Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Title:  Beautiful Malice

Author: Rebecca James

Genre:  Young Adult

Publisher:  Allen & Unwin

Publication Date: 2010

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Book Length:  291

First lines:  I didn't go to Alice's funeral.  I was pregnant at the time, crazy and wild with grief.

Synopsis

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.

My Thoughts 

I really enjoyed reading Beautiful Malice.  The cover is amazing and when I turned it over and read the back I had to pick this up and read it. 

Katherine,was once a social butterfly, until a horrific incident leaves her and her family completely broken.  With that she withdraws from everyone and keeps to herself in school.  That is until Alice comes along and convinces her to go to a party with her, refusing to take no for an answer.

Katherine and Alice's relationship is a complicated one.  Katherine, full of secrets and kind of a loner and Alice, so carefree and fun.  From the beginning I could tell there was something different about her.  Alice slips up every now and then, showing her darker side but never enough for Katherine to click on.  Then there's Robbie, who I liked from the moment he comes into the story.  I'm not sure exactly what jumps out at me from the start but Robbie and Katherine seem to get along from the very beginning.

Being set in Sydney, it was great to be able to picture the scenery around the story so much easier because it was so familiar.  There hasn't been too many Australian authors I've read that I can say, yep this is such an easy flowing style yet complex read, but with Rebecca I didn't notice the pages I read until it was time to put it down.

Beautiful Malice focuses alot on the relationships of the characters on the books, and I loved how the shocking incident is gradually revealed throughout the book instead of being told from the beginning.  I found that it kept the story moving.

Beautiful Malice is a great read and I know I will be keeping an eye out for future books by Rebecca James.