861 books
—
2,765 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Beautiful (The Beautiful, #1)” as Want to Read:
The Beautiful
(The Beautiful #1)
by
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially
...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published
October 8th 2019
by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Beautiful,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Arman
There already is, THE DAMNED
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Beautiful (The Beautiful, #1)

No matter where she went, danger followed.
And it horrified her. Just as it thrilled her.
I did end up quite enjoying The Beautiful. Let's face it, mix in some scary vamps with a sexy forbidden romance and how bad can it be? Still, there were a number of issues that prevented me from loving it. But it is a book for teens, and after nine years on Goodreads I'm somewhat less of a teen than I was when I started. So I don't feel like being too harsh.
It's 1872 and Celine Rousseau has just arrived in ...more

Feb 23, 2019
Chaima ✨ شيماء
marked it as to-read
not to be over dramatic or anything but the decline in popularity of vampire stories is one of the most disappointing decisions we’ve made as a modern society and I'm glad that's being remedied

I read this book as Renee wrote it, which meant that she sent me sections of it, I read them and then got really upset because I didn't have more, and then pestered and bothered her until she gave me the rest. I finished it recently and it is FANTASTIC. An incredibly ornate, lush New Orleans; characters who imprint themselves on your memory forever; a story that is nail-biting and swoony and satisfying and tense ALL AT THE SAME TIME. And of course...VAMPIRES.
This is a one of a kind book, by a ...more
This is a one of a kind book, by a ...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557144778p2/15335689.jpg)
Nov 27, 2018
destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]
marked it as to-read
I say this with all seriousness: please let 2019 be the year we bring back vampires in YA

if theres one city that promises the haunting presence of the paranormal, its new orleans. and i, for one, am so happy the crescent city is finally being showcased in all is vampire glory.
i was actually very worried to read this. its one of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and the reviews that have been popping up have been a little less than positive. but either i read a different ARC or i am just a simple girl who doesnt need much to be entertained, because i found this to be quite ...more
i was actually very worried to read this. its one of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and the reviews that have been popping up have been a little less than positive. but either i read a different ARC or i am just a simple girl who doesnt need much to be entertained, because i found this to be quite ...more


Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest
When this book was announced, everyone was like, "Woohoo! Vampires are back!" And I was sitting there in the corner, swathed in black and clutching a glass of wine, thinking to myself, "Fools! For some of us, vampires never left." You see, I love vampire stories and always have. For many, TWILIGHT was the "gateway book" into vampire fiction, but I'd been reading L.J. Smith's Night World and Bram Stoker's Dracula and Amelia ...more

Oct 21, 2019
Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
0-in-my-library-read,
2-stars,
paranormal,
witches-demons,
ya-fantasy,
vampires,
low-or-no-steam
2 Stars
I'm kind of torn on what I want to rate this and how I want to review it. On one hand, I definitely found myself flying through the pages and being very interested in how things would play out...but on the other hand, I was also left with this feeling of unfulfilled satisfaction the whole time I was reading it.
But let's back up a little bit.
When I learned about this book, I was excited. This was my first Ahdieh book (although I have a couple of hers sitting on my shelf waiting to be ...more
I'm kind of torn on what I want to rate this and how I want to review it. On one hand, I definitely found myself flying through the pages and being very interested in how things would play out...but on the other hand, I was also left with this feeling of unfulfilled satisfaction the whole time I was reading it.
But let's back up a little bit.
When I learned about this book, I was excited. This was my first Ahdieh book (although I have a couple of hers sitting on my shelf waiting to be ...more

Oct 09, 2018
Roshani Chokshi
added it
HI OMG THE NEWS IS OUT AND YOU GUYS ARE NOT READY FOR THIS. I had the extraordinary privilege to read this story in draft & it's intoxicating. THE BEAUTIFUL has that decadent, slow-moving horror that feels like a dream slipping to nightmare. It's like walking alone down a twilight street and feeling the snap of a branch behind you and that acidic heart-in-your-throat rush of knowing that you're being followed. Stalked.

