Holy moly. What did I just read, and can I do it again? Beautyland is unlike any book I’ve read before. With a slightly off-kilter tone, and eccentric observations of humans and earth, this transcends genre definitions. It's absurd, and even more absurd because it is so relatable.

The novel features an asexual MC - although sexuality is not a main theme of the novel. Themes include parenthood, poverty, home, and grief. But most of all, Beautyland manages to make the reader feel seen, and reachable, by connecting them to the mind and experiences of one little alien.

Born in the day Voyager1 launches, Adina always considered herself an outsider. These are her perceptions of the human world she lives in, or tried to. She communicated with her alien colleagues by a fax machine and waits for their replies for guidance. A lot of disconnected phrases, a slow story that could have been amazing, and the plot that really just ambled along

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
Beautyland
by Marie-Helene Bertino (Goodreads Author)
154351518
Hannah's reviewApr 25, 2025 · edit
liked it
bookshelves: to-read

Beautyland is a poignant and inventive exploration of alienation, identity, and the search for belonging, all told through the eyes of Adina Giorno—a young woman who believes she is an alien sent to Earth to observe humanity.

Born in 1977, the same year Voyager 1 launched into space, Adina's arrival is marked by a cosmic synchronicity that sets the tone for her life's narrative. Raised by a single mother in Philadelphia, Adina feels different from an early age. At four, she experiences a moment of activation, connecting her to her alien kin on Planet Cricket Rice. Equipped with a fax machine, she begins transmitting observations about human life, documenting everything from the mundane to the profound.

Bertino's writing is both humorous and tender, capturing the intricacies of human behavior through Adina's outsider perspective. Her observations are sharp, often highlighting the contradictions and complexities of human existence. For instance, she notes the peculiarities of human rituals and the emotional undercurrents that drive everyday interactions.

The novel's structure mirrors Adina's journey, with chapters divided into stages of a star's life cycle—Stellar Nebula, Massive Star, Red Supergiant, Supernova, and Blackhole. This cosmic framework underscores the themes of transformation and the passage of time, aligning Adina's personal growth with the universe's expansive timeline.​

At its core, Beautyland is a meditation on what it means to be human. Adina's alien status serves as a metaphor for the feelings of isolation and otherness that many experience. Her journey is one of self-discovery, as she navigates relationships, loss, and the quest for meaning in a world that often feels alien.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC

The blurb talks of Aliens and our protagonist reporting back to her home on those odd humans. The book was nominated in the Science Fiction Goodreads Choice Award. Additionally genre tagged as Science Fiction.

While all of this is technically true, it's really a literary fiction coming of age story with a sprinkle of Sci-Fi.

This was not what I was expecting. Alongside an ethereal and detached writing style and a story that that didn't live up to it's hook, this just wasn't for me.

I can totally understand why other readers would love it, but I wasn't the right audience for it sadly.

Storytelling with a difference – literary, amusing, moving, quirky, original. I’m not sure how to catergorise it, perhaps transcendental sci-fi, though that doesn’t capture the tenderness and human emotions. I loved the notion of sending fax messages to aliens – and receiving replies! Much thought-provoking observations about how we live and fit in. Or not.

A Cosmic Masterpiece of Human Experience

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino is an extraordinary novel that defies categorisation. It follows Adina Giorno, a young woman from Philadelphia who believes she's an alien sent to Earth to observe humanity. Through her unique perspective, Bertino weaves a narrative that is both deeply human and profoundly otherworldly.

Adina's observations, relayed via a fax machine to her extraterrestrial superiors, offer sharp, poignant, and often humorous insights into the human condition. From the mundanities of daily life to the complexities of relationships and grief, Bertino captures the essence of being human with remarkable empathy and wit.

The novel's structure, blending Adina's childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, mirrors the journey of self-discovery and belonging. Bertino's prose is both accessible and lyrical, drawing readers into Adina's world and making her experiences resonate on a universal level.

