secrets of a beautiful boy that she falls for. He's mixed up within the mystery surrounding the school and when Renee digs up answers, she digs up his shocking past. Anyway, without giving away too much from the story, the reason for the mystery on campus is definitely something new. Not all new approaches to teen/YA paranormal fiction are creative, done well, or engrossing, but this book is all of those things. The way the author writes it is fantastic. She gives you subtle possibilities and hints at different outcomes for what this unique mystery might be, but when the mystery is revealed, it's brilliant (and will catch you off guard). My rambling aside - most definitely pick this book up. It's hard to put down once you start and you'll want to solve the mystery on your own (and you also might want to punch some of the characters in the book in the face for being creepy and downright weird). Beautifully told, thoroughly engrossing, and absolutely leaves you wanting more! *RANDOM END NOTE*: This reminded me of the new debut "Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh. Not in the story line, mystery or plot but, by the brilliance of the unique, new, and engrossing paranormal twist in both of these books.

I didn't have any expectations going into this book, and I was so pleasantly surprised that I loved it the way I did. I was engrossed from the beginning of the story, when poor Renee finds her parents dead in the woods, to the bitter and shocking ending that left me reeling. This book was set at a boarding school, which is a setting that I really love when it's done well, which it was in this case. The teachers and students are all beyond smart and each has a compelling personality that draws you in. Renee was a fantastic main character. She was smart and resourceful. Even dealing with the shocking death of her parents, she is strong and stands up for what she believes in. When she moves to the mysterious Godfried Academy and finds that there are things there that might lead her to answers about what happened to her parents she is unstoppable in her quest for answers. Dante is the classic male lead, handsome and mysterious and everything a girl is looking for. He was completely devoted to Renee from the moment they got together. Although he was the classic male lead, he was also charming in his own right and a lot of fun to read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think a lot of you will as well. It had a mystery that had me guessing through the whole book. The paranormal element in this book was one of the biggest mysteries, so I won't give it away, but I will say that it was really unique. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!