IDK . . . I guess if you like vampires and stuff, you’ll probably dig it
...more

The October Fairyloot Unboxing! I hope I love this book!! Click on the GOODIES LINK below to see the goodies.
THE GOODIES LINK OMG
WELL SON OF A DAMN BISCUIT EATER!! I didn’t like it at all . Okay, I’m gonna have to drop all my book boxes if they don’t give me more books to love because it’s a waste of money. Thank goodness the goodies were freaking amaze balls!
I was worried when I saw it was this author as I didn’t like one of her other books. She’s just not for me but I’m glad other people ...more
THE GOODIES LINK OMG
WELL SON OF A DAMN BISCUIT EATER!! I didn’t like it at all . Okay, I’m gonna have to drop all my book boxes if they don’t give me more books to love because it’s a waste of money. Thank goodness the goodies were freaking amaze balls!
I was worried when I saw it was this author as I didn’t like one of her other books. She’s just not for me but I’m glad other people ...more

Oh lalala the idea of a book takes place in NOLA, one of my mystic, magical, gothic, entertaining city to pass a good time excited me so much. Mardi Gras celebrations, a crowded streets with its people dancing 24/7, delicious jazz quartets, boat tours around Mississippi river, cocktails at Carousel Bar and tours at the haunted places still perform voodoo (Wow! This city summons the witch hid inside me!)
And of course it’s so normal to expect something spectacular from the author of “Wrath and ...more
And of course it’s so normal to expect something spectacular from the author of “Wrath and ...more

Jun 06, 2019
Chelsea Humphrey
marked it as dnf-lost-interest
Shelves:
bookstagram-made-me-do-it,
from-publisher
*sobs* I hate that I wasn't able to push through this one, but I think it's just a case of my not being compatible with the story. Life's too short to force myself to read a book that I probably wouldn't give a glowing review to, so please try this one for yourself and come back and tell me what a party pooper I am later. <3

DNF @ page 259: This just.. was not what I thought it was going to be and I am sad. I may pick it back up again in October, but I am not risking a slump this close to the ContemporaryAThon onto the next one!
...more

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Usually, I can't stand vampire books but I trusted Renée Ahdieh to write one that I'd enjoy and I'm glad that I did. The Beautiful was a glamorous, mysterious read- set in 1872, New Orleans- that had me spellbound throughout and I'm so excited for its sequel.
Celine Rousseau was a dressmaker in Paris until a terrible event forced her to flee her life there and start a new one in the dazzling city of New Orleans. Soon, she became caught up in a gruesome murder ...more
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Usually, I can't stand vampire books but I trusted Renée Ahdieh to write one that I'd enjoy and I'm glad that I did. The Beautiful was a glamorous, mysterious read- set in 1872, New Orleans- that had me spellbound throughout and I'm so excited for its sequel.
Celine Rousseau was a dressmaker in Paris until a terrible event forced her to flee her life there and start a new one in the dazzling city of New Orleans. Soon, she became caught up in a gruesome murder ...more

Not in the mood for this book at the moment. I'm craving something light-hearted and cute, funny. Possibly something that will make me cry... evidently my mood is all over the place.
--------------
I don’t know nothing about this book other than the fact that it is about vampires.
Please don’t flop!
Buddy reading with Nadhira!
--------------
I don’t know nothing about this book other than the fact that it is about vampires.
Please don’t flop!
Buddy reading with Nadhira!

Alright, I adore Ahdieh's writing but this—this was an unremitting turmoil of agony and closed eyes-why-oh-whys.
So. The story.
The story was tortuously slow. To put it simply, it was a meaningless garble of hem-hawing and non-answers and woe-is-me inner monologuing. Now, I pushed through because I wanted to see the plot unfold at some point in time, but for the first half of this novel next to nothing happens—and at which point, I was deliberating whether or not to put an end to my suffering ...more
So. The story.
The story was tortuously slow. To put it simply, it was a meaningless garble of hem-hawing and non-answers and woe-is-me inner monologuing. Now, I pushed through because I wanted to see the plot unfold at some point in time, but for the first half of this novel next to nothing happens—and at which point, I was deliberating whether or not to put an end to my suffering ...more

I'm surprisingly okay with the fact vampires are making a comeback. And this definitely was gothic and darkly rich. It took a while for vampires to actually do their vampirey thing. Basically...the last 100pages But it was building it up, okay!!! The immortal kids need time time to reveal their secrets!!! They need to flirt darkly first!
It followed Celine, a girl fleeing from Paris to New Orleans after committing a dark deed. So it was also hugely about feminism, about women striking out ...more
It followed Celine, a girl fleeing from Paris to New Orleans after committing a dark deed. So it was also hugely about feminism, about women striking out ...more