Beautyland is a testament to Bertino's storytelling prowess, offering a narrative that is as imaginative as it is emotionally resonant. It's a book that lingers long after the final page, prompting reflection on what it means to be human in a vast and often bewildering universe.

I've been so deeply moved by this book, and as someone who grew up an undiagnosed autistic obsessed with space, only a few years younger than the character of Adina, this story felt deeply familiar and beautiful. A part of me is still her even now, an alien trying to figure it all out, longing for home.

The thanks at the end, and Marie-Helene Bertino's own name suggests that this might be a more personal story than I initially assumed, but the highest praise I can give it is that it often reminded me of one of Anne Tyler's slightly more out there tales of the lives of square pegs in round holes. We start in 1977 with the birth of Alina, who the book suggests was born contemporaneously with the launch of the Voyager space probe, and is an alien implanted into a human body. It's an interesting conceit that allows the book to use Alina as more of a commentator or human lives, but it's a conceit that is treated with a light touch - more like magical realism than science fiction. As Alina grows she has lessons in her sleep in "the night classroom" which could just be dreams. There is also a fax machine in her bedroom that she sends her reports off to, and the fax occasionally replies or asks questions. Her role on Earth is to report back to her people on Planet Cricket Rice. But the book's main thrust is growing up as the daughter of an Italian American single mother in Philadelphia. And again, the milleau is treated like Anne Tyler talks about Baltimore.

Beuatyland (named after a beauty product store in Philadelphia, which is a lot less important to the plot than you would imagine) charts forty years of women's lives: Alina's but also her friend Toni (short for Marie-Antoinette, which feels like a reference to the author). The vignettes are described robustly, even if they are relatively ordinary: Alina's attempt to join a dance troop, her stint as a diner waitress, her New York office job. Bertino finds the humour and pathos in the every-day, even when it passes her observer by, and when the book slips into a darker, more tragic mode near the end, it never shies away from the seriousness. There is also a warmth in the family relationship between Alina and her mother that moves from antagonistic to understanding, partially as her mother also moves from trying to get by as a single Mom to being emancipated by education. And indeed, Alina's reports to Planet Cricket Rice eventually becomes a best-selling book, something that in itself Alina is ambivalent about. I really enjoyed Beautyland, it was a one-day read, and whilst it has an unusual and oddball conceit, it actually is a very relatable story of a life.

This is not my usual type of book and I struggled to a) get into the book and b) understand what was happening. However, the writing draws you in and the details of Adina’s everyday existence told from an ‘ alien’ viewpoint keeps you captivated. Is Alina an alien or just a lonely young girl with a different brain? Is her fax machine connected to anywhere and who is answering it? And how wonderful her mother is, to keep going and stay positive in the face of poverty and the daily struggle of life. An ultimately rewarding read if you stay with it.

I struggled to get into the story at the beginning, then I let myself enjoy the writing rather than try to control the story. It was enjoyable once I did, perhaps because it is quite different from my usual go to genres. I’d recommend to friends who want to branch out and try something different!

I think this is going to be a DNF for me, but not a DNF forever. I think a DNF in this particular format. I do think I'll get on better with this book via audio, but the pieces just haven't slotted into place to get that to happen. I just couldn't get into the writing style in the first couple of pages, but I feel with a different approach, I might get on with it.

A coming of age story written from the viewpoint of Adina, an alien sent to observe humans. Emotional, beautiful storytelling that will resonate with readers.

Lovely book observing what it's like to be human from the pov of an alien girl. Recommended for people who like coming of age and quirky books.

This coming-of-age story spans the childhood and early adulthood of Adina, an alien born on Earth to report back on humanity. Her observations about the world are wonderfully deadpan, cutting through the mess of social convention.

