Hideous Beauty

So I was lucky enough to receive a sampler of the first chapter at YALC last year and I was already hooked on it just from that, so I was so happy I was able to receive a copy of the full ARC. I had high expectations of this book after my friend Tracey (among others) raving about it on social media, it's safe to say I completely understand the need for raving because this book was incredible.

This was a beautiful, but also heartbreaking story of young love, lost love and also friendship. Dylan and Ellis' relationship is revealed by an unknown person and Ellis begins acting unlike himself, like he had done a few months previously. They are then in a tragic car accident which only Dylan survives and Dylan turns detective to try and get justice while greiving for his boyfriend.

Dylan's detective work is so cleverly written; him finding out who revealed his and Ellis' relationship, to then finding out why whoever pulled him out of the car wreck didn't go back for Ellis, all the way to finding out why Ellis had acted so unusually. I sobbed at this book so much, it was hideous.... (see what I did there? I'm hilarious). This book was brillaint and I'll definitely be buying a finished copy when it's out in a few weeks, AND recommending it to people.

Hideous Beauty will make you cry, it will make you laugh, it will draw you in from the first page and not let you go until you finish. It will make you read it in once sitting. It is an absolutely stunning, jaw dropping and relevant book that needs to be read by all.

Hideous Beauty is, simply put, absolutely phenomenal. I just fell in love with the entire story and these wonderful characters so much. It moved me to genuine sobs several times; something which I do not do.

I connected so much with Dylan, El and Mike. They were an amazing trio and Hussey really showed off Mike and Dylan’s amazing friendship, while also giving El and Dylan’s relationship space to breathe. Fro, the first couple of chapters, I was heavily invested in both of these bonds, which makes the shift in narrative only that much more devastating. You root for Dylan from the first page, feeling all the micro aggressions that are like ‘death by a thousand Bat-cuts’.

Hussey’s writing is just incredible: whip-smart, packed with emotion and he throws in some knowing cultural references that I loved picking up. It pulsates with power and delicacy as he deals with some really tough issues. The characters also feel like real teens that I may have seen in my school corridors. Also, his portrayal of grief is stunning. It’s nuanced and all-consuming and Hussey shows this perfectly.

This book, at its core, is about feigned acceptance and this really hit home for me. It contains so many important themes (please check the trigger warnings I’ve listed above, which are also on the first page of the book); each of which is dealt with delicately and with obvious research to back it up. There’s a list of resources and a letter from a counsellor to support some of the issues discussed at the end of the book, which I thought was just brilliant to include. This is a dark and twisty tale that made me seethe with rage at times, but these are real issues that my peers deal with everyday.

The central story is a mystery, but it is also a love story. We primarily see Dylan and Ellis’ relationship bloom through flashbacks, before it is tragically cut short. Their relationship felt so natural and lovely, full of a lot of the trials and tribulations of first love, but also darkened by the shadow of ignorance and prejudice. On the mystery side, Hussey can’t be faulted. There are excellent twists and turns throughout the book and they never feel convoluted, rather that they’ve been lurking there the whole time.

Hideous Beauty is a brilliantly plotted, emotional YA thriller with awesome LGBT+ representation that is definitely an early contender for one of my favourite books of the year.

Hideous Beauty is a YA thriller about first love, grief, and why people keep secrets. Dylan's secret relationship with Ellis is exposed right before a school dance, forcing Dylan to come out to his parents. He knows they weren't as okay with it as they acted, but maybe he and Ellis can be happy and openly together. However, a car accident leaves Ellis dead and Dylan trying to work out who saved him but not Ellis and what dark secrets Ellis was keeping from him.

