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Es hätte ihre große Liebesgeschichte sein sollen, aber einer von ihnen ist tot: Als ein kompromittierendes Video auf Instagram die geheime Beziehung zwischen Dylan und Ellis aufdeckt, muss der schüchterne Nerd Dylan sich outen. Nur wenig später haben die beiden einen Autounfall – ausgerechnet, als Dylan Ellis zur Rede stellt, warum er sich eine ganze, schreckliche Woche vor ihm zurückgezogen und jeden Kontakt abgebrochen hat. Als Dylan im Krankenhaus aufwacht, stellt er schockiert fest, dass sein Retter Ellis dem Tod überlassen hat. Er schwört sich, die Gründe dafür herauszufinden. Durch das Eintauchen in Ellis dunkle Vergangenheit wird ihm klar, wie wenig er über seine große Liebe wusste …
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
November 25, 2019
This should have been their love story. But one of them is dead.
One moment Dylan and his boyfriend Ellis are driving to a romantic picnic, the next they're drowning in a lake, stuck inside the car. Only Dylan makes it out alive, rescued in the last second by a mysterious saviour. But they left Ellis behind. And Dylan is set on finding out why.
Hideous Beauty is a dark YA mystery. I'm glad to see that the publisher decided to add content warnings at the beginning of the book that informs readers about the discussion and depiction of grief, loss, drug use, cancer, and physical and mental abuse. It should be self-evident that some books need trigger warnings, but most books that do don't have them.
A great, parts harrowing, parts romantic read. What I enjoyed the most were the relationships portrayed in the book. There's Ellis of course, and he's sweet, charismatic, out and proud. He feels so alive and he brings out the best in Dylan, which is what a partner should do. Then there's Mike, Dylan's best friend, and it made me feel so warm inside to see a close, comfortable friendship between a straight guy and a gay guy who have each other's back no matter what.
The mystery aspect of the novel kept me on my toes. I had an inkling or two about who could be involved (and I was right) but I was far from knowing the whole story. I like seeing queer main characters being represented in more than just the contemporary genre and this mystery/thriller is no exception. It reminded me of Tom Ryan's Keep This to Yourself, which you should definitely check out too.
One aspect that I wasn't particularly happy with was the depiction of rape in the novel. There is no graphic depiction of it, nevertheless it was used as a cliffhanger/plot twist. But in the same way that someone's sexuality should never be a spoiler, neither should their history of abuse. I know that sometimes stories rely on these things being secret - which is fine, it's the same in real life - but when they're being used to produce shock, it feels exploitative. I think it could have done better, but I know that both author and publisher have taken the advice of sensitivity readers and rape crisis counsellors.
Now, yes, I know it'll be almost half a year until readers finally get to hold this book in their hands. But mark your calendars. This is a moving (and hella twisted) story and you will love it as much as I did.
Thank you to Usborne for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Find more of my books on Instagram
One moment Dylan and his boyfriend Ellis are driving to a romantic picnic, the next they're drowning in a lake, stuck inside the car. Only Dylan makes it out alive, rescued in the last second by a mysterious saviour. But they left Ellis behind. And Dylan is set on finding out why.
Hideous Beauty is a dark YA mystery. I'm glad to see that the publisher decided to add content warnings at the beginning of the book that informs readers about the discussion and depiction of grief, loss, drug use, cancer, and physical and mental abuse. It should be self-evident that some books need trigger warnings, but most books that do don't have them.
A great, parts harrowing, parts romantic read. What I enjoyed the most were the relationships portrayed in the book. There's Ellis of course, and he's sweet, charismatic, out and proud. He feels so alive and he brings out the best in Dylan, which is what a partner should do. Then there's Mike, Dylan's best friend, and it made me feel so warm inside to see a close, comfortable friendship between a straight guy and a gay guy who have each other's back no matter what.
The mystery aspect of the novel kept me on my toes. I had an inkling or two about who could be involved (and I was right) but I was far from knowing the whole story. I like seeing queer main characters being represented in more than just the contemporary genre and this mystery/thriller is no exception. It reminded me of Tom Ryan's Keep This to Yourself, which you should definitely check out too.
One aspect that I wasn't particularly happy with was the depiction of rape in the novel. There is no graphic depiction of it, nevertheless it was used as a cliffhanger/plot twist. But in the same way that someone's sexuality should never be a spoiler, neither should their history of abuse. I know that sometimes stories rely on these things being secret - which is fine, it's the same in real life - but when they're being used to produce shock, it feels exploitative. I think it could have done better, but I know that both author and publisher have taken the advice of sensitivity readers and rape crisis counsellors.
Now, yes, I know it'll be almost half a year until readers finally get to hold this book in their hands. But mark your calendars. This is a moving (and hella twisted) story and you will love it as much as I did.
Thank you to Usborne for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Find more of my books on Instagram
September 8, 2020
This is my call to action to never trust Twitter marketing again.
TLDR Tropes:
- Contemporary thriller
- Gay lead
- Some mystery elements
-Character study
I picked this book up instantly after reading on Twitter about how it was an emotional thriller akin to "One of Us is Lying" with an LGBT star. I struggled even writing the tropes list on this review because Hideous Beauty was such an emotional dead zone to me.
The story revolves around Dylan, who has an amazing Boyfriend named Ellis. When the two get into a car accident, Dylan believes he was saved by someone who let Ellis die. Now, he has tasked himself with uncovering the mystery of his boyfriend's death.
YA Contemporary mystery thrillers are a huge love of mine, and I feel if you are going brand yourself as a mystery or a thriller, there is an absolute expectation that your book is at least ONE of those things. Hideous Beauty, despite it's edgy title, is almost completely and wholly a book about a teenage boy mourning his lost love and moving forward.
To be blunt- there is no mystery. Theres nothing thrilling happening. The "revealed secrets" that are uncovered can hardly register as secrets. Theres minimal fact finding. There aren't any shocking twists and turns other than finding out that Dylan's boyfriend had a harder time in High school than expected.
Which brings me to the characters-who are dull, bland, and forgetful in every way. I feel like Dylan/Ellis particularly were written with some wish fulfillment in mind, their scenes remind me of the types of things teenagers imagine in their bedrooms, but completely lack substance. The side characters were all stunningly forgetful.
The Title, "Hideous Beauty" alone, implies a hidden layer of darkness under something lovely. That things aren't what they seem. What you soon find is, they often are- and rather than being a story about uncovering dark secrets and hidden truths, the story turns again to its ACTUAL secret- that the author wanted to write a sad LGBT romance story, and then decided to jazz it up with a cool title and an absolutely dishonest marketing campaign. If there are two things in the book world I hate, its YA romantic contemporary, and books that you are sold on under a premise that is an absolute lie.
I didn't one star this because I was compelled to finish it, but this is a solid 1.5 for me all around. Little is redeemable about this boring slog of a book.
TLDR Tropes:
- Contemporary thriller
- Gay lead
- Some mystery elements
-Character study
I picked this book up instantly after reading on Twitter about how it was an emotional thriller akin to "One of Us is Lying" with an LGBT star. I struggled even writing the tropes list on this review because Hideous Beauty was such an emotional dead zone to me.
The story revolves around Dylan, who has an amazing Boyfriend named Ellis. When the two get into a car accident, Dylan believes he was saved by someone who let Ellis die. Now, he has tasked himself with uncovering the mystery of his boyfriend's death.
YA Contemporary mystery thrillers are a huge love of mine, and I feel if you are going brand yourself as a mystery or a thriller, there is an absolute expectation that your book is at least ONE of those things. Hideous Beauty, despite it's edgy title, is almost completely and wholly a book about a teenage boy mourning his lost love and moving forward.
To be blunt- there is no mystery. Theres nothing thrilling happening. The "revealed secrets" that are uncovered can hardly register as secrets. Theres minimal fact finding. There aren't any shocking twists and turns other than finding out that Dylan's boyfriend had a harder time in High school than expected.
Which brings me to the characters-who are dull, bland, and forgetful in every way. I feel like Dylan/Ellis particularly were written with some wish fulfillment in mind, their scenes remind me of the types of things teenagers imagine in their bedrooms, but completely lack substance. The side characters were all stunningly forgetful.
The Title, "Hideous Beauty" alone, implies a hidden layer of darkness under something lovely. That things aren't what they seem. What you soon find is, they often are- and rather than being a story about uncovering dark secrets and hidden truths, the story turns again to its ACTUAL secret- that the author wanted to write a sad LGBT romance story, and then decided to jazz it up with a cool title and an absolutely dishonest marketing campaign. If there are two things in the book world I hate, its YA romantic contemporary, and books that you are sold on under a premise that is an absolute lie.
I didn't one star this because I was compelled to finish it, but this is a solid 1.5 for me all around. Little is redeemable about this boring slog of a book.
February 9, 2021
A real gem, touching, gripping, and achingly beautiful! I just found this on Kobo Plus. A fantastic blurb and a wonderful preview. Why wasn’t this book on my to-read list? Why hadn’t I found this book before? And why did I suddenly find such a promising book in Kobo Plus? After reading the preview, my heart ached for more, I wanted to read this book so badly. Really, really badly. This would be a five star gem. It had to be.
Some stories are light and hilarious and still so touching. Some stories are sad and gripping and still so lovely. And some stories are mysterious and hideous and still so beautiful. This story has it all. It jumps from light and funny to intense and mysterious and heartbreaking, just from one page to the other. I downloaded it during breakfast, read it during lunch, in bed, whenever I had time. I didn’t want it to be finished, saw the number of pages go by too quickly. But I was addicted to the story. I have to confess, I had to put it down several times because tears streamed down my face time and again. I cried, tried to wipe my tears, blew my nose, and tried to read again. Within two sentences, I was back at the state I was in minutes before. I couldn’t function anymore. This story touched my whole being.
I have a top three YA list, Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley, and We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson. And now I think I need to change this list, put Hideous Beauty in it. I’m sorry, Shaun, because then I’ll have to remove We are the ants, such a beautiful book too. Hope you don’t mind :). Hideous Beauty will be in my mind forever. Beautifully written, a real gem. Please, please read it, even if you don’t read queer books usually. It’s worth it, I promise. This story deserves to be spread around the world.
