Title: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children (September, 2010)
Hardcover: 480 pages
ISBN: 9781423119562
Source: Borrowed from Library
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository
My Rating: 4/5
Description from GoodReads:
On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.
After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”
It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.
Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.
Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.
My Review:
Renée lives a normal life until the day she discovers the lifeless bodies of her parents. She is then sent to Gottfried Academy a place where Renée feels like she is out of place. That is until she meets Dante and realizes that Gottfried Academy might be where she belongs.
I began reading this book without having a clue what it was about. I have no idea why I didn't read the summary but for some reason I did not. I was pulled in from the first pages. The way Renée discovers the death of her parents was horrible. This is where the mystery begins. How did her parents die? Was it an accident of where they killed? There are a few mysteries to be solved in this book and I enjoyed solving them along with Renée.
The paranormal lore was incredibly interesting. Not only did I get my romance fix but also an amazing legend. I don't want to go into details but trust me it was entertaining. It ends in a sort of cliffhanger so we are left waiting anxiously for the next in the series.
Yvonne Woon does a great job bringing together the mystery, the love story, and the supernatural elements. I definitely recommend this book to any one who enjoys reading YA paranormal romance.
It must be horrible that she must solve her own parents' murder at such a young age. I'm glad it worked for you but I don't think this one is for me. Fab review though :)
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