"Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.
When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.
Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.
The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…
Welcome to the Ruby."
"In a world before The Program…
Quinlan McKee is a closer. Since the age of seven, Quinn has held the responsibility of providing closure to grieving families with a special skill—she can “become” anyone.
Recommended by grief counselors, Quinn is hired by families to take on the short-term role of a deceased loved one between the ages of fifteen and twenty. She’s not an exact copy, of course, but she wears their clothes and changes her hair, studies them through pictures and videos, and soon, Quinn can act like them, smell like them, and be them for all intents and purposes. But to do her job successfully, she can’t get attached.
Now seventeen, Quinn is deft at recreating herself, sometimes confusing her own past with those of the people she’s portrayed. When she’s given her longest assignment, playing the role of Catalina Barnes, Quinn begins to bond with the deceased girl’s boyfriend. But that’s only the beginning of the complications, especially when Quinn finds out the truth about Catalina’s death. And the epidemic it could start."
"We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...
Charlotte’s
best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks
she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is
one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a
powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But
Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help
her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to
lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it
begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and
will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy
of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose:
Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip
her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to
fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences."
Another angel book. The difference? There are no wings involved. However, there is still malice and there are works of darkness at move. That part isn't surprising. What? You thought it was all rainbows and Skittles? Or lucky charms? Nope. And there is nothing psychic about these things, about these Need (or compulsion).
A Need So Beautiful is a book that is annoying. It is because of this repeated word: beautiful. It is used in "Oh, my goodness. You are so beautiful" to "it is so beautiful" to simply "beautiful." Imagine if I changed every word in this paragraph (or this review) to "beautiful." Won't you be very annoyed? I would to. Copy and paste has never been so useful. If I tried to do exactly that. Anyway, A Need So Beautiful is terribly slow. The BIG BAD hasn't come until like halfway the book. Even worse is the "Need." It doesn't get bad until the BIG BAD shows up.
The plot is slow, and the end goes really fast. A lot of answers weren't given, and it still isn't explained how Charlotte is an angel or a superhero. It never mentioned angels, but it is implied. Especially in the synopsis. But there is too many questions and pretty much nada answers.
Charlotte is an idjit. (Sorry, Bobby's way of saying "idiots"). I still can't believe she hasn't got everything figured out. How could she not? I don't get how she is such an idiot.
The writing is a bit dry. I wish Young used more variety and stop repeating "beautiful." For once, I agree with Charlotte. I'm getting tired of the word "beautiful." Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There. Now aren't you tired too? I totally agree.
Am I going to read the sequel?
(No).
Overall, A Need So Beautiful (I won't be surprised if everyone left already) is annoying, repetitive, and irritating to my eyes. And it infuriates me. That word is too annoying, the plot is too slow, and the characters are boring. Even the love interest isn't worth mentioning.
Rating: One out of Five
