PositiveEntertainment WeeklyWhile the pages Prince originally wrote do have the makings of a memoir—complete with his trademark eye emojis, 2s, Us, and Rs—when paired with Piepenbring’s lengthy prologue, never-before-seen-photos, and an original 11-page treatment of the film Purple Rain, The Beautiful Ones is ultimately rendered more as a scrapbook than a searing personal tale. But then, it is one hell of a scrapbook ... [Prince\'s] recollections are tender and heartfelt but it’s frustrating when they finally stop short, knowing there are still so many Prince stories left untold. Not having more of his prose here lessens the book’s overall impact. Yet the back-half of The Beautiful Ones is still a rare treasure trove for Prince fanatics ... It all makes The Beautiful Ones a worthy document, even if it fails to live up to the emotional highs of its beginning. But then, what remains is more than enough.
