(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I think I’ve stated in the past that I really like the ancient myths. Eros and Psyche is one of my favourite legends, so I was really eager to read this when I was offered the opportunity to do so.
I have to say, first off, that the cover of this book is gorgeous. Even before I knew what the book was about, I found myself drawn to it simply based on the cover alone. That doesn’t happen all that often, because covers can often be quite misleading… but this one, I felt, did fit with the story very well.
This was an interesting change-up to the myth of Eros and Psyche. There were elements I recognised, but I found myself confused by exactly how and why Mya was cursed with otherworldly beauty. And for a lot of the book, I didn’t really understand why Ross had been drawn to her originally – I felt that, when Mya went to live in the castle, it moved too fast for the emotions to come across as really real, I felt.
I did find it quite easy to relate to Mya as a character. It was good to see that there were things she could and couldn’t do outside of the fact that she was beautiful… even though, throughout everything was I reading, all I could think was a particular Mary Sue test that points out that being pretty is not a disability. No, not even if everyone hates her/wants to have sex with her because of it. I did feel there was a bit too much of that here. In a way, I could understand the other students (because people can be cruel), but it seemed weird that even the teachers treated her differently and I felt it was too much like the cliched, ‘Poor character has an awful past’.
Wow… that was long. I actually found it interesting how people commented that Mya’s beauty didn’t look natural, but I didn’t feel the ending dealt with that satisfactorily.
I did think it was good to see the elements of the myth in the modern day, such as the tasks Mya had to do. And I did like how things were resolved at the end with Mya and Ross. I just think that it would have been good to see more development of the relationship. And less of ‘everyone acts the same’. I can’t speak for anyone else – but I don’t hate someone just because they’re better looking than me. Or feel jealous of them. Even if they look fake.
Out now from Swoon Romance.
Sixteen-year-old Mya Jones is cursed.
She is, hands down, the most beautiful creature on earth. But beauty can wound, and Mya finds herself reviled and shunned by her peers. If there is even a chance that she could start over, Mya longs to take it, no matter the risks.
So when the strange Mr. Merk offers her a new life away from home, Mya is hesitant but hopeful. Only she didn’t count on the mysterious Ross, or her feelings for him.
BEAUTIFUL CURSE is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.
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About the Author
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn’t crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Her fiction titles include DAUGHTER OF CHAOS (YA), THE SECRET OF ISOBEL KEY (NA), and the recently released sequel, HER SECRET INHERITANCE. Visit http://www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
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