So the stars? Five, of course, more if possible. I’ll read it again and again. Not only on Kobo Plus, I just decided I need this one badly. Owned instead of borrowing it on the internet ...
November 18, 2021
«Siamo insieme ora. Solo noi due. Io e te, El, per sempre.»
Lui sospira. «Il per sempre non esiste, Lenticchia.»
4,5 - Sapete quando certi libri ti chiamano a prescindere dalla trama? Quando ho scelto questa lettura, in effetti, ero stata attratta dalla cover struggente e dal titolo enigmatico e carico di immagini (in inglese HIDEOUS BEAUTY, una bellezza inquietante, che turba).
Per quanto sia YA, questo libro non si colloca assolutamente nella categoria degli mm pucciosi che potremmo aspettarci; per certi versi è un pugno dritto allo stomaco, ha una meravigliosa parte romantica che però si alterna in modo implacabile con una controparte di puro strazio.
Si incomincia dalla fine di una storia, in un certo senso, dalla felicità travolgente del ballo di fine anno, a cui partecipano Dylan ed Ellis mano nella mano, finalmente in pubblico, finalmente liberi, finalmente senza più paura delle reazioni degli altri. E poi si incappa in un incidente altrettanto travolgente, a cui solo uno dei due ragazzi sopravvive.
Ed è Dylan, il più insicuro della coppia, quello che ha dovuto rivelarsi ai genitori e alla famiglia pur di portare avanti quell'amore ostacolato, a dover farsi carico di tramandare chi è stato El, cosa ha donato a lui e cosa ha lasciato dietro di sé.
Ma mentre ci racconta di loro, della loro corsa folle verso quell'ultimo ballo, Dylan scopre inevitabilmente dei risvolti di El che non conosceva.
El che era luce, sorrisi, calore, nonostante tante sofferenze.
El che è stato in grado di donare coraggio, quando lui per primo non ha ricevuto appoggio da chi gli stava accanto.
Allora: se cercate una lettura spensierata, tenetevi lontani.
Se cercate un momento di dolore ed espiazione, e pure speranza, lo consiglio caldamente.
Si piange. Ma a volte si deve.
Lui sospira. «Il per sempre non esiste, Lenticchia.»
4,5 - Sapete quando certi libri ti chiamano a prescindere dalla trama? Quando ho scelto questa lettura, in effetti, ero stata attratta dalla cover struggente e dal titolo enigmatico e carico di immagini (in inglese HIDEOUS BEAUTY, una bellezza inquietante, che turba).
Per quanto sia YA, questo libro non si colloca assolutamente nella categoria degli mm pucciosi che potremmo aspettarci; per certi versi è un pugno dritto allo stomaco, ha una meravigliosa parte romantica che però si alterna in modo implacabile con una controparte di puro strazio.
Si incomincia dalla fine di una storia, in un certo senso, dalla felicità travolgente del ballo di fine anno, a cui partecipano Dylan ed Ellis mano nella mano, finalmente in pubblico, finalmente liberi, finalmente senza più paura delle reazioni degli altri. E poi si incappa in un incidente altrettanto travolgente, a cui solo uno dei due ragazzi sopravvive.
Ed è Dylan, il più insicuro della coppia, quello che ha dovuto rivelarsi ai genitori e alla famiglia pur di portare avanti quell'amore ostacolato, a dover farsi carico di tramandare chi è stato El, cosa ha donato a lui e cosa ha lasciato dietro di sé.
Ma mentre ci racconta di loro, della loro corsa folle verso quell'ultimo ballo, Dylan scopre inevitabilmente dei risvolti di El che non conosceva.
El che era luce, sorrisi, calore, nonostante tante sofferenze.
El che è stato in grado di donare coraggio, quando lui per primo non ha ricevuto appoggio da chi gli stava accanto.
Allora: se cercate una lettura spensierata, tenetevi lontani.
Se cercate un momento di dolore ed espiazione, e pure speranza, lo consiglio caldamente.
Si piange. Ma a volte si deve.
November 10, 2019
Really beautiful LGBT+ story. A thriller mixed with a gorgeous romance that had my heart doing flip flops. I really recommend it to any one who loves a good mystery and relatable queer characters. Out June 2020 from Usborne and sure to be a hit!
June 15, 2020
Content warning: Car Accident, Death, Homophobia, Biphobia, Abuse, Rape, Violence, PTSD, Drug Abuse
I wish I could give this book more stars. I really do. Not to sound cliché but: I wanted to love this. It's gorgeously written, heartbreaking, sad and still managed to crack me up now and then. William Hussey is one great writer and "Hideous Beauty" is a complex exploration of identity, grief, loss and basically just a well-written coming of age novel that I really enjoyed. Well, for the most part.
The thing is, there was a lot of stuff that just didn't sit right with me here. For instance the portrayal of love and relationships was a bit worrying. So Dylan meets Ellis when they're seventeen and Dylan says he was nothing before El and that El was the one who basically taught him how to live. And... yikes. I don't know, I don't think that's healthy. That's not what first love should be about. I was hoping Dylan would realise he's a well amazing person in his own right over the course of the novel but he just never does.
Then there's one big glaring issue I just can't look past: Ellis is the only black character in the book. And he dies in the first chapter. Yes, he's present in flashbacks and the whole book is about him and who he was, but he's still a gay black boy dead at 17 or 18 and I just don't think that was a good choice on the author's part. It doesn't help that Ellis is basically a manic pixie dream boy(friend): He makes Dylan come out of his shell, teaches him about love and sex and self worth and then he... Well, he dies and basically turns into a lesson about acceptance.
I kept thinking about Ashia Monet's amazing medium post about queer love interests of colour in YA fiction and Ellis's portrayal in "Hideous Beauty" just ticked all the boxes she talks about in her essay. That's not good. Queer BIPoC characters deserve so much more than that.
The other thing we need to talk about is the biphobia. "Hideous Beauty" is ALL about fighting prejudice against LGBTQ+ people and accepting everyone the way they are. And it does that very well when it comes to the G in the acronym. But then the author had to go and drop some sweet biphobia into the mix on one of the last pages. An unlikable character comes out as bi and Dylan calls him peak bi for... cheating on his girlfriend with a secret boyfriend. Yep. Yes. Yikes, my dude.
So somehow Hussey managed to write a whole book about fighting prejudice and accepting people for who they really are only to do a 180 on one of the very last pages and hurl prejudice and toxic tropes at bi readers. We're all cheaters, right? We just can't choose, right? Why? How? I really don't get it and it's left me deeply disappointed.
So all in all "Hideous Beauty" is a beautifully written, dark YA thriller about loss, grief and coming of age. I did enjoy it quite a lot. And yet it has so many issues that I can't give it more than three stars. I wish the dead manic pixie dream boyfriend hadn't been the only black character in the book. I wish there had been no biphobic comments. I wish Dylan's unhealthy obssession with Ellis hadn't been romanticised. But here we are, I guess.
I wish I could give this book more stars. I really do. Not to sound cliché but: I wanted to love this. It's gorgeously written, heartbreaking, sad and still managed to crack me up now and then. William Hussey is one great writer and "Hideous Beauty" is a complex exploration of identity, grief, loss and basically just a well-written coming of age novel that I really enjoyed. Well, for the most part.
The thing is, there was a lot of stuff that just didn't sit right with me here. For instance the portrayal of love and relationships was a bit worrying. So Dylan meets Ellis when they're seventeen and Dylan says he was nothing before El and that El was the one who basically taught him how to live. And... yikes. I don't know, I don't think that's healthy. That's not what first love should be about. I was hoping Dylan would realise he's a well amazing person in his own right over the course of the novel but he just never does.
Then there's one big glaring issue I just can't look past: Ellis is the only black character in the book. And he dies in the first chapter. Yes, he's present in flashbacks and the whole book is about him and who he was, but he's still a gay black boy dead at 17 or 18 and I just don't think that was a good choice on the author's part. It doesn't help that Ellis is basically a manic pixie dream boy(friend): He makes Dylan come out of his shell, teaches him about love and sex and self worth and then he... Well, he dies and basically turns into a lesson about acceptance.
I kept thinking about Ashia Monet's amazing medium post about queer love interests of colour in YA fiction and Ellis's portrayal in "Hideous Beauty" just ticked all the boxes she talks about in her essay. That's not good. Queer BIPoC characters deserve so much more than that.
The other thing we need to talk about is the biphobia. "Hideous Beauty" is ALL about fighting prejudice against LGBTQ+ people and accepting everyone the way they are. And it does that very well when it comes to the G in the acronym. But then the author had to go and drop some sweet biphobia into the mix on one of the last pages. An unlikable character comes out as bi and Dylan calls him peak bi for... cheating on his girlfriend with a secret boyfriend. Yep. Yes. Yikes, my dude.
So somehow Hussey managed to write a whole book about fighting prejudice and accepting people for who they really are only to do a 180 on one of the very last pages and hurl prejudice and toxic tropes at bi readers. We're all cheaters, right? We just can't choose, right? Why? How? I really don't get it and it's left me deeply disappointed.
So all in all "Hideous Beauty" is a beautifully written, dark YA thriller about loss, grief and coming of age. I did enjoy it quite a lot. And yet it has so many issues that I can't give it more than three stars. I wish the dead manic pixie dream boyfriend hadn't been the only black character in the book. I wish there had been no biphobic comments. I wish Dylan's unhealthy obssession with Ellis hadn't been romanticised. But here we are, I guess.
April 21, 2024
I found this book very odd, it seemed to raise an issue and deal with the issue very neatly and cleanly before moving on to the next never really raising the latter again.
Dylan I hate to say was an unlikeable narrator here, he never stopped to think about his role in all of the drama and never held himself accountable.
I liked the mystery aspect though and thought the mystery drawings were a clever use to introduce clues.
Solid 3 star, but I doubt I'll be recommending it like I have Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts.
Dylan I hate to say was an unlikeable narrator here, he never stopped to think about his role in all of the drama and never held himself accountable.
I liked the mystery aspect though and thought the mystery drawings were a clever use to introduce clues.
Solid 3 star, but I doubt I'll be recommending it like I have Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts.