I received this book through Bookish.com
It breaks my heart to not give this book 5 stars.
If I had to describe The Beautiful using one word that word would be....
Fine.
The Beautiful was just fine. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I just expected so much more out of this book. The Beautiful was probably my most anticipated book of 2019 and in the end it just left me feeling meh.
The characters were bland.
There were barely any cool vampires
The romance was meh.
The Beautiful's only saving ...more
It breaks my heart to not give this book 5 stars.
If I had to describe The Beautiful using one word that word would be....
Fine.
The Beautiful was just fine. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I just expected so much more out of this book. The Beautiful was probably my most anticipated book of 2019 and in the end it just left me feeling meh.
The characters were bland.
There were barely any cool vampires
The romance was meh.
The Beautiful's only saving ...more

Oh hell. Like we say in Spanish, all my joy went down a freaking pit.
Alright, I have a lot of stuff to say and not a clue as to how to say it, so I’ll just start vomiting it all out.
Let’s start with the fact that I have been thirsty for this book since I first heard of it. Basically because (a) vampires (b) New Orleans and (c) vampires again. And if you are thinking of leaving some bad shit about Twilight on the comments, please save it, because here we stan sparkling vampires. Anyway, going ...more
Alright, I have a lot of stuff to say and not a clue as to how to say it, so I’ll just start vomiting it all out.
Let’s start with the fact that I have been thirsty for this book since I first heard of it. Basically because (a) vampires (b) New Orleans and (c) vampires again. And if you are thinking of leaving some bad shit about Twilight on the comments, please save it, because here we stan sparkling vampires. Anyway, going ...more

[I did something to the synopsis for TVD/Originals fans somewhere in there]
First, let's get the overused but utterly true pun out of the way: just look at The Beautiful cover Funny, right!? No.
Now, let's get serious. I'm hear to warn y'all that this is a Vampire conspiracy and the bloodsucking terrors of the night are back to take over. Yes. We. Are. Doomed. It's not a coincidence that Jay Kristoff is also publishing a vampire series in 2020, nope.
And guess what? I'm 99.9% sure Niklaus ...more
First, let's get the overused but utterly true pun out of the way: just look at The Beautiful cover Funny, right!? No.
Now, let's get serious. I'm hear to warn y'all that this is a Vampire conspiracy and the bloodsucking terrors of the night are back to take over. Yes. We. Are. Doomed. It's not a coincidence that Jay Kristoff is also publishing a vampire series in 2020, nope.
And guess what? I'm 99.9% sure Niklaus ...more

2**
This book was so meh. I was excited to delve in again and read about blood sucking vampires... and instead it just sucked out all the enjoyment from a book.
The first half of this was probably a 3- I loved the allure and details of New Orleans and the possibilities of the supernatural.
... But that was it. Other than the setting of New Orleans everything else fell flat for me: there were too heavy/many descriptions of what the MC was wearing, not enough detail on the mysterious groups of ...more
This book was so meh. I was excited to delve in again and read about blood sucking vampires... and instead it just sucked out all the enjoyment from a book.
The first half of this was probably a 3- I loved the allure and details of New Orleans and the possibilities of the supernatural.
... But that was it. Other than the setting of New Orleans everything else fell flat for me: there were too heavy/many descriptions of what the MC was wearing, not enough detail on the mysterious groups of ...more

Mar 28, 2019
Angelica
marked it as to-read
ok so vampires are making a comeback and I am nothing if not ABSOLUTELY here for it!
Thirteen year old me is reliving her Twilight obsession and I'm so ready for this!!!!
Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr
Thirteen year old me is reliving her Twilight obsession and I'm so ready for this!!!!
Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr

Jan 03, 2019
Maggie ☘ (Wonderland-Reader)
marked it as tbr-highly-interested
So the cover is AWESOME! The Twilight puns had been removed from the final synopsis, which is a good thing, as I know (hope) this book will slay entirely on its own regardless! If this book will be anything at all like the Originals, I'm going to be one happy reader! Bring on the dark and murder-y vampires!
*****************************
Unpopular Opinion Time: I think indirectly making fun of Twilight in the synopsis of this new vampire book is just too conventional and unprofessional from whoever ...more
*****************************
Unpopular Opinion Time: I think indirectly making fun of Twilight in the synopsis of this new vampire book is just too conventional and unprofessional from whoever ...more

Feb 12, 2019
Lilith Black
marked it as to-read
Oh... VAMPIRES! I didn't know I need them back in my life until now!!!

