Book Review: The Beautiful and The Cursed by Page Morgan

The Beautiful and The Cursed (The Dispossessed #1)
Author: Page Morgan
Genre: YA Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Description:

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.  

The Beautiful and The Cursed is the first book in a new young adult series that follows the Waverly sisters as they move to Paris with their mother after a disastrous event in London. Ingrid is eager to find her twin brother, Grayson, since she hasn't seen him in months. Gabby, the youngest of the siblings, is always up to mischief and is eager to take in Paris. Once the family arrives in Paris, they hear about the strange disappearances of young women throughout the city, and even more disturbing - the fact that Grayson has gone missing. Determined to find their brother, Ingrid and Gabby set off throughout Paris to attempt to locate Grayson. Behind the scenes, the handsome carriage boy named Luc is secretly watching and protecting the Waverly family, for he is actually a gargoyle - a Dispossessed who must live eternity protecting those in his territory. Things begin to escalate quickly when Luc protects Ingrid from a hellhound attack in the streets, Gabby finds a young man murdered in his apartment, and Grayson's location is revealed. Will the sisters be able to free their brother before it's too late?

This was a wholly original and captivating book that truly is a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. The plot was very intricately woven with several smaller story lines coming together to form the bigger picture. I loved all of the characters throughout the novel - even the secondary ones had unique personalities. They all were very realistic and easy to identify with, especially the two sisters - Gabby and Ingrid. There is so much that happens throughout the book to even begin to attempt a review that won't take up a huge amount of space. The story crosses several genres and mingles action, adventure, fantasy, paranormal, historical fiction, romance, and mystery all together into a finely crafted novel. The blend of genres will appeal to fans of all types of literature, which definitely adds to its already high appeal. I loved learning about the gargoyles - their history and the basics of their nature were definitely appealing to me. I also loved learning about the Angelic Order and the Alliance and how all of them worked together to keep order in the world. The backstory behind the novel was well written and detailed and I hope to learn even more about it in the next installment of the series. The setting of the story is in Victorian Paris, which I found to be perfect. The city of Paris is teeming with gargoyles in the architecture and I have always had a love for France; so the story taking place their only made me love it more. There are definite openings at the end of the book which will carry over and hopefully be answered in the next book. The story was rich with twists and turns amid the many story lines and I loved the vivid description and detail that the author infused into the book. I am already eagerly waiting for the next book to be released so we can see what will happen next. Highly recommended for fans of all genres - especially YA fantasy, paranormal, and historical fiction.

Page Morgan has been intrigued by les grotesques ever since she came across an old, black-and-white photograph of a Notre Dame gargoyle keeping watch over the city of Paris. The gargoyle mythologies she went on to research fed her imagination, and she became inspired to piece together her own story and mythology for these complex stone figures. Page lives in New England with her husband and their three children.

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