Summarising the novel doesn't really get across either the characters or the way it deals with a lot of intense themes, not only death and sexuality but also cancer and sexual assault (which are all warned about before the novel starts). It is the kind of dark and gripping young adult novel that I would've enjoyed as a teenager, combining mystery elements around what really happened and the pages of Ellis' journal that keep being sent to Dylan with a lot of emotions that need to be dealt with. The love story at its heart features both sweetness and complication, and the ending gives Dylan a chance to deal with the intensity but also grief and the fact he needs to move forward with his life. Plenty of moments in the book are very sad, and Dylan's relationship with many of the characters is complex and often troubled at some point, but there is also the titular 'beauty' to be found, in characters being themselves and in their deep connections (Dylan's friendship with Mike is a good example of both sides of this).

Moving between the present of the narrative and events of the previous six months, Hideous Beauty manages to tell a complex story that touches on guilt, justice, and trauma as well as love and friendship. It is definitely one to be aware of the topics covered inside before reading, but it shows that the classic dark YA thriller (there are hints of some of the more guilt focused Point Horror books in this) can be updated to cover the lives of LGBTQ teenagers and to carry an undercurrent about society and acceptance.

I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. Hideous Beauty gripped me from the very first page where you are drawn in to Dylan and Ellis' relationship. There were moments it brought me to tears and moments where I couldn't stop smiling. I loved the story, the various relationships throughout the story (whether good or bad they were portrayed brilliantly), and the ending was brilliant. The difficult experiences of various characters portrayed in this book were dealt with in a very effective way, and it leads you to view the experiences of people you may know in different ways. This will be a book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries, romance and beautiful stories.

This is *brilliant* @WHusseyAuthor 😭😍😂😭Hideous Beauty really covers every emotion. A mystery mixed with a #LGBTQ romance wrapped in a coming-of-age-importance-of-friendship tale of a grieving teen. Thanks @Usborne for the proof. Lots of thoughts about support & intolerance. https://t.co/gYZv1ytDK5

Well written & touching, this is in part a tale of first love, part twisty mystery & part exploration of grief & guilt. So much to think about/discuss, all wrapped up in a pacy, gripping thriller. I couldn't put it down and absolutely loved it. Very good indeed.

Trigger Warnings: Death, grief, loss, cancer, mental and physical assault, rape, sexual assault, drug use.

When Dylan’s secret relationship with Ellis is exposed via Social Media, Dylan is forced to come out and is met with a surprisingly positive reaction, especially at their Easter dance at school. Dylan’s happiness doesn’t last long as on their drive home, Ellis starts to become withdrawn and secretive and loses control of the car, sending it into a nearby lake. Dylan is pulled free, but Ellis is left to drown. Consumed by guilt and grief Dylan vows to uncover what happened to Ellis, but doing so reveals secrets about Ellis that Dylan never knew.

WOW! This book was everything I needed and blew me away. I was so in awe of it that I found it very hard to put down, and even when I had to put it down I was still thinking about it and longing for the time when I could pick it up again. I haven’t had a book do this to me in such a long time, so I knew Hideous Beauty was going to end up being one of my new favourite books of all time. You could say it was something special, which yes it was.

The plot was well executed and from the very start set things up so well. The mystery within the story was so gripping and honestly, I didn’t have the slightest idea what was going to happen next. Also, unlike many YA mysteries, the story was more focused on the characters and their relationships than having an angle of crime. Yes, it was plot-driven in a way, but yet the characters drove the story in the direction it was taking. Also, the way it was written was perfect. The story is told in alternating chapters ‘then’ and ‘now’ and this, in turn, revealed the answers to the mystery slowly, but not in a way as to bore you. This, also made me completely invested in our main protagonists as I felt that I got to know them on such a personal level through learning about their past and present.