October 3, 2021
I knew this book would tear my heart apart. And it did. Completely.
May 21, 2020
*TW: Grief, Survivors Guilt, Drug Use, Cancer, Rape and Abuse*
Wow, I'm not even sure where to start with this review. Friends, this book has left me all over the place! By far, one of my absolute favourite reads of 2020. (I'm going to keep this as non spoilery as far as possible, because nobody's experience of reading this book should be tarnished)
The characters guys, these characters!, Dylan is such a relatable character, in so many aspects of his personality and thought processes I could see myself, I empathized with Dylan, and the way he handled his grief, and navigated his coming out! Then we have Ellis, I loved Ellis and everything he stands for. He's gay, plays football and wears pearls, talk about ICONIC friends. I loved his lighthearted humor and playful personality, and the more you find out about his past, and what he's been through, you find yourself questioning whether his lighthearted playful personality is somewhat of a coping mechanism for his experiences, and I mean, Ellis to me is the type of character that would lift the spirits of any room or person, and I admired his character, and with each passing "Then" chapter I found my heart breaking more and more. Then there is Mike, Dylan's best friend, again loved his character so much, I really loved how the author navigated Dylan and Mikes friendship, Dylan coming out and Mike feeling guilty about all the jokes he made about being gay, Mike having cancer, and how Dylan tried his best to support him, I mean their friendship is probably one of my favourite themes in the book, especially at the end (I can't go into detail, cause spoilers, but if you know you know). Mike is a such a sweetheart and reminded me of my Best Friend in many ways.
The plot of this book was very captivating and engrossing. It served the story very well, and it kept me involved in the story the whole time! I liked how the story was told in the past and present ("Then" and "Now") and every time we got a chapter from the past, I kept wishing the present wasn't real, and my heart kept breaking more. I cried so much in this book, so much!! Especially that last chapter y'all 😭💔
I enjoyed how the author dealt with the themes of grief, love, friendship and especially the discussions around coming out, and being gay. (I'm specifically referring to the dynamics of Dylan's coming out and his relationship with his family and how his family navigated it).
Also, how all the events linked to each other in the end, I was amazed at the meticulous planning and deep thought that was put into the story, and each event of the novel!
This book, broke my tiny gay heart, but did it in the best way possible, leaving me with bittersweet feelings of hope and heartbreak, love and loss, and overall highlighted the unprecedented course life often takes.
Also the title of this book, beautiful! And when you finally piece together the title and the events and oh ehm gee, guys it's so poetic and a work of art, and you should read this right now!!😭😭 I really loved the metaphor and the relevance it had to the story!!
This is the type of book, that reminded me why I love reading, and though it did break my heart, it also inspired me, and gave me a deeper appreciation for love and life.
Trust me, you want to read this!!
Wow, I'm not even sure where to start with this review. Friends, this book has left me all over the place! By far, one of my absolute favourite reads of 2020. (I'm going to keep this as non spoilery as far as possible, because nobody's experience of reading this book should be tarnished)
The characters guys, these characters!, Dylan is such a relatable character, in so many aspects of his personality and thought processes I could see myself, I empathized with Dylan, and the way he handled his grief, and navigated his coming out! Then we have Ellis, I loved Ellis and everything he stands for. He's gay, plays football and wears pearls, talk about ICONIC friends. I loved his lighthearted humor and playful personality, and the more you find out about his past, and what he's been through, you find yourself questioning whether his lighthearted playful personality is somewhat of a coping mechanism for his experiences, and I mean, Ellis to me is the type of character that would lift the spirits of any room or person, and I admired his character, and with each passing "Then" chapter I found my heart breaking more and more. Then there is Mike, Dylan's best friend, again loved his character so much, I really loved how the author navigated Dylan and Mikes friendship, Dylan coming out and Mike feeling guilty about all the jokes he made about being gay, Mike having cancer, and how Dylan tried his best to support him, I mean their friendship is probably one of my favourite themes in the book, especially at the end (I can't go into detail, cause spoilers, but if you know you know). Mike is a such a sweetheart and reminded me of my Best Friend in many ways.
The plot of this book was very captivating and engrossing. It served the story very well, and it kept me involved in the story the whole time! I liked how the story was told in the past and present ("Then" and "Now") and every time we got a chapter from the past, I kept wishing the present wasn't real, and my heart kept breaking more. I cried so much in this book, so much!! Especially that last chapter y'all 😭💔
I enjoyed how the author dealt with the themes of grief, love, friendship and especially the discussions around coming out, and being gay. (I'm specifically referring to the dynamics of Dylan's coming out and his relationship with his family and how his family navigated it).
Also, how all the events linked to each other in the end, I was amazed at the meticulous planning and deep thought that was put into the story, and each event of the novel!
This book, broke my tiny gay heart, but did it in the best way possible, leaving me with bittersweet feelings of hope and heartbreak, love and loss, and overall highlighted the unprecedented course life often takes.
Also the title of this book, beautiful! And when you finally piece together the title and the events and oh ehm gee, guys it's so poetic and a work of art, and you should read this right now!!😭😭 I really loved the metaphor and the relevance it had to the story!!
This is the type of book, that reminded me why I love reading, and though it did break my heart, it also inspired me, and gave me a deeper appreciation for love and life.
Trust me, you want to read this!!
October 2, 2020
This is the best book I’ve read in 2020.
I can’t even put everything this book made me feel into words. I cried for probably 75% of the time I spent reading it, but it’s the reason this book was so good.
I’ll probably rewrite this review once I stop crying, but please know that this book is a gem. I picked it up barely knowing what it was about (I wasn’t aware of something that is literally stated in the description), and maybe that’s how you should go about it.
Hideous Beauty was beautiful because it was true.
You can feel the realness behind every word, and that’s why I feel this was such a powerful read. It’s anchored in reality, and it’s what makes Hideous Beauty such a wonderful book. It hits hard, and maybe it’s something we need.
It’s not a funny, light-hearted read, it’s not a feel-good queer story. It hurts to read sometimes. But some moments will make you smile. And then you’ll start crying again, not because it’s sad, but because it’s real. And sometimes facing the truth opens up old wounds, and it feels good to see your own hurt written on these pages, because you feel less alone.
I don’t think I’m making any sense right now, but please, read this book.
The following trigger warnings are listed at the beginning of the book: grief, trauma, drug use, cancer, physical and sexual abuse
I can’t even put everything this book made me feel into words. I cried for probably 75% of the time I spent reading it, but it’s the reason this book was so good.
I’ll probably rewrite this review once I stop crying, but please know that this book is a gem. I picked it up barely knowing what it was about (I wasn’t aware of something that is literally stated in the description), and maybe that’s how you should go about it.
Hideous Beauty was beautiful because it was true.
You can feel the realness behind every word, and that’s why I feel this was such a powerful read. It’s anchored in reality, and it’s what makes Hideous Beauty such a wonderful book. It hits hard, and maybe it’s something we need.
It’s not a funny, light-hearted read, it’s not a feel-good queer story. It hurts to read sometimes. But some moments will make you smile. And then you’ll start crying again, not because it’s sad, but because it’s real. And sometimes facing the truth opens up old wounds, and it feels good to see your own hurt written on these pages, because you feel less alone.
I don’t think I’m making any sense right now, but please, read this book.
The following trigger warnings are listed at the beginning of the book: grief, trauma, drug use, cancer, physical and sexual abuse
June 16, 2021
I went into this expecting a Gay love story mixed with a mystery and I definitely got that, but also so much more. It's about LGBTQ identity and acceptance, grief and trauma.
It deals with difficult topics such as death and grief, but it's not hopeless. It's about getting to the other side of your own pain and loss. I did find myself getting emotional in one of the last chapters when Dylan finally let's go and starts dealing with Ellis's death.
This is definitely a book with classic who-dun-it vibes which I really enjoyed. We move from suspect to suspect finding that each of them has motive to hurt El, and secrets to hide.
But my favourite aspect was the way Hideous Beauty deals with acceptance, because it really got me thinking.
It deals with difficult topics such as death and grief, but it's not hopeless. It's about getting to the other side of your own pain and loss. I did find myself getting emotional in one of the last chapters when Dylan finally let's go and starts dealing with Ellis's death.
This is definitely a book with classic who-dun-it vibes which I really enjoyed. We move from suspect to suspect finding that each of them has motive to hurt El, and secrets to hide.
But my favourite aspect was the way Hideous Beauty deals with acceptance, because it really got me thinking.
May 29, 2020
TLDR, avoiding in-depth commentary and spoilers: I love love love this book. Buy it, read it, support it. Brilliant, realistic characters; excellent queer representation; thrilling mystery; important themes; beautiful writing. Essential reading. SERIOUSLY BUY IT.
Full review: This was our second book club read and I’m pleased to say it was much better received than the first. We did it over the space of five weeks, and for the first few chats we didn’t actually have much specific to say other then ‘yep, liking it, WAYYY better than Beast Player’. (I did have a LOT of notes by the end though.) It was naturally a pretty quick read for all of us that we didn’t want to put down in between chats, but I think in a way I’m glad I experienced it this way because I got to know these characters for so much longer and I think if I were reading it alone I’d have done it in one go, and still loved it, but not connected in as much of a lasting way.
First of all, the writing style was so far up my street it had moved into my house. Straight away I was on board with the subtle, dry humour and pop culture references, and the first note I made was ‘I think I’m gonna like this guy’. He earned himself extra points with his impeccable grammar and using the word ‘nauseated’ instead of ‘nauseous’ which basically had me ready to marry him then and there. But beyond that, it was just absolutely beautiful throughout. The writing was clever, sensual, immersive and emotive. At one point he described a lake as ‘jealous’ which stuck with me as a truly tasty bit of personification, and there were so many examples of that simply gorgeous command of language. He had an uncanny ability to make me feel the emotions he was exploring on the page, so I was experiencing genuine peril at the car crash, heart wrenching grief at - let’s face it, multiple points - and bittersweet nostalgia at Dylan leaving his childhood home. The nuance in the way the book looked at emotion deserves a medal. Seeing the way grief manifested as anger, sadness, love and so many different, often conflicting, emotions simultaneously, really highlighted the complex, non-linear nature of human feeling and helped these characters to appear truer and more relatable.