Oct 20, 2018
ELLIAS (elliasreads)
marked it as to-read
Three things:
1. My sister was almost named Celine LOL.
2. Um, we all dam know the love interest isn't going to be the serial killer. But if he is...literally kinda lame but also a plot twist we wouldn't see coming but IDK this is YA lmao.
3. V A M P I R E S??? Only reason why i click: 'want to read'. :)
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
1. My sister was almost named Celine LOL.
2. Um, we all dam know the love interest isn't going to be the serial killer. But if he is...literally kinda lame but also a plot twist we wouldn't see coming but IDK this is YA lmao.
3. V A M P I R E S??? Only reason why i click: 'want to read'. :)
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |

”We forget our dreams, but nightmares linger with us evermore.”
Okay. I just finished this book so I’ll try to piece what I’m thinking as much as I can.
To say that this was a disappointment would be an understatement. I’m frustrated by how some things turned out. And a little sad that I couldn’t seem to enjoy it as much as I wanted to :(
I wanted to read this book for New Orleans, the vampires and Renée’s writing style.
Here are some thoughts I had while reading the book (that I’ve written down) ...more
Okay. I just finished this book so I’ll try to piece what I’m thinking as much as I can.
To say that this was a disappointment would be an understatement. I’m frustrated by how some things turned out. And a little sad that I couldn’t seem to enjoy it as much as I wanted to :(
I wanted to read this book for New Orleans, the vampires and Renée’s writing style.
Here are some thoughts I had while reading the book (that I’ve written down) ...more

Oct 30, 2019
April (Aprilius Maximus)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourites,
2019
“It's easy to lose sight of what's real when you're lost in the stars.”
representation: characters of colour (mc is half Korean, male MC is black and Puerto Rican, side characters include Portuguese rep, Indian rep and Chinese rep, lesbian rep.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
・゚: *・゚:* 4 . 5 s t a r s *:・゚*:・゚
omgggg this was everything!!! I immediately fell in love with the setting, the characters and the main ship????? MY OTP. I honestly ...more
representation: characters of colour (mc is half Korean, male MC is black and Puerto Rican, side characters include Portuguese rep, Indian rep and Chinese rep, lesbian rep.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
・゚: *・゚:* 4 . 5 s t a r s *:・゚*:・゚
omgggg this was everything!!! I immediately fell in love with the setting, the characters and the main ship????? MY OTP. I honestly ...more

2 or 2 1/2 stars maybe???
Damn, I really wanted this to be the one that brought vampires back... or at least gave them a good showing.
Now you might think that my history of struggling with YA means that I probably shouldn't have been reading this anyway, but.... it's vampires. I will give anything a go if cold-to-touch sexy undead people are involved. Even the sparkly ones. One of the first UF series that got me hooked was (early) Anita Blake and it cemented my love for all things dead and ...more
Damn, I really wanted this to be the one that brought vampires back... or at least gave them a good showing.
Now you might think that my history of struggling with YA means that I probably shouldn't have been reading this anyway, but.... it's vampires. I will give anything a go if cold-to-touch sexy undead people are involved. Even the sparkly ones. One of the first UF series that got me hooked was (early) Anita Blake and it cemented my love for all things dead and ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Addicted to YA: Discussion Leader Sign Up: The Beautiful | 2 | 38 | Dec 10, 2019 03:52PM | |
You Are Never Too...: The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh - October 8, 2019 | 31 | 31 | Dec 01, 2019 12:30AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renee Ahdieh - Starting November 1st, 2019 | 25 | 28 | Nov 16, 2019 08:06PM | |
NEST - Book Club: October 2019 - The Beautiful - Week 2: pgs. 111-212 | 3 | 3 | Nov 04, 2019 03:54PM | |
NEST - Book Club: October 2019 - The Beautiful - Week 4: pgs. 326-end | 2 | 5 | Oct 25, 2019 05:27PM |
THE WRATH & THE DAWN and its sequel THE ROSE & THE DAGGER are available wherever books are sold.
FLAME IN THE MIST will be released on 5.16.17.
** Please note that requests for Advanced Reader Copies should be made through Penguin, and all other requests should be submitted through the author's website. **
FLAME IN THE MIST will be released on 5.16.17.
** Please note that requests for Advanced Reader Copies should be made through Penguin, and all other requests should be submitted through the author's website. **
Other books in the series
The Beautiful
(2 books)
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“And the infinite captivates us because it allows us to believe all things are possible. That true love can last beyond time.”
—
11 likes
“She was no lamb. She was a lion.”
—
7 likes
More quotes…