Book Review | The Beautiful and The Cursed by Page Morgan

Series: The Dispossed #1

Format: Hardcover

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: May 14, 2013

Pages: 352

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After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbing, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all.  It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

 And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead-she can feel it deep in her soul-but she knows he’s in grave danger.  It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths.  And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, the can never again be buried.

 

I must admit that I was hesitant to read The Beautiful and The Cursed because Historical Fiction is usually a hit or miss with me, miss being the most likely but the cover is absolutely gorgeous and I was really interesting in the whole Gargoyle thing so I had to give it a try.

After a strange and disgraceful accident leaves Ingrid Waverly’s reputation shattered and her heart broken, she is forced to leave her home in London and move to the mysterious city of Paris with her mother and sister, Gabby.  Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, went ahead to Paris to find the perfect place for their mother’s gallery.  But the Waverly women aren’t expecting the disturbing news that Grayson hasn’t been seen or heard from in four days when they get to Paris. 

 Ingrid feels deep in her soul that Grayson is not dead so she and Gabby go on a quest to find Grayson and they will stop at nothing to locate him.  Along the way they learn about a secret world full of Demons, Hellhounds and Gargoyles.  Ingrid and Gabby quickly learn that not everyone is as they seem. 

 I really enjoyed Gabby’s outspoken personality and Ingrid’s stubbornness but I really didn’t have a deep connection with any of the characters in this book.

 I hate having to say this because I have heard NOTHING but amazing things about The Beautiful and The Cursed and I really wanted to be like everyone else and LOVE this book.  Unfortunately, I just could not get into the story.  I don’t know if it’s because this book was told in four different POVs and I had a hard time making a connection with the characters or if it’s because historical books and I just don’t get along, but whatever the reason, it wasn’t for me.

 If you are looking for a new species to fall in love with or you love historical fiction then I believe you should give this book a try.  Or even if you are like me and most of the time you don’t like the historical setting then you should still give it a try because not everyone has the same tastes and just because I didn’t care for a book doesn’t mean it won’t become someone else’s favorite.