Plot-wise, right from the off it set things up so well, and really had the intrigue coming into play. It was such a gripping mystery, with multiple turns and a really interesting format to the slow reveal. The pacing was also brilliant, with enough to keep the mystery alive without revealing too much, and then a suitably frantic final chunk that somehow didn’t feel rushed. It sounds contradictory, but every week we were talking theories and speculating on the who did what of it all, whilst also maintaining that this book didn’t predominantly feel like a thriller, but that it was more focused on the characters, their relationship and the story they wanted to tell than the actual crimey angle. It’s such a skill to be able to strike that balance and write something genuinely exciting and mysterious, but also make me feel like I could’ve read 500 pages of these characters having a picnic and been just as satisfied.
Those characters had so much personality and heart, and developed beautifully over the course of the book. Dylan is a real meaty narrator who moves far beyond the awkward, nerdy, gay boy we often see in YA and I was so in love with him. Ellis is equally lovable and I really appreciated how the author used flashbacks as well as his drawings in the present day sections to give us insight into his personality and continue developing him beyond his death. I also adored Mike and was so impressed by the approach to friendship in the book. Male centred stories are rare enough in YA, but books that fully explore male friendship in healthy ways and portray platonic love so unashamedly seem to be even rarer, so it was incredibly refreshing to read. Whilst the friendship was amazing, Mike was still a brilliant, rounded character in his own right, and what I loved was that he wasn’t only a friend to Dylan, but Dylan was a friend to him. It’s easy for books to centre the main character almost to the point of leaving you wondering if the best friend ceases to exist when they’re not interacting with the MC since their only purpose seems to be furthering the MC’s story, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth with Mike. Honestly, there wasn’t a wasted character in this - even side characters like Ollie and Gemma had so much depth, and really rang true as real people going through complex things. I can’t turn off the youth worker in me and I always see teenagers as more than a couple of bad decisions, so I love authors who can *really* write nuance and make us dislike characters or disagree with their actions whilst still understanding their motivations and feeling empathy for them. I was just so connected to all these characters and invested in their relationships and felt all their emotions so deeply.
Along with the outstanding cast, the queer representation is some of the best I’ve read. With such developed characters, they’re naturally going to be more realistic, and I just loved how specific and descriptive it all was. Ellis was unapologetically himself, and that self was a man who was incredibly artistic, loved to dance, wore pearls every day and could also throw a punch, enjoy a beer, and kick a football better than most guys on the team. The best thing about it was that none of it felt forced or unrealistic. It didn’t feel like the author had given him some ‘manly’ traits just to avoid him being ‘too camp’ or that he’d actively thought about whether he’d be considered a stereotype, or ‘what type of gay’ he was going to be, but rather it just felt like this was honestly who El was.
As well as this, I really appreciated the way the author dealt with sex in the book. As was beautifully articulated by my bestie in our book club chat, so often sex in YA can be blown out of proportion, and particularly in queer YA it can either end up so much the focus that it almost becomes a little fetishised, or conversely be so taboo that its dealt with far too delicately to be realistic. However this painted Dylan and Ellis as two normal teenagers who get horny and have sexual encounters exactly in line with their straight counterparts, and it was a breath of fresh air to read.
The approach to family also really spoke to me, and I felt like every set of parents in the book was a very real representation of different kids’ lives. Yes, the extremes absolutely exist, where parents are outright abusive and kick their kids out for being gay, or where they’re so wonderfully supportive they take in kids when they’ve been turned away everywhere else, but the grey area also exists and seeing this explored is so important. There are so many people who really do have that outlook of ‘yeah it’s a shame you don’t wanna forgive us but also we don’t really wanna change our minds so we do kinda love you but we also kinda don’t care if you move out’ when it comes to queer kids. And even with the more supportive adults in the book we see that these things aren’t black and white. You can absolutely love and support a child and also know that you can’t offer them what they need, and even when you make choices to not do everything in your power it still doesn’t mean you’re not doing enough. The whole approach to family in general was amazing and I loved the focus on found and chosen family, because that’s such a reality for so many queer people so it was incredibly validating to see that relatable representation.
This book completely had its values straight, with inclusion at its heart, and everything about the queerness spoke of genuine lived and observed experience from the author rather than assumption or shallow research. There was so much perfect social commentary on the treatment of LGBT+ people, woven into sections like its dismantling of the ‘gay best friend’ trope and its literal smackdown of homophobia. It was so passionate and unapologetic in its approach of centring queer experiences, and completely unwilling to bend or pander to the status quo. It really felt like a book that had been written for these characters and all the queer kids like them, and any straight readers were called out and told ‘you need to do better’. Especially towards the end, and with the inclusion of that particular Martin Luther King quote closing the book and serving as a call to arms for readers to effect change, I could easily see it making some people feel quite defensive and uncomfortable, which feels like a very bold move, and one I respect Hussey immeasurably for.
The big reveal of what happened to El over Christmas had a huge impact on me. I feel like the phrase ‘gut punch’ gets used quite a lot in reviews and it’s often exaggeration but this time it’s honestly not: I felt the last line of chapter 20 physically. It genuinely knocked the wind out of me and twisted my stomach. I really did not see that coming and it’s a testament to how good the writing is that I cared so much to have that response. It made me so fucking angry, and that feeling hasn’t really dissipated in the four days since I finished it. I kind of think you shouldn’t be this deep into a review if you’ve not read the book, cos leave *something* to the imagination, but I really can’t talk about this bit in a spoiler free way so if you want to avoid that then read no further. You have been warned.
.
.
.
I’d suspected the art teacher of being dodgy for a long time but I guess I was sort of expecting some kind of creepy obsession or illicit affair that he couldn’t let go of. I was not expecting outright rape (to be clear, an affair still would have been rape because abuse of power is never ok, but for something to be described on the page as rape evokes quite a different understanding) and whilst it was horrible it was actually quite refreshing to see. There’s often quite unhealthy narratives around queer stories that portray student/teacher ‘affairs’ and it’s like it’s viewed as a little weird but not the completely unacceptable abusive situation it really is and is often even perceived as sexy, but this absolutely didn’t do that and I was so glad it got it right.
I’m hugely passionate about the importance of this topic, advocating for better understanding of abuse, and highlighting that sexual assault and abuse happen to men and boys too, particularly when looking through a queer lens. So whilst it was painful to read, it was absolutely necessary, and I think the way it was done was perfect as well - not too much of a focus, not too deep or graphic, but still really powerful.
The final twist, of who pulled Dylan from the lake, for me, felt like the perfect answer to it all. It was suitably dodgy and mysterious, but didn’t actually involve any malice and more than anything was just sad and unfortunate, which really fit with the overall bitter theme that had started to set it towards the end. I felt like it did justice to the complexity of the story rather than being some out of place shocking murder thing.
The ending itself was also incredibly powerful, and a really clever and beautiful literary device. In chapter 3, while we’re being introduced to the characters and their relationship, we see Dylan planning out their future in a bittersweet little bit of foreshadowing, and then this is perfectly bookended by the final few pages of flashback with them discussing how their story should end. It was absolutely brutal but it also felt kind of like the only way it could have ended and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been a good while since I cried at a book but I sobbed like a baby at this.
I think one of the quotes from our early chats in book club kind of sums up this book best: ‘there’s something lurking at the edge of this story and it’s not fucking nice.’ But along with all the darkness, it’s also one of the books I’ve most connected with recently, and there’s so much to praise in it. I really can’t express how much I loved this. This one is sticking around.
Full review: This was our second book club read and I’m pleased to say it was much better received than the first. We did it over the space of five weeks, and for the first few chats we didn’t actually have much specific to say other then ‘yep, liking it, WAYYY better than Beast Player’. (I did have a LOT of notes by the end though.) It was naturally a pretty quick read for all of us that we didn’t want to put down in between chats, but I think in a way I’m glad I experienced it this way because I got to know these characters for so much longer and I think if I were reading it alone I’d have done it in one go, and still loved it, but not connected in as much of a lasting way.
First of all, the writing style was so far up my street it had moved into my house. Straight away I was on board with the subtle, dry humour and pop culture references, and the first note I made was ‘I think I’m gonna like this guy’. He earned himself extra points with his impeccable grammar and using the word ‘nauseated’ instead of ‘nauseous’ which basically had me ready to marry him then and there. But beyond that, it was just absolutely beautiful throughout. The writing was clever, sensual, immersive and emotive. At one point he described a lake as ‘jealous’ which stuck with me as a truly tasty bit of personification, and there were so many examples of that simply gorgeous command of language. He had an uncanny ability to make me feel the emotions he was exploring on the page, so I was experiencing genuine peril at the car crash, heart wrenching grief at - let’s face it, multiple points - and bittersweet nostalgia at Dylan leaving his childhood home. The nuance in the way the book looked at emotion deserves a medal. Seeing the way grief manifested as anger, sadness, love and so many different, often conflicting, emotions simultaneously, really highlighted the complex, non-linear nature of human feeling and helped these characters to appear truer and more relatable.
Plot-wise, right from the off it set things up so well, and really had the intrigue coming into play. It was such a gripping mystery, with multiple turns and a really interesting format to the slow reveal. The pacing was also brilliant, with enough to keep the mystery alive without revealing too much, and then a suitably frantic final chunk that somehow didn’t feel rushed. It sounds contradictory, but every week we were talking theories and speculating on the who did what of it all, whilst also maintaining that this book didn’t predominantly feel like a thriller, but that it was more focused on the characters, their relationship and the story they wanted to tell than the actual crimey angle. It’s such a skill to be able to strike that balance and write something genuinely exciting and mysterious, but also make me feel like I could’ve read 500 pages of these characters having a picnic and been just as satisfied.
