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Monstrous Beauty
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
21 posts | 22 read | 41 to read
Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra's help, Hester investigates her family's strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean - but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.
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RavenclawOwlCat
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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RavenclawOwlCat
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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review
RavenclawOwlCat
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
Pickpick

4/5 stars. Was an interesting tail of mermaids, ghosts, and curses. I enjoyed it, and liked the perspectives from the 1800s most.

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sparrowssavvy
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Pickpick

This book had a lot of wins for me. Mermaids, centuries old curse, multiple storylines, even some beautiful illustrations.

Personally I would have loved if this was about a hundred pages longer and a bit more flushed out. That said, it was still an amazing read. It was quite lovely with the writing and had some beautiful moments.

IuliaC This photo is absolutely beautiful 😍 3y
sparrowssavvy @IuliaC thank you so much!! 3y
11 likes2 comments
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StaceyKondla
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.
This is day 174 #bookstoread #tbrpile #bookstagram

63 likes2 stack adds
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BridgetteM
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Pickpick

This gets a pick but just barely. It‘s set in Plymouth in 1873 and current day. The main character, Hester, is a teen trying to undo a curse on her family that condemns the women to die in childbirth. She meets & becomes drawn to mysterious Ezra.

There was good historical detail, which I liked. I didn‘t believe the chemistry between Hester & Ezra though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#fairytaleretelling #Booked2019

@Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Cinfhen Too bad it wasn‘t better,it sounds promising 6y
BridgetteM @Cinfhen I think this would have been my jam in high school but I feel too “adult” for it now. 6y
wordzie Sounds 😎...sorry it wasn't better! 6y
BridgetteM @wordzie I think it‘s me, not the book. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
wordzie 😂😂 6y
61 likes1 stack add5 comments
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GripLitGrl
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🧜‍♀️💗 6y
41 likes1 comment
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Kristelh
Monstrous Beauty | Fama, Elizabeth
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Finished this. #ghosts #mermaids #seamonsters. There are things that I don‘t like about this book but overall was entertained.

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kgriffith
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Pickpick

Just realized my current reads isn‘t up to date so fixing that. Here, have a picture from my garden yesterday after I pruned out the spinaches that got out of hand over the week I couldn‘t visit. #jungle #jurassicspinach #orachseaspinachforest #itwassoprettythough

Craftylikefox It‘s looking good!! 6y
44 likes1 comment
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kgriffith
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Not how I want to spend time during #reversereadathon but the ankle wants what it wants. #RICE #audioicing #audiobooks #SYNC #summerlistening

JacqMac Oh no! At least you‘ll have time to read. 6y
suvata Ouch! 6y
kgriffith @JacqMac Except I would have anyway, I had taken next week off to be a counselor at queer camp starting tomorrow but they didn‘t need as many of us so I‘m staying home to get unpacked and organized while listening to books 😋 6y
Ddzmini Oh no hope it‘s nothing bad sending good health and healing your way hugs 🤗 😋📖 6y
Nerdgirl_Ms_Sorrells 🤭ouch! here‘s to healing quickly! 6y
37 likes5 comments
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kgriffith
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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I wasn‘t expecting this one to be so violent! CW for spoiler comment below. Also, I got a new anti-fatigue mat (the whole thing reads “Whip it good!” 😝) for my new kitchen, the organization of which is my first project of #staycation and #reversereadathon weekend 😊

kgriffith CW: rape, murder, graphic description of violent acts. 6y
38 likes1 comment
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kgriffith
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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A bittersweet listen, as we lost Katy earlier this year. 💜

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LibrarianRyan
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Today is the last new FREE audiobook for the summer. Today's selections are the tagged and pictures book as well as The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Www.audiobooksync.com

#audiobooksync

63 likes1 stack add
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sprainedbrain
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Panpan

I finished this on audio, while folding laundry. Audio did not help this story at all... probably because the narrator is one of my least favorites. 😞

That said, I had issues with the story itself. The author clearly did a lot of research, and the writing is not bad, but the book suffers from a clueless main character and predictable plot.

This came more than a year ago in a subscription box. I‘m no longer subscribed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

⭐️⭐️

silentrequiem Well that's disappointing. I got the same box, and am also no longer subscribed. 7y
JSW What box was it? 7y
sprainedbrain @JSW LitCube... it had to have been summer or fall 2016, and I unsubscribed shortly after that one. 7y
JSW Ah good to know. Will stay away. 7y
105 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Cityofamber
Monstrous Beauty | Fama, Elizabeth
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Mehso-so

I have no strong feeling about this one way or the other. I did like the mermaid scene but that was barely in the book. And the thing between Ezra and Hester felt weird.

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Chachic
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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I wasn't planning to buy any jewelry but I couldn't resist these mermaid earrings - they're so pretty and also so me! I love pieces that look like they have a story to tell, and all of Les Nereides' designs are like that. If only I could afford to buy more of them! I tagged the book that I used as a background, which I still haven't read.

HotMessJess They look like the mermaids from Harry Potter!! 8y
Chachic @HotMessJess I didn't think of that but now that you mentioned it, they do look like the mermaids in Harry Potter.😊 8y
diovival Pretty! 8y
Chachic @diovival Thank you! I love them.😊 8y
36 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Maude
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Pickpick

I think this is the first mermaid book I have ever read and these were not Disney's mermaids :) I listened to the audio which was good, but I wish my library had the book. I found my self wanting to read this story more than listen to it, maybe just to savour it a bit more.

14 likes1 stack add
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LindsayReads
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Gosh, it was kind of difficult to find a #darkfantasy as it appears I read either plain old fantasy or jump right over to horror. But I think Monstrous Beauty will do. A great YA read if you want to debunk the myth that mermaids are sweet and only interested in saving humans. #AllHallowsRead @Litsy

(ps-sorrynotsorry for mangling a shot from one of my all-time favorite movies from childhood)

SuperPunkNinja Ooh! That sounds like a good read 8y
LindsayReads @McShelfington It was! I think I may have even read it in a sitting! 8y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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sprainedbrain
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Lit-Cube has arrived, and I'm pretty impressed with this month! I don't think I've ever read a mermaid book, but now I have 2, plus a download for another e-book. Love the beach towel, drink set, and lip gloss. 👍

minkyb I immediately googled Lit-Cube. I don't know whether to thank you or kill myself now lol. Looks great. 8y
sprainedbrain @minkyb it's definitely my favorite of the subscription boxes I have tried. 😜 8y
GardenJess Oh that looks good! I might have to reevaluate my subscriptions this month! 8y
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Karen3 I'm still waiting for mine. Got the email for the ebooks earlier though and have downloaded both! Super excited to get mine. 8y
sprainedbrain @Karen3 counting the download in the email, we get 4 total books this month (one of them in both paperback and ebook). 👍 8y
sprainedbrain @GardenJess It's so hard to choose. Lol 8y
AWahle I loved Monstrous Beauty, but for some reason didn't review it on Goodreads. May have to re-read it to remind myself. 8y
90 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Yamich49
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Finally got my #litcube! Super cute towel and other fun stuff (of which some will get stolen by my niece 😆). The books seem fun too!

BookishFeminist I love the towel! It would go great with @Laalaleighh's new blanket. 🐠🐬 8y
Yamich49 @BookishFeminist Isn't it great? It would go perfectly with @Laalaleighh's mermaid blanket 👀😆 I've been meaning to make some of those for myself and my niece. Maybe this will be my inspiration! 🤓 8y
BookishFeminist @Yamich49 If you do hit me up I would 💯💯💯💯 pay for that. They look so comfy! 8y
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Yamich49 @BookishFeminist 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 8y
HLouiseM WANT!!!😍🐬🌊 8y
Yamich49 @HLouiseM Right?!? Sometimes I think about not keeping my subscription to my two bookish boxes then they send awesome ones like this one to reel me back in! 8y
Laalaleighh @yamich49 omg it would!!! I feel the need to order this now for coordination. Random confession. I bought a bralette at Victoria's Secret today solely because it matched my blanket. So even sitting around in my many Broadway shirts I know deep down that my mermaid game is on point. 😂👌🏼🐬🌊 8y
Laalaleighh Oh and @BookishFeminist I forgot to tag you! 8y
Yamich49 @Laalaleighh OMG that's awesome! Mermaid game super on point 👌🏼And uhhhh you know about the swimmable mermaid tails they make, right??? Maybe you need that for additional coordination as well? ❤️ 8y
BookishFeminist @Laalaleighh @Yamich49 Yes! Way to be a mermaid IRL. 👌🏼🐬 Hahahah they do make those swimming tails but I'm pretty sure all I would do is flail around in them. 😂😂 8y
Laalaleighh @BookishFeminist @Yamich49 ????? what??! Need. In. My. Life. I don't think y'all understand, my teachers had a conference with my parents when I was 11 to discuss their concern that I still insisted I was going to grow up to be a mermaid, even in essays. ? I was an, as they put it "highly fanciful child with a head full of whimsy and not much else". Who's fanciful now teachers? 8y
Yamich49 @Laalaleighh @BookishFeminist Right? That's awesome! Nothing wrong with being fanciful! I think everyone goes through at least one phase where they want to be a mermaid. My niece found a spell online a few years ago that was supposed to turn her into a mermaid and was highly disappointed when it didn't work. (It primarily consisted of putting salt in a pool and saying a few lines that involved wishing and mermaids!) 😆 8y
Laalaleighh @Yamich49 That. Is. Adorable. Omg! Make that girl a tail! You'll be the worlds best aunt forever! 8y
BookishFeminist @Yamich49 @Laalaleighh Salt in a pool! 😂😂 That's amazing. She would love a mermaid tail. 🐬 8y
Yamich49 @Laalaleighh @BookishFeminist I know! I actually started one in the winter and completely set it aside and forgot about it so I will have to dig it out and get to work. She's also begging for one of the swimmable tails for her bday next year so I wouldn't be surprised if she actually turns into a mermaid. 😆 8y
40 likes1 stack add15 comments
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BookJunkie429
Monstrous Beauty | Elizabeth Fama
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Found this in a box of books. I feel bad for never reading it, Elizabeth Fama was really nice. Adding it to my ever growing pile of book to read this year.

6 likes3 stack adds