The Treachery of Beautiful Things
by Ruth Frances Long
Expected publication: August 16th 2012
Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin Group USA)
*Printed ARC provided by publisher for an honest review.
A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction.
The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.
~My Review~
A mythical and enchanting journey guaranteed to whisk you away to the land of magic. The Treachery of Beautiful Things will surely leave you breathless.
What I love about this story is how convincing it is. There's nothing more pleasant than authenticity, and you'll get that and more in this book. Ruth is a talented writer who through the usage of captivating words has sprung to life a world many would describe as non-existent. My imagination was doing overtime while I read, and believe me when I say that I've lost sleep anticipating how the story will end. It's just that enjoyable. I'm talking about the kind of enjoyment that let's you know you're going to give the novel 5 stars before even reaching the middle. Yes, there's fireworks!
One would believe there's nothing more beautiful than getting plunged into a place straight out of your childhood storybooks, but not for Jenny. This strong spirited and determined young girl has never given up hope that her brother was still alive and trapped somewhere in a mysterious forest. What she had seen as a child haunted her for several years, almost making her think she was crazy. But after stumbling upon the same otherworldly occurrence, Jenny is more than convinced that her mental stability is quite in tact. And not to mention that along with uncovering the mystery behind her brother's disappearance she learns some very interesting truth about herself and the person she's deliberating on whether or not to trust, for in this kingdom it is quite dangerous to trust just anyone.
Aside from that, readers are taken on a wild adventure that entails twists and turns you'd never imagined, and encounters that'll have you thinking back on a few fairytales. Of course there are other characters just as likable and valuable to the story, without their presence some of the fascination would be lacking. In particular, Jack.
Jack came into the picture with no story behind himself except for proclaiming his position in the forest. I knew someone portraying so much kindness along with fear of another's well being had some secrets of his own. This mysterious-and might I say hot-character ignited something in Jenny and their feelings for each other was like an undying fire.
In every young adult fantasy there's usually a villain and the antagonist in this story redefines scary. I believed every sensual threat and shivered at the scenes where she'd touch someone. Now that's creepy. I guess I was too drawn in? Whatever the case, I loved it.
The writing style, the pace, the poetic and smooth way in which the story flowed, everything was well balanced, perfectly thought out, and without a word, remarkable.
The Treachery of Beautiful Things, once again, was just magical. Remember, steady breaths as you read or you'll find yourself panting at the end. I kid you not.
About the Author
A lifelong fan of fantasy, romance, and ancient mysteries, Ruth Frances Long studied English Literature, History of Religions, and Celtic Civilization in college and now works in a specialized library of rare and unusual books. She lives in County Wicklow, Ireland. The Treachery of Beautiful Things is her first novel for teens.