Those characters had so much personality and heart, and developed beautifully over the course of the book. Dylan is a real meaty narrator who moves far beyond the awkward, nerdy, gay boy we often see in YA and I was so in love with him. Ellis is equally lovable and I really appreciated how the author used flashbacks as well as his drawings in the present day sections to give us insight into his personality and continue developing him beyond his death. I also adored Mike and was so impressed by the approach to friendship in the book. Male centred stories are rare enough in YA, but books that fully explore male friendship in healthy ways and portray platonic love so unashamedly seem to be even rarer, so it was incredibly refreshing to read. Whilst the friendship was amazing, Mike was still a brilliant, rounded character in his own right, and what I loved was that he wasn’t only a friend to Dylan, but Dylan was a friend to him. It’s easy for books to centre the main character almost to the point of leaving you wondering if the best friend ceases to exist when they’re not interacting with the MC since their only purpose seems to be furthering the MC’s story, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth with Mike. Honestly, there wasn’t a wasted character in this - even side characters like Ollie and Gemma had so much depth, and really rang true as real people going through complex things. I can’t turn off the youth worker in me and I always see teenagers as more than a couple of bad decisions, so I love authors who can *really* write nuance and make us dislike characters or disagree with their actions whilst still understanding their motivations and feeling empathy for them. I was just so connected to all these characters and invested in their relationships and felt all their emotions so deeply.
Along with the outstanding cast, the queer representation is some of the best I’ve read. With such developed characters, they’re naturally going to be more realistic, and I just loved how specific and descriptive it all was. Ellis was unapologetically himself, and that self was a man who was incredibly artistic, loved to dance, wore pearls every day and could also throw a punch, enjoy a beer, and kick a football better than most guys on the team. The best thing about it was that none of it felt forced or unrealistic. It didn’t feel like the author had given him some ‘manly’ traits just to avoid him being ‘too camp’ or that he’d actively thought about whether he’d be considered a stereotype, or ‘what type of gay’ he was going to be, but rather it just felt like this was honestly who El was.
As well as this, I really appreciated the way the author dealt with sex in the book. As was beautifully articulated by my bestie in our book club chat, so often sex in YA can be blown out of proportion, and particularly in queer YA it can either end up so much the focus that it almost becomes a little fetishised, or conversely be so taboo that its dealt with far too delicately to be realistic. However this painted Dylan and Ellis as two normal teenagers who get horny and have sexual encounters exactly in line with their straight counterparts, and it was a breath of fresh air to read.
The approach to family also really spoke to me, and I felt like every set of parents in the book was a very real representation of different kids’ lives. Yes, the extremes absolutely exist, where parents are outright abusive and kick their kids out for being gay, or where they’re so wonderfully supportive they take in kids when they’ve been turned away everywhere else, but the grey area also exists and seeing this explored is so important. There are so many people who really do have that outlook of ‘yeah it’s a shame you don’t wanna forgive us but also we don’t really wanna change our minds so we do kinda love you but we also kinda don’t care if you move out’ when it comes to queer kids. And even with the more supportive adults in the book we see that these things aren’t black and white. You can absolutely love and support a child and also know that you can’t offer them what they need, and even when you make choices to not do everything in your power it still doesn’t mean you’re not doing enough. The whole approach to family in general was amazing and I loved the focus on found and chosen family, because that’s such a reality for so many queer people so it was incredibly validating to see that relatable representation.
This book completely had its values straight, with inclusion at its heart, and everything about the queerness spoke of genuine lived and observed experience from the author rather than assumption or shallow research. There was so much perfect social commentary on the treatment of LGBT+ people, woven into sections like its dismantling of the ‘gay best friend’ trope and its literal smackdown of homophobia. It was so passionate and unapologetic in its approach of centring queer experiences, and completely unwilling to bend or pander to the status quo. It really felt like a book that had been written for these characters and all the queer kids like them, and any straight readers were called out and told ‘you need to do better’. Especially towards the end, and with the inclusion of that particular Martin Luther King quote closing the book and serving as a call to arms for readers to effect change, I could easily see it making some people feel quite defensive and uncomfortable, which feels like a very bold move, and one I respect Hussey immeasurably for.
The big reveal of what happened to El over Christmas had a huge impact on me. I feel like the phrase ‘gut punch’ gets used quite a lot in reviews and it’s often exaggeration but this time it’s honestly not: I felt the last line of chapter 20 physically. It genuinely knocked the wind out of me and twisted my stomach. I really did not see that coming and it’s a testament to how good the writing is that I cared so much to have that response. It made me so fucking angry, and that feeling hasn’t really dissipated in the four days since I finished it. I kind of think you shouldn’t be this deep into a review if you’ve not read the book, cos leave *something* to the imagination, but I really can’t talk about this bit in a spoiler free way so if you want to avoid that then read no further. You have been warned.
.
.
.
I’d suspected the art teacher of being dodgy for a long time but I guess I was sort of expecting some kind of creepy obsession or illicit affair that he couldn’t let go of. I was not expecting outright rape (to be clear, an affair still would have been rape because abuse of power is never ok, but for something to be described on the page as rape evokes quite a different understanding) and whilst it was horrible it was actually quite refreshing to see. There’s often quite unhealthy narratives around queer stories that portray student/teacher ‘affairs’ and it’s like it’s viewed as a little weird but not the completely unacceptable abusive situation it really is and is often even perceived as sexy, but this absolutely didn’t do that and I was so glad it got it right.
I’m hugely passionate about the importance of this topic, advocating for better understanding of abuse, and highlighting that sexual assault and abuse happen to men and boys too, particularly when looking through a queer lens. So whilst it was painful to read, it was absolutely necessary, and I think the way it was done was perfect as well - not too much of a focus, not too deep or graphic, but still really powerful.
The final twist, of who pulled Dylan from the lake, for me, felt like the perfect answer to it all. It was suitably dodgy and mysterious, but didn’t actually involve any malice and more than anything was just sad and unfortunate, which really fit with the overall bitter theme that had started to set it towards the end. I felt like it did justice to the complexity of the story rather than being some out of place shocking murder thing.
The ending itself was also incredibly powerful, and a really clever and beautiful literary device. In chapter 3, while we’re being introduced to the characters and their relationship, we see Dylan planning out their future in a bittersweet little bit of foreshadowing, and then this is perfectly bookended by the final few pages of flashback with them discussing how their story should end. It was absolutely brutal but it also felt kind of like the only way it could have ended and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been a good while since I cried at a book but I sobbed like a baby at this.
I think one of the quotes from our early chats in book club kind of sums up this book best: ‘there’s something lurking at the edge of this story and it’s not fucking nice.’ But along with all the darkness, it’s also one of the books I’ve most connected with recently, and there’s so much to praise in it. I really can’t express how much I loved this. This one is sticking around.
June 7, 2020
Even though one of the characters dies early on, this is a love story through and through. It’s the love story of Dylan and Ellis, but it’s also about the love between friends and the love we need to have for ourselves to really live.
The book opens with Ellis and Dylan making a big coming-out statement at their school dance. There’s a very positive vibe - until we learn this situation has been somewhat forced on them after someone anonymously posted a clip of them being intimate online. It seems they’ll overcome this - but as they leave the dance Ellis seems to be acting oddly. Something has upset him. He is distracted. Then, before we know it, they have crashed and plunge into a local lake. Ellis drowns, and Dylan is convinced someone rescued him but nobody seemed to be around when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Dealing with such grief would be awful at any age, but the doctor who treats Ellis makes a comment that shows even though things may still not be quite as accepting as they could be it’s still a huge improvement on the past. Perhaps not unexpectedly, Dylan struggles with his feelings after this - convinced someone left Ellis to die, so he determines to investigate and try to find out why.
Though there is an element of mystery to this, the fact we don’t really know what happened in the aftermath of the crash means we’re never sure what the mystery is to solve. Strange drawings turn up in Dylan’s mail and they seem to offer clues as to who might have played a part in Ellis’s abrupt change of behaviour.
As we watch Dylan piece together what happened I was very glad he had his best friend, Mike, looking out for him. An odd dynamic but, when it counted, they totally had each other’s back.
The last part of the book, where Dylan finally confronts the hideous truth about what happened to Ellis did come slightly out of nowhere. That’s not to say it didn’t ring true, but it was hard to reconcile the image we’d been given up to this point with the truth.
I liked the fact that Dylan was, eventually, able to start looking as if he would look back on his time with Ellis fondly. At times uncomfortable reading, but there was also a lot of positivity that I found quite uplifting.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.
The book opens with Ellis and Dylan making a big coming-out statement at their school dance. There’s a very positive vibe - until we learn this situation has been somewhat forced on them after someone anonymously posted a clip of them being intimate online. It seems they’ll overcome this - but as they leave the dance Ellis seems to be acting oddly. Something has upset him. He is distracted. Then, before we know it, they have crashed and plunge into a local lake. Ellis drowns, and Dylan is convinced someone rescued him but nobody seemed to be around when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Dealing with such grief would be awful at any age, but the doctor who treats Ellis makes a comment that shows even though things may still not be quite as accepting as they could be it’s still a huge improvement on the past. Perhaps not unexpectedly, Dylan struggles with his feelings after this - convinced someone left Ellis to die, so he determines to investigate and try to find out why.
Though there is an element of mystery to this, the fact we don’t really know what happened in the aftermath of the crash means we’re never sure what the mystery is to solve. Strange drawings turn up in Dylan’s mail and they seem to offer clues as to who might have played a part in Ellis’s abrupt change of behaviour.
As we watch Dylan piece together what happened I was very glad he had his best friend, Mike, looking out for him. An odd dynamic but, when it counted, they totally had each other’s back.
The last part of the book, where Dylan finally confronts the hideous truth about what happened to Ellis did come slightly out of nowhere. That’s not to say it didn’t ring true, but it was hard to reconcile the image we’d been given up to this point with the truth.
I liked the fact that Dylan was, eventually, able to start looking as if he would look back on his time with Ellis fondly. At times uncomfortable reading, but there was also a lot of positivity that I found quite uplifting.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.
August 27, 2020
I don't read much Young Adult fiction, being neither young nor particularly adult, but I devoured this book in a couple of days. This is the gay love story I needed years and years ago - but I guess the world was different back when I was growing up. Think 'Love Simon' with added tragedy and a thread of mystery that runs through the narrative, which unfolds across a timeline that veers between the present and the recent past. It's a sweet and witty read, and you fall for the two leads almost as fast as they fall for each other. The mystery keeps you guessing, and it all leads up to an emotional, ultimately satisfying resolution. I adored every page.
