About the Book
-
Author:
- Aden Polydoros
Cover Story: Sinister
BFF Charm: Yay
Talky Talk: Historical Paranorm(ic)al
Bonus Factors: Jewish Culture, Lady Reporter
Anti-Bonus Factor: Sexual Assault of Minors
Relationship Status: Here For You
Content Warning: The City Beautiful contains suggestions of sexual assault and rape (minors at the hands of adults) as well as graphic depictions of dead bodies, physical assault, and murder, as well as some internalized homophobia (because religion) and anti-semitism.
Cover Story: Sinister
I would NOT like to run into this cover in a dark alleyway late at night.
The Deal:
Alter Rosen lives a quiet life, going to work as a typesetter for a Jewish newspaper during the day and attending English classes at night. He volunteers with his shul (synagogue), helping prepare the dead for burial. He keeps his head down and saves every penny to send back to his mother and two sisters in Romania.
But then his roommate and best friend (and maybe more) Yakov is found, dead, at the World’s Fair. Aden remains strong while preparing Yakov’s body up until they lower him into the mikveh and Aden “sees” Yakov’s eyes open. He leaps into the bath and is accosted by … something. He shrugs the incident off as stress and grief, but soon begins to act differently—more like Yakov.
In trying to figure out why he’s acting so oddly, Alter is thrown into an investigation of a series of disappearances/murders of other young Jewish men from his community, an investigation that leads to some very dangerous situations and a visit to Alter’s old life, one that was much less quiet (or legal).
BFF Charm: Yay
Alter is a sweet, generous young man with a lot riding on his slim shoulders. He doesn’t want to make waves; he just wants to make enough money to bring his family to America, not go hungry, and occasionally have a fun night out on the town. He’s got some ghosts in his closet—and a literal ghost possessing him—but he’s really trying to move on. When he gets pulled back into the seedy underworld of Chicago, however, and the grey areas of his first months of living in America, he doesn’t shy away from doing the right thing, even if it puts his efforts to have an honest, simple life at risk.
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Alter struggles with his feelings for two of his male friends (thanks, mostly, to his religion), but eventually gives into his feelings and ends up in a really great place. The swoon is gentle and slow burn, and the chemistry between Alter and his more-than-friend is believable and sweet.
Talky Talk: Historical Paranorm(ic)al
The City Beautiful is a dark, moody novel with a lot of macabre underlying themes. But it’s also a lovely story about a young man who’s finding his way in the world and discovering who he really is. The characters are fragile yet fierce, the setting dreary yet intriguing. There are so many seemingly disparate parts of this novel that you might not expect to mesh well, but Polydoros combines all of these parts beautifully. It’s also a novel that introduced me to a culture I was not familiar with—Jewish culture, more on that below—and I loved getting caught up in the unfamiliar terms and fascinating cadence of certain conversations.
Bonus Factor: Jewish Culture
Alter is Jewish, both in culture and faith. Although I know some about Jewish culture, my knowledge was really basic and high-level. The City Beautiful introduced me to a lot of terms and ideas about the faith and culture that I was previously unfamiliar with, and I really enjoyed being educated while enjoying a suspenseful paranormal story.
Bonus Factor: Lady Reporter
Alter’s possible love match turned enemy turned friend Raizel is a badass lady reporter in an era in which this isn’t a common thing. She is pushy and aggressive in the best of ways and quickly becomes an ally to Alter in more ways than one. Lois Lane and Raizel would get along swimmingly.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Sexual Assault of Minors
As Alter investigates the missing boys and Yakov’s death, he uncovers horrible truths about adult predators in his community. The book does have a happy ending, and the worst of the offenders get their just desserts, but it’s not easy to read about, at all.
Relationship Status: Here For You
You’ve not had an easy go of things, Book, but your strength impresses me. I am here to support you and give you love without any sort of expected reciprocation. You deserve a break.
Literary Matchmaking
Libba Bray’s The Diviners also mixes historical fiction and paranormal suspense and features queer storylines.
Shaun David Hutchinson’s Before We Disappear is another historical queer love story with fantastical elements and struggles to overcome.
Kalynn Bayron’s My Dear Henry takes place in a similar era and also touches on cultures outside the “norm” as well as queer culture.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Inkyard Press, but got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. The City Beautiful is available now.
