This is the kind of book that I love to read. It seems to be an average story about an average family on an average family vacation in 1980s New Zealand. And then it creeps up on you and suddenly one bomb drops after another, but they've been released so quietly and calmly you never saw it coming. I ate this up. Is it perfect? No, but I wouldn't expect that from a debut novel. Trevelyan creates such a strong sense of place that I could perfectly imagine the run down rental not quite on the beach, the lagoon with its secrets, and the beach with its charms and dangers. It is softly propulsively, expertly exploring all kinds of evils and dark secrets that can hide just below the surface in all of us, or in this case maybe next door...
One note, don't go into this book expecting everything to neatly tie up with a bow. If you do, I promise you will be disappointed. I, for my part, thought the looseness and abruptness of the ending was exactly right for this novel.

Ugh, not great. The story just didn't have momentum. I didn't mind the voice of the story in a child and thought it was insightful in moments, but the plot just did not move in the pace we needed.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review. I really loved this little book. Such a great reset when I needed it.!!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Doubleday for the DRC of #ABeautifulFamily. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is a tension-filled family drama/mystery set in New Zealand. It explores the dichotomy of childhood, sisterhood, friendship and marriage. 10 year old Alix and her family have rented a house at the beach for the summer holiday. With her family distracted by other things, Alix and her new friend Kahu are free to explore. They decide to investigate what happened to Charlotte, a little girl who disappeared a few years ago. The clues indicate that the danger is closer than they think.

Overall, a really well-written debut novel with believable characters and great pacing, simmering with tension. Look forward to reading more from this author.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. I never wanted this book to end! Every single chapter was packed full of twists and thrills. It’s a mixture of a coming of age story told through the eyes of a 10 year old girl on vacation with her family at the beach but it also is a hair raising thriller that keeps you guessing at the outcome as you read. The domestic drama in it is very relatable and the way each scene is set and describes transports you right there yourself. This is one of those books for me that when I finished it I asked “what other books can I read that will be like that one?”

Set in coastal New Zealand during a languid 1980s summer, 'A Beautiful Family' is a delicately unsettling coming-of-age story told through the wide eyes of ten-year-old Alix. On what is meant to be a relaxing family holiday, Alix finds herself pulled into a subtle, creeping mystery as the shadow of a missing girl haunts the neighborhood, and the adults around her begin to show cracks in their sunlit facades.

Trevelyan masterfully captures the gap between what children see and what they understand. Alix's observations - curious, often tinged with confusion - reveal far more than she realizes, creating a tension that simmers just beneath the surface. Her growing friendship with Kahu, a local boy with his own connection to the town's secrets, adds depth to the story's emotional core.

What makes the novel so effective is how it handles discomfort - nothing overtly sinister ever takes center stage, but the sense of something not quite right is omnipresent. The unease builds quietly, like heat rising off pavement, as Alix begins to sense that the adults around her aren't always telling the truth - least of all her own family.

Fans of literary fiction that leans into psychological tension and emotional nuance will appreciate Trevelyan's elegant prose and restraint. It's less about solving a mystery than about watching innocence fray. 'A Beautiful Family' is an evocative, atmospheric debut that lingers like a half-remembered summer dream - one tinged with salt, silence, and unanswered questions.

A Beautiful Family is so beautifully written. It's a slower paced. Quieter book but packs a loud punch.

I don't want to give any spoilers. I'll just give a few vague details. This holiday, Mom wants to go where it's peopley. Vanessa is the 15 year older sister who shoplifts for the first time and has a crush on Josh. The 10 year old makes new friends. She's weirded out by the older white haired neighbor.

Read it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'A Beautiful Family' by Jennifer Trevelyan - expected release date of 06/24/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Being an 80s baby and growing up in the last generation where kids could still be naive, innocent kids and were left to our own devices a majority of the time, this book hit hard and nostalgic for me. It didn't read like a debut novel. Trevelyan's writing was deep, descriptive, emotionally-charged and I felt so invested in the characters and the story. Writing from a 10 year old's point of view couldn't be easy, but she not only managed it, she did it well. There was a lot going on, but in the end, not a lot of answers or finality to the storyline which, surprisingly, I didn't mind. It felt like real life. Worth the read just know there's some loose ends.

This book was just ok for me. I enjoyed the mystery aspect but felt the ending left a lot of unanswered questions. The pacing could have been faster and the ending felt a little odd to me. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young family goes on vacation and secrets are uncovered. Unfortunately, the secrets lead to deep hurt within the family and the death of a woman peripherally involved with the family. In the midst of the families' personal drama, the youngest child is investigating the disappearance of a young child from the area.