June 18, 2020
This was such an amazing book. Please everyone read this book. Wow truly touching and thought provoking.
June 30, 2022
DNF (but more so gave up) @ 83%
you could literally ignore this review since a lot of people loved it!
I’ll be honest, I was only into the “now” portions of the book, but even then I was just skimming them.
you could literally ignore this review since a lot of people loved it!
I’ll be honest, I was only into the “now” portions of the book, but even then I was just skimming them.
March 15, 2020
Full review to come but I absolutely adored every single page of this.
March 13, 2024
Bit of a different read for me but really enjoyed it. Bit darker than I’d normally go for but clearly was worth it cos I finished it in 3 days😂
August 23, 2020
I gave up on this halfway through. And then a bit after that; sitting at the train station platform, I said out loud, I'm sorry, I really can't keep reading. I didn't finish it because because I wanted to know what happened but because I wanted to get it out of the way and be done with it.
Needless to say I did not enjoy it one bit. I get that I'm not in the average age group for this book but I found so many things annoying starting with the nicknames. What is up with the nicknames in this book?! Is that something teens do today, because it's that cool? El, Frecks, Mumzilla, Big M, BM.. it's like they didn't know each other's names! And don't get me started about Dylan calling Mike Bitch, I had to breathe in and out on that one. It's very forcefully cool and lame - for lack of a better term - and especially for a UK based story, unecessarily US-esque.
I found Dylan really hard to like. I was trying to imagine how annoying a person like that must be in real life, who needs everyone around them to constantly reassure them that they are not worthless, they are not ugly, they are very sexy.. I get that at that age it might be hard to truly like yourself, but to go on and on about how someone that good looking could fall for someone like you, to carry that self-pity almost like a badge so others would feel sorry for you.. it gets tiring very soon.
And to have a character like that, go on on a crusade and turn a tragic accident into "who killed the love of my life?" and making it sound like an evil masterplan.. I don't want to take away anything from going through something like this but the mystery element didn't work one bit for me, mostly because it was given in such a dramatic way. I guess by that time me and Dylan were definitely not BFFs so anything he was doing and saying annoyed me.
About 2/3 in, I started skipping pages because I really wanted it to be over so perhaps not the most objective reviewer. Overall, a very unenjoyable book with writing and characters that did not agree with me one bit unfortunately. A book though, that showed me that a) I'm not one for gay teen reads and b) not all gay teen reads will be like Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the UniverseAristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Needless to say I did not enjoy it one bit. I get that I'm not in the average age group for this book but I found so many things annoying starting with the nicknames. What is up with the nicknames in this book?! Is that something teens do today, because it's that cool? El, Frecks, Mumzilla, Big M, BM.. it's like they didn't know each other's names! And don't get me started about Dylan calling Mike Bitch, I had to breathe in and out on that one. It's very forcefully cool and lame - for lack of a better term - and especially for a UK based story, unecessarily US-esque.
I found Dylan really hard to like. I was trying to imagine how annoying a person like that must be in real life, who needs everyone around them to constantly reassure them that they are not worthless, they are not ugly, they are very sexy.. I get that at that age it might be hard to truly like yourself, but to go on and on about how someone that good looking could fall for someone like you, to carry that self-pity almost like a badge so others would feel sorry for you.. it gets tiring very soon.
And to have a character like that, go on on a crusade and turn a tragic accident into "who killed the love of my life?" and making it sound like an evil masterplan.. I don't want to take away anything from going through something like this but the mystery element didn't work one bit for me, mostly because it was given in such a dramatic way. I guess by that time me and Dylan were definitely not BFFs so anything he was doing and saying annoyed me.
About 2/3 in, I started skipping pages because I really wanted it to be over so perhaps not the most objective reviewer. Overall, a very unenjoyable book with writing and characters that did not agree with me one bit unfortunately. A book though, that showed me that a) I'm not one for gay teen reads and b) not all gay teen reads will be like Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the UniverseAristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
January 17, 2021
This book left me a little bit unsure of how I feel about it.
The first few pages were a little bit of a struggle for me, because the language and tone were a somewhat off-putting for me. I reminded myself that this story is told from the perspective of a teenager, and that this is a YA novel. With that, I looked over the almost cliché language, decided not to judge the book too early, and started to really enjoy the book.
It's a great and important story that's very timely. The mystery around what's happened keeps you reading on and on, until the ending brings out the probably most important part of the story and how people deal with it. But it also brings out one part that sits really badly with me and is why I can't get myself to like this book as much as I would have otherwise.
Without spoiling the story, the introduction of a bi character and their representation is almost bi-bashing. Playing to the awful stereotypes of bisexual people being somehow greedy, not deciding on what or who they want, and betraying their partners, this book can't be an LG B TQ+ story that highlights the importance of true tolerance, acceptance and everyone's responsibility to stand up for that with this then being the one, and only, sentence that outs a character as bi:
"[Character] has come out as bi. Only, being [Character], he is the most bi bi who ever lived and has a girlfriend and secret boyfriend on the go. Even [Other Character] is a little disgusted with him." (p. 324)
The first few pages were a little bit of a struggle for me, because the language and tone were a somewhat off-putting for me. I reminded myself that this story is told from the perspective of a teenager, and that this is a YA novel. With that, I looked over the almost cliché language, decided not to judge the book too early, and started to really enjoy the book.
It's a great and important story that's very timely. The mystery around what's happened keeps you reading on and on, until the ending brings out the probably most important part of the story and how people deal with it. But it also brings out one part that sits really badly with me and is why I can't get myself to like this book as much as I would have otherwise.
Without spoiling the story, the introduction of a bi character and their representation is almost bi-bashing. Playing to the awful stereotypes of bisexual people being somehow greedy, not deciding on what or who they want, and betraying their partners, this book can't be an LG B TQ+ story that highlights the importance of true tolerance, acceptance and everyone's responsibility to stand up for that with this then being the one, and only, sentence that outs a character as bi:
"[Character] has come out as bi. Only, being [Character], he is the most bi bi who ever lived and has a girlfriend and secret boyfriend on the go. Even [Other Character] is a little disgusted with him." (p. 324)
April 1, 2021
Every now and then a book comes along and you know it's going to be special.
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey is one of those books.
I saw it recommended by Caroline Maston in UK Crime Book Club. On her review I went and downloaded it straight away.
It is a crime book, but if I'd seen the cover or not seen that review I'm not sure if I'd have picked it up, despite thinking Will is an amazing author (and lovely human)
I have finished Hideous Beauty, I read it all today. I have tears streaming down my face, I can't stop them.
The story focuses around Dylan and Ellis. Dylan is gay, but hasn't come out yet. Ellis joins his school and blows everyone away with his exuberance and charm. They quickly become inseparable and Dylan finally comes out to his family.
Dylans best friend is diagnosed with cancer and Ellis is killed in a car accident.
Dylan knows it wasn't an accident and won't rest until he finds the truth.
There's so much love in this, the love of friendship, the surrogate families that take in waifs and strays, adopt their kids friends as their own.
Then there is the overriding message of the prejudices the LGBQT+ Community still experience.
This is pitched as a young adult book but it's one that everyone should be made to read. ❤
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey is one of those books.
I saw it recommended by Caroline Maston in UK Crime Book Club. On her review I went and downloaded it straight away.
It is a crime book, but if I'd seen the cover or not seen that review I'm not sure if I'd have picked it up, despite thinking Will is an amazing author (and lovely human)
I have finished Hideous Beauty, I read it all today. I have tears streaming down my face, I can't stop them.
The story focuses around Dylan and Ellis. Dylan is gay, but hasn't come out yet. Ellis joins his school and blows everyone away with his exuberance and charm. They quickly become inseparable and Dylan finally comes out to his family.
Dylans best friend is diagnosed with cancer and Ellis is killed in a car accident.
Dylan knows it wasn't an accident and won't rest until he finds the truth.
There's so much love in this, the love of friendship, the surrogate families that take in waifs and strays, adopt their kids friends as their own.
Then there is the overriding message of the prejudices the LGBQT+ Community still experience.
This is pitched as a young adult book but it's one that everyone should be made to read. ❤
February 9, 2021
"That's not how real stories end, Dylan"
"But it should be," I tell him solftly. "It should be."
Hideous Beauty does a great job creating an uneasy vibe that really complements the mystery thriller aspect of the book.
Dylan's determined to uncover the secrets surounding the death of his boyfreind Ellis. With little evidence and multiple suspects cropping up due to letters from an unknown sender, Dylan has to uncover the secrets El thought he needed to protect Dylan from.
June 26, 2021
http://www.esmeraldaviaggielibri.it/u...
Una bellezza che fa paura di William Hussey, young adult mistery pubblicato da Mondadori il 1° giugno.
Con questo libro sono uscita dalla mia comfort zone e mi sono buttata in qualcosa che mi intrigava, ma non ero certa sarei riuscita ad apprezzare. Se siete alla ricerca di un romanzo che vi metta alla prova e vi faccia provare una buona dose di angoscia durante tutta la narrazione fermatevi perché avete trovato quello che fa al caso vostro, se invece cercate qualcosa di meno ansiogeno passate oltre perché entrare nella storia di Ellis non è per nulla semplice e potrebbe turbarvi.
Dylan è felice perché finalmente non deve più nascondere la sua relazione con Ellis, ormai è ufficiale, lo sanno i suoi genitori e suo fratello e tutto ‘grazie’ a un video girato di nascosto che li riprendeva in atteggiamenti intimi. Il pervertito che ha girato questo video in qualche modo ha fatto loro un favore, ma Dylan non sa cosa li attenderà quella notte.
L’unico che sapeva della loro relazione da tempo è il suo migliore amico Mike, un giorno erano in vena di confidenze e hanno fatto entrambi coming out “Ho la leucemia”; “Sono gay”. Mike è il migliore amico che si possa desiderare, non ti giudica, ti comprende, ti sta accanto e interviene quando c’è bisogno del suo aiuto, vorremmo tutti un Mike nella nostra vita. E Dylan è davvero fortunato perché non solo ha l’amico migliore che si possa avere, ma anche un ragazzo fantastico. Ellis è trascinante, nessuno riesce a resistergli, tutti vorrebbero un pezzetto di lui, il suo carisma è unico e riesce a farlo benvolere da chiunque entri nella sua orbita. Purtroppo c’è anche il rovescio della medaglia perché questa bellezza accecante potrebbe infastidire, questo carattere così aperto e disponibile potrebbe finire per illudere qualcuno o far credere a chi non è sano di mente di poter commettere un reato passando impunito.
