Freak ‘N’ Gorgeous by Sebastian J. Plata
ARC provided via Edelweiss for a fair review.
Publish Date: September 11, 2019
Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. The morning that Konrad’s inexplicable development happened, making him an utter hottie, Camilla experiences the opposite effect, making her ugly. Adjusting to their new looks is creates an entire lifestyle change for them both.
The Story
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I initially thought. First of all, I love the adjustment that Konrad himself has to go through as he discovers that his looks, yes, is bringing on the attention that he might have wanted, but is bringing on more than that. Though it’s battled with some high school clichés, the same ones trump itself such as his friendship with the jock character. It was unexpected. I think the thing I liked most was Camilla’s battle with her own ID. Her reaction to her looks was extreme, but she was still brave enough to confront it face first (pun intended). I think it’s her actions though that really reflected her ugliness, not her face.
Their relationship though was so painful (in a good way) to read. Konrad never doing the right thing, and Camilla having her ulterior motives just made me ache so hard for the two of them.
Ultimately, the story is about the reasoning behind their wishes, why they were fated with the faces they were given and of course how they handle themselves respectively.
The Characters
First of all, I would like to say the side characters (their friends) were excellent. The way their friends handled the ID’s was exceptional. I’d like to point out that though Konrad and Camilla sort of treat their friends poorly at times, they were still able to forgive them and still support them, despite and through their own personal problems.
Konrad was sort of annoying as he was so self absorbed. I love that his friends pointed out how shallow it was for him to wish to be so good looking, and yet he admits that yes there were times that he wished he was good looking, but most people wished that sort of thing. I mean, really guys, is there a day that you don’t look in the mirror and think if only this was better? It may seem shallow, but I know it’s true for me, sometimes its something big like wishing I could be just a little fitter, and some days it’s something completely random like wishing my hair would hold a curl better. I love that by the end his wish is explained in a less shallow way, because though he does flaunt it in the beginning, he does realize that it’s not worth all that it was.
Camilla was great. I loved her dark vendetta that she was so bent on following through, even if it made her an uglier person. I think what I really appreciated was the fact that her lashing out still had it’s consequences, and she knew that she was probably going too far at times, yet her anger still lets loose.
The Soundtrack
Coldplay – We Never Change
