The Beauty

by Aliya Whiteley
The Beauty cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
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  • ID: 7731
  • Added: 2025-12-16
  • Updated: 2025-12-16
  • ISBN: 9781837862061
  • Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Ltd
  • Published: 2024-08-29
  • Reviews: 3

The Beauty is a critically acclaimed short novel that has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson and Saboteur awards. Set in the Valley of the Rocks, the story revolves around a society of men and boys who gather each night to listen to their history recounted by Nate, the storyteller. The most requested tale is the death of all women, as they are the last generation. One evening, Nate brings back new secrets from the woods, revealing peculiar mushrooms growing from the ground where the women’s bodies lie buried. These mushrooms are the first signs of a strange and insidious presence unlike anything ever known before. The novel explores themes of loss, memory, and the unknown, with a chilling atmosphere that builds tension and intrigue. The tenth anniversary edition includes an introduction by M. R. Carey and the novella The Arrival of Missives, adding depth to the overall reading experience.

Reviews
HorrorDNA · Administrator · 2018-03-03
thought-provoking 3.50

The novel is thought-provoking and deals with gender roles while maintaining a horror element. It is engaging and disturbing in its balance of fantastic and horrific elements.

The Beauty is a novel that doesn't shy away from exploring complex themes. It's a story that makes you think about gender roles and societal expectations, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat with its horror elements. The reviewer found it engaging and disturbing, praising the fine balance between the fantastic and the horrific. It's a book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page, making you question and reflect on the world around you.

Quick quotes

    The Beauty is a very interesting and thought-provoking novel that honestly deals with gender roles while still maintaining a horror element.

    Customers find this book engaging and disturbingly brilliant, with one review noting its fine balance between fantastic and horrific elements.

    Though dark, and unquestionably chilling, Whiteley's prose is lyrical and near-poetic in places; a rare feat considering just how gripping the novella is.

Strange Horizons · Ryan Elliott · 2015-11-23
challenging 3.00

The novella's themes of coercion, manipulation, and subjugation undermine its overarching message of acceptance. The story is deeply unnerving and gripping.

Ryan Elliott from Strange Horizons found The Beauty to be a deeply unnerving and gripping read. The novella's themes of coercion, manipulation, and subjugation are explored in a way that challenges the reader's perceptions. While the story is deeply affecting, the reviewer felt that these themes ultimately undermine the overarching message of acceptance. It's a book that will make you think and reflect on the world around you, even if it leaves you with more questions than answers.

Quick quotes

    The novella's themes of coercion, manipulation, and subjugation ultimately undermine its overarching message of acceptance.

    The Beauty impressed me enormously with its blend of body-horror, fantasy, magical realism, and deeply unnerving atmosphere.

    The Beauty is a wonderfully written piece of post-apocalyptic fiction that you won't want to put down once you've started.

Reader Dad · 2014-10-14
affecting 4.00

The novella is short but deeply affecting, with a wonderfully written post-apocalyptic narrative. It's a story that you won't want to put down once you've started.

Reader Dad found The Beauty to be a short but deeply affecting read. The post-apocalyptic setting is wonderfully written, creating a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The reviewer was particularly impressed by the way the story unfolds, making it impossible to put down once you've started. It's a book that stays with you long after you've finished reading, leaving a lasting impression.

Quick quotes

    Short but deeply affecting, The Beauty is a wonderfully written piece of post-apocalyptic fiction that you won't want to put down once you've started.

    It is grotesque and twisted but also wondrous. It is impossible but also impossibly true.

    It says important and uncomfortable things about gender roles and societal expectations.

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