I’m not entirely sure if I owe thanks to Chloe Davies (I suspect so), Poppy North or Rosie Friis at Macmillan for sending me a surprise copy of A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan, but I am very, very grateful. It’s my pleasure to share my review of A Beautiful Family today.
A Beautiful Family is published by Pan MacMillan imprint Mantle on 19th June and is available for pre-order through the links here.
A Beautiful Family
In the past, we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother’s preference. This year was different . . .
As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, ten-year-old Alix wants to spend every second on the beach and in the water. But, with her parents unusually distracted and her older sister now more interested in boys, she finds herself alone.
Then she meets Kahu at the beach and he tells her about The Mystery. Two years ago, a girl went missing and none of the adults could find her. So the new friends decide to investigate – because people don’t just disappear.
But, as Alix and Kahu search for clues, they stumble upon secrets they wish they’d left alone. Is Alix’s holiday house as safe as it seems? And is her sister putting her trust in the wrong people?
My Review of A Beautiful Family
Alix’s family is away for the summer.
Oh my goodness. What an exquisite book. A Beautiful Family is an absolute triumph. Part coming of age story, part thriller, part domestic drama and part mystery, this is a book that is far greater than the sum of its parts and I adored it.
Told from ten year old Alix’s perspective, A Beautiful Family is the epitome of tension. Jennifer Trevelyan captivates the reader from the very first page and mesmerises them to the last word. Not every single element of the narrative is resolved by the end so that the narrative feels as if it reflects the vagaries of real life, making it all the more impactful. It also means that the story reverberates in the reader’s mind long after the book is finished. It made me feel anxious and tense as I read but I simply couldn’t put it down. This truly is a masterclass in implied meaning. We fill in the gaps Alix leaves so that our minds suggest all kinds of scenarios – especially with regard to the man next door to the holiday home.
The prose in A Beautiful Family is simultaneously sparse and beautiful and Alix’s voice is totally believable. Her blend of naivety and knowledge as she is growing up with her older sister Vanessa is utterly convincing. As a result, she reveals events, relationships and the actions of other characters to perfection.
With the unities of time (a summer), place (a resort just north of Wellington in New Zealand) and action (Alix and Kahu’s search for missing little girl Charlotte) there’s an almost unbearable, menacing, intensity that is utterly compelling. As events unfold, Alix’s beautiful family begins to unravel so that the author peels back the layers of society and reveals the murky reality of relationships, burgeoning sexuality, family, marriage, friendship and difference. It really is a microcosm of the world.
I’m aware I’ve been somewhat vague in my review, but the narrative is so intricately woven that I don’t want to reveal anything that might spoil this exceptional book for others.
In case it isn’t obvious, I thought A Beautiful Family was, quite simply, fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. But if you read it, don’t forget to breathe. I swear I was holding my breath throughout!
About Jennifer Trevelyan
With a background in photography and children’s publishing, Jennifer is now a full-time writer living in Wellington, New Zealand, with her husband, son, daughter, dog and cat. When not at her writing desk, Jennifer can be found in the garden.
For further information, find Jennifer on Twitter/X @JTrevelyan, Bluesky and Instagram.
English (US) · 