Dylan and Ellis..oh I adored them! They were the cutest couple and I just wanted them to live happily ever after. Their relationship was just so pure and you could tell how much they loved each other, which did reduce me to tears just a few times throughout my reading. You could say that their love was a Romeo and Romeo affair, which is just heart-wrenching. These two, as individuals, also had a big impact on me. Dylan is seen as your typical nerdy, awkward teenage boy, but if you look a bit deeper he was so much more. He was passionate, he was determined and he wanted justice for his boyfriend. Ellis was also such a well thought out character in his own right. He’s flirtatious, bold and out and proud, but behind all that is a complex character, who tries his best to battle with the pain he’s suffered throughout his life. In a way, they both help each other. Ellis helps Dylan become stronger and Dylan helps Ellis become more grounded. I also want to mention Mike, Dylan’s best friend. In the LGBTQ+ YA that I’ve read previously, I don’t recall seeing any of the protagonists have a straight best friend, and I admire William for putting this in. It goes to show that just because someone is gay, doesn’t mean that they can’t have a straight male friend.

Hideous Beauty touches on a lot of important issues including LGBTQ+, loss, sexual assault, mental and physical assault, rape and drug use, all of which were dealt with in a sensitive, mindful way. I also want to point out that there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book, which stood out to me. You don’t see that much, even though it should be happening, so I commend the author and publisher for putting that in the book. The queer representation in Hideous Beauty was next to none, also, and I loved how much thought went into it. Take Ellis for example, he wore pearls, loved art but also played football and could chug a beer. It did break all those queer stereotypes and I absolutely loved that.

Hideous Beauty was such an incredible, thrilling, beautiful read that I didn’t want to finish. It’s captivating but will also break your heart and I, for one, am not going to forget it in a hurry.

Plot:
A tragic accident cuts short Dylan and Ellis’ relationship just when it seemed everything was going right - they’d come out earlier that day, everyone seemed to accept them and they were more in love than ever. But when Dylan wakes up in hospital to the news that his boyfriend is dead, he’s convinced that it wasn’t an accident but something much more sinister. Afterall, someone had filmed and outed them, someone had scared Ellis the previous night and someone had dragged him from the lake and left Ellis to drown.

My thoughts:
You’d think that if the synopsis told me a character was going to die at the beginning of the book, I wouldn’t be shocked and upset when it happened. You’d be wrong. The way the accident and Dylan’s grief were written had me in tears early on in this book and by the end I’d possibly cried the most times I ever have while reading a book (and I do not cry easily). This story was gorgeous, haunting and raw and I loved every second of it.
This is where I tell you about the positives of this book and I don’t know where to start? So bear with, this could be a bit nonsensical. Having two timelines juxtaposed so neatly was incredibly effective. The past showed Dylan and Ellis’ relationship and really gave the reader a connection to Ellis’ character, while the present explored the mystery of Ellis’ death and his past actions. Their relationship was really sweet and sincere and I loved reading about it. I also loved them as individual characters; they were imperfect and that just made them all the more real. The mystery itself was also really good, I don’t want to say too much and spoil it but it was very fitting and well done. Also, the inclusion of content warnings at the start and resources at the end of the book is so important and I’m glad that they’re becoming more common.

The book touched on a number of important themes and although I’m only going to go into detail with one, I did also appreciate the subtle explorations of class divides, drug abuse and family. However, one of my favourite aspects of this book was the narrative around coming out and acceptance. I think it’s the most realistic and authentic way I’ve ever seen this subject written, and definitely reflects my own experiences to some extent. Often, the reaction to a queer person coming out is portrayed as being firmly at one end of the acceptance spectrum or another. In Hideous Beauty, I finally saw the middle ground represented. The conditional, surface level acceptance that is just not enough but no one wants to question.

The following quote came from the author’s note and I can’t stop thinking about it: ‘I discovered that the old prejudices and their impact hadn’t died. It was just that they now sometimes came with a mask of “acceptance”. A phony mask and a dangerous one because, as Dylan says to Mike, acceptance can’t be conditional.’ This is the reality for too many LGBTQ+ people and I hope this book can help open up this conversation.

I know this review may make it seem as if this book is very dark and sad, but it’s also so much more. Ellis and his relationship with Dylan bring so much light and hope to this book, along with some other lovely, supportive characters that I’ve neglected in this review (sorry, Mike!).

I literally cannot think of any negatives to include here to balance my review, so guess what? I’m not going to!
If you can’t tell from the rest of this gushing review, I’ll state it plainly here. This book was incredible and I truly hope you’ll pick it up.

