Beautiful Ones

Every step he took was inspired by the echo of that long-lost love. Even now, Hector knew he was still possessed. Perhaps even more than before.

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Nina had a lot of quirky qualities that I enjoyed. She was socially awkward, full of joy and energy, showed an utter disregard for etiquette and social niceties, and had a love of beetles that was quite cute. I tried to like her, and at times, she really was charming. But the fact that I knew she was being duped so cruelly from page one didn't do my impression of her any favors.

She conveyed herself as a blushing, giggling girl that couldn't see past her infatuation or her eternal optimism. In the beginning, you can almost sympathize with her in a way. Knowing how she gave up her youthful hopes of romance, and her own happiness for that of her family, you can't help but feel pity. But her selfish nature isn't helped by her husband's coddling and amiable moods. If anything, it feeds into her bitterness and rage.

As the book wore on, she grew progressively more selfish, vindictive, and every bit of empathy she had gained from me evaporated in the wind. She started to teeter on the edge of sanity, and at this point all I wanted was for her to be squashed like one of the pretty insects that Nina so lovingly collected. The Beautiful Ones was what I would classify as a historical romance with hints of fantasy due to the telekinesis element.

Beautiful Ones

This was a very small fraction of the book, and I must admit I was hoping that it would be heavier on the fantasy. I enjoyed seeing Nina and Hector's abilities come out, but it was not integral to the overall plot. The characters were well written, but were lost inside the slow moving pace, and not entirely likable for me personally. It took me quite a while to warm up to Hector at all, as he so carelessly played with Nina's tender trust for so long. Eventually, he did experience growth, and there was some groveling involved, but did I love him?

No, he never made it to that point. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing was beautifully done, and her style was one that I could see myself enjoying with a future story. I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy a slow burn historical romance. Aug 09, Lisa rated it really liked it Shelves: Review from Tenacious Reader: That turned out to be The Beautiful Ones. Just from the synopsis I could tell it would be incredibly different from the vampire underground world created in Certain Dark Things, but I have to confess, I was hoping to still find a bit of that darkness in The Beautiful Ones.

Moreno-Garcia did create great characters in both, that is the main similarities end. As opposed to most of the books I read, the romance aspect was the strongest plot point in this book. You can also find character growth, and a lesson to embrace who you are, etc. But ultimately, this book was about relationships and romance. I am not stating that as a negative, honestly, sometimes its nice to read a book like that. But I like to know ahead of time so I can save it for when the mood strikes, so keep that in mind if you only read and enjoy romance centered books sporadically. The magic in this book consists of telekinetic powers that are rare within the world.

Nina, one of our POVs as well as the one I would consider the central character, is cursed with these telekinetic powers.

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Untrained, she can not control them, and they manifest at times of stress. Hector, another of our POVs, also has telekinetic powers. Lucky for him, as a man, he can use his powers in a way that is not frowned upon by society. He is successful travelling performer, using his powers to create breathtaking spectacles. He may not have quite the same social standing as nobility, but he does earn enough money to rival them and garner a level of respect.

He may not be one of them, but he is welcome among them. When Hector takes an interest in courting Nina, his motivations are not entirely honest. The book is not a fast paced thriller, but a slow burn that explores relationships and trust, as well as acceptance for who you are. I enjoyed reading about Nina and watch her learn to not be ashamed of the magic that is just a part of her. If you are in the mood for a character and relationship driven book with a bit of romance and heartbreak, then this is worth checking out. Jun 28, Wendi Lee rated it really liked it Shelves: This book was not at all what I expected.

There was a lot more romance than magic both Hector and Nina are telekinetics. It reminded me of reading a Edith Wharton book with a bit of magic mixed in, complete with naive protagonists, scheming cousin-in-laws the vicious Valerie and bumbling suitors. Valerie is the perfect villainous. She has had a sour life, denied a marriage to the man she loved, pouting as her husband a perfectly nice man, by the way throws jewels her way. She has made almost no choices in her own life which is a sad commentary on the rigid gender roles in the 19th-ish century - I write 'ish' because it really isn't clear when this novel takes place , and she's determined that young Nina suffer through the same fate.

I will stop here, as I want to keep this review spoiler-free. But it was an impressive, accomplished novel, and I highly recommend it. This author is versatile! The previous book of hers I read was a very original vampire story. It was so good that I kept an eye out for what she wrote next. I feared the worst and hoped for the best. Oct 20, Steven rated it really liked it Shelves: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I haven't had a chance yet to read it, though I did buy it earlier this year to read, but when I saw this on Netgalley, I had to give it a shot.