Quella notte del ballo in cui tutto sembra perfetto segna una svolta nella vita di Dylan, una di quelle a cui si fatica a trovare un senso. Dopo i sorrisi, gli abbracci e i baci scambiati in pista Ellis si rabbuia e chiede a Dylan di andarsene in fretta da lì. Dylan non capisce cosa possa essere successo, ma Ellis non sembra più lui e poi qualcosa accade e spezza per sempre due vite. Un testacoda, la macchina che finisce nel lago, Dylan che viene salvato e Ellis che muore tragicamente. Da questo momento Dylan non vive più, deve scoprire cos’è successo a Ellis e chi ha salvato lui lasciando morire il suo amato.
Ma l’universo non aiuta la gente come Ellis Bell. Nel momento in cui la sua vita sta finalmente girando per il verso giusto, il destino gli gioca questo tiro mancino.
Inizia così un viaggio tra passato e presente in cui facciamo la conoscenza dei protagonisti e della loro splendida storia d’amore. Per fortuna ci sono gli episodi del passato a darci speranza perché il presente non solo è incerto, ma è costellato da tutto ciò che di orribile si può scoprire scavando a fondo e non soffermandosi alla superficie delle cose. Dylan scopre tante cose di tutti coloro che gli stanno accanto, capisce che fidarsi delle persone è pericoloso, che il male si può annidare ovunque e anche chi ti ama può arrivare a compiere gesti inspiegabili e dannosi per te.
Non voglio svelarvi cosa accade perché questo è uno di quei libri in cui è difficile non raccontare troppo parlandone, quello che voglio dirvi è che Una bellezza che fa paura vi porterà a riflettere su tante cose, a domandarvi se anche voi fate parte di quelle persone che di facciata sono tolleranti e accoglienti, ma che dietro nascondono dei preconcetti che si vergognano anche solo a pensare ad alta voce. Solo leggendo capirete di cosa sto parlando, solo addentrandovi nella storia di Ellis comprenderete fino in fondo quanto alcune persone sappiano manipolarti e terrorizzarti. Non so quanti di voi siano pronti per leggere un libro così forte, ma se siete curiosi datevi una possibilità, sono certa che non ve ne pentirete.
Una bellezza che fa paura di William Hussey, young adult mistery pubblicato da Mondadori il 1° giugno.
Con questo libro sono uscita dalla mia comfort zone e mi sono buttata in qualcosa che mi intrigava, ma non ero certa sarei riuscita ad apprezzare. Se siete alla ricerca di un romanzo che vi metta alla prova e vi faccia provare una buona dose di angoscia durante tutta la narrazione fermatevi perché avete trovato quello che fa al caso vostro, se invece cercate qualcosa di meno ansiogeno passate oltre perché entrare nella storia di Ellis non è per nulla semplice e potrebbe turbarvi.
Dylan è felice perché finalmente non deve più nascondere la sua relazione con Ellis, ormai è ufficiale, lo sanno i suoi genitori e suo fratello e tutto ‘grazie’ a un video girato di nascosto che li riprendeva in atteggiamenti intimi. Il pervertito che ha girato questo video in qualche modo ha fatto loro un favore, ma Dylan non sa cosa li attenderà quella notte.
L’unico che sapeva della loro relazione da tempo è il suo migliore amico Mike, un giorno erano in vena di confidenze e hanno fatto entrambi coming out “Ho la leucemia”; “Sono gay”. Mike è il migliore amico che si possa desiderare, non ti giudica, ti comprende, ti sta accanto e interviene quando c’è bisogno del suo aiuto, vorremmo tutti un Mike nella nostra vita. E Dylan è davvero fortunato perché non solo ha l’amico migliore che si possa avere, ma anche un ragazzo fantastico. Ellis è trascinante, nessuno riesce a resistergli, tutti vorrebbero un pezzetto di lui, il suo carisma è unico e riesce a farlo benvolere da chiunque entri nella sua orbita. Purtroppo c’è anche il rovescio della medaglia perché questa bellezza accecante potrebbe infastidire, questo carattere così aperto e disponibile potrebbe finire per illudere qualcuno o far credere a chi non è sano di mente di poter commettere un reato passando impunito.
Quella notte del ballo in cui tutto sembra perfetto segna una svolta nella vita di Dylan, una di quelle a cui si fatica a trovare un senso. Dopo i sorrisi, gli abbracci e i baci scambiati in pista Ellis si rabbuia e chiede a Dylan di andarsene in fretta da lì. Dylan non capisce cosa possa essere successo, ma Ellis non sembra più lui e poi qualcosa accade e spezza per sempre due vite. Un testacoda, la macchina che finisce nel lago, Dylan che viene salvato e Ellis che muore tragicamente. Da questo momento Dylan non vive più, deve scoprire cos’è successo a Ellis e chi ha salvato lui lasciando morire il suo amato.
Ma l’universo non aiuta la gente come Ellis Bell. Nel momento in cui la sua vita sta finalmente girando per il verso giusto, il destino gli gioca questo tiro mancino.
Inizia così un viaggio tra passato e presente in cui facciamo la conoscenza dei protagonisti e della loro splendida storia d’amore. Per fortuna ci sono gli episodi del passato a darci speranza perché il presente non solo è incerto, ma è costellato da tutto ciò che di orribile si può scoprire scavando a fondo e non soffermandosi alla superficie delle cose. Dylan scopre tante cose di tutti coloro che gli stanno accanto, capisce che fidarsi delle persone è pericoloso, che il male si può annidare ovunque e anche chi ti ama può arrivare a compiere gesti inspiegabili e dannosi per te.
Non voglio svelarvi cosa accade perché questo è uno di quei libri in cui è difficile non raccontare troppo parlandone, quello che voglio dirvi è che Una bellezza che fa paura vi porterà a riflettere su tante cose, a domandarvi se anche voi fate parte di quelle persone che di facciata sono tolleranti e accoglienti, ma che dietro nascondono dei preconcetti che si vergognano anche solo a pensare ad alta voce. Solo leggendo capirete di cosa sto parlando, solo addentrandovi nella storia di Ellis comprenderete fino in fondo quanto alcune persone sappiano manipolarti e terrorizzarti. Non so quanti di voi siano pronti per leggere un libro così forte, ma se siete curiosi datevi una possibilità, sono certa che non ve ne pentirete.
June 5, 2020
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey has been one of my favourite reads of 2020. The love between Dylan and Ellis was so beautiful and emotional and I felt absolutely wrung out after reading this book.
The main premise of the story is that because of a leaked viral sex video, Dylan is forced to come out to his parents about his and El's secret relationship. They decide to go to a school dance to get the awkwardness of seeing their classmates after the video is seen out of the way. Things seem to go well with Dylan's parents and everyone at school seems to accept Dylan and Ellis but even so El becomes distant and withdrawn and as they're driving home, Ellis loses control of the car, they end up in a lake and Dylan is pulled free with Ellis left to drown. When Dylan wakes up in hospital, he vows to find out all the mysteries of Ellis which boils down to the following:
1) Who released the video of Dylan and Ellis?
2) Why was Ellis acting so weird at the dance?
3) Who saved Dylan and left El to die?
Honestly, this book ripped my heart out. It was pretty impressive how quickly I fell for Dylan and El: their relationship is barely introduced in the pages of this book before the car accident but that entire scene had me crying my eyes out. The love between these two boys was so pure and absolute and what happens is devastating. And Dylan's grief is such an intense feeling that I completely believed and felt too. And there's just no let up - following the car accident itself led quickly on to El's funeral which was brutal. The depiction of grief in Hideous Beauty was so intense and palpable.
As Dylan gets more involved in exploring the mysteries that led up to Ellis's death, it was kind of interesting to see how and where the cracks appear in what seems to be acceptance of Dylan and El's relationship. Hideous Beauty is a reference to a special place the two boys go, but it also felt like an excellent description of this book - that the incredible love between these boys (Beauty) exists in a world where parents disown their children, where awful people prey on the vulnerable and where true acceptance is not met (Hideous).
This book was everything. Intense, romantic, emotional, heartbreaking. I urge you to read it and be as swept away in these characters as much as I was.
The main premise of the story is that because of a leaked viral sex video, Dylan is forced to come out to his parents about his and El's secret relationship. They decide to go to a school dance to get the awkwardness of seeing their classmates after the video is seen out of the way. Things seem to go well with Dylan's parents and everyone at school seems to accept Dylan and Ellis but even so El becomes distant and withdrawn and as they're driving home, Ellis loses control of the car, they end up in a lake and Dylan is pulled free with Ellis left to drown. When Dylan wakes up in hospital, he vows to find out all the mysteries of Ellis which boils down to the following:
1) Who released the video of Dylan and Ellis?
2) Why was Ellis acting so weird at the dance?
3) Who saved Dylan and left El to die?
Honestly, this book ripped my heart out. It was pretty impressive how quickly I fell for Dylan and El: their relationship is barely introduced in the pages of this book before the car accident but that entire scene had me crying my eyes out. The love between these two boys was so pure and absolute and what happens is devastating. And Dylan's grief is such an intense feeling that I completely believed and felt too. And there's just no let up - following the car accident itself led quickly on to El's funeral which was brutal. The depiction of grief in Hideous Beauty was so intense and palpable.
As Dylan gets more involved in exploring the mysteries that led up to Ellis's death, it was kind of interesting to see how and where the cracks appear in what seems to be acceptance of Dylan and El's relationship. Hideous Beauty is a reference to a special place the two boys go, but it also felt like an excellent description of this book - that the incredible love between these boys (Beauty) exists in a world where parents disown their children, where awful people prey on the vulnerable and where true acceptance is not met (Hideous).
