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Cruel Beauty Rosamund Hodge Books

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Cruel Beauty Rosamund Hodge Books

I really had a hard time deciding between a 2 or a 3 . I picked a 3 because it really is well written for the most part but it just wasn't my thing....

The book has a lot of Greek mythology in it so you read story after depressing story about gods screwing over people and people deserving it.

The romance is kind of....eh. It wasn't awful but there was just something missing . I feel like the pacing of their romance wasn't realistic and I never really got why the two main characters loved each other. She obviously was starving for love because her family life was horrible and he was a demon so...that's kind of lonely . I get why they would form an attraction but the kind of love that they would DIE for? I feel like there wasn't enough positive interactions between them to have that kind of bond.

Another thing that drove me crazy is that the house they live in has an infinite number of rooms and there is soooo much time spent on the description of the rooms. It honestly got kind of boring.

Overall it wasn't a bad book. There were some interesting aspects to it and I'll definitely remember it. It just wasn't really my thing but maybe it will be yours ?!? I won't really recommend it to family and friends but I thought it deserved more than 2 stars .


Tags : Amazon.com: Cruel Beauty (8601404557576): Rosamund Hodge: Books,Rosamund Hodge,Cruel Beauty,Balzer + Bray,0062224735,Family - General,Fantasy - General,Romance - General,Demonology,Fantasy fiction.,Fantasy.,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fairy Tales & Folklore - Adaptations,Fantasy,Fantasy & Magic,Fantasy fiction,Fiction-Fantasy,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Love & Romance,TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,TEEN'S FICTION ROMANCE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Young Adult Fiction Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),Young Adult Fiction Fantasy General,Young Adult Fiction Romance General,Young Adult FictionFamily - General (see also headings under Social Themes),Young Adult FictionRomance - General

Cruel Beauty Rosamund Hodge Books Reviews

This was more like a 4.5 stars for me.

Dislikes

˜ The first few chapters was an info dump for me and I had to force myself to get through them. Once getting through those initial chapters though I understand that information was needed I just wish the author would have went about it in a different way.

˜ I was able to guess part of the twist pretty early on. While that didn’t affect my attention to the book at all I still wish it would have taken me a little longer to figure it out.

˜ I could have done without all of the talk about the Gods ad Hermectic Arts. Every time those cam up I found myself trying to get through those parts a fast as possible because honestly I was having a hard time keeping up an understanding what was going on.

Likes

˜ Retelling I love how this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. If you don’t know Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite Disney movie. While the concept of this book is completely different to Beauty and the Beast you still get some of the main similarities.

˜ Ignifex I couldn’t help but love Ignifex even though he is the bad boy you aren’t meant to love.

˜ Nyx She is the main character in this book and its told from her perspective so go through what she goes through. While she goes through so many emotions which makes it hard to figure out what her true feelings are I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I loved her character and I could completely understand where she was coming from.

˜ The Writing I think the writing was amazing. The author did an amazing job at painting a picture for you. It wasn’t so detailed that it would get on your nerves. It was detailed just enough for me to be able to visualize the world in my head.
Oh wow. This book blew me away. It is a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a touch of Greco-Roman mythology. Nyx is bound to marry the evil Ignifex as part of a bargain her father made to the Gentle Lord (the Lord of Bargains and also her groom). But she has an agenda as she becomes his bride in his castle, she will find her way to defeat him and free the people of Arcadia from his power. There is magic realism involved, with meanings hidden beneath the meanings. It was confusing if you take it literally, but I love the hatred, betrayal, hurt, redemption, love, and sacrifice in this story. The story and the myths presented in the book are like the castle of the Gentle Lord a labyrinth full of doors waiting to be opened. If you love mythology and fantasy, you'll enjoy this.
I came across Cruel Beauty in Goodreads.com and saw average ratings from my connections there. I read the blurb as it seemed really promising even though I'm not really into retellings (I read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas without knowing that it was also inspired by Beauty and the Beast). So when I started reading, it wasn't really a smooth transition. I had to start over a few times as I ended up falling asleep just between the first three chapters of the book. It was a bit slow for me because of all the back stories about the kingdom's history, the town people's beliefs and stories relating to Greek mythology. It was interesting, but it was a lot of information to take right in the beginning.

At first I liked Nyx as she seemed brave and feisty, plus she reminded me of Sharzhad's character in Renee Ahdieh's book The Wrath and the Dawn because of their situation. Unfortunately, my admiration for her was short-lived. I found her character annoying because of her actions from when she first arrived in the mansion. I get how she was just so hateful because she was groomed by her Father and Aunt only for that specific situation that she was in, to be married with the evil Gentle Lord and destroy him (even if it meant putting herself in danger, so long as she frees the entire kingdom). What disappointed me also was that she started thinking that she loves Shade just after spending a night in the mansion, and on the next one she started lusting over Ignifex. I really don't see that as a development on her character, nor her relationships with the others. I wasn't able to relate to any of the characters, which was a bummer.

Putting that aside, the events inside the mansion were enough for me to keep on reading. Nyx discovering different rooms each day, the mysterious shadows lurking, Shade being very enigmatic, Ignifex showing different sides of himself. Overall, it was a good read but I think the world building and execution could've been better.
I really had a hard time deciding between a 2 or a 3 . I picked a 3 because it really is well written for the most part but it just wasn't my thing....

The book has a lot of Greek mythology in it so you read story after depressing story about gods screwing over people and people deserving it.

The romance is kind of....eh. It wasn't awful but there was just something missing . I feel like the pacing of their romance wasn't realistic and I never really got why the two main characters loved each other. She obviously was starving for love because her family life was horrible and he was a demon so...that's kind of lonely . I get why they would form an attraction but the kind of love that they would DIE for? I feel like there wasn't enough positive interactions between them to have that kind of bond.

Another thing that drove me crazy is that the house they live in has an infinite number of rooms and there is soooo much time spent on the description of the rooms. It honestly got kind of boring.

Overall it wasn't a bad book. There were some interesting aspects to it and I'll definitely remember it. It just wasn't really my thing but maybe it will be yours ?!? I won't really recommend it to family and friends but I thought it deserved more than 2 stars .