
Member Reviews

This is a wonderful, nostalgic read and I highly recommend it. The narrator is a 10 year old girl on holiday with her parents and older sister, who, along with a boy she meets, investigates the mystery of a missing girl. It is cleverly-written from a child’s perspective and there are some wistful moments when we realise she has misunderstood something that she isn’t yet old enough to understand. The tensions between the sisters are so good - and realistic! The atmospheric setting made me long to return to New Zealand. I hardly ever find books set in New Zealand so this was a treat for me! The writing drew me in from the start and I was hooked by the mystery that unfolded. I liked the way the author didn’t tie up all the loose ends as it gave me more to think about. A Beautiful Family lingers with me as a snapshot of a more innocent time, when a Sony Walkman was the most prized possession and the sun shone every day. Five stars!

An apparently happy family holiday gradually unravels over the weeks spent at a holiday house. This story is told by the youngest daughter, ten year Alix, and at times, we have to wait for her to catch up with us as adult readers. The first mystery is that for the first time ever that she can remember her mother wants to spend the vacation somewhere with other people around. Once the family settle into their new surroundings Alix befriends a Maori boy and together they begin to try and solve the disappearance of a nine year old girl on the same beach the previous year. Meanwhile the rest of the family are going their own ways and the reader has to watch as Alix struggles to follow what is going on.
The story is well told from the child's perspective — I particularly like her interactions with her sister — and the way the family implodes from a caring unit to self concerned individuals who barely notice the strange neighbour who is watching them all the time.
It is a cleverly crafted book and an interesting and different read which I very much enjoyed.
With thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

A seemingly united family take their summer holiday, closer to home in Wellington than usual, and it becomes apparent that they are all at some distance to each other, perhaps even falling apart. A distracted mother; a teenager on the verge of adulthood, and a father who seems to be clinging to an idea of a happy family. The youngest daughter is ten and she befriends a Māori boy who leads her on a hunt for a missing girl. The author steers us expertly through the mysteries of adult life through her eyes. That this is so subtly done is a credit to the writing. When a creepy neighbour becomes involved, there really are some nail biting moments when we fear the worst, in fact the whole novel carries an air of looming catastrophe, despite moments of almost funny near misses. This view of the world through a child of ten’s perspective, where her seemingly caring parents are in fact missing all the clues of impending disaster in the face of their imploding marriage, is very convincing. I couldn’t put this down

What it lacks in narrative pace, it gains in narrative voice and plot. Told through the voice of a ten year old in NZ, it's a thriller that requires reader response to work a bit harder to translate those pre-adolescent thoughts. It's set over a summer break, and the simplicity of the tone is in juxtaposition to the events that take place. The breadcrumb drops of potential foreboding are easy to miss, but on re-reading, they're there and, I'd say, deliberately masked. I enjoyed it. Much thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

Children always pick up more than adults assume, they are small and can creep about listening to conversations and watching events unfold, while not necessarily understanding what is happening.
A 10-year-old girl is on holiday with her parents and older sister, at a beach town a few hours from their home in Wellington, New Zealand. She makes a friend, a Māori boy who is the same age, and together they try to solve a mystery. Ultimately this is not a fun caper as together they make a grim discovery. Also the girl uncovers secrets about the people closest to her, and her uncertainty about what to share and what to hide was palpable.
This is a story of childhood, innocence and evil. I found it slowly grew rather creepy. It was an absolute page turner as I wanted to find out if my suspicions were correct. The author sustained low-level psychological tension perfectly.
I enjoy books written from a child’s point of view and think the author captured a ten year old’s noticing things, but not understanding their import perfectly. Also the relationship between the two sisters was well sketched. The way the teenager communicated to her annoying little sister was believable and although cruel at times, there was clearly an unshakeable bond between them.
I recommend The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon for a similar type of story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I absolutely adored this story. I loved it from the first page to the end...
I felt totally like I was living this story through the main character's eyes, despite her being a child. It was very well told, an incredible talent to capture the voice of a child throughout the whole story. I loved the references to the time period too and that awkward sister relationship where the older sister is experiencing teenage dramas and social life whilst the younger one watches on...
There were some things that were never properly answered or cleared up, I feel like I need another few chapters to have it properly be finished but... well, despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and think it deserves the full five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a copy of this e-Arc
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel from Jennifer Trevelyan!
The story is told from the perspective of Alix, a 10-year-old girl on holiday with her family. Alix soon finds a mystery unfolding that she is looking desperately to solve, but the question is, is this the overactive imagination of a 10-year-old or is there something darker at play?
I loved the nostalgic feeling of summers past that this book provided, and found that the further into the book I got, the more invested I was to uncover the truth. I did find however, that there were a lot of loose ends that weren’t tied up or touched upon, that could’ve made this into a 4 star read.

Addictive reading. Family saga unfolds when they decided to go away for Christmas and the New Year. Story was based from the 10 year old daughters perspective.
Totally different read.

This book is like time travel to those long lost holidays of childhood, friends found and memories made. But then there is a darker twist, full of mystery and things not quite mentioned out loud.

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan is a well written debut. A coming of age story told through the eyes of a ten year old girl, it documents one summer holiday. The holiday exposes the fault lines within the family and the book also explores a mystery of a missing child. Although there are no big surprises in the book (and the ones that do happen have less impact than they should), it is an engaging read.

