I feel really conflicted about how to rate this story. It’s one of those books that I wanted to love, but ultimately left me feeling disappointed and somewhat frustrated. The first half had me hooked with its eerie atmosphere and compelling premise, but by the end, I was questioning everything, including the logic behind the twists. It’s messy, all over the place, and emotionally chaotic—much like my own experience reading it.

Let’s start with the positives. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic. The narrators did a stellar job, especially with the different voices and accents, and the added sound effects—like the ocean crashing or a walkie-talkie buzzing—enhanced the creepy atmosphere. The setting of an isolated island off the coast of Scotland really sets the tone for the book. It felt claustrophobic and ominous, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The first half had just enough suspense and mystery to keep me engaged, and I was eager to find out what was going on.

However, as the story progressed, my enthusiasm began to wane. Grady, the protagonist, got increasingly tiresome with his repetitive inner monologue. There was no real plot progression for the longest time. It was just Grady brooding, drinking, and reflecting on how much he hated people and loved dogs. I found myself waiting for the plot to kick in. And when it finally did, it took a full 65% of the book! The pacing was frustratingly slow.

Then came the twist—oh boy, the twist. At first, I was intrigued, but the further I got, the more implausible and laughable everything became. The plot seemed to be built entirely around the reveal, but when it came, I couldn’t take it seriously. It felt absurd, and many of the characters’ actions made no sense. And don’t even get me started on the convoluted backstory of the island, which felt like a narrative mess. There were too many ideas crammed into this book, making it feel cluttered and overstuffed. The full-circle moment at the end, where everything somehow ties together in an over-the-top reveal, just didn’t work for me. It felt forced and, frankly, ridiculous.

The characters were a major letdown. I never connected with any of them, and Grady in particular was hard to root for. He was whiny, entitled, and emotionally manipulative, and I found it difficult to care about his journey. The feminist themes felt heavy-handed and ultimately fell flat. The women-empowerment message didn’t quite hit home for me, as I had trouble understanding the characters’ motivations. The sense of justice at the end felt forced, and the unreliable narration left me feeling lost and disconnected from the story.

While there are elements in this book that may appeal to fans of isolated settings, missing persons, and shocking twists, for me, Beautiful Ugly was a wild ride in all the wrong ways. It was messy, melodramatic, and sometimes laughably absurd. It felt like Alice Feeney was trying too hard to create a twisty, suspenseful story, but it ended up being frustratingly tiresome. If you liked her book Rock, Paper, Scissors, you may see some similarities here, but I personally found it repetitive.

It’s a shame that this book didn’t deliver for me, especially since I’ve enjoyed her other books. I’m still holding out hope for her next book, though—after all, every author has a miss now and then.

Would I recommend this book? If you’re a fan of unreliable narrators, isolated settings, and mysterious twists, you might find something to enjoy. (Highly recommend the audiobook!) But if you’re like me and prefer a more tightly woven, believable story, you might want to pass on this one.