Book Review Discussion: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Book: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: Beehive Award list
From: The library

Short Synopsis: In order to save her family and her village, Nyx has been destined from birth to marry the "Gentle Lord" who is actually the leader of the demons who torment all the people. She goes to her doom bitterly and yet with the hope that she might actually be able to destroy him. She doesn't expect to fall in love with him! And now what's she supposed to do?

My Response: Awesome story. I was a little confused with the mythology tie in.. it was cool but a bit complicated and sometimes over my head. The characters are awesome. The house is awesome. And the twist is awesome, though I knew it was coming. The end... strange business. I might have to read it again just to make sure I got it!

Bottom Line: A little slow to start, but a really cool story in the end that had me glued to the page.

Let's Talk About: Mash ups. Do you like them or not so much? I mean, this book is a pretty interesting mash up of fairy tale and mythology. Intriguing or too confusing? I find them to be so clever and fun!

Other Reviews:

In Cruel Beauty people have “darkness” in them and are still not wastes of humanity. They do horrible things to each other, and yet a little bit of compassion can make all the difference. From Fantasy Book Critic

I think CRUEL BEAUTY is a stunning, romantic debut. I enjoyed it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the nastiness of Nyx and Ignifex. From In Bed With Books

I truly enjoyed Hodge's lyrical prose, her intriguing world-building, and the unforeseen story arc she had created. From Ivy Book Bindings

I could tell that it was beautifully done, but it was just too much for my brain to process. From YA Reads