Review : The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed #1)
Author : Page Morgan
Publication Date : May 14th 2013
Publisher : Delacorte Books
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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.

Personal Thoughts

The Beautiful and the Cursed is a book I've been meaning to read ever since I saw the gorgeous cover and the word "gargoyle" in the synopsis. I decided to wait to read it, however, until all three books in the trilogy were out, so I could do a binge-read. Lately, I've been finding that binge-reading gives me the best experience of a series. Part of me is glad that I waited to give this a shot, but the other half is yelling at me for not starting it sooner because I'm, without any doubt, in love with Page Morgan's writing.

This book had an array of different characters, all of whom I found to be very enjoyable. The primary characters in The Beautiful and the Cursed, are two British sisters, Ingrid and Gabby, who find their way together with their mother to Paris, after an accident at a ball pushes them out of society. I loved both these girls for their different personalities. Ingrid, the older sister, who learned throughout the book about her brewing powers, was the one I gravitated more towards. She was strong-minded, intelligent and was someone who fought for what she wanted. She stood up to others whenever it was necessary and her bond with her missing twin brother, Grayson, was genuinely written. Every time Ingrid would ache due to his absence, my heart would ache for her. It was painful to watch, but Ingrid wasn't one to wallow. Instead, she tunneled that sorrow into finding her brother, a quality I found endearing and admirable. Gabby, on the other hand, was definitely the less mature one of the two, but that wasn't a negative thing. I liked the contrast between the two sisters and while I was certainly more into Ingrid's character, I still very much liked Gabby. She was extremely bull-headed and tended to find herself in dangerous situations. At the same time, it was hard not to feel for her because she felt left out because of how strong the bond between Ingrid and Grayson was. Still, despite it all, she too, fought to help find her brother. By the end of the book, things changed drastically for her, and while I was saddened by the events, I thought it was an event that will push her to grow up in the next two books. Page Morgan did a fantastic job at developing her secondary characters as well. It's rare to find books where the secondary characters almost feel like they are main characters because of how well they are developed, and The Beautiful and the Cursed is one of those books. My favorite were Luc, a gargoyle, protecting Ingrid and Gabby, and Nolan, a Scot who took an interest in Gabby.

Their romances with Ingrid and Gabby were swoony and perfectly written. Luc and Ingrid had a forbidden aspect to their relationship because of Luc being a gargoyle, which made it physically impossible for them to be together, but dear god! The romantic moments that the two of them shared had my heart racing. I so want them to be together and cannot wait to see how that will happen in the next book. This book had one of the best romances I've ever read. Oh and what's better than one gorgeously written romance? Two beautiful romances, of course! Gabby and Nolan's relationship didn't have that forbidden part to it, Page Morgan managed to make it just as addicting as Ingrid and Luc's by keeping the tension. They constantly bickered together and their banter was adorable. I'm so impressed that this was Page Morgan's debut novel because the world building was phenomenal. The luscious Parisian setting together with the world of gargoyles, demons and angels was stunning to me. I had a hard time looking away because her writing was so vivid. I loved the complex politics that existed between the different creatures. Plus, the blend of paranormal and historical fiction was captivating in every way.  The plot too, while a little slow at first, kept my attention throughout with it revolving around Ingrid and Gabby trying to look for their brother, Grayson, and discovering this whole new world. Page Morgan is certainly a masterful storyteller.The only minor complaint I had was that sometimes the switch in POV wasn't very smooth, especially because it happened within the same chapter. However, that did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel.

The Beautiful and the Cursed was a fantastic start to a new series. I'm excited to see where the author takes the characters to next. Not only does this book have an original premise and an exotic Parisian setting, but it also has wonderful characters and some of the most romantic romances I've ever read in YA. Don't miss out on this series!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5