This book is astonishingly beautiful. I loved WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS and was a little nervous that this book would be a let-down. How could it possibly top it? Not that books have to be in competition, but when I love something from an author, my hopes are always in a tangle when I approach their next book. But I loved WILD BEAUTY so much more and in different ways than WTMWO. The writing is lush and gorgeous, the power of the magic realism, the depth of the character development, all of it is amazing. I will go with this author wherever she wants to lead me.

What a lovely book! Such beautiful, lush writing, an intriguing premise, and an enchanting page-turner of a plot! I've also always liked how diverse McLemore makes her characters, and this book adds yet more representation for PoC and LGBT readers. (Also, I am so in love with the cover! I can't gush enough about it.)

If there is one person who knows how to do magical realism, it's Anna-Marie McLemore. Every single word she writes is, hands down, without a doubt, the most beautiful piece of writing I've ever read. This was true in her first two novels, and her latest is no different. That said, while it wouldn't be unheard of for authors to rely too heavily on one style of writing, what I adore about McLemore is that all of her novels are different and unique enough where instead of being bored by too much of a singular brand of magical realism, I honestly can't get enough. That is due largely to her skill and her ability to not only maneuver through delicate subject matter, but do so in a way that is so ridiculously beautiful that you really don't ever want the stories to end. When I closed this book, I wasn't quite ready to let go of Estrella and Fel and Bay and Dalia and all the rest but at the same time I was so satisfied with the ending that honestly I didn't know what to do with my conflicted feelings. To me, this speaks volumes of the author's talent and I honestly can't wait for the what McLemore has in store for her readers in the future. In addition to all of this, what I love about McLemore is her ability to make magical realism accessible to readers who may be reluctant to give it a try. There really are so many ways it can go wrong, but when its done right - it really can be something special. McLemore proves that every time. Overall, I'm very much looking forward to October so I can get this into the hands of ALL the readers I know!