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.

A Beautiful Family is the excellent debut novel by Jennifer Trevelyan. Set in New Zealand in 1985 this is the story of a memorable, to say the least, family holiday as seen through the eyes of 10 year-old Alix. With her parents behaving oddly and her older sister sneaking out at night to meet with friends,not least new male friends,Alix makes her own new friend,young Maori boy Kahu. When Kahu tells Alix , who just feels she's in the way of the rest of her family, about a young girl who disappeared in the area a few years previously they decide to investigate.

This is a great story that's part coming of age tale,part domestic drama and part mystery as Alix's family begins to disintegrate barely noticing her and the potential dangers around them. Stories told from the perspective of children don't always work but author Trevelyan carries it off beautifully. The only viewpoint we get is that of Alix, which often leads the adult reader to see and understand things that she doesn't know about and other times leaves a degree of ambiguity in the narrative, which I really enjoyed and made the book something different.

An excellent debut and an involving story on many levels.

I've read a few books recently where we hear though the eyes of children, its premise I find really insightful and interesting I really enjoy seeing the mystery or secrets come alive though their eyes. This book does that perfectly keeping your interest in the secrets and fall out which are told though the voices of such innocence. I really liked the writers style of writing and look forward to hearing more by them. Thanks for the ARC this one I will be buying upon publication

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 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.

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.