The structure is unusual; particularly in the first half, it sometimes felt like I was reading a movie montage of small moments throughout Adina's childhood, some of which didn't necessarily connect to anything else. This half of the novel was also my favourite, as I felt the balance was perfect between sincerity and humour, whereas the second half tips more towards serious and emotional topics - but this is not a criticism as it totally makes sense since Adina is now an adult.

I would recommend this one to fans of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, and Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin.

Unfortunately, due to the formatting of the eARC I received, I was unable to see the fax replies sent by the aliens, or any text messages mentioned, but I don't believe this has made a significant difference to my reading experience or to my rating.

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino captures so effectively that universal feeling of not fitting in and not knowing how to be human. Such a compelling read. I would snap up whatever Bertino writes next.

Description:
Adina is born to a human mother in the late 70s, but knows she's actually an alien sent to observe and catalogue humanity.

Liked:
A really fresh voice - deeply touching without being overly sentimental. I cried a lot. Really loved Adina and her family and friends. Very, very endearing.

Disliked:
The ending felt a little rushed and at times it was hard to tell how much time had passed.

Would absolutely recommend. I’d heard a lot about this one and was prepared to be disappointed, but it lived up to the hype.

Beautyland is one of those books where everyone who reads it will have a completely different experience. A literary style, sci fi trappings, emotional beats...it's a mish mash that shouldn't work, but does.

Adina is an alien, but she could easily be neurodivergent, a minority or growing up in another culture. Her observations are clever and pithy, the kind of thing you don't notice until they're pointed out and then they're so obvious you wonder how you didn't notice them before. I did find some of her languages choices odd - her dog has a name but she continues to call him 'the little dog' in narration? - but that could be a literary convention that I just don't know about.

Heartfelt, honest and, despite the concept, very human, this will stay with you for a long time.


Movie Recommendation: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – A heartfelt and emotionally resonant film about an alien stranded on Earth and the human boy who befriends him. Like Beautyland, it explores themes of connection, belonging, and the wonder of the unknown.

Book Recommendation: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – A deeply moving novel about a Jesuit mission to make first contact with an alien species, blending literary depth with science fiction elements. Much like Beautyland, it’s a story of discovery, culture shock, and what it means to be human.

I’ve been longing to read ‘Beautyland’ ever since I first heard about it, and given all the rave reviews, my expectations were pretty high. Fortunately, this is one of those rare books that exceeds all expectations and no review will ever do it justice. If you’re thinking about picking it up, all I can say is: Do it! Experience it for yourself!

What made this book so special for me is the quality of the writing, which manages to be poetic yet readable, clever yet unassuming; the humour, which is quiet and sometimes dark, and has a wonderful way of catching you off guard; and the deep connection I felt with Adina. I loved all her observations—each one ignited a spark in my mind, a moment of recognition about the strangeness of humans and all the constructs we engage in. The book left me with a kind of bittersweet hope, and I can’t wait to read it again.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Marie-Helene Bertino and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram, Amazon UK, GoodReads and The StoryGraph.

What a beautiful and tender coming of age story. I'm sure there's some Adina in all of us, as we try to navigate life in the 21st century. Such a relatable character that only I rooted for from the very start, drawn into her experience of our world as an outsider whilst trying trying to belong. I'd love to see this translated onto the big screen. Utterly unique.

4.5/5

Adina is born in 1977, on the same day that Voyager 1 is launched into space. She is raised by a single mother in Philadelphia but born with the knowledge that she is different to her human peers. One day, she is delivered a fax machine from ‘the superiors’ on her home planet to report her findings and to establish whether their race could survive on Earth.
Adina catalogues the highs and lows of the human experience; from her childhood onwards and spanning over multiple decades, whilst coming to the realisation that there may be others like her doing the exact same thing.

This was both poignant and touching in abundance; I adored it. I loved experiencing the 1970s and beyond through Adina’s innocent yet witty narration. It looks at finding beauty in the mundane but also examines themes of loneliness and detachment. An absolute gem of a novel 💜