Telekinesis talked about as if it's relatively normal in this world? Sounds fun to me. Well, Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Well, here's the deal The telekinesis aspect, while it plays an important role in the development and relationship between two of the three main characters, is really a tiny part of the story. This book is mostly historical romance, a genre that I typically don't pick up except on rare occasion.

So the telekinesis almost felt like it was there to trick me into reading something I normally wouldn't. I ended up loving the book! Three compelling main characters, all broken in their own ways. Two of them fight to find something more, and one of them is one of the most despicable and cold and heartless characters I've seen on the page -- but she made for a great villain.

Nina, though, stole my heart. She reminded me a lot of myself, and that made for an excellent read as I saw her grow and develop. There were a few times the pacing felt a little off, and I would have liked a little more of the powers, but those are minor complaints about a really compelling read. I'm glad I took a chance on this. I can't wait now for Certain Dark Things, because if she does for vampires what she did for historical romance with a tinge of the supernatural, then I'm in for a treat.

Martin Press, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. The Beautiful Ones have the money, the class, the position in society. Valerie is one; Nina should be if she weren't such a country bumpkin; Hector not so much but he may have enough money made from his telekinesis act to fit in. But Hector loves Valerie and Nina loves Hector. This was one long soap opera. I felt like I was watching tv.

The Beautiful Ones

I so wanted Valerie to get her comeuppance through the whole thing. And I kept yelling at Hector to get his head on straight. I suppose it's a good sign when a book sparks such strong reactions. The psychokinesis tricks were just an added bonus to give two of the characters a connection or an easy, quick way to relate. It could have been anything, but at least this way it was original.

I was pleased, so, so pleased with outcome. I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way. Aug 01, Emma added it Shelves: There's really nothing wrong with this book, but it's just not what I expected and not what I need right now.

Beautiful Ones - Wikipedia

It's well-written, and the characters' schemes have the potential to get really interesting. It's definitely pretty slow-paced, though, and there are other books I want to focus on to try to get out of this slump. Feb 22, Taryn Pierson rated it it was amazing Shelves: I read books last year, which was a record number for me since going back to full-time work a few years ago. In fact, the breakneck pace and the pressure to finish my current book in order to move on to the next sucked the joy out of the whole thing.

It felt like an empty victory. This year, one of my goals for my reading life is to slow down and enjoy the books I read. Last year I shied away from long books and books that felt too dense or too heavy or too difficult. This year I want to read what sounds good to me in the moment, regardless of how long it takes me to get through it. And one of the reasons I decided to slow down was this book. I received it as a Christmas gift and savored it over the holiday. I felt like I was reading the book the way it was meant to be read.

Nina lives in a fantasy world based loosely on the Belle Epoque late 19th-century France. She grew up in the country but has been sent to stay with her cousin and his wife in the big city, where everyone hopes she can find a husband. Hector piques her interest because he is a stage magician who has powers like hers. But Moreno-Garcia is way too talented a writer to leave throwaway details laying around. The Beautiful Ones is just a really lovely love story. More book recommendations by me at www. View all 6 comments. May 09, carnovalesque rated it it was amazing Shelves: Damn, I knew I was right to be excited about this book.

It wasn't what I expected at all, but I was utterly enchanted, like, reading-on-the-subway-with-a-stupid-smile-on-my-face enchanted. I actually read half of this book in one day, reading into the night, so enamored I was. Moreno-Garcia has created captivating, vibrant characters in a novel written with grace and elegance.

Immediately upon beginning this book, I felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel well I've only ever read a single Damn, I knew I was right to be excited about this book. This is fitting, considering the author, on her blog , describes this book as a novel of manners. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica , a novel of manners is "work of fiction that re-creates a social world, conveying with finely detailed observation the customs, values, and mores of a highly developed and complex society. The conventions of the society dominate the story, and characters are differentiated by the degree to which they measure up to the uniform standard, or ideal, of behaviour or fall below it.

Hector, Nina, and Valerie. Hector is a telekinetic "talent" who has clawed his way out of poverty by becoming a stage performer. He is also, despite his aloof exterior, a shy romantic who has spent a decade pining for his first love, Valerie, who left him for a wealthier man. Valerie, the antagonist of the novel, is a bitter, jealous woman, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of a family that has lost its former glory.

Essentially guilted into marriage to a wealthy man who could uplift her family, Valerie is utterly resentful of Nina, who has a world of choices ahead of her. Nina, Valerie's cousin by marriage, is a budding entomologist who seems to have little regard for the social mores of the world she lives in. She is honest and straightforward, naive and somewhat impulsive, and she is, like Hector, a telekinetic who resents being told her powers are not "ladylike.

However, eventually, in a beautifully written-slow burn romance, Hector begins to fall for Nina instead. With excellent craft and technique, Moreno-Garcia traces significant character development for all three of her main characters.

