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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
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clair_82's review against another edition
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dark mysterious tense
5.0

andshe_reads's review
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dark tense fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0

Such a Queen of twisty plots and building mountains of tension, Alice Feeney has smashed it out the park with this one. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't put it down until the end.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review this book. This was a great thriller and I really didn't know how it was going to end and omg the ending is fabulous!!!!

I found myself picturing the Scottish island with the writing cabin deep in the woods and it all so sinister. Definitely a perfect book to read as Halloween is around the corner.

I will definitely be reading more from the author.

What a wild, mind-bending ride! Beautiful Ugly pulls you right in and doesn’t let go until your head is spinning. Grady’s wife, Abby, vanishes under the creepiest circumstances, and a year later, he’s on a tiny Scottish island trying to rebuild his life. That’s when he spots her—or at least someone who looks exactly like her—and cue the paranoia! Feeney crafts a thriller that’s twisty, deliciously eerie, and just unpredictable enough to keep you guessing. The plot will make you question everything you thought you knew, and by the end, you’ll be second-guessing every little detail. A perfectly unsettling page-turner!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a Review Copy

I got a copy of this from NetGalley because I liked the description, not realising I had enjoyed one of her books before. I was even more pleased when I realised and I read it in two sittings whilst on holiday. It was twisty and unexpected with a hint of the wicker man. Great fun.

Whilst this is my first Alice Feeney read, it certainly won't be the last - what a ride this was!

When the book opens Grady Green is awaiting news as to whether he is a New York Times best seller whilst waiting for his wife to return home from work. Whilst on her journey home, abby comes across a woman lying in the road, despite her husband's protestations, she gets out of the car to help and is not seen again. Fast forward a year later, Grady visits the little island of Amberley, the idea of his agent Kitty, in a last ditch attempt to resurrect his writing career. It soon becomes apparent to Grady that things are not quite what they seem on the island and he starts seeing his wife everywhere.

Amberley is the perfect setting for this story, an island of only 25 permanent residents and no permitted visitors outside of the summer months which instantly gives claustrophobic, creepy vibes.

I 100% did not see what was coming and I loved every minute - highly recommended.

Now I need to read all Alice Feeney’s books! What a page turner! I wasn’t sure at first but after the first few pages I honestly couldn’t put it down! So many twists and turns and I was convinced I’d worked it out every time but never did!

Beautiful Ugly
4.5⭐
Pub Date: Jan 30

"The world is Beautiful Ugly, relationships are Beautiful Ugly, people are Beautiful Ugly. Understanding that makes life easier to live with."

Psychotic, mind twisting, and addictive.
Beautiful Ugly will leave you speechless 😶.

Here's the story:
Grady green is a struggling writer. Has always preferred loneliness and solitude, he has his characters as his company and prefers them to real people. Then, luck struck and he became a New York Times best seller everything was going well until it wasn't.
Abby is his wife she's an investigative journalist and recently she has been receiving anonymous threats which made Grady on edge and weary about her because she was the love of his life he doesn't like people but he loves Abby so much.
One day everything changed and Abby disappeared just like that one second she was here and the next she's gone and he doesn't know if she's alive or not. One year later, Grady has lost everything he hasn't been able to write to eat or do anything so his agent proposes that he goes to Scotland to the Island of Amberly there's a cabin there where he could write. It's a free accommodation until he gets back on his feet a proposition he couldn't say no to because he hasn't got anything left. The thing is the island of Amberly is a remote Scottish Island there's no phones no internet no TV just him and his dog and 25 residents everything was going well until he started to imagine seeing Abby everywhere.
Is this real or is his mind playing tricks on him what is this place actually and what does the future have in store for Grady? Read and find out 🫣
😉
I could go on and on about this book and couldn't do it justice. It's mind blowing 😮 and addictive one point you think you have things figured out and the next everything changes. It's fast-paced and thrilling and I promise you you're going to enjoy every moment.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #BeautifulUgly in exchange for my honest review.

This book grabs you from the first page and keeps your attention until the end. Each character stands out clearly, so you never get confused about who's who. The author paints a setting that’s both beautiful and eerie, creating a slightly dark and creepy atmosphere that suits the story perfectly. The plot is original, unlike anything I’ve read before, which makes it a refreshing experience. Plus, there’s one clever detail that’s especially fun to discover, a unique twist that adds to the book’s appeal. It’s a great, smart idea that made the story even more memorable!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy of Alice Feeney’s latest novel. As I have come to expect from this author, the plot is clever with twists and turns and secrets being revealed as the plot develops. It’s a great holiday read, not too complicated, with enough suspense to keep you reading. I can see this being picked up in the airports and being enjoyed by those who enjoy a solid psychological thriller.

An excellent novel that needs read in one sitting- it is fast paced and full of surprises that keep you guessing. What has happened to Abby and what does Grady do next?

This book had me hooked from the start. Alice Feeney writes in an engaging style and leads you through her many twists and turns. The plot is clever and well thought out and there is a satisfying ending. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

4.5 stars rounded up for its cleverness.

Every time I pick up a new Alice Feeney book, I wonder how she is going to shock and surprise me this time. Surely she can’t keep topping those twisty endings. But you know what, she does, and has again blown my mind with Beautiful Ugly. I had.no idea where it was going, who I could trust or how it would end.

This is such a cleverly worded story, that thinking back now, the clues were there. It is dark and the setting is creepy and eerie. I could feel the isolation, not being able to leave the island. It would drive me insane and I loved how Feeney drew it out and had me questioning everything and everyone and still not be able to work it out.

Another triumph for Alice Feeney, and a book that I won’t forget in a hurry. I devoured it in a few hours, telling myself that I would just read a few more chapters before going to sleep. That didn’t happen and ai am not mad about it at all. It is a slow burn but so incredibly addictive that you just won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for my very early copy to read. Always a delight and o read this author. Publishes on January 30th,2025.

There's absolutely nothing ugly about the prose in this extremely chilling tale of a wronged spouse, as Alice Feeney delivers just the most word-perfect delivery in the story of Grady and Abby Green - there's a sudden disappearance, a banishment, a remote yet strangely cultish Scottish island of just 25 inhabitants and, two weeks in from finishing this book, the characters are still in my head.

It's absolute joy to read a novel where the darkness just whacks you over the head and leaves you reeling, and yet Beautiful Ugly does it so subtly. Only as I read on, on occasions, did I see what is missed, and only hours, days after I'd finished did even more 'pennies drop ', which is a rare thing indeed. And a good thing; to still be thinking about a book when you're several books on is a rather wonderful feeling.

Alice Feeney once again proving that she is a master/mistress at creating some seriously freaky characters to populate a thoroughly unique story.

Maybe the blub about being 'The queen of twists' didn't help but I didn't find any in this novel so, for me, it was simply a dark tale of selfishness and a marriage turned bad.
Beautifully written, hence the three stars, I just found it a bit weird to be honest and the only character I was rooting for was the dog.
I'm obviously in a minority though.

Firstly thank you to pan macmillan and netgalley for allowing me to read this early!!

I will forever be thankful because this book is one of the best book I have read all year!!!

The twists in it wore honestly spot on my jaw was swinging open with the shock!!

I loved all of the characters I loved the vibe of the island it was honestly such a perfect book!!!

Cannot waitttttt to get my hands on a physical copy of this book as there was literally not 1 thing I didn’t not like about It!!

But those plot twists????

Honestly, I loved the book, the author’s writing style, the characters (some of whom I more or less hated), and the unexpected twists!!!!!

Not being a fan of slow burns, I had a hard time getting into it, but the more I read, the harder it was to put my phone down. And that sloooooow burn was worth it for what happens at the end.

The story took me through all kinds of emotions and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. The way the author keeps us hooked is a bit twisted, but incredibly clever.

There are a few details that, in my opinion, are unnecessary and make no sense, but still, this book remains an excellent thriller.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers with seriously twisted plot twists!!

My first time reading a book by this author and I was not disappointed! Full of tantalising twists and turns, the plot had be hooked and I will certainly be looking to read more by Alice Feeney.

Twisty, dark and an absolute jaw dropper of an ending. Alice Feeney once again writes with twists that absolute blindsight you out of nowhere.

I’ve read a few of this author’s books and this is my favourite. Not shy of twists. Really didn’t know how this would pan out. Unexpected, but good ending. Enjoyable and I would recommend to others.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

I loved this book - an isolated Scottish island and some seriously creepy goings on - or was the writer going mad. I loved the ending too - highly recommended

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

This book was an absolute page- turner. It was so compelling, I was completely engrossed and so invested in learning what had happened. Not a single dull moment in the entire book. This is the best book I’ve read so far by this author.

The setting of this book was brilliant. We have a down on his luck author being sent to a remote Scottish island to an isolated cabin to work on his new book by his editor. He’s been struggling since his wife disappeared a year ago and his editor sends him to the former home of a deceased, famous writer to get his book completed. The island is such a gorgeous, wonderful community, with a warm welcome from residents, a lovely village vibe and a well-appointed home to write in, in peace and quiet with his dog. However something isn’t quite right, he can’t seem to get a schedule for when the next ferry will leave the island, he’s finding strange items in his cabin, he’s learning that people have secrets. And weirdest of all, he keeps finding newspaper articles that his missing wife, a journalist, had written.

I loved the use of the newspaper articles, it was so clever, dropping clues and misdirection in a way that’s so satisfying once you work out what’s happening!

The use of unreliable narrator here was so well done. The main character we quickly learn is no saint, and has had some pretty dishonest behaviour in the past. This created such an interesting conflict where he’s pretty unlikeable and yet you feel sorry for him due to his recent circumstances. I went back and forth on how I felt about him a lot which is testament to the cleverness of the writing.

Couldn’t put this one down! Such an exciting and compelling read!