*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley*

A romantic and tragic tale of first love, a mystery and true friendship... this is the crux of Hideous Beauty.

I really felt for the characters and Dylan's sense of loss and need for justice was compelling. The first half of the book romped by, before slowing in the middle, but the ending... dramatic doesn't cover it!

This book will appeal to fans of Sex Education - it has an American feel despite its UK setting and deals with issues that sadly affect many young people. Hideous Beauty has a trigger warning at the start and detailed advice and support at the back.

Hideous Beauty is a book I picked up on a bit of a whim as I hadn't really heard anything about it, but i'm so glad I read this as it truly is one of the best books i've ever read.

This book begins just after Dylan and Ellis' relationship has been outed by an intimate video of them posted online but the general reaction seems positive so their future is looking bright. Then an accident happens and whilst Dylan is saved, Ellis is left to drown. Dylan, struggling with his grief, is determined to uncover the last few months of Ellis' life and discover who would save him but leave Ellis to die.

This book sucked me in straight from the beginning - I was taken in by these characters straight away and desperate to get answers. The mystery was so well done and I loved the little twists we got throughout the story. I had a lot of theories on what could've happened and none of them were quite right.

My absolute favourite thing about this book though were the characters! Dylan is one of my favourite main characters I've read from, he's struggling so much in this book but he's such a realistic character who I couldn't help but fall in love with. Ellis is the character who pushes the boundaries of this small town, he's vivacious and lively and it's easy to see why everyone adored him so. We also have Mike - Dylan's best friend - who was such a well rounded character on his own but his friendship with Dylan was just incredible to read. I loved seeing such a positive, platonic male relationship!

There are so many themes explored here and in such a wonderful way. The way grief is shown was truly wonderful, Dylan is sad and angry whilst also feeling incredibly guilty for Ellis' death and it felt very realistic to me. I also loved the discussions of acceptance that happen in here! There's a part where Dylan talks about how acceptance can't be conditional and that it has to be on the terms of the person you're accepting or it's not acceptance at all, and I just thought it was such an important subject to discuss and really appreciated it being included.

I can't even do justice to what this book meant to me, it truly was beautiful and emotional but also so hopeful, and it was a perfect reminder of why I love to read. I would easily recommend it to everyone.

I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK!

Everyone needs to get this and read it. It is so hard to put into words how much I really loved this book. William Hussey literally ripped my heart open, his style of writing is so emotive. Not only that but it also opened my eyes and make me check myself.

The story is superb, the characters are some of my favourites I have read for a long time. I cannot gush about and recommend that you get this book.

'Hideous Beauty' is a book that will break you and remake you multiple times as you read. I sobbed more than once - the portrayals of grief and loss are spot on (along with the inevitable feelings of guilt and anger), and the "then and now" narratives just layer up the emotions even more. It also made me smile, and filled my heart with warmth - love, friendship, and those shared moments that really count just shine through in every chapter.
There are plenty of "big issues" tackled in this book, and they are threaded naturally into the ongoing plot and mystery in a really intelligent way.
A brilliant book which manages to be many things and do them all well! Definitely one I will be recommending to all of our older students (and anyone else who'll listen!).

This was a really great read from start to finish. Starting with a terrible accident that leaves Dylan alive but his boyfriend Ellis dead on what should have been one of the best night of their lives this story follows Dylan's subsequent quest to discover what upset his boyfriend so much that night and who saved him , but left Ellis to die. The characters were all convincing and well developed throughout as was the plot. Dylan was particularly good as he struggles with his pain and the discoveries he makes both about Ellis and his friends and family. Ellis comes through as a wonderfully vibrant character although the one I felt was particularly well drawn was Dylan's best friend Mike, struggling with cancer but still there for his friend. The issues of love, loss, guilt, justice and friendship were all handled sensitively. Overall, a really great story, characters and definitely one to recommend.