Great characterization.

Two children team up to solve a mystery of the disappearance of another child, over the course of one summer. good story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday publishing for this ARC.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, books written from thr POV of children are hit or miss for me. But I thought this one was executed quite well. I found myself annoyed with most of the other characters, especially the sister who I thought wasn’t a full fleshed out character just kind of “teenage sister” stereotype:

I had really high hopes for this, and I was extremely let down. I really liked reading from the perspective of a 10-year-old. I think this was the only thing to help make this somewhat interesting. I didn't like the characters and couldn't connect with them. There were perfect details, and then it started to drag out and get boring. I didn't like the ending and felt like there were more questions than answers at the end.

This one completely pulled me in from the first chapter. A Beautiful Family is one of those reads where everything looks shiny and picture-perfect on the outside—but underneath? Secrets, dysfunction, and emotional chaos just waiting to crack through the surface. And that’s exactly the kind of story I live for.

Jennifer Trevelyan writes with a quiet intensity that builds slowly, and before you realize it, you’re knee-deep in this family’s unraveling. The characters felt painfully real—flawed, frustrating, and fully human. I love when an author isn’t afraid to let her characters be messy and complicated, especially the women. There’s something so cathartic about watching a carefully curated life start to fall apart, piece by piece.

The themes here—family dynamics, betrayal, the lies we tell ourselves to keep the illusion going—are handled with subtlety, but they pack a punch. There were moments I had to pause and sit with the emotion because it hit a little too close to home. The mother-daughter relationships especially felt raw and layered in a way that really stayed with me.

It’s not a twist-heavy thriller, but more of an emotional slow-burn domestic suspense. And honestly, the way the truth unfolds—quietly, devastatingly—made it all the more impactful. Trevelyan knows how to keep you uneasy without resorting to shock tactics.

If you love character-driven stories about beautiful facades and the darkness hiding just underneath, this one’s worth adding to your list. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy—it was a powerful, reflective read.

Thanks NetGalley for access to this arc. I was really interested in this book based on the synopsis, but unfortunately it was just a little too slow for me. I wasn’t satisfied with the ending.

A family vacation story shrouded in mystery and suspense written from the POV of a 10-year-old daughter, Alix. While this story evoked the nostalgia of summer as a kid on the beach and had some nice turns of phrase, it never quite hooked me in. The story arc was quite predictable and there were several times where I questioned the maturity of a 10yo's observations and actions. Several threads, especially with the mom and dad, were also left unsatisfyingly unresolved at the end.

SPOILER ALERT: Kudos to the talent of the author in writing suspenseful scenes. My heart truly raced when Alix was all but captured in the old man's house next door. And the discovery of the body in the marsh at the end was a creepy (in a good way) slow reveal.

Three stars for me.

* Thanks to Net Galley and Doubleday for this ARC in response for an unbiased review.

Thank you so much to Doubleday Books for the gifted ARC!

What an interesting concept! I was so eager to get to the bottom of who Charlotte was and where she went! I was also quickly hooked on all the drama between the family, especially between the two sisters.

While I appreciated the book told from a ten year old's perspective and truly think the writing reflected that, I think it sometimes stopped me from taking things very seriously.

I also found the multiple comments about Asians to be borderline racists at best. Just seemed like a very odd thing to do once and then for a second time in the book. It just didn't sit right with me at all.

Overall, this one was a bit of a letdown for me.

Sunny days and a summer that slowly unravels into something darker.

Told through the eyes of a 10 year old girl, Alix knows something is off while their family is on holiday. Especially when she learns about a little girl who disappeared on the same beach two years ago. But the adults aren’t talking.
It’s a slow burn for sure, and don’t expect all the answers tied up in a neat bow because we only see what Alix sees.

A slow burn mystery with family secrets. Great for lazy summer day by the pool. There were many secrets in this book, but a lot was left unresolved so you have to be okay with an open-ended conclusion.

I loved this book for the most part. The way it drew you in, the sweet partnership of Kahu and Alix trying to find the lost child kept me spellbound, and the relationship of Alix and her sister, Vanessa, struck so close to home as to be scary. A quick read, it is filled with perfect imagery, not too much, not to little, and the creepy neighbor added to the mix in a cringeworthy way.. The only drawback about the book was the too quick ending. It left me with several questions and no clear conclusion. That’s not a deal breaker though, because the story is fantastic and worth reading. I highly recommend this book. Thank you #Netgalley for an advanced copy of this intriguing read.