The Beautiful Summary
Renée Ahdieh

The Beautiful Overview

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh is a young adult historical fantasy novel that takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1872. Celine Rousseau flees from Paris to join a convent and finds herself enamored by the glamour and danger of the busy New Orleans city streets. She falls into association with the underground society called the Court of the Lions and into an investigation for a gruesome murderer targeting young women. Ahdieh explores the following themes in the novel: the prospect of magic, the allure of danger, escaping from one’s past, resisting helplessness, and suspicions and lack of trust.