Review 1 of 2024, Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
Beautyland is the story of an alien life sent to earth to learn about humanity. The result is a funny, heartwarming, and complicated narrative about what creates a full life. I have complicated feelings about this book because I LOVED the first 3/4ths of it but struggled with what is implied in the end (trying so hard to avoid spoilers!). As a neurodivergent person, I could really relate to Adina’s observations, especially in childhood and overall I really enjoyed this book. The narration in the audiobook was wonderful and really added to the experience.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!
Categories: Fiction, Science Fiction, Literary
Content Warning: death of a pet, abuse, bullying, cancer