🏷️ Spoiler Policy
Reviews on The Muddled Reader are spoiler safe by default and focus on mental health themes rather than plot. Any post containing plot spoilers is clearly marked.
Review through a mental health lens
Title: Beautiful Ugly
Author: Alice Feeney
Date: January 14th 2025
Pages: 306
🍀 Why I Picked This Book
After reading some heavy books I wanted something lighter, more fun. I hadn’t read an Alice Feeney book yet, but I’ve been seeing her reviews all over social media and wanted to give her a try. Beautiful Ugly seems to be a favourite of hers so I decided on this.
🌈 Overall Feeling & Vibes
This is a story told from two perspectives, from Grady one year after his wife has disappeared and from Abby before her disappearance. The main setting is an island cut off from the mainland for weeks at a time. The island is disorientating, strange and the inhabitants even stranger. The sense of unease begins on page one and doesn’t stop until the end.
🧠 Mental Health Themes Present
🧵Childhood trauma
🧵Inappropriate adult behaviour toward a minor
🧵Addiction
🧵Depression
🧵Paranoia
🧵Fertility
💥 Moments That Hit Hard
Finding out what happened to Abby! The ending!
👥 Who Would I Recommend This Book To
Readers that love fast paced thrillers. This was a very easy read with short chapters and never a dull moment. If you love your twists and turns at breakneck speed, this book is for you.
📝 Final Reflections
I loved this! Despite the bleakness, I found this so fun to read. I loved meeting all the island characters one by one and trying to decide if they were “good or bad guys”. I adore island and cut off settings and quirky inhabitants. The unreliable narration, each chapter ending on a twist, honestly this book was fantastic!
🌿 Comfort / Distress Balance
Emotionally heavy: 💔💔 (some very heavy subjects but not handled in a deep way)
Hopeful elements: 🌤️ (there is a constant sense of unease and melancholy throughout the story)
Comfort read potential: ☕☕☕ (I find psychological books like this with twists all over, increases my serotonin, very comforting!)
Muddled Reader Rating
☕☕☕☕