Peasreads: This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Gray Remix by Elle Grenier

Content warnings- Grooming, child abuse- emotional, sexual assault, depression, mental illness, and murder.  Nothing graphic or in detail, but these topics are in the book. 

This book, not unlike A Portrait of Dorian Gray was a heavy read. I found myself seething and mad at some of the characters. Rightly so if you've read the former. This Wretched Beauty gave Dorian more of a history and voice. We were able to really read his thoughts and feelings. Many times, that was heartbreaking. This, of course, doesn't excuse his behavior, but it gives a unique look into his story. It also introduces us to the "underbelly" of London in the 1800s. It gives voice to those who have always lived and loved in the same society that so shuns LGBTQIA people. This book not only flows well and is an enjoyable read, but the author is also sensitive in the way she weaves these hard topics into the story. 

Description

Haunted by a portrait that seems to taunt them, a conflicted young aristocrat spirals down a path to the worst possible version of themself in this suspenseful retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, perfect for fans of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth and These Violent Delights.

Happiness needs to be earned in the face of impossible odds, or there’s no beauty in it.

London, 1867. Dorian Gray is the heir to a title and their family’s estate, but they’ve never been given the chance to decide whether that’s actually what they want out of life. Forcibly estranged from their father by their manipulative grandfather, Dorian feels trapped in the life that has been decided for them.

Then one night they sneak out of their grandfather’s house, they meet a sweet and talented young painter named Basil, who immediately recognizes Dorian as his new muse. They agree to sit for Basil for a portrait, and Dorian is struck by the beauty and depth that Basil paints into their likeness—and they dare to begin hoping there might be more to life than being their grandfather’s perfect, empty-headed heir.

Dorian is further elated when Basil introduces them to the world of molly houses and drag performers—they’ve never seen such joyful variety of humanity and gender expression. But, as the barrier between the London they know and the one they're discovering begins to crumble, Dorian must face the fact that freedom and safety do not come hand in hand.

The aftermath of this realization pulls Dorian into a terrible downward spiral, torn between guilt over their own actions and hatred for the suffocating expectations of society. They push away those closest to them, surrounding themself instead with vapid courtiers and decadent socialites. And as Dorian’s spiral of self-loathing deepens, something strange happens—Basil’s portrait of them begins to change. Their smile becomes a little sharper, the glint in their eyes a little colder.

Dorian will have to choose—embrace the wickedness within and allow themself to become what they were always meant to be, or dare to try for something far more fragile and dangerous: a life of their own making.

The Remixed Classics Series

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelmingly cishet, white, and male canon.

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow
Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig
Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Gray Remix by Elle Grenier

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Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends, for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

Mallory really irritated me. I think the story is good. She just irritated me. I guess I thought that she was sometimes cruel to keep the ruse going once she knew that there was true danger. I think that's just a me thing and others might enjoy the story more. I may have read this at a time where I was too sensitive.  The story is good though. The ghost wives are funny. I am glad I listened to the book. even if the FMC rubbed me wrong.

Description:

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself. 

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and MacMillian Audio MacMillan Publishing I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- Persephone's Curse by Katrina Leno

Magical realism reads about four sisters that is reminiscent of Little Women. I've never had sisters, but I imagine this is what it must be like, or maybe I hope it must be like. Built in friendships, love, disagreements, mistakes, forgiveness, and a bond like no other. The Farthing sisters have always been told that they are descendants of Persephone herself. Could it be true? Each Farthing sister has a unique talent, not really magic, that is called upon. They do have a ghost that lives in their attic, who happens to be a dear friend. Henry. Henry has always been a part of their lives. No one else can see Henry, still, he has grown up with them and loved them. All is well until Henry and one of the sisters fall in love. The story is told from Winnie's point of view; she is the third-oldest sister. 

Fast-paced, this story moves along, and I kept turning the page to see what happens next. Very entertaining.  This was a quick read; it is categorized as a middle-grade read for 8-12-year-olds.  It has language (the F word), and the sisters are ages 14 to 18. I thought it was YA.  

Description

The Hazel Wood meets Laini Taylor in this gorgeous urban fantasy of sisterhood, ghosts, and old family curses.

Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told them: that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she's right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their New York City brownstone —a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.

When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it’s up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh

The conclusion to The Floating World by @axieoh is fantastic. We meet up with Ren and Sunho along with "side" characters that all have just as much personality as the two MC. I was happy to read about all of them and their stories. I didn't find myself skimming over paragraphs to "get back to the real story". I enjoyed all of it. 

I can't wait for my pre order copies to come in

From the publisher:

Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love.

But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

Also by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

The Floating World

I'm so glad I was chosen to read this conclusion to this duology. 

Thank you @netgalley @macmillanusa and @Feiwel & Friends for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review.

Peasreads: The Floating World by Axie Oh

I already have this book on pre order and I just finished this e galley.  

This is a beautiful reimagining of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens. 

Axie Oh builds amazing worlds and has such interesting characters. The setting:The Floating World, the Underworld, and every where in-between in this book are detailed in description, unique, yet also familiar. Children playing in the streets, a favorite noodle house, buns being sold during a festival. It's all magical but also familiar. 

 The MC are both so likeable. Ren and Sunho were mature, brave, kind. Their friendship grew without drama from pettiness. It was refreshing and so healthy. The side characters were also likeable. Other than the bad guys that is. 

Such a great book if you liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Castle in the Sky, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. You'll love this one. 

I cannot wait for the second one. 

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Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for this egalley. I was not required to leave a review, all opinions are my own.