This book was everything. Intense, romantic, emotional, heartbreaking. I urge you to read it and be as swept away in these characters as much as I was.
April 8, 2020
Thank you so much to Usborne Publishing for providing me with a copy of Hideous Beauty, in exchange for an honest review!
Dylan and Ellis have been seeing each other, in secret, for several months, because while Ellis is openly gay, Dylan hasn't come out to his parents or people at school yet. When a video of them is leaked on social media, Dylan knows it's time to let them know, before they hear it from neighbourhood gossip. With everyone showing more support than he expected, a bright future with the boy he loves seems more possible than ever. That is until Ellis is killed shortly after. With people treating Dylan like his grief for Ellis isn't a big deal and refusing to believe some of his recollections surrounding the accident, he turns to his best friend Mike to try and solve the mystery of why Ellis was suddenly so upset that night, and who saved Dylan's life, but seemingly left Ellis to drown.
This book, told in alternating chapters of before and after the accident, slowly revealed the answers to the mystery, while keeping my heart pounding the whole time. A thriller mixed with a truly sweet romance, every part of this book was perfection. There were some really important themes that sometimes get glossed over in other books - like the issues surrounding Dylan's family not being outwardly unsupportive of his relationship, but not being truly supportive either. Ellis had a lot to deal with in his short life with a pretty awful family situation, a loving Aunt with an addiction problem and more. I adored both of these boys and felt true anguish over the hands they were dealt.
I honestly didn't want to put this book down and I'd not only highly recommend it, but I'll push you through the door of the bookstore to make you get your hands on it. Ok, well, at the moment, maybe I'll push you to order it online?
Dylan and Ellis have been seeing each other, in secret, for several months, because while Ellis is openly gay, Dylan hasn't come out to his parents or people at school yet. When a video of them is leaked on social media, Dylan knows it's time to let them know, before they hear it from neighbourhood gossip. With everyone showing more support than he expected, a bright future with the boy he loves seems more possible than ever. That is until Ellis is killed shortly after. With people treating Dylan like his grief for Ellis isn't a big deal and refusing to believe some of his recollections surrounding the accident, he turns to his best friend Mike to try and solve the mystery of why Ellis was suddenly so upset that night, and who saved Dylan's life, but seemingly left Ellis to drown.
This book, told in alternating chapters of before and after the accident, slowly revealed the answers to the mystery, while keeping my heart pounding the whole time. A thriller mixed with a truly sweet romance, every part of this book was perfection. There were some really important themes that sometimes get glossed over in other books - like the issues surrounding Dylan's family not being outwardly unsupportive of his relationship, but not being truly supportive either. Ellis had a lot to deal with in his short life with a pretty awful family situation, a loving Aunt with an addiction problem and more. I adored both of these boys and felt true anguish over the hands they were dealt.
I honestly didn't want to put this book down and I'd not only highly recommend it, but I'll push you through the door of the bookstore to make you get your hands on it. Ok, well, at the moment, maybe I'll push you to order it online?
You will find out pretty soon that ninety-nine percent of your entire adult existence will be spent wading through other people's bullshit, and you'll have no choice but to smile and nod like it's the most fragrant summer stream
January 22, 2021
4.75/5⭐ My heart. This book is just phenomenal.
Trigger warnings: Death, Rape, sexual assault, homophobia, grief, cancer, physical abuse and drug use.
A YA LGBTQ+ Mystery with so much heart. Such a powerful and important read that tackles grief and loss, sexual assault, drug use, cancer and homophobia. I don't know how to describe this book, other than absolutely relatable, painful, sensitive but honest.
The characters just jumped out from the pages , they were written so well, and I just cared so deeply about them and just couldn't put the book down, it kept me guessing til the very end. Throughout I felt I travelled down those dark paths and happy moments with the main characters.
The story follows high schoolers, Dylan and Ellis, who are so completely in love and planning a future together, but after a video gets leaked, and Dylan gets outed to the school, the boys decide to come out to Dylan's parents. Things start to unravel there, and after a horrific accident everything changes. You get flashback scenes and present scenes and the book is just so heartbreaking, honest and incredibly real.
I love the way that the author challenges beliefs and stigma. First love is so often dismissed, but first love is just as powerful and real as any relationship. This book has great queer representation and really challenges stereotypes.
Highly reccomend Hideous Beauty, the beauty shines through amongst the dark, but life isn't always fairytale happily ever afters, there will always be hideous mixed in with beauty.
Trigger warnings: Death, Rape, sexual assault, homophobia, grief, cancer, physical abuse and drug use.
A YA LGBTQ+ Mystery with so much heart. Such a powerful and important read that tackles grief and loss, sexual assault, drug use, cancer and homophobia. I don't know how to describe this book, other than absolutely relatable, painful, sensitive but honest.
The characters just jumped out from the pages , they were written so well, and I just cared so deeply about them and just couldn't put the book down, it kept me guessing til the very end. Throughout I felt I travelled down those dark paths and happy moments with the main characters.
The story follows high schoolers, Dylan and Ellis, who are so completely in love and planning a future together, but after a video gets leaked, and Dylan gets outed to the school, the boys decide to come out to Dylan's parents. Things start to unravel there, and after a horrific accident everything changes. You get flashback scenes and present scenes and the book is just so heartbreaking, honest and incredibly real.
I love the way that the author challenges beliefs and stigma. First love is so often dismissed, but first love is just as powerful and real as any relationship. This book has great queer representation and really challenges stereotypes.
Highly reccomend Hideous Beauty, the beauty shines through amongst the dark, but life isn't always fairytale happily ever afters, there will always be hideous mixed in with beauty.
February 9, 2023
I have never had an experience reading a book where I managed to keep the tears in all the way through (no small feat with this book), only for literally the very last sentence to set me off. And I swear someone set C4 to the floodgates, because I just exploded into tears.
This book absolutely obliterated me. It’s a beautiful story of first love - had me smiling at Dylan and Ellis’ every interaction, they are everything - but it’s also one that deals with such important issues. The way this book speaks about tolerance really struck me in particular Lukewarm, halfway acceptance is useless ; It has to be absolute.
I must admit I didn’t expect this story to turn the way it did. I was honestly rendered speechless by the events of this book, and - taking care of the trigger warnings, of course - I think it’s a book people should read. It’s clear that William Hussey put a huge amount of time and research into this story, because it’s written with a level of empathy and candor that can only stem from caring deeply about these topics and themes. It’s an incredible story and deserves to be spoken about so much more.
Emotionally devastating.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book absolutely obliterated me. It’s a beautiful story of first love - had me smiling at Dylan and Ellis’ every interaction, they are everything - but it’s also one that deals with such important issues. The way this book speaks about tolerance really struck me in particular Lukewarm, halfway acceptance is useless ; It has to be absolute.
I must admit I didn’t expect this story to turn the way it did. I was honestly rendered speechless by the events of this book, and - taking care of the trigger warnings, of course - I think it’s a book people should read. It’s clear that William Hussey put a huge amount of time and research into this story, because it’s written with a level of empathy and candor that can only stem from caring deeply about these topics and themes. It’s an incredible story and deserves to be spoken about so much more.
Emotionally devastating.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 13, 2021
I started reading this book without ANY information of the content AT. ALL.
Phew... this book hit me hard.
Im not gonna give too much away, I dont want to spoil the experience of this amazing story and let you have all the feels.
I would recommend not reading too much about this book, the info gives away a major plot and I, for once, hate stuff like that. But it does come with a Triggerwarning inside which is a big plus. (Although I havent read it either, I know of the importance of said warnings and how these are missing in quite a few books)
I loved the characters in this book and I could relate to Dylan on so many levels, it wasnt even funny.
His best friend Mike quickly became one of my favourites. To have a friend like him in your life truly is a blessing anyone could wish for. And to top that off hes also coming from a family who could not be sweeter if they tried. Not so much like Dylans family...
I loved how the story was built up and the humorous style of writing made it really hard not to smile even though all I wanted to do is cry.
I highly recommend reading this book if you havent already done it.
This was definitely a highlight this year and
Phew... this book hit me hard.
Im not gonna give too much away, I dont want to spoil the experience of this amazing story and let you have all the feels.
I would recommend not reading too much about this book, the info gives away a major plot and I, for once, hate stuff like that. But it does come with a Triggerwarning inside which is a big plus. (Although I havent read it either, I know of the importance of said warnings and how these are missing in quite a few books)
I loved the characters in this book and I could relate to Dylan on so many levels, it wasnt even funny.
His best friend Mike quickly became one of my favourites. To have a friend like him in your life truly is a blessing anyone could wish for. And to top that off hes also coming from a family who could not be sweeter if they tried. Not so much like Dylans family...
I loved how the story was built up and the humorous style of writing made it really hard not to smile even though all I wanted to do is cry.
I highly recommend reading this book if you havent already done it.
This was definitely a highlight this year and
February 26, 2025
You see. Me and william hussey have a love hate relationship. And i think it applies to this book. He has good solid ideas but the execution isnt always there. Now this might be solely an opinion thing but ive found with alot of his books its like he tries to cram too much into a 350 page book, i found this with a few of his others too like the outrage. However one thing i did love about this book was the characters, my god did this story break My heart. tears WERE shed. And thats only because of how lovable all of the characters were, we adore ellis and we want to know what happened. We feel sorry for mike and love and root for his friendship with dylan. The lovable characters are what really made this book. Not gonna drop any spoilers but i also thought both of the twists were really predictable. The clues all felt a bit too on the nose.
October 4, 2020
Un thriller captivant entrecoupés de belles scènes poignantes, qui se termine superbement en l’arrachant quelques larmes. J’ai adoré ma lecture bien qu’elle fut très éprouvantes car de nombreux sujets très difficile sont amenés. L’écriture est solide et la maîtrise des personnages honorables. Un très très bon premier roman.
rep : mlm, pp gay, ps bi.
TW : outing public, harcèlement, agression physique et sexuelle, drogues, cancer, drogue, sexe, trauma, deuil, noyade.
rep : mlm, pp gay, ps bi.
TW : outing public, harcèlement, agression physique et sexuelle, drogues, cancer, drogue, sexe, trauma, deuil, noyade.
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