Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Review: A Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

The Treachery of Beautiful Things
by Ruth Frances Long

Publication Date: August 12, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780803735804

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A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own. (Goodreads)

The Treachery of Beautiful Things is a fascinating fairy tale novel by author Ruth Frances Long. I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover, but the novel itself is what completely blew me away!

Seventeen year old Jenny visits the woods where her brother, Tom, disappeared 7 years before, in hopes of finally coming to terms with his disappearance. While in the woods, Jenny is lured into the trees by the sound if familiar music. She quickly discovers that the world in the trees is completely different than her own. With the help of Jack o’ the Forest, she must find a way to save herself, and her long lost brother as well.

The characters in the book were all interesting. Jenny, the main character, was head-strong and brave.  I love that she never gave up on finding her brother. Even through all the weirdness, she never gave up. I really enjoyed her character.  Jack, who is a guardian in the forest, has to be my favorite character of the book. He was so mysterious and was so torn between what he should do for himself, and what he has to do for Jenny. I really enjoyed the relationship between these two characters. Especially the ending, it was so very sweet.

The storyline for this book was really interesting. It reminded me a lot of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, but only because it had similar characters; Robin Goodfellow, Oberon, Mab, etc. But that is where the similarities end for me. The story was unique enough that it kept me guessing throughout the whole book. Things I should have caught on to pretty quickly completely passed me by because I was so engrossed in the book. It was that good!  This is also a stand-alone novel, and the end of the book left me with the perfect amount of closure. I loved it!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! With its unique storyline and awesome characters, it makes for a really engrossing read! I am really looking forward to reading more books in the future by this wonderful new author.

Happy reading!

8 comments:

  1. Fairytales seem to be the new thing, hm? I'm glad you enjoyed this! The cover's beautiful, and I'm dying to get my hands on this one. 19 more days... D: LOL

    Misa
    Skyway Avenue Reads

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  2. Well, clearly I have to read this book given the girl's name is Jenny. Can't not read about a girl with such an unusual and brilliant name ;-) Can't wait to meet Jack, and I love a sweet ending, so this seems like an all around win:)

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  3. You had me the minute you said" It reminded me a lot of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, " even though you said it was only the names :))) Don't care, now I want to read it hehe!

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  4. I love it when you don't notice things you should be figuring out because of how involved you are in the story and characters. To me, that's one of the marks of a good book! This one has been on my radar for awhile, and I can definitely see myself reading it soon! I will be stalking the library for this one. :D

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

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  5. I always like stories that incorporate the fey legends, especially when they write the characters like they originally were. Sounds like a great story!

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  6. The cover was what drew me in when I first heard of this book. It sounds lovely though, especially hearing that it's a stand alone novel!

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  7. I'm not usually a fan of fairy tales, but I think I may enjoy this one. Especially when you compared it the Iron Fey series.
    Awesome review!:))

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  8. This sounds really amazing. I already loved the cover and the synopsis, but knowing that you enjoyed it so much makes me want to order a copy immediately. Thanks for sharing your great review and reminding me of yet another book that's on my to-read list.

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Thanks for stopping by! :)