My Review of The Beautiful Ones by Julia Sutton

Karen’s Book Review

The Beautiful Ones came out in May ‘22 and I saw it on Instagram. The description stuck in my mind. I knew it would be a good read because I’ve read a previous book by Julia Sutton.

This one dealt with mental illness, and it intrigued me. However, as soon as I began reading, I completely forgot about that. As in the previous book, one thing Julia Sutton does well is families.

Caitlyn is the main character and lives at home with her parents and four siblings, two of which are twins. For several chapters, the reader was introduced to each one. The more I read, the more engrossed I became in the family dynamics. The squabbles between sisters, the parent’s relationships, and the general rapport they had with each other. Overall the family had a close bond. It’s what I enjoyed most about the story.

There will be no spoilers but something happens that affects Caitlyn deeply. As a reader, I cried with her. It was heartbreaking to read how her life spiralled out of control. Her hopes and dreams all change, as do that of her family. It’s a hard and haunting read at times.

What I didn’t like is that mental illness still has a stigma surrounding it. The more we understand and talk about it the better.

If you enjoy an emotionally charged, and challenging story line, this is the book for you. It will haunt you long afterwards. Full credit to Julia Sutton for writing another great read.

Description

Caitlyn Shaw had it all.
Surrounded by loving friends and family, on the cusp of landing her dream job.

When Caitlyn suffers a traumatic event, her idyllic life is shattered.
She finds herself spiralling into an abyss of terror and despair which manifests as a psychotic break.

Subsequently hospitalised in a psychiatric unit, Caitlyn sees her future slowly slipping away from her.

Desperately ill and refusing to accept her condition, she rebels against the hospital staff.

As battle of wills ensues, Caitlyn begins her fight back to sanity, standing up and challenging the many stigmas attached to women like her.

Can Caitlyn drag herself back from the brink to fulfil her dreams?
Come and walk for a while with The Beautiful Ones.