Book Review: The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

The Beautiful and the Cursed

By Page Morgan

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

Review: Wow. I had never heard of this book before, so when it showed up on my doorstep, I wasn't really sure how it would turn out. When I read the summary, I was really intrigued because it a) takes place in Paris in 1899 and b) is about gargoyles coming alive as living creatures. Needless to say, I knew this one would be unlike any other book I've read. 

After an accident gone horribly wrong, Ingrid's family leaves for Paris, where her mother can open a gallery in an old abandoned abbey her brother had scouted out before the rest of their family arrived. When they get there, though, her brother is nowhere to be found. The only person who seems to know anything is Luc, one of the workers of the abbey and a handsome boy with many secrets of his own. Ingrid goes to try to find out what happened to her brother, and enters a dark world where she discovers some secrets about herself along the way. 

I absolutely loved this book. Who would have thought that gargoyles could be so cool and incredibly irresistible? Not only was the action and the whole world of demons and angels really enticing, but the added romance was the perfect touch to make this story impossible to put down. 

Ingrid's character was great and I loved how she was vulnerable, yet could hold her own when it came to uncovering who she really was as a person. Add to the fact that her brother is missing and hellhounds are trying to kill her at every corner, and you get a fierce girl who will do anything for her family. Not only was Ingrid a great character, but I loved her sister Gabby, Luc, and Nolan. I especially loved Luc and Nolan because they really cared about the girls and they were so cute about protecting them. 

The whole 1899 society of this book made it so great with the rules of society that Ingrid and her sister were expected to follow. And it's in Paris! Ingrid's environment was definitely a great aspect of the novel. You can't help but get lost in their world and I was definitely on the edge of my seat at the end. The whole gothic element was awesome and I just couldn't get enough of it. If you're a fan of the darker historical YA books, you should definitely check this one out! You get monsters, demons, angels, unexplained powers, and a little bit of romance added to the mix. What more could you ask for?