by Beth (link)
Genre cest, drama/angst, romance
Pairings Taylor/Natalie, Zac/OFC, Zac/OMC (in alternate ending), Zaylor
Length 82 chapters and 2 epilogues (alternate ending)
Status Completed (with unavailable sequel)
This story was immediately intriguing. An alternate ending? I’d heard things here and there about a story that offered two endings, so when I found that it was You’re Beautiful, I decided that I had to read it and see what that was all about.
I have mixed feelings about the writing. It seems to alternate, almost from sentence to sentence, between choppy and bland, and sort of nice, with good imagery and word choice. Both characters — Zac and Taylor, that is — do seem to have distinct voices, a feat that’s not especially easy to accomplish as just one author, so I’ll give Beth credit for that. As the story progresses though, the writing seems to get more sloppy and informal.
In the beginning, Zac and Taylor have a tumultuous relationship as brothers that’s sometimes painful to read about. But underlying it all are clearly deep emotions that show in small, fleeting moments. Those moments make it worth hanging on to see how their relationship progresses into a relationship. Zac’s feelings for Taylor appear almost out of nowhere, but not so much if you can read between the lines of all their fighting. Taylor’s feelings are more conflicted, in a very realistic sort of way that can sometimes be missing from this sort of story.
Some of the chapters are very, very short, which makes it really difficult to feel the story progressing properly. There are certain plot elements that don’t quite work as well, presumably because (I’m guessing, based on phrasing and word choice) Beth is British. It’s always hard to suspend your disbelief for plot points that just aren’t feasible — a quick drive from Tulsa to New York on a whim, for example. Certain other plot twists are also hard to accept because they make me dislike the characters; it’s not necessarily pleasant to watch characters you love doing things you don’t want them to do. The final plot twist comes entirely out of nowhere, and that’s the sort of twist I hate most. What purpose does it serve to throw in a bombshell, and suddenly add another character’s point of view, in the last ten chapters?
I suppose it all ties into the fact that the author had two different endings in mind; one that allowed for a sequel and another which didn’t. Because of this, parts of the last few chapters don’t entirely make sense — no matter which epilogue you choose to believe is the “real” one. The sequel is, as far as I can tell, no longer online, so I can’t speak for what happens in it. What I will say for You’re Beautiful is that, while it begins fairly well, with interesting characterization, the sloppy writing, distorted geography and giant mess of an ending all combine to leave me with a very bad taste in my mouth.
Review by Bethany (website)