Hector comes to see the error of his ways as he slowly opens up and allows himself to care for someone again. Nina sheds some of her gullibility and youth, yet retains the open-eyed wonder of an ingenue. Valerie grows more bitter and cruel by the chapter, yet the reader is not totally unsympathetic towards her fall from grace as she elucidates her disappointment with the turn her life has taken she reminds me quite a bit of Cersei Lannister, actually As I said, this novel was not what I expected.

I thought I was going to read something heavy on the fantasy, and I was definitely left wanting in that arena. I would have liked more emphasis on world-building; it's not super clear whether this is meant to be a straight-up second world fantasy or some kind of alternate European country. In that same vein, I wish the existence of powers in this society had been expounded upon more, because for me it was fascinating to see telekinetics existing openly in a society that very closely resembled a mixture of early 20th century England and France.

However, I do think that none of that was really the "point" of the novel; it's a story about love and relationships, with a touch of the fantasy element to add some color. I was reminded, in a way, of the film Another Earth , in which the fantastical or sci-fi, in that case elements were really only window-dressing to the overarching story of love, regret, and redemption. Despite its underdevelopment, the touch of the fantastical definitely added to the story.

Nina is made even more of an outsider because of it, having grown up under the epithet of "the Witch of Oldehouse. In Hector I think she meets a kindred soul, a fellow telekinetic who has made something of himself because of his talent and not despite it. It is significant that Hector, I think, is the only person who never admonishes Nina for using her talent in public and being "unladylike. Minor characters were similarly endearing. Etienne, Hector's only friend, somehow manages to read him like a book, commenting wryly on Hector's various subtle changes of emotion throughout.

Nina's sister, Marlena, is only around in a few scenes, but her love for her sister in those moments is clear and shining. Luc, Etienne's younger brother and would-be suitor for Nina at one point, is capricious and impetuous, but also childish in his innocence. Gaetan, Valerie's husband and Nina's beloved cousin, is seen as weak-willed and pathetic in his wife Valerie's eyes, but is shown to be a kind, indulgent, and forgiving man.

Garcia-Moreno brings all of these characters to life in a narrative style that straddles third-person limited and third-person omniscient. If it hasn't been clear amidst all this ebullient praise, I absolutely loved this book. I can see it as the kind of book to be read in schools one day as a classic, and I will definitely be recommending it for my library.

More importantly, it has also inspired me as a writer. The vibrant characters, the deftly elegant writing style, the simple yet engaging plot - it has made me want to write my own novel of manners someday, in homage to this lovely book. Sep 07, Meigan rated it it was amazing Shelves: A tale of lost loves, newfound loves and beetles! In a city ruled by manners and etiquette, country girl Nina doesn't quite fit in with the elite and Beautiful Ones of Loisail.

Sent to the city to partake in the balls of the Grand Season in hopes of finding a husband, Nina knows that she's not like everyone else. She'd rather be catching butterflies on her family's country estate, or studying beetles, or reading books, A tale of lost loves, newfound loves and beetles! Add to that, she's also telekinetic, harboring the ability to move things about with her mind, powers she has no control over. Her powers are the equivalent of a red flag in high-society, and she's labeled a freak and an outcast by most everyone.

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This article is about the Suede single. Retrieved 21 March Retrieved 20 June Retrieved 15 June Retrieved 5 June Beautiful Ones" in Finnish. Retrieved 17 July Check out IMDb's Streaming Guide to see what's new on Netflix, find out if your favorite streaming show has been renewed or canceled, and more.

Visit our Streaming Guide. The Beautiful Ones When strong-willed Summer Pratt takes a job at a beautiful estate as the new nanny to a sweet but sad little girl named Sophie, she soon starts to suspect something is very wrong with the A young man determined to be a military hero, ends up on a misguided adventure with his family and new friend Tally, which leads him to the most unlikely realization of how he can These are times when one civilization is replacing another. A new era is about to begin in Central Eurasia.

Scythians, the proud warriors, are all but gone. The few of their descendants A classically-trained martial artist goes to work as a mob debt collector. The job seems easy enough, until a client drags him into a situation deeper than could ever be anticipated.

While on a routine patrol, an aging cop, his partner and their ride-along get caught in a standoff with a band of former mercenaries robbing a bank. A mob family shylock falls in love with the wrong woman during a turf war, and has to use his unique skills to rescue her from the same people he once called brothers. This movie gives me painful memories of the plethora of "beatnick" movies made in the '60s, which had absolutely nothing to do with reality and everything to do with Hollywood's misperception of what society was like. The screenplay seems like it was hastily scribbled onto the back of a napkin during a lunch break.

The directing makes the actors look like fourteen-year-olds trying to act "tough.