Book:  Beautiful Malice
Author:  Rebecca James
Published:  July 13, 2010 from Bantam
My edition/number of pages:  HC/272

Age group:  Older teens/adults
Source:  Author
Series?:  No.

So. Were you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad when she was killed?

Following a terrible tragedy that leaves her once-perfect family shattered, Katherine Patterson moves to a new city, starts at a new school, and looks forward to a new life of quiet anonymity.

But when Katherine meets the gregarious and beautiful Alice Parrie her resolution to live a solitary life becomes difficult. Katherine is unable resist the flattering attention that Alice pays her and is so charmed by Alice’s contagious enthusiasm that the two girls soon become firm friends. Alice’s joie de vivre is transformative; it helps Katherine forget her painful past and slowly, tentatively, Katherine allows herself to start enjoying life again.

But being friends with Alice is complicated – and as Katherine gets to know her better she discovers that although Alice can be charming and generous she can also be selfish and egocentric. Sometimes, even, Alice is cruel.

And when Katherine starts to wonder if Alice is really the kind of person she wants as a friend, she discovers something else about Alice – she doesn’t like being cast off.

Beautiful Malice, Rebecca James’ debut novel, is one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read.  From the very first page I was drawn in and I could not put it down.  It was an intense story.

Katherine Patterson wants to escape.  All the pain and suffering that she has faced over the past year has become too much.  Starting over is the only way to bury her secrets and move on with her life.  The only problem is that she can’t move on.  Her past will always come back to haunt her.  New friends and relationships help her forget but she isn’t the only one with secrets.  And her new friend Alice may be hiding the biggest one of all.

Katherine was not your typical main character.  She went through so much and she just wanted to get past it.  When Alice was first introduced it seemed like she could help her.  As the book went on though Alice’s destructive side came out.  She was horrible!  Not only to Katherine but to Robbie as well.  Robbie was a true friend to Katherine and he was so sweet.  Phillipa and Mick were also friends who loved Katherine and were good for her.  There was a great mix of characters and I couldn’t get enough of them.

The plot of Beautiful Malice was very intense.  I couldn’t guess how it would end and because of that I couldn’t stop reading.  There was just too much stuff going on for me to put it down.  I knew something bad was going to happen at some point but it was not at all what I expected.  Also, the chapters switched around a lot.  It starts out in present time but then goes back to her time with Alice and then to her sister’s murder.  I didn’t like it at first but then I realized that it was the best way to show everything.

Overall, Beautiful Malice is a wonderful novel full of romance, suspense, and mystery.  It is definitely one for older teens though because of it’s subject matter and language.  If you can handle that, then I definitely recommend it.  I can’t wait for her next book!

First line:  I didn’t go to Alice’s funeral.

Writing:  5

Characters:  4

Plot:  5

Ending:  4

Originality:  5

Overall:  23=A-

Cover:  4=B-