[Has a] devastating—yet somehow satisfying—conclusion ... Trevelyan uses a skilled pen to both peel back the curtain of what our protagonist sees, alongside the true meaning behind those things often shielded from us during adolescence ... The themes introduced are vast, but only lightly touched upon: dishonesty, lust, grief and womanhood. Although frustrating at times, this mechanism works by reminding us that the narrative is being filtered through a child’s eyes; so some things must remain obscured until it is time for a lesson to be learned, or some decisive action to be taken ... It is in the decision-making of the protagonist amid the moments of chaos slowly increasing around her—that the reader is taken forward into dangerous mayhem, inspired by the inner workings of a child’s logic. These moments are masterfully written, angling tension with fear and desire for retribution to be found, turning our at first hapless protagonist into something of a heroine to root for by the end ... Communicating the gaps in a family dynamic paired with significant plot points can be a challenging feat, but Trevelyan does it with enjoyable flair in A Beautiful Family, painting a multilayered narrative that must be devoured in one sitting.
Alix’s eventual discoveries, and those of her family, will shock her to her core. Trevelyan captures the naivete and confusion of Alix, who can sense when something is wrong but doesn’t always understand why, as big problems make cracks in the facade of her beautiful family ... Written from Alix’s point of view, this suspenseful coming-of-age debut is hard to put down. Readers will sympathize with the young protagonist.
