4.5 starsHer eyes were too large, clear green, and had horizontal, slit-shaped pupils, reminiscent of an octopus. Oh, where do I even start gushing about this book?Monstrous Beauty is pretty much a work of art with it's gorgeous prose and the bits of history and mythology weaved into the plot. I don't usually get too interested in mermaid books but this exception has really made me keen on reading more on them, if they are all as good as this one! Characters wise, I wanted so much more of Syrenka. Hester shaped up to be pretty kick-ass herself as the story progresses but everything about Syrenka was just so compelling. Maybe it was the era that her character was written in, or maybe it was the fact that she was such a mysterious and complex character to begin with but I definitely did not feel as strongly for Hester as I did Syrenka.The description of the sea creatures and the world that Fama built in this book was so phenomenal, it gives you the chills. One thing is for sure, the mermaids in Monstrous Beauty are no Disney characters.Give me more creepy mermaid novels like this please!