is it profound? one could never know unless they read this and observe everything they could to create the best atmosphere of this art in the form of words, stained glass-beau/belle kind of words. the most similar to visiting museums of fine arts. perhaps i would give it five stars next time i read it some other time in the future...
Thank you to author Lady's Lady for providing me with a copy of their novella, Beau is Non-Binary of Everything, in exchange for this honest review.
Novellas are a certain kind of magic. Unpretentious authors who know exactly how long a story needs to be in order to be told effectively deserve more praise. These stories aren't padded out with unnecessary details in order to make an arbitrary page length. Short form novels can typically be read in a single day in order to create a perfect weekend.
Beau is Non-Binary of Everything is a poetic novella that follows young Kwon Cho as she meets an angel. She names this angel Beau Bella meaning doubly beautiful. The angel is especially touched by this because most people cannot see them and those who can are startled by their black wings, thinking this makes them less angelic. The "traditional" white wings are favored even though most people have never seen an angel of any color.
Kwon Cho is artistic by nature and wants to capture the angel's magnificence. As a child she draws or paints them. As an adult she attempts to sculpt them in various mediums. However, due to the nature of magic in the modern world the angel must hide their existence to a certain extent. Kwon Cho's memory is wiped after each visit. This leaves her confused about her ongoing art projects and frustrated that she cannot finish them due to a sudden lack of muse.
Beau always does return though and Kwon Cho is able to pick up where she left off. She has a guardian angel that eventually helps her through more than sculptor's block by giving her the most important gift that can be given to a human. Read the book to understand what this means, this is a spoiler free review.
Beau is Non-Binary of Everything is an extremely touching story that captures themes of faith and love but most importantly, acceptance. One need not be religious to appreciate this angel. They are wanting of love and acceptance just like all beings. Their magic does not change these foundations of being. Judge not on appearance and be rewarded.
The ending is melancholy but perfect. Although the bulk of the novella is flowery to the point of becoming abstract from a traditional plot point of view the ending ties the themes together to drive the emotions home.
Beau is Non-Binary of Everything is recommended for any reader who has ever felt watched over in times of need. If you have not felt watched over, perhaps you were and just cannot remember it now. Have faith that someone, somewhere, wants you to succeed, thrive, and live.
I stopped this book about 60% through. It was just kinda boring and not for me. The writing style was beautiful but it was very complex and I didn't really understand some parts, which ruined my experience a bit. But it wasn't a bad book by any means and I could see why people would like it, just not my cup of tea.
Gros catfish ce livre vraiment lisez pas. J’pensais que ça allait être un truc bien philosophique mais en fait c’est juste un boug ça devient une meuf mais en fait c’est les deux du coup il s’appelle Bella beau bref lisez pas.
'Beau Is Non-binary of Everything' เป็นชื่อหนังสือที่เราพบเห็นคนพูดถึงเป็นจำนวนมาก ณ ช่วงเวลาหนึ่ง เหมือนหันไปทางไหนก็มีแต่เพื่อนนักอ่านถือหนังสือเล่มนี้อยู่ในมือ ส่วนตัวเราในตอนนี้ก็พูดได้อย่างเต็มปากว่าจะรอวันที่คุณเทวทูตปีกดำมาเยือนในจังหวะเวลาที่เหมาะสม
My Overall Thoughts - 3/5 “But if my life was shorter…perhaps angels might start picking a hammer and chisel to build something eternal. Perhaps there might have been a David with broad wings spreading wide at his back.” The writing in this book was poetic and beautiful, and that was its biggest draw. I enjoyed being carried along on the dreamy prose, experiencing the confusing human world through the sight of the angel. However, sometimes the prose got in the way of the story. Some of the turns of phrase were too flowery to make sense and I would have to stop and read them over to make sure I understood. Occasionally lines didn't make much sense at all.
Character Development - 3.5/5 Kwon Cho’s struggles are shown to the reader through the eyes of Bella Beau, the angel, and we watch her grapple with her art and her place in the world and her desire to live. The events of her arc and her friendship with the angel were often touching and thought-provoking, but I feel like the prose sometimes kept the nuances of her struggles at a distance. It felt as if the purpose of the book was to be mystical and mysterious, so the finer points of character and plot are purposely left vague.
Story Structure - 2.5/5 Very little to comment on here. The structure was linear and simple. No complaints or compliments.
Tone/Style - 4.5/5 As I mentioned before, the writing was lovely. My only critique being that sometimes it was superfluously garbled.
Content Sex is mentioned and briefly discussed in relation to the angel’s ability to understand human intimacy.
My Final Thoughts Overall, it was a sweet little novella that I enjoyed getting to experience. It could have been made amazing by a little closer editing. If you like poetical, high-conceptual writing, this is probably for you.