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan is a tense and captivating debut that explores childhood innocence, family dynamics, and the mysteries that can unravel when curiosity goes too far. The story takes place during a sun-soaked summer vacation, where a ten-year-old girl finds herself drawn into a web of secrets, lies, and danger that no one around her seems to notice.
While her mother focuses on finishing her book, her father is preoccupied with grilling and watching cricket, and her fifteen-year-old sister has her eyes set on a local lifeguard, the young protagonist is left to her own devices. It is during this time that she befriends a new companion and together they begin investigating the mysterious drowning of a child named Charlotte, which occurred two years prior. What begins as an innocent curiosity soon spirals into something far more disturbing, as the children uncover secrets they were never meant to know.
As they dig deeper, they begin to question everything about their seemingly perfect family vacation. Are her parents truly happy? Is her sister trusting the right people? Is their rented house as safe as it seems? And when another person goes missing, the family finds themselves entangled in an urgent police investigation that brings to light far more than they bargained for.
Trevelyan’s writing is evocative and insightful, capturing the confusion, frustration, and sharp curiosity of childhood. The bond between the two sisters is portrayed with authenticity, showing the complexity of family relationships and how even the smallest discoveries can have profound effects. The book skillfully builds a slow-burning mystery, leading up to a poignant and satisfying conclusion.
The Beautiful Family is a beautifully written exploration of how children perceive the world and how secrets and lies can shape the lives of those closest to us. The author masterfully evokes nostalgia, reminding readers of the wonder and confusion of seeing the adult world through the eyes of a child. This book will leave readers reflecting on the hidden truths within their own families and the innocence lost when secrets come to light.
Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A Beautiful Family is a nostalgic and atmospheric story that captures the essence of childhood summers, sibling relationships, and the complexities of family dynamics.
Jennifer Travelyan draws readers in with a dreamy, sun-drenched setting - a family holiday by the sea and a lagoon - before gradually introducing darker undertones that shift the novel into something more suspenseful.
The novel opens with a warm, almost idyllic tone, as ten-year-old Alix forms a friendship with Kahu, seemingly setting the stage for a summer of adventure.
At first, it feels like a gentle mystery, as the children become curious about a missing girl, but as the story unfolds, layers of family secrets, suspicious neighbours, and rebellious teenagers come to the surface.
The transition from carefree holiday bliss to something more unsettling is handled seamlessly, adding depth and intrigue.
Travelyan’s prose is as shimmering as a sunlit day, evoking the sensory pleasures of summer - golden beaches, salty air, and the slow passage of time - while also hinting at the storm clouds gathering in the distance.
The story captures family relationships with nuance, showing how tensions and unspoken truths can simmer beneath the surface even in the most picturesque of settings.
The sense of nostalgia is strong, making it easy to relate to the childhood experiences and long, lazy days of summer.
Though the story has its share of tense moments, it never loses sight of the bonds that hold the family together.
The balance between warmth and suspense makes A Beautiful Family a compelling read, perfect for those who enjoy evocative storytelling with a hint of mystery.
I had hoped some of the loose ends would be tied up.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really did enjoy this book.
It started slow but kept the interest up.
The story becomes somewhat more intense about half way through.
The ending, disappointing as it left with so many questions, I was expecting a lot more.
I guess the author has left it open for book 2!

a beautiful family is one of those books that invoke the feeling of nostalgia. i found throughout reading that this book reminded me a lot of my childhood and growing up. the vivid descriptions of the beach and just the new zealand setting really made me miss home.
there is a slight mystery weaved throughout a beautiful family, which kept me hooked and intrigued. unfortunately, i found the disappointed by the lack of answers at the end. i had so many questions and only a handful of them were actually answered.
i did the find perspective being told through the eyes of a 10 year old girl really interesting. i just wished it was a bit faster paced and had a more conclusive ending.

Up until the dark part tying up, some chunks of this book is about summer days as a young girl, Alix’s life.
She narrates the story through her strong and authentic voice. which is the strongest suit of this book.
The setting is rather new to me, which added to the sense of the mystery, but the nostalgic elements, and the childhood perspectives were familiar.
Overall, a very well written debut.

A nostalgic and familiar sort of book, I really enjoyed the slow pace of this story. While nothing actually happened, there were several hints and clues towards bigger things, including Charlottes fate and the next door neighbour. The entire book had a summer haze over it and made me long for sunburnt days and blistering evenings. It felt alive with sand and grit and sea salt and was a beautiful amalgamation of coming of age and childhood naïveté. A truly mesmerising story with extraordinary writing.

I found this book completely absorbing. Set in New Zealand and written from the perspective of a ten year old girl, this book does a brilliant job of explaining the challenges of being a child trying to process adult events. It is twisty, suspenseful and brilliantly written. Somewhere between Kala and The List of Suspicious Things.

It starts in a rose tinted, lazy days of summer way: a family spending several weeks in a holiday rental by the sea and a lagoon. 10 year old Alix founds friendship with Kahu and it seems we will be following their adventures trying to find what happened to a missing girl.
But as the story develops we learn about family secrets, suspicious neighbours and rebellious teens.
Prose as shimmering as a spectacular sunlit day, with a storm clouds to add variety.

I enjoyed the New Zealand setting for this novel and found the family dynamics interesting. Told from the viewpoint of 10 year old Alix over a few weeks of a summer beach holiday, the mundane becomes unsettling as she and her new friend search for clues about a young girl who has gone missing. I found there were too many unnecessary details about day-to-day family life but, on the whole, this is a good debut.

3.5 stars ⭐
This was nicely nostalgic for summers past, and sibling relationships.
I was lulled into the story all sunshine and beaches, but it took a darker turn by the end.
I think it did a great job of describing family holidays, and family dynamics as a whole, even when there aren't secrets to uncover.
A few tense moment too.
Good debut.