Beautiful Ugly: A Novel

Should You Shelf This? – Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
✅ YES, if you love:

-Mind-blowing twists that make you rethink everything

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney feels like a perfect blend of emotional depth and visual storytelling, making it easy to imagine as a film. The novel follows a woman’s struggle with self-image, trapped between her inner beauty and outer imperfections. Feeney’s writing is poignant and evocative, capturing the raw complexities of identity and self-worth. The atmosphere of the book—set against the backdrop of emotional turmoil—reminds me of the smell of rain on a summer camp day. There's something about that mix of nostalgia, tension, and reflection that ties the story together. Feeney uses this ambiance to bring the protagonist’s journey to life, creating moments of quiet introspection, much like a summer shower that clears the air and forces change. With its blend of psychological suspense and emotional drama, Beautiful Ugly would translate perfectly to the screen—imagine soft, rainy landscapes paired with introspective moments that hit hard. If you're drawn to books that explore the human condition and leave you thinking long after, this one’s definitely worth a read—and maybe even a watch one day.

amazon review - Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.

"Beautiful Ugly" by Alice Feeney is a twisty thriller that centres on Grady Green, whose life unravels when his wife disappears the night his latest book hits the New York Times bestseller list. Struggling with despair and creative block, he retreats to a remote Scottish island to write, only to be haunted by visions of his wife and ominous messages. The plot features Feeney’s signature unreliable narration and well-crafted characters, albeit few are likeable. While the story starts strong, it slows in the middle before picking up with unexpected twists and a dark ending. Overall, "Beautiful Ugly" captivates with its eerie setting and compelling narrative.

My immediate thought upon finishing this book was “What the actual hell did I just read?!” and I think it sums things up pretty well. This was my first Alice Feeney read and I learned afterwards she is coined as the Queen of Twists and I completely understand why. I feel I’m pretty good at predicting outcomes but this one got me. I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t and I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time. This was so twisty and it’s a good thing I finished it in two days because I was actually anxious reading this. That being said, I wasn’t the biggest fan of any of the characters. None of them stood out and frankly I liked and disliked each of them equally. There are a lot of specific details put into the portrayal of the setting that added to all the mystery for me and supported a lot of my feelings while reading. This might be one of my favorite thrillers and highly recommend you pick it up, asap!