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A review by woodslesbian
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, but it unfortunately didn't actually leave a very strong impression on me after the fact. The writing was beautiful and I was absolutely compelled by the main character's struggle, while also drawn into the mysteries of the Holistik's fishy business. I really enjoyed the blend of sci-fi elements and a sort of dreamy, disconnected tone throughout the book and felt like it added nicely to the overall vibe. While there were some unpleasant and tense parts and a good build of atmosphere, the horror in this novel is definitely more on the subdued side than super graphic or thrilling--that being said, though, there was definitely one reveal at the end that made me close the book and walk around going O.O to just try and process it. The messaging was not especially subtle and the pacing felt too slow/too fast in some places, especially towards the end, but I enjoyed this one a lot overall. I just